The 17 Best Apps for Finding Cheap Flights in 2025

At Locals Insider, we might promote and recommend luxurious travel, but that doesn’t mean we enjoy paying over the odds for flights.  

Despite dozens of online websites and mobile apps promising the best airfare deals, most travelers still begin their search with Google.

According to Similarweb traffic data, Google Flights received around 8.9 million visits in a recent month—though competitors like Skyscanner saw nearly 40 million, suggesting Google may not dominate as widely as assumed.

Meanwhile, app intelligence firm Sensor Tower has tracked a crowded marketplace, with well over 100 travel-related flight apps currently live across the App Store and Google Play.

With this abundance comes both choice and confusion: which apps are truly worth the space on your phone—and which ones actually help you save money?

Let’s examine the top-performing flight search apps and online sites, including their key features for finding the most affordable flight prices, user experiences, and customer reviews.

These Sites & Apps Will Help You Book Cheaper Flights in 2025

Here’s an overview of the cheap flight online ticket services for 2025-2026:  

Google Flights – Most Used

Google Flights is still the first stop for many U.S. travelers searching and comparing flight fares online. It isn’t technically an app—you open it in a browser—but its speed and simplicity make it feel like one. The main appeal is its instant fare maps and predictive calendar, which let you see how prices change day by day. For example, planning a New York to Barcelona trip, you’ll notice fares drop by around $150 if you leave on a Tuesday instead of Friday.

In August 2025, Google added a new “Economy (exclude Basic)” filter for U.S. and Canadian users, letting you avoid restrictive basic economy fares and only see options with carry-on, seat choice, and more flexibility. A newer AI-powered Flight Deals tool also lets you type in plain requests like “week-long beach trip this winter” and get curated suggestions.

Google Flights doesn’t charge booking fees; it sends you to the airline’s site to finalize. The only drawback is that not all low-cost carriers appear, so some hidden bargains may slip past. Despite that, surveys in 2025 still list it among the top two tools U.S. travelers rely on for airfare searches.

Going – Best for Heavily Discounted Flights  

Going, once known as Scott’s Cheap Flights, is a flight deal alert service that helps travelers save hundreds of dollars on airfare by flagging unusually low fares and mistake deals.

The thing is to find cheap flights and tickets; you have to unlock some functions, and yes, it costs money. That is life, we mean business.

The Premium plan (about $49/year) unlocks all economy flight deals worldwide, custom destination alerts, mistake fares, and weekly newsletters with travel tips. Members often report booking international flights for less than domestic trips—for example, round-trips from Boston to Reykjavík for around $100 or New York to Barcelona for under $300.

These aren’t budget-airline tricks either—Going’s focus is largely on full-service carriers such as Delta, American, United, Lufthansa, and Japan Airlines, often with direct or one-stop itineraries.

The app launched in 2024 and rates highly on iOS (4.7 stars), praised for its clean interface and reliable push alerts. While deals usually require booking months ahead and quick action, Going is best for flexible travelers who want to spot rare bargains without spending hours searching.

However, it’s not ideal if you’re on a tight schedule and must fly somewhere specific. It’s a better option if you’re open to a new vacation and willing to fly where it’s cheapest.  

TravelPerk

TravelPerk has carved out its niche by rethinking how businesses book and manage travel. Instead of toggling between airline websites, hotel portals, and expense spreadsheets, the app brings flights, trains, hotels, and car rentals into one streamlined platform designed specifically for teams.

It’s particularly valuable for companies that need oversight—policies, approvals, and real-time reporting—without slowing down employees who just want to book a flight.

One of its smartest touches is VAT-ready invoicing, a lifesaver for European companies reclaiming taxes, and the “FlexiPerk” option that allows cancellations with up to 80% refunded.

Users can book a flight in minutes, see company rates negotiated directly with airlines like Lufthansa, British Airways, and Delta, and have all receipts consolidated automatically.

The pricing reflects different levels of need. The Starter plan is free for the first five bookings each month, then 5% per booking (minimum $2, max $30).

Premium is $99 per month plus 3% per booking, adding features like multiple approval workflows, budget tracking, and a dedicated account manager.

Pro, at $299 per month plus 3% per booking, unlocks unlimited workflows, custom integrations, and advanced reporting. For small businesses, Starter often suffices, while larger firms with frequent international travel see real value in Premium and Pro.

Alternative Airlines

Alternative Airlines has built a loyal following by solving one of the biggest headaches in booking flights: payment flexibility. With access to more than 600 airlines worldwide—ranging from major carriers like American Airlines, Emirates, and Lufthansa to regional favorites in Africa, Asia, and South America—it’s a genuine one-stop shop for travelers who want choice.

Let’s say you are booking a cross-country hop on Alaska Airlines or an international trip with Singapore Airlines, the app puts all options in one place.

What makes it different is how you pay. Instead of the standard “credit card now, trip later” model, Alternative Airlines works with services like Klarna, Afterpay, Affirm, PayPal, and even cryptocurrency. This means you can spread the cost over months or delay payment without missing out on a fare that may disappear tomorrow.

On Trustpilot, it holds a 4.9 rating from more than 26,000 reviews, with users praising how the “buy now, pay later” model made reunions and long-haul adventures possible.

The booking process is straightforward: you choose one-way, return, or multi-city flights, add extras like luggage or protection, and confirm instantly. There’s built-in travel protection too, so if plans change, you’re not left stranded.

One reviewer mentioned that they managed to plan a reunion trip to South Africa thanks to being able to pay the ticket off in four installments, while another highlighted how clear the payment schedule is during checkout.

It’s not just about affordability—it’s also confidence.

Flighty

Flighty is different from the rest: it’s more a flight-tracking app than a search engine, but for actual travel days it’s unmatched. Launched in 2019, it delivers push alerts about delays, gate changes, and arrival forecasts—sometimes even before the airline app updates.

Flighty Pro, at about $48/year, adds real-time tracking and calendar sync. iOS reviews are excellent, averaging 4.8, though some say predictions occasionally misfire. If you’ve ever been stranded without updates, Flighty is worth having alongside a booking app.

Best for: Keeping calm on travel day with real-time updates.

Wego

Wego is a travel booking website that compares and finds the lowest prices across over 1,000 sites. The company is headquartered in Singapore, and the app is particularly strong in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions. It aggregates flights, hotels, and even “travel trends” dashboards. On a trip through Kuala Lumpur, I found regional low-cost carrier deals here that never appeared on Kayak or Google Flights.

Its Google Play score is 4.5 from 180,000 reviews. Users in Asia say it’s their first stop; U.S. travelers may find coverage patchier. Still, its hotel reviews and local pricing tools make it valuable in its core regions.

Best for: Asia-Pacific and Middle Eastern travel deals.

Skyscanner

Founded in Edinburgh in 2003, Skyscanner now belongs to Trip.com Group and has become one of the most downloaded travel apps globally. Travelers love the “Everywhere” function, which reveals the cheapest destinations from your origin.

One family noted in a recent review that they discovered flights to Porto for half the cost of Paris using this feature. The app integrates hotels and car hire, but flights remain its strongest point. Its Play Store score is 4.7 from more than a million reviews. Criticism often focuses on being redirected to third-party sites that sometimes show slightly higher prices.

Best for: Flexible travelers hunting for deals anywhere.

Hopper

Hopper, launched in 2015, was one of the first to use machine learning to predict airfare. Its watchlist alerts tell you whether to “buy now” or “wait,” and when followed, they can save real money. I once booked a flight to Miami after Hopper signaled a buy, saving about $70 versus booking earlier.

The app also offers “price freeze,” holding fares for a fee. Reviews are split: 4.8 on iOS, but closer to 3.8 on Android, with many users complaining about surprise service fees added at checkout. Still, its predictive model is useful if you’re flexible and willing to wait.

Best for: Travelers with patience to let AI guide their purchase.

Kayak

Rather than focusing exclusively on cheap flight apps, it’s helpful to look at apps that give access to more than just flight deals, and this is precisely where Kayak comes to the fore.  

Kayak, active since 2004, has long been a favorite among comparison shoppers. Its strength is in multi-city itineraries and “Hacker Fares,” which combine one-way tickets from different airlines. I tested it for a trip combining New York, Madrid, and Rome—it pieced together a journey $200 cheaper than a standard return.

The app also integrates hotel and car rental booking, but some budget carriers are missing, and customer support depends on the airline or agent you book with. Ratings average 4.5 across platforms, with many praising the filters for nonstop flights, bags, and departure times.

Best for: Complex itineraries and multi-stop trips.

Kiwi.com

Kiwi.com, based in Brno, Czech Republic since 2012, specializes in “virtual interlining”—combining flights from airlines that don’t normally partner. That can create unusual bargains, like a $480 Boston–Bangkok itinerary combining a major airline with a budget regional carrier. Its Google Play rating is 4.3 from over 100,000 reviews.

Users praise the unique routes but warn about risky short layovers, since Kiwi, not the airlines, guarantees the connection. If you want unusual routes or last-minute bargains, it can work—but allow time cushions.

Best for: Adventurous travelers chasing unique low-cost combinations.

Omio

Omio began in Berlin in 2013 as GoEuro and is unique for combining flights with trains and buses in one search. For intra-Europe travel, it’s invaluable: looking up Berlin to Paris, it showed a train that was cheaper and faster than the flight once airport transfers were included.

The app holds a 4.5 rating on Google Play from more than 150,000 reviews. Negative feedback often mentions limited flight inventory, but many appreciate the all-in-one comparison.

Best for: European trips where planes, trains, and buses compete.

Expedia

Expedia, online since 1996, has evolved into a full-service travel giant. Its flight search works seamlessly with hotel and vacation packages. I once had to rebook after a weather cancellation and managed to re-confirm both my flight and hotel in under ten minutes via the app.

The app averages 4.8 on Google Play with more than 1.2 million reviews. Users highlight its reliability, but some note hidden costs for extras like baggage. The biggest draw is its loyalty program, which bundles hotels, flights, and car rentals for points.

Best for: Travelers who want packages and reliable support.

Trip.com

Trip.com, part of the Chinese travel giant Ctrip, offers over two million routes, 1.4 million hotels, and 24/7 customer service in multiple languages. Its Android app has a 4.6 rating from more than 600,000 users. The platform is particularly useful for combining domestic Chinese flights with global itineraries—something Western apps often struggle with.

When booking a last-minute Tokyo–Beijing ticket, Trip.com provided more options than either Google Flights or Expedia. Some users mention final prices can shift slightly after the first search, but many praise its customer service and multilingual support.

Best for: International travelers needing global coverage.

12Go

12Go, launched in 2013, has become an essential tool for travelers moving around Southeast Asia. It connects users with more than 13,000 international airlines and local Asian operators across Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, and beyond, covering trains, buses, ferries, vans, and flights. This makes it especially useful for trips that involve multiple transport modes, like combining a ferry to Koh Samui with a bus onward to Bangkok.

Travelers say the app saves hours of searching local station websites or showing up at counters hoping for a ticket. While prices are sometimes slightly higher than buying locally, the reliability and English-language interface make it worth the premium. It’s a digital fix for one of Asia’s biggest travel headaches: figuring out how to get from A to B in real time.

Best for: Southeast Asia Ground & Water Transport

CheapOair

CheapOair is one of the better-known budget booking platforms in the U.S., focusing first on airfare but also offering hotels, cars, cruises, and packages. It’s popular with travelers who are flexible or booking last-minute, as the system often highlights cheaper routes you might miss on airline websites.

Users say it works best when you need a flight fast, such as a sudden work trip or a weekend getaway. That said, some reviews point to challenges around refunds and customer service, so it’s wise to confirm ticket details directly with airlines once booked. When it works, CheapOair can shave meaningful amounts off standard fares, especially on multi-airline itineraries that are harder to find elsewhere.

Best for: Flight-First Aggregator and Cruises

Aviasales

Founded in 2007, Aviasales is a metasearch engine with roots in Asia and Europe. It scans more than 2,000 airlines and agencies, presenting results with powerful filters and a clean design. Travelers like its flexible date search, which shows when shifting a trip by a day or two saves hundreds of dollars.

For example, one user reported saving nearly $500 on a Bangkok–London ticket by choosing a Tuesday instead of a Saturday. Unlike booking platforms, Aviasales doesn’t sell tickets itself; instead, it redirects you to providers, which can mean varying service quality. Still, the app has become a go-to for deal hunters who want a fast way to compare fares across multiple sources in one glance.

Best for: Cheapest Air Tickets

WayAway

WayAway is a newer name in the space, but it’s drawn attention for adding a cashback model to flight search. The app functions like a typical aggregator—comparing prices across airlines and online agencies—but with its paid membership, WayAway Plus, you get real cash back on bookings.

On flights, cashback often runs around 5%, and on hotels or tours, up to 10%. Frequent travelers say this can add up quickly: booking several international trips a year essentially funds a free domestic flight. Unlike reward points or vouchers, the cashback is withdrawable. It works best for those who book often and don’t mind paying for the subscription to unlock the bigger rebates.

Best for: Cashback Flight Search

Hopper – The Best Flight App for Price Tracking  

Hopper is another of the most popular cheap flight apps in 2025, specifically thanks to its price tracking feature.  

Whether you’re flying to Dallas or Dominica, you can enter your departure airport and track the flights of all airlines on specific dates.  

Hopper will then track the flights for you and provide you with an awesome traffic light system: green for a great price, yellow for an okay price, and red for a high price.  

Built into the Hopper algorithm is the app’s ability to predict whether your flights will go up or down in the future. The developers claim to get this right 95% of the time, so while Hopper can’t predict the future, it can help you lock in the best price when booking your flights. 

The Hopper app is free to download and highly rated on both iOS and Android devices.  

Locals Insider’s Flight Deals Finder

Locals Insider’s online flight finder makes booking simpler by pulling results from major aggregators like Trip.com, Kiwi.com, Lufthansa, and Gotogate into one place. You can search in 30+ languages and 70+ currencies, then sort by cheapest, fastest, or “optimal” flights.

Filters let you see the best flight deals: nearby dates, nonstop vs. layovers, travel time limits, baggage costs, alliances, and convenience factors like no overnight stops. Instead of opening multiple tabs, you instantly compare fares—like a $598 two-layover option vs. a $1,600 faster route—and see real costs upfront, including luggage. It’s designed to cut the noise and give you clear choices quickly.

TOP Apps for Cheap Flights (Updated 2025/2026)

• Trip.com – Best if you want flights and hotels bundled with 24/7 support.
• Google Flights – Great for scanning calendars fast and spotting cheap days.
• Skyscanner – Perfect when you’re flexible and open to “everywhere.”
• Hopper – Helpful for price predictions and freezing fares before they rise.
• Kayak – Handy for multi-city trips and mixing airlines to save money.
• Kiwi.com – Good for unusual combos across low-cost carriers.
• Omio – Works best in Europe for comparing trains, buses, and flights.
• Expedia – Reliable for packages when you want customer support behind it.
• Wego – Popular in Asia & Middle East for regional deal hunting.
• Flighty – For real-time flight tracking and smart delay alerts.
• 12Go – Go-to for ferries, buses, and trains across Southeast Asia.
• CheapOair – Solid for last-minute U.S. flights, cheap tickets, and flexible options.
• Aviasales – Great when you want the absolute rock-bottom fare.
• WayAway – Best for frequent travelers who want cashback on flights and hotels.
• Alternative Airlines – Book-now-pay-later with 40+ payment methods and 600+ airlines.
• TravelPerk – Business travel made easy with policies, invoicing, and 24/7 support.
• Going – Email/app alerts for cheap and mistake fares from your home airport.

Here’s a quick comparison of the most useful cheap flight search services for 2026:

Locals Insider Verdict

We tested Google Flights, Skyscanner, Hopper, Trip.com, and more to see which apps actually save you money and time.

If you only want one app, Google Flights remains the easiest and fastest way to check fares, especially for U.S. and European routes.

But if you’re traveling internationally—particularly in Asia—Trip.com and Wego provide access to carriers that Google misses.

For travelers who like spontaneity, Skyscanner’s Everywhere feature is unmatched.

Explore our list of the best travel apps that you may want to install on your beautiful phone.