We make CrewBench, so take this with that in mind. We've tried to be fair: most charter operators don't need to choose between CrewBench and the tools below, and several use one of them alongside us. What follows is what each tool is built for, where CrewBench is genuinely different, and what it doesn't do.
First, decide which problem you're solving
"Crew scheduling software" covers two quite different jobs:
- Running the whole operation: quoting and sales, trip planning, dispatch, permits, crew rostering, flight time limits and maintenance in one system. This is what the full flight operations platforms do.
- Getting a qualified, legal pilot to say yes, fast: especially when your crew is a mix of employees and freelancers, trips appear at short notice, and the current process is a phone, a spreadsheet and a WhatsApp group. This is the job CrewBench is built around.
If your biggest pain is the first, start with one of the platforms below. If it's the second, or you already have a platform and staffing is still a scramble, read the CrewBench section.
The full flight operations platforms
Leon
Leon is a web-based flight operations platform covering scheduling, sales and quoting (with a built-in CRM and Avinode integration), dispatch, crew and maintenance. Its crew module includes a configurable flight time limitation (FTL) engine, qualification tracking and duty rosters, and it has iOS and Android apps. It integrates with dozens of partners and offers an API.
A good fit if you want one system for sales, ops, crew and maintenance and are ready to configure it around your operations manual.
FL3XX
FL3XX is a cloud platform built for Part 135 and Part 91 operators, as well as medevac, cargo and other operator types. It covers sales and quoting, dispatch, crew rostering with qualification tracking and duty and rest calculations, maintenance, documents and reporting, with a mobile crew app and a large set of third-party integrations.
A good fit if you're a Part 135 or Part 91 operator looking for a broad, integrated platform from quote to post-flight.
Avianis (Portside)
Avianis is Portside's cloud flight scheduling and operations platform, used by corporate flight departments, managed aircraft and Part 135 operators. It brings together scheduling, aircraft and crew management, quoting, invoicing and maintenance tracking, and its mobile app lets pilots see their schedule, log flights and report duty time.
A good fit if you run a flight department or managed fleet and want scheduling tied closely to the rest of the business.
Schedaero (Avinode Group)
Schedaero is Avinode Group's web-based aircraft and crew scheduling system for charter operators, flight departments and owners. Alongside scheduling and quoting, it tracks crew training and currency and has a duty dashboard that projects duty and flight times so schedulers can check Part 135 legality, including for last-minute trips.
A good fit if you're already in the Avinode ecosystem and want scheduling, quoting and crew currency in one place.
myairops
myairops is a cloud flight operations suite for charter companies, flight departments, aircraft management and other operators. It combines quoting and a CRM with trip planning, a crew duty roster and operational management.
A good fit if you want an all-in-one system with a strong charter sales and quoting side.
Most of these platforms are priced by quote, so ask each vendor how pricing scales: per aircraft, per user or per module. Their websites have the current details.
Where CrewBench is different
CrewBench doesn't try to be another all-in-one platform. It focuses on the part of crew scheduling that still runs on phone calls at most charter operators: finding a qualified pilot, getting a fast yes, and being able to prove the assignment was legal.
1. Built for a crew that includes freelancers
Your rostered pilots and your freelance bench sit in one pool, with their type ratings, roles and medicals. Freelance pilots aren't an awkward add-on: many of them fly for several operators, and with one free CrewBench crew account they see trips from every operator they fly for in one app.
2. Every qualified pilot hears about the trip at once
Post a trip and CrewBench notifies every pilot with the right type rating and role at the same time: a push notification in the CrewBench app, plus SMS and email. No more calling down a list one pilot at a time.
3. Pilots answer the way that works for them
We recommend the CrewBench app for iOS and Android. Pilots get push notifications, their schedule and their availability in one place, and it's the best experience by a distance. It isn't a hurdle, though: a pilot who hasn't installed it yet can still answer with one tap from the text or email, so a new freelancer can respond to their very first trip.
4. A live dashboard instead of chasing replies
Responses land on the trip as they come in. When the right pilot says Available, you confirm them with one click and everyone else is updated.
5. Seniority order, enforced and recorded
If you offer trips in seniority order, CrewBench works down your list automatically with a response window you set, and keeps a timestamped record of who was offered what and when.
6. Legal and documented
Under Part 135, a pilot's flight time limit includes "any other commercial flying", which matters a lot for freelancers. On the Scale plan, CrewBench checks each confirmed trip against the FAA flight time and rest limits, counting the outside hours you've recorded for that pilot, and re-checks when legs change. Every notification, response and confirmation is logged, and the Shield plan adds a compliance certificate for each trip. (Our Part 135 duty and rest guide sets out the limits themselves.)
7. It works alongside Leon
If you already run Leon, you don't have to replace it. CrewBench imports your upcoming Leon flights as trips every 15 minutes, so you can staff them in CrewBench without retyping anything.
8. Simple, public pricing
There's a free plan to start (up to 3 trip requests a month). Paid plans are priced per active crew member, not per aircraft: Pro is $40 a month, Scale $60 and Shield $120, or about 17% less when billed annually. Current details are on the pricing page.
What CrewBench doesn't do
To save you a demo: CrewBench doesn't do charter quoting and sales, dispatch and flight planning, or maintenance tracking. If you need those, you'll want one of the platforms above, and CrewBench can sit alongside it to handle crew staffing.
How to choose
- Do you need quoting, dispatch and maintenance in the same system? Start with the full platforms.
- How much of your flying depends on freelance pilots? The bigger your bench, the more a staffing-first tool pays off.
- How do you prove a pilot was legal for a trip today? If the honest answer is "they told us", look for FTL checks that include outside flying.
- How long does it take to fill a short-notice trip? If it's measured in hours of phone calls, notification and response speed matter more than anything else on this list.
- What will it cost as you grow? Compare per-aircraft, per-user and per-crew-member pricing against your own fleet and crew numbers.
Try it on your next trip
The quickest way to judge CrewBench is to post one real trip and see how fast your crew responds. Start free, no card needed, or read how Shino Aviation runs crew across a 20-aircraft mixed fleet.