SeatMap vs SeatGuru

The SeatGuru alternative that's still flying.

SeatGuru shut down in November 2025, and its website now redirects to Tripadvisor. As a SeatGuru alternative, SeatMap does the job it did and more, from your flight number: every seat drawn to scale and rated, which seats are open right now, and Seat Watch to tell you when the one you want frees up.

See what Pro adds: live seats, Seat Watch and alerts

SeatMap vs SeatGuru

SeatGuru showed colour-coded seat maps with traveler comments, and its newest seat map posts dated from early 2020. SeatMap covers the same ground for your flight and date, then adds live open seats, a best-seat pick and alerts when seats open.

Finding your seat map

Finding your seat map: SeatMap and SeatGuru
	SeatMap	SeatGuru
Still online	Yes: Yes	No: No; it closed in November 2025 and redirects to Tripadvisor
Look up a flight by	Yes: Flight number or route, on any date	Yes: Had airline and flight number, or route and date
Seats drawn to scale	Yes: Every seat drawn to scale	Never stated
Free without an account	Yes: Search any flight and see its seat map without signing in	Yes: Yes, no sign-in was needed

Still online: SeatMapYes: YesSeatGuruNo: No; it closed in November 2025 and redirects to Tripadvisor
Look up a flight by: SeatMapYes: Flight number or route, on any dateSeatGuruYes: Had airline and flight number, or route and date
Seats drawn to scale: SeatMapYes: Every seat drawn to scaleSeatGuruNever stated
Free without an account: SeatMapYes: Search any flight and see its seat map without signing inSeatGuruYes: Yes, no sign-in was needed

Live seats and alerts

Live seats and alerts: SeatMap and SeatGuru
	SeatMap	SeatGuru
Open and taken seats on your flight	Yes: Open and taken seats, live from the airline, with Pro	No: No; it had no link to airline reservation systems
Best open seat picked for you	Yes: The best open seat picked for you, with Pro	No: No; seats were colour-coded
Watch a seat until it opens	Yes: Seat Watch in the SeatMap app: 1 free, 5 with Pro	No: No
Route alerts when seats open	Yes: Route alerts in the SeatMap app: 1 free, 5 with Pro	No: None

Open and taken seats on your flight: SeatMapYes: Open and taken seats, live from the airline, with ProSeatGuruNo: No; it had no link to airline reservation systems
Best open seat picked for you: SeatMapYes: The best open seat picked for you, with ProSeatGuruNo: No; seats were colour-coded
Watch a seat until it opens: SeatMapYes: Seat Watch in the SeatMap app: 1 free, 5 with ProSeatGuruNo: No
Route alerts when seats open: SeatMapYes: Route alerts in the SeatMap app: 1 free, 5 with ProSeatGuruNo: None

Choosing a seat

Choosing a seat: SeatMap and SeatGuru
	SeatMap	SeatGuru
Seat ratings	Yes: Every seat scored out of 10 for legroom, width, recline and where it sits	Yes: Good, Be Aware, Bad, Mixed or Standard, with comments on hover
Legroom, width and recline	Yes: The airline's published legroom, width and recline for each cabin	Partly: A pitch and width chart for each aircraft
Two flights side by side	Yes: Two flights' cabins side by side, seat scores and legroom included	Partly: Cabin charts across airlines, not two flights

Seat ratings: SeatMapYes: Every seat scored out of 10 for legroom, width, recline and where it sitsSeatGuruYes: Good, Be Aware, Bad, Mixed or Standard, with comments on hover
Legroom, width and recline: SeatMapYes: The airline's published legroom, width and recline for each cabinSeatGuruPartly: A pitch and width chart for each aircraft
Two flights side by side: SeatMapYes: Two flights' cabins side by side, seat scores and legroom includedSeatGuruPartly: Cabin charts across airlines, not two flights

Price and apps

Price and apps: SeatMap and SeatGuru
	SeatMap	SeatGuru
Price	Free; Pro is $19.99 a month or $99.99 a year	Was free
Where it works	Yes: Web, iPhone and Android	A mobile website; today's 'SeatGuru' iPhone app is from another developer

Price: SeatMapFree; Pro is $19.99 a month or $99.99 a yearSeatGuruWas free
Where it works: SeatMapYes: Web, iPhone and AndroidSeatGuruA mobile website; today's 'SeatGuru' iPhone app is from another developer

SeatGuru details come from One Mile at a Time, View from the Wing and SeatGuru's archived homepage. Plans and features change, so check their site before you pay for anything.

See it on your own flight

Search a flight number or route to see its seat map, free and without an account. With Pro, see which seats are open right now.

Why flyers pick SeatMap over SeatGuru

Live seats
See what's still open
SeatGuru never knew which seats were taken. SeatMap Pro shows open and taken seats on your flight, live from the airline, and picks the best one left.
See what Pro adds
Seat Watch
Hear when your seat opens
Pick the seats you want on your flight and SeatMap alerts you the moment one opens. One Seat Watch is free in the SeatMap app; Pro gives you five.
Get the app
Your flight
Start from the flight you booked
SeatGuru had you find the airline and the aircraft. SeatMap starts from your flight number and date and shows the cabin that flight is planned to use.
Check your flight

What SeatGuru did that SeatMap doesn't

Credit where it's due. If one of these is what you miss, here's where to find it now.

Traveler seat comments
Seat-by-seat comments and photos from travelers. SeatMap doesn't show traveler reviews; AeroLOPA and SeatMaps carry traveler comments.
Cabin charts across airlines
Charts comparing pitch, width and amenities for one cabin across many airlines. SeatMap compares two flights instead.
Airline policy pages
Bags, pets and infants, airline by airline. SeatMaestro still has pages like these.

Flying often?
Pro goes further.

See which seats are open right now, get the best one picked for you, and hear the moment a better one frees up.

Get SeatMap Pro Compare plans

What happened to SeatGuru?

SeatGuru, founded in 2001 and owned by Tripadvisor since 2007, showed a "SeatGuru is closing" banner on October 31, 2025. By November 2 the site redirected to Tripadvisor, and every old SeatGuru page still does.

It had been fading for a while. The newest seat map posts on its homepage dated from early 2020, while airlines kept refitting cabins and swapping aircraft.

SeatMap picks up from your flight rather than an aircraft list: type the flight number, see the cabin drawn to scale with every seat rated, and with Pro see which seats are open right now.

Frequently asked questions

Did SeatGuru shut down?

Yes. SeatGuru closed at the start of November 2025. Its homepage showed a closing banner on October 31, and the SeatGuru website has redirected to Tripadvisor since. We found no public announcement from Tripadvisor.

What is the best SeatGuru alternative?

It depends on what you used it for. For the seat map of your own flight, with live open seats and an alert when a seat you want opens, use SeatMap. For hand-drawn maps that show every window, AeroLOPA. For SMS seat alerts and award searches, ExpertFlyer.

Is SeatMap free like SeatGuru was?

Yes. Searching is free and needs no account, and a free account gets one Seat Watch and one route alert in the SeatMap app. Pro, at $19.99 a month or $99.99 a year, adds every cabin, live open and taken seats, the best open seat picked for you, and five of each alert.

Is there still a SeatGuru app?

Not from Tripadvisor. An app called "SeatGuru: Flight Seat Maps" appeared on the App Store in October 2026 from a different developer. SeatMap has its own iPhone and Android apps.

Were SeatGuru's seat maps up to date?

Not by the end. The newest seat map posts on its homepage dated from early 2020, and One Mile at a Time reported the maps hadn't been updated since then.