Pilot vs Puzzle (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Puzzle grades higher than Pilot: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Puzzle grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Pilot
Done-for-you bookkeeping, tax and CFO services for small companies
Puzzle
AI-driven accounting software for startups and small businesses
Which one is for you
Pick Pilot if
- Fits if you're a small company that wants someone else to do the books and file the tax
- Makes sense if you run on Stripe, Shopify or Mercury
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if your spending grows: Core rises with monthly expenses, $499 a month at $30,000
- Not for you if you want to keep your own books, as it's a service
- Skip it if you want accrual books on the cheapest plan, as Essentials is cash-basis
- Watch out: tax filing starts at $1,000 or more a year for a single-member LLC and must be bought with bookkeeping
- Watch out: companies above $200,000 a month in expenses get a custom plan
Pick Puzzle if
- Fits if you're a startup that wants AI to categorize transactions
- Works for founders who link Stripe, Mercury or Ramp
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you lean on the AI: 25 lifetime credits on Starter and Core, 100 a month on Complete
- Skip it if you're a team: Starter has 1 seat and Core 5, with unlimited from Complete at $100
- Pricey if you want bookkeeping done for you: from $171 a month with Core, and it needs a subscription
- Watch out: a QuickBooks migration costs $149 one-time unless you add catch-up bookkeeping or Full Service
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAPilotWeak | 2.0GPAPuzzleFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$99 a month for Essentials and $299 for Core on annual billing ($399 monthly), against $26 in the middle. It's a service, but that's still the dearest tenth. | C$25 a month on annual billing ($30 monthly) for Starter and $60 for Core, close to this category's $26 middle. |
| Free plan and trial | DThe site header mentions a free trial, but the pricing page doesn't say how long it lasts or what it covers. No free plan. | DA free trial is offered, but the pricing page doesn't say how long it lasts. No free plan. |
| Features | CAI-assisted bookkeeping, tax filing, CFO services and reports. Essentials is cash-basis only, accrual needs Core, and tax has to be bought with bookkeeping. | CAI categorization and close, cash and accrual books, startup metrics, an API and MCP. Multi-entity and variance analysis need Core, and AI credits are limited. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You hand over bank and card data and the work is done for you. | CNo store rating on record. You connect banks and payment tools and review what the AI books. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with Bill.com, Stripe, Shopify, Mercury, Chargebee, Recurly, Melio and Airtable. | BWeb only, with Stripe, Mercury, Ramp, Brex, Gusto, QuickBooks, Claude and ChatGPT, plus an API and MCP. |
| Best for | done-for-you bookkeeping for small companies | AI-run books for startups |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Pilot and Puzzle. How we grade
Price against what you get
Pilot starts at $99 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Puzzle starts at $25 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Puzzle starts $74 a month lower. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 16 score higher than Pilot for less, and 9 score higher than Puzzle for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Pilot also covers dashboards.
- Puzzle also covers invoicing and expense tracking.
At a glance
| Pilot | Puzzle | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $99 per month for up to $100,000 in monthly expenses | $25 per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial offered; length not stated on the pricing page |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Pilot.com Inc. | Puzzle |
| Price read from | pilot.com | puzzle.io |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Pilot
- It is a service, not self-serve software: you hand the books to Pilot instead of keeping them yourself.
- Tax filing starts at $1,000+ a year for a single-member LLC and must be bought with Pilot bookkeeping.
- Core pricing climbs with monthly expenses, and companies above $200,000 a month get a custom plan.
- The pricing page does not say how long the free trial offered in the site header lasts.
Puzzle
- Starter allows one seat and Core five; unlimited seats start at Complete.
- AI credits are limited: 25 for the lifetime of Starter and Core, 100 a month on Complete.
- Bookkeeping services start at $171 a month with Core, for up to $10K in monthly expenses, and need an active subscription.
- A QuickBooks migration costs $149 one-time unless catch-up bookkeeping or Full Service is added.
Key features
Pilot
- AI-assisted bookkeeping
- Transactions from bank and credit card feeds are categorized by AI, reconciled and closed each month; Core adds a human bookkeeper.
- Tax filing
- Federal and state returns for LLCs, partnerships, S-corps and C-corps, sold as a yearly service on top of Pilot bookkeeping.
- CFO services
- Monthly, bi-weekly or weekly calls with a finance lead, plus a budget and forecast model, from $1,750 a month on the Basic tier.
- Reports and dashboards
- Financial reports delivered on the 10th business day on Core, or the 6th on Custom, with dashboards and AI answers about past transactions.
- Operations services
- Bill payments, invoicing and payroll work can be added, priced from an estimate based on monthly volume.
Puzzle
- AI categorization and close
- Categorizes most transactions automatically, reconciles accounts and drafts financial statements; an AI suite adds chat, cowork and close tools.
- Cash and accrual books
- Keeps both bases, with accrual automation for prepaid expenses and fixed assets and revenue recognition on Complete.
- Startup metrics
- Cash, burn, runway and margin insights plus spend and revenue tracking, from the Core plan.
- Integrations
- Connects to Stripe, Mercury, Ramp, Brex, Gusto and other finance tools through live API links.
- Accounting services
- Expert Reviewed and Full Service bookkeeping, priced by monthly expenses and sold only alongside a subscription.
- API and MCP
- An API and MCP server let you connect the books to Claude and ChatGPT.
Plans
Pilot
Essentials$99
per month, for up to $100,000 in monthly expenses
Cash-basis books from bank and card data, monthly close, year-end package for your tax preparer and in-app support.
Core$299
per month, up to $15,000 expenses, billed annually ($399 monthly)
Adds a US-based bookkeeper, accrual or cash basis and a custom chart of accounts. Price rises with expenses: $499 a month at $30,000.
CustomCustom
For larger or more complex companies: existing QuickBooks file, AR, AP, payroll administration and CFO advisory. Sold through sales.
Puzzle
Starter$25
per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
1 seat; 85 to 90% of transactions categorized automatically, cash and accrual books, 25 lifetime AI credits.
Core$60
per month, billed annually ($72 billed monthly)
5 seats; adds cash, burn and runway insights, variance analysis, custom chart of accounts and multi-entity.
Complete$100
per month, billed annually ($120 billed monthly)
Unlimited seats; adds AI accuracy review and reconciliations, revenue recognition, priority support; 100 AI credits a month.
Scale$300
per month, billed annually ($360 billed monthly)
High-volume accounting with subledgers, no transaction or integration limits, backup and restore; 300 AI credits a month.
Ways to pay less
Pilot
- Other savings
Discount on Core for pre-revenue startups
Pilot says startups that are still pre-revenue can contact it for a discount on the Core plan.
Puzzle
- Annual discount
12 months for the price of 10
The pricing page's yearly option charges for 10 months of the monthly price, which is $25 against $30 on Starter.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Pilot or Puzzle?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Puzzle is cheaper to start with: $25 a month, against $99 a month for Pilot. Pilot starts at $99 per month for up to $100,000 in monthly expenses, and Puzzle starts at $25 per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Pilot or Puzzle?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Pilot nor Puzzle has a free plan. Puzzle has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.