The Pilot Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Pilot in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Pilot
The Insider’s Guide
Done-for-you bookkeeping, tax and CFO services for small companies
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among accounting and invoicing tools, read from Pilot’s own pages.
Made by Pilot.com Inc. · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Pilot’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Pilot’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
1.8
GPA, above 7 of the 65 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade
Pilot is a bookkeeping service rather than software you run yourself. It combines AI categorization with human bookkeepers who keep a company's books, and it sells tax filing and part-time CFO advice as separate services. Plans are priced by the company's monthly expenses.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Pilot, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You hand over bank and card data and the work is done for you.
- 1
Best for done-for-you bookkeeping for small companies
Pilot is a done-for-you bookkeeping, tax and CFO service, from $99 a month for cash-basis books on up to $100,000 of monthly expenses.
- 2
Paid plans start at $99 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $99 per month for up to $100,000 in monthly expenses.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
AI-assisted bookkeeping
Transactions from bank and credit card feeds are categorized by AI, reconciled and closed each month; Core adds a human bookkeeper.
- 5
Tax filing
Federal and state returns for LLCs, partnerships, S-corps and C-corps, sold as a yearly service on top of Pilot bookkeeping.
- 6
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.
- 7
A 1.8 GPA, above 7 of 65
That is against the other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
To replace Pilot you would be making live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Pilot at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid, from $99 per month for up to $100,000 in monthly expenses
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Pilot.com Inc.
- Category
- Accounting & Invoicing
- Our grade
- 1.8 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for done-for-you bookkeeping for small companies
Pilot is a done-for-you bookkeeping, tax and CFO service, from $99 a month for cash-basis books on up to $100,000 of monthly expenses. Core, with a US-based bookkeeper and accrual books, is $299 and rises with spending, tax filing starts at $1,000 a year and must be bought with bookkeeping, and you hand over your books.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| Free plan and trial | D | The site header mentions a free trial, but the pricing page doesn't say how long it lasts or what it covers. No free plan. |
| Features | C | AI-assisted bookkeeping, tax filing, CFO services and reports. Essentials is cash-basis only, accrual needs Core, and tax has to be bought with bookkeeping. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. You hand over bank and card data and the work is done for you. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, with Bill.com, Stripe, Shopify, Mercury, Chargebee, Recurly, Melio and Airtable. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Pilot is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Startups that want someone else to keep the books
- Small companies that also want tax filing from the same provider
- Founders who plan to add outside CFO advice later
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$99
A month to start
Pilot is a paid product, starting at $99 per month for up to $100,000 in monthly expenses.
It's a service, but that's still the dearest tenth.
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.
Custom
Custom
For larger or more complex companies: existing QuickBooks file, AR, AP, payroll administration and CFO advisory. Sold through sales.
Read from pilot.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on pilot.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Done-for-you bookkeeping, tax and CFO services for small companies. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, reports, bookkeeping, dashboards.
AI-assisted bookkeeping, tax filing, CFO services and reports.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Bill.com
- Stripe
- Shopify
- Mercury
- Chargebee
- Recurly
- Melio
- Airtable
Pilot is made by Pilot.com Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
7/65
Other accounting and invoicing tools it is graded above
Pilot's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 7 of the 65 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 13 of 65) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $99 a month, against a middle price of $18.09 for the category: 52 of the 54 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 16 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 66 accounting and invoicing tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Pilot’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 65
- DFree plan and trialAbove 11 of 65
- CFeaturesAbove 4 of 65
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 65
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 13 of 65
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 58 accounting and invoicing tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Pilot is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Pilot you would be making live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 55 of the 65 other accounting and invoicing tools grade higher. It costs $1,188 a year.
What you could make
- Reports: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them.
- Connections that pull numbers from dozens of other services.
- It plugs into other products, Bill.com, Stripe and Shopify among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Pilot’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Bench, QuickBooks Online, Puzzle, Found and Xero
The 5 tools Pilot is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 1.6GPA
Bench
From $199/mo
Bookkeeping done by an assigned bookkeeper, with optional tax filing.
- Pilot also covers dashboards.
- 2.4GPA
QuickBooks Online
Free plan · from $38/mo
Cloud accounting from Intuit, from a free plan to 25-user Advanced.
- QuickBooks Online has a free plan. Pilot does not.
- Only QuickBooks Online lists iOS and Android apps.
- Pilot also covers dashboards.
- 2.0GPA
Puzzle
Free trial · from $25/mo
AI-driven accounting software for startups and small businesses.
- Pilot also covers dashboards.
- Puzzle also covers invoicing and expense tracking.
- 2.8GPA
Found
Free plan · from $35/mo
Business bank account with bookkeeping and tax tools built in.
- Found has a free plan. Pilot does not.
- Only Found lists iOS and Android apps.
- Pilot also covers dashboards.
- 2.6GPA
Xero
Free trial · from $27/mo
Cloud accounting for small businesses, with unlimited users.
- Only Xero lists iOS and Android apps.
- Pilot also covers dashboards.
- Xero also covers invoicing, expense tracking and payroll.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Pilot free?
No. Pilot is a paid product, starting at $99 per month for up to $100,000 in monthly expenses.
How much does Pilot cost?
Pilot lists 3 plans. Essentials: $99 per month, for up to $100,000 in monthly expenses.
What platforms does Pilot work on?
Pilot is available on Web.
Does Pilot offer any discounts?
Pilot publicly lists the following: Discount on Core for pre-revenue startups.
Does Pilot have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Pilot is listed for Web.
Does Pilot have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Pilot is listed for Web.
Is Pilot open source?
Pilot is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
What does Pilot integrate with?
Pilot's listing names Bill.com, Stripe, Shopify, Mercury, Chargebee, Recurly, Melio and Airtable.
Who makes Pilot?
Pilot is made by Pilot.com Inc.
What are the alternatives to Pilot?
The closest alternatives to Pilot in our directory are Bench, QuickBooks Online, Puzzle, Found and Xero.
How does Pilot compare with other accounting and invoicing tools?
Pilot's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 7 of the 65 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, and level with 3.
Is Pilot good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Pilot D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $99 a month, against a middle price of $18.09 for the category: 52 of the 54 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Pilot?
To replace Pilot you would be making live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Pilot’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Pilot's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Pilot.com Inc. Prices change, so check pilot.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Pilot, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/pilot
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Pilot: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/pilot
Know someone choosing between accounting and invoicing tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/pilot/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded accounting and invoicing tools after Pilot, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Accounting & Invoicing Insider's GuideEvery one of the 67 accounting and invoicing tools we grade, compared
- Zoho Invoice Insider's GuideFree invoicing app from Zoho for freelancers and small businesses3.6 GPA
- Zoho Books Insider's GuideOnline accounting from Zoho, with a free plan and six paid tiers3.4 GPA
- Odoo Insider's GuideBusiness app suite whose Accounting app is free when used on its own3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Pilot’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Pilot is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Pilot.com Inc. Prices and plans change: check pilot.com before you buy.