Comparison

Wheels Up vs Explored

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Wheels Up

Access a network of over 1,500 private aircraft for booking and managing flights. Handle all trip details, from booking and passenger additions to catering and ground transportation, all within the app. Enjoy exclusive member benefits and cost-saving options like empty legs and shared flights.

Highlights
  • Search and book private aircraft
  • Real-time pricing and instant booking
  • Manage trips and add passengers
  • Arrange catering and ground transport
  • Access empty legs and shared flights
  • Receive flight notifications
  • View flight activity and invoicing
Features
Read full description

Search. Book. Fly. Discover. No matter where you’re going, it matters how you get there. Download the Wheels Up app for over 1,500 safety-vetted and verified private aircraft available at your fingertips. Manage your trips from the palm of your hand. - Take care of everything without making a phone call. - Get real time pricing for instant booking. - Personalize your searches by saving your favorite airports and passengers. - Book your travel in a few steps adding passengers – including your pets – and add additional luggage to your trip. - With push notifications and SMS, you’ll receive the latest information about your flights, including your tail number and FBO. - View flight activity, edit your payment methods, and download invoicing information. Arrange on board catering or ground transportation. Let us provide you with snacks for your trip. Just tell us what you’d like, and it will be waiting for you on board. If you need a rental car or driver, we’ll be happy to arrange everything. Fly private for less on empty legs and Shared Flights. Members can lower their flight costs with empty leg opportunities or by sharing flights with other members.     The sky’s the limit with exclusive benefits. It’s one of the perks of membership. Access exceptional and personalized experiences both in the air and on the ground.   Get in touch. Have questions? We have answers. Explore our FAQs section, or get in touch with our team directly from the app. Create an account now and get started. Passenger flights shall be arranged by Wheels Up Partners LLC, Wheels Up Private Jets LLC, or Air Partner LLC, each acting as a bona fide agent for charterer. Flights that depart from, or arrive, or conducted entirely outside of the U.S. shall be arranged by Air Partner Limited, Air Partner International, Air Partner International GmbH, and/or Air Partner Srl, each acting as a foreign indirect air carrier. The air charter broker(s) shall be disclosed to charterer in a Trip Quote. All flights shall be operated by a direct air carrier or foreign direct air carrier that holds an Air Carrier Certificate under 14 C.F.R. § 119 (or equivalent license as a foreign air carrier under applicable foreign law), authorizing them to furnish air transportation services pursuant to 14 C.F.R § 121, 129 or 135 (or equivalent license authority as a foreign air carrier under applicable foreign law), as such air carrier may be utilized or designated to charterer with prior notice. For the avoidance of doubt, when Wheels Up Partners LLC or Wheels Up Private Jets LLC provide air transportation services to a charterer, they are a direct air carrier (also referred to as an "Operator"), and with respect to any cargo flights arranged by Air Partner LLC, such flights are arranged in its capacity as an indirect air carrier.

About

Explored

This app transforms your world into a personal map, highlighting places you've visited and revealing areas yet to be explored. Discover hidden gems in your city, track your progress, and find new routes for everyday journeys or grand adventures.

Highlights
  • Track visited locations
  • Reveal unseen areas
  • Map movement as coverage
  • Explore cities and travels
  • View progress with stats
  • Use Cabin View while driving
Features
Read full description

Find where you haven’t been. Explored turns your world into a personal map of places seen and unseen. Most maps are built to get you somewhere. Explored is built to show you everywhere you haven’t gone yet. Discover how much of your own city you haven’t seen. Walk a different block, drive a new route, revisit familiar neighborhoods, or take a road trip and watch your map fill in as you explore. You’ve seen less of your own city than you think. Explored helps you: • Track where you’ve been • Reveal unseen areas around you • Turn movement into map coverage • Explore your city, neighborhood, and travels • See progress through stats and goals • Use Cabin View while driving • Find new places hidden in plain sight Whether you’re walking across town, taking the scenic route, or exploring a new city, Explored gives you a reason to go somewhere different. Your world is full of gaps. Find them. Follow them. Explore them!

Screenshots

Wheels Up4 screens
Explored4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Wheels Up at 4.6K against Explored's 2. Wheels Up also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs paid) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Explored's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Explored holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Wheels Up has 4.6K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of Wheels Up's written reviews are positive against 50% of Explored's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Wheels Up ships an update weekly, Explored every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and August 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Wheels Up versus Explored: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWheels UpExplored
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (4.6K ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.9% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4.6K — better2
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size75 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWheels Up Partners, LLC.Gui Pinto

Customer experience

Wheels Up

All ratings4,620 ratings
Positive96.8%
Neutral1.1%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews61 reviews
Positive45.9%
Neutral1.6%
Negative52.5%

Explored

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Wheels Up

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Inability to create an account
  • SMS verification code not being sent
  • Flights showing as unavailable despite demand
  • Inconsistent pricing and hidden fees
  • Technical issues with the app and website

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved sign-up and account creation process
  • More transparent pricing and availability information
  • Enhanced search and booking functionality
  • Expanded flight routes and destinations
  • Better communication and updates on flight status

Explored

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Wheels Up

No in-app purchases

None

Explored

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Wheels Up free?
Wheels Up is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Explored free?
Explored is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Wheels Up or Explored?
Explored is rated higher. Wheels Up averages 4.8 out of 5 from 4.6K ratings, while Explored averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Wheels Up or Explored have ads?
Neither Wheels Up nor Explored shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Wheels Up or Explored?
Wheels Up ships an update weekly, and Explored every 8 days. Most recently, Wheels Up was updated on September 23, 2026 and Explored on August 17, 2026.

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