Pilot

pilot.com
Accounting Software
1-2 Weeks

Bookkeeping & Accounting Services for Startups & Small Businesses

How to Replace Pilot

Overview

Pilot combines intelligent software tools with expert CFO guidance to handle bookkeeping, tax, accounting, and advisory work for startups and small businesses. The 50/50 people-and-software approach provides real-time financial insights and strategic guidance from former CFOs and operators to help growing businesses make confident financial decisions.

Features

64 features across 13 categories

AI(3)

AI Account ReconciliationAI

AI reconciles accounts automatically

AI Instant AnswersAI

AI-powered instant answers about past transactions and current cash flow

AI Transaction CategorizationAI

AI categorizes transactions automatically

Also in: monday.com, Notion, Airtable

Advisory(11)

Acquisition & GTM StrategyPremium

Guidance on acquisition strategy and go-to-market planning

Ad-hoc Strategy SupportPremium

On-demand strategy support for business questions

Bi-weekly CFO CallsPremium

Bi-weekly strategic calls with dedicated CFO advisor

Equity Story & Fundraising InsightsPremium

Guidance on equity story development and fundraising strategy

Financial AdvisoryPremium

Strategic guidance from former CFOs and operators to answer business questions

Fundraising SupportPremium

Basic to advanced fundraising guidance and investor-ready financial preparation

M&A SupportPremium

Merger and acquisition financial preparation and guidance

Monetization & Pricing StrategyPremium

Pricing strategy and monetization model guidance

Monthly CFO CallsPremium

Monthly strategic calls with dedicated CFO advisor

Strategic Planning & OKRsPremium

Strategic planning and objectives & key results (OKRs) development

Weekly CFO CallsPremium

Weekly strategic calls with dedicated CFO advisor

Bookkeeping(5)

Accrual Basis BookkeepingPremium

Accrual-basis bookkeeping for true visibility into financial performance

Cash Basis Bookkeeping

Cash-basis bookkeeping using data from bank and credit cards

Custom Chart of AccountsPremium

Custom chart of accounts tailored to business needs

Monthly Book Closing

Monthly closing of books with reconciliation

Standard Chart of Accounts

Pre-configured standard chart of accounts setup

Customization(1)

Custom WorkflowsPremium

Custom workflows and reporting tailored to business

Also in: monday.com, Obsidian, Smartsheet

Equity Management(1)

Stock AdministrationPremium

Stock cap table administration and management for C corps issuing equity

Financial Management(5)

Accounts Payable ManagementPremium

Full accounts payable management and processing

Accounts Receivable ManagementPremium

Full accounts receivable management and tracking

Bill Payment ProcessingPremium

Bill payment processing and management

Invoice CollectionPremium

Invoice collection and accounts receivable management

Real-time Expense Tracking

Track company expenses in real time to identify spending waste

Financial Planning(6)

13-Week Cash Flow AnalysisPremium

Detailed 13-week cash flow projection and analysis

Cash & Runway OptimizationPremium

Cash optimization and runway analysis

Cash Flow Modeling

Model cash flow scenarios to determine if you can afford new hires before making offers

Custom Financial ModelPremium

Fully customized financial model including P&L, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow

Scenario Planning

Run scenarios to plan ahead and test different business outcomes

Scenario Planning ModelPremium

Scenario planning model with base case, bear case, and bull case analysis

HR & Payroll(4)

Compensation Planning & BenchmarkingPremium

Compensation planning and industry benchmarking

Headcount & Compensation PlanningPremium

Headcount planning and compensation modeling

HR & Benefits ManagementPremium

HR, payroll, and benefits management

Payroll AdministrationPremium

Payroll system setup and administration

Integration(2)

Multi-platform Bank IntegrationPremium

Data pulls from bank, credit cards, payroll, AP, inventory, and payment platforms

QuickBooks CompatibilityPremium

Keep existing QuickBooks account and historical data

Reporting(5)

Budget vs Actuals AnalysisPremium

Budget versus actuals variance analysis for performance tracking

Financial Reporting

Standard financial reports on 10th business day for Core plan, 6th business day for Custom

Intelligent DashboardsAI

Smart tools providing instant financial insights

Investor & Board ReportingPremium

Investor updates and board presentation support

KPI DashboardPremium

Industry-specific KPI dashboard tracking key metrics

Setup(5)

Banking Setup

Banking setup with Mercury

Banking SupportPremium

Expert support for banking challenges and issues

Business Incorporation

Business incorporation setup through Stripe Atlas

Payroll System Setup

Setup for payroll system

Pilot Bookkeeping System Setup

Setup and configuration of Pilot bookkeeping system

Support(4)

Email Support

Customer support via email

In-app Messaging Support

Customer support through in-app messaging

Phone SupportPremium

Customer support via phone

Slack Integration SupportPremium

Connect with dedicated team through Slack

Tax(12)

1099 Income Reporting

Reporting for 1099 income sources

Delaware Franchise Tax Filing

Delaware franchise tax filing for corporations

Federal Income Tax Filing

Federal income tax filing and preparation

Quarterly Tax Payments

Quarterly tax payment planning with safe harbor

R&D Tax CreditPremium

R&D tax credit identification, documentation, and claim filing

Schedule C Filing

Schedule C income and loss filing for LLCs

State Income Tax Filing

State income tax filing and preparation

State Payroll & Tax CompliancePremium

State payroll and tax compliance management

Tax Compliance & Preparation

Get IRS-ready books year-round that stay compliant and maximize what you keep

Tax ConsultingPremium

Professional tax consulting services

Tax Extension Filing

Free tax extension filing

Year-end Tax Package

Year-end package prepared for your tax preparer

Pricing

Essentials

$99/month
  • AI categorizes transactions
  • Reconciles accounts
  • Closes books monthly
  • Cash-basis bookkeeping
  • Data from bank and credit cards
  • Standard chart of accounts
  • Year-end package for tax preparer
  • Instant AI answers
  • Scenario planning
  • In-app messaging support

Core

Popular
Contact Sales
  • Everything in Essentials
  • US-based bookkeeper
  • Cash or accrual-basis bookkeeping
  • Bank, credit cards, payroll, AP, inventory, payment platform integration
  • Custom chart of accounts
  • Financial reports on 10th business day
  • Support from dedicated team
  • In-app, email, and phone support

Custom

Contact Sales
  • Everything in Core
  • QuickBooks compatibility
  • Support for complex structures
  • Custom workflows and reporting
  • Reports on 6th business day
  • Full accounts receivable
  • Full accounts payable
  • Payroll administration
  • CFO advisory and financial planning
  • Fundraising support

Single Member LLC Tax

Starts at $1,000/year
  • Free tax extension
  • Federal income tax filing
  • State income tax filing
  • Quarterly tax payments (safe harbor)
  • Schedule C for income and loss
  • Reporting for one of each income sources
  • Year-round email support

Just Formed LLC Tax

Starts at $750/year
  • Free tax extension
  • Federal income tax filing
  • State income tax filing
  • Quarterly tax payments
  • Basic tax compliance

Partnership and S-Corp Tax

Starts at $2,000/year
  • Free extension
  • Federal income tax filing
  • State income tax filing
  • Delaware franchise tax filing
  • Up to 25 1099-NEC filings
  • Year-round email support

Just Incorporated S-Corp Tax

Starts at $750/year
  • Federal income tax filing
  • State income tax filing
  • Basic compliance

C-Corp Tax

Starts at $2,450/year
  • Free tax extension
  • Federal income tax filing
  • State income tax filing
  • Delaware Franchise tax filing
  • Up to 10 1099-NEC filings
  • Year-round email support

CFO - Basic

Starts at $1,750/month
  • Custom financial model with strategic insights
  • Budget vs actuals variance analysis
  • Scenario planning model
  • Industry-specific KPI dashboard
  • Monthly call with CFO

CFO - Essentials

Popular
Starts at $3,150/month
  • Everything in Basic
  • Cash and runway optimization
  • Investor & board reporting support
  • Basic fundraising and M&A support
  • Ad-hoc strategy support
  • Bi-weekly call with CFO

CFO - Custom

Starts at $5,250/month
  • Everything in Essentials
  • 13-Week Cash Flow Analysis
  • Investor updates & board presentations
  • Fundraising insights & equity story
  • Compensation planning and benchmarking
  • Acquisition and GTM strategy
  • Monetization and pricing strategy
  • Strategic planning & OKRs
  • Weekly calls with CFO

COO - Starter

Starts at $750 one-time
  • Business incorporation through Stripe Atlas
  • Banking setup with Mercury
  • Payroll system setup
  • Pilot bookkeeping system setup

COO - Essentials

Starts at $500/month
  • Everything in Starter (if needed)
  • Banking support
  • HR, payroll, and benefits
  • Invoice collection
  • Bill payment

COO - Custom

Contact Sales
  • Everything in Essentials
  • High-volume invoice collection
  • High-volume bill payment
  • State payroll and tax compliance
  • Stock administration

Cost Calculator

Keep Paying Pilot

Monthly$99/mo
Yearly$1.2k/yr
5-Year Total$5.9k

Build It Yourself

Est. Build Time~10 hrs
Hosting$20/mo
DifficultyModerate

Total Cost Comparison

1 YearSave $948
SaaS
$1.2k
DIY
$240
3 YearsSave $2.8k
SaaS
$3.6k
DIY
$720
5 YearsSave $4.7k
SaaS
$5.9k
DIY
$1.2k

DIY hosting estimate based on Vercel + Supabase free/pro tiers (~$20/mo). Build time estimated from 64 features at moderate complexity.

Build vs Buy

Should you build a Pilot alternative or buy the subscription? Estimate based on 64 features.

Buy Pilot

Better Value
Monthly cost$990/mo
3-year total$35,640
Time to deployDays

Build Your Own

Development cost$84,000
Maintenance$1,260/mo
3-year total$129,360
Dev time~7 months

Buying Pilot saves ~$93,720 over 3 years vs building.

Estimates based on 64 features and a BuildScore of 3/5. Actual costs vary.

Integrations

9 known integrations

AP/Accounts Payable PlatformsBank and Credit Card SyncCartaInventory PlatformsMercuryPayment PlatformsPayroll SystemsQuickBooksStripe Atlas