What it costs
A month of books at 100 transactions
$137
a month at 100 transactions, on Essentials
- Essentialspilot.com$99
- QuickBooks Online Simple Start$38
- Added up$137
Checked against the maker's own pages, 26 October 2026.
Pilot price and plans
Prices excluding tax, as Pilot publishes them.
Core, up to $100,000
From $815 a month
- Flat fee
- Needs QuickBooks Online Simple Start, $38 a month
- $815 setup, once
Core, up to $15,000
From $399 a month
- Flat fee
- Needs QuickBooks Online Simple Start, $38 a month
- $399 setup, once
Core, up to $150,000
From $959 a month
- Flat fee
- Needs QuickBooks Online Simple Start, $38 a month
- $959 setup, once
Core, up to $200,000
From $1,199 a month
- Flat fee
- Needs QuickBooks Online Simple Start, $38 a month
- $1,199 setup, once
Core, up to $30,000
From $599 a month
- Flat fee
- Needs QuickBooks Online Simple Start, $38 a month
- $599 setup, once
Core, up to $60,000
From $669 a month
- Flat fee
- Needs QuickBooks Online Simple Start, $38 a month
- $669 setup, once
Essentials
$99 a month
- Flat fee
- Needs QuickBooks Online Simple Start, $38 a month
- $99 setup, once
What needs a higher plan
- Core
- Accrual books and reports, People check the books, Your own bookkeeper, When the month is closed, Support
- Custom
- Several businesses
Pricing page, captured
Its own pages, checked
What Pilot costs at your volume
| Transactions a month | Cost | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| 100 transactions | $137 a monthon Essentials | Essentials |
| 500 transactions | $137 a monthon Essentials | Essentials |
What we checked on Pilot
Cost at 100 transactions a month
$137 a month on Essentials for 100 transactions. Includes QuickBooks Online Simple Start at $38 a month, which Essentials needs. Plus a one-time setup fee of $99, not included.
Essentials $99 /month Up to $100,000 in monthly expenses
pilot.com/pricingChecked
Cost at 500 transactions a month
$137 a month on Essentials for 500 transactions. Includes QuickBooks Online Simple Start at $38 a month, which Essentials needs. Plus a one-time setup fee of $99, not included.
On the page: Bookkeeping tab, Essentials plan card
pilot.com/pricingChecked
Ledger included
Works in QuickBooks Online; you pay for the license. Every bookkeeping plan is done in QuickBooks Online (FAQ: 'Pilot does all of its bookkeeping in QuickBooks Online').
You agree to (a) maintain all subscriptions to Third-Party Services that are required for the provision of the Services and Pilot Platform or the…
pilot.com/terms/client-termsChecked
What the price is based on
monthly_expenses: bands of monthly spending. Essentials is one price for up to $100,000 in monthly expenses.
Why do you price based on expenses? Our goal is simple and transparent pricing. In examining different models, we found that expenses closely…
pilot.com/faqChecked
Past your plan’s limits
Moved up a band from your 3-month average. No per-unit overage price.
How do prices change as I grow? We understand the importance of predictability and transparency. Every month, we’ll average your prior 3 months of…
pilot.com/faqChecked
Setup or onboarding fee
Onboarding charge equal to one month. A one-time onboarding charge equal to one month of bookkeeping on every plan (so $99 on Essentials and $399 to $1,199 on Core, by band, at monthly billing).
Are there any one–time fees when I sign up for Pilot? Yes, there’s an onboarding charge equal to one month of bookkeeping to help us make sure your…
pilot.com/faqChecked
Catching up past months
Offered; no price published. Pilot says it offers catch-up bookkeeping, but the pricing page and FAQ carry no catch-up product or price.
Pilot and Bench also offer catch up bookkeeping, so you can get past months’ books in order, too.
Categorizes transactions
AI categorizes and learns your patterns. The AI Accountant categorizes transactions, reconciles accounts and identifies vendors.
Pilot's AI Accountant is trained on a decade of books across thousands of businesses. It learns your patterns to figure out what goes where, flagging…
Reconciles your accounts
Bank and card accounts reconciled each month. Essentials: AI reconciles accounts and closes the books monthly.
Best for: Small businesses that just want clean books. AI categorizes transactions, reconciles accounts, and closes books monthly.
pilot.com/pricingChecked
Pays your bills
Bill payment is an add-on; Core manages 10 bills. Accounts payable is not in the bookkeeping plans by default.
Are AP/AR services included in Pilot Bookkeeping? They are not included by default, but you can add them to any plan. Please ask your sales rep for…
pilot.com/faqChecked
Sends invoices
Invoicing is an add-on service. Pilot has no invoicing feature in its bookkeeping plans.
Will you send invoices to my customers and help pay my bills? Yes, we’re happy to provide this support as an additional service. Please contact your…
pilot.com/faqChecked
Accrual books and reports
Cash basis on Essentials; accrual on Core. Essentials is cash-basis bookkeeping only.
Everything in Essentials, plus: US-based bookkeeper who handles, explains, and reviews your books Cash or accrual-basis bookkeeping that pulls from…
pilot.com/pricingChecked
People check the books
Bookkeeper reviews on Core; Essentials is AI only. Essentials is described as AI doing the work ('AI categorizes transactions, reconciles accounts, and closes books monthly'), with support by in-app message.
US-based bookkeeper who handles, explains, and reviews your books
pilot.com/pricingChecked
Your own bookkeeper
A US-based bookkeeper and team on Core. Core includes a US-based bookkeeper and 'your dedicated team' by app, email and phone.
Support from your dedicated team in-app, email, and over the phone
pilot.com/pricingChecked
When the month is closed
Reports by 10th business day on Core (their claim). Pilot says Core reports are ready on the 10th business day and Custom on the 6th.
Reports on the 10th business day
pilot.com/pricingChecked
Accuracy the vendor claims
No accuracy figure published. No accuracy figure for the AI on any page read.
The result is unparalleled precision and accuracy across all of our accounting services.
pilot.com/why-pilotChecked
QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online only
Can I use Pilot if I want to keep Xero? No, because Pilot's service is built around QuickBooks Online. Our team uses QuickBooks to manage your books.
Xero
Can I use Pilot if I want to keep Xero?
On the page: FAQ at the end of the post; 'Pilot does all of its bookkeeping in QuickBooks Online' at https://pilot.com/faq 'Why use QuickBooks?'; Meridian ledgers at https://meridian.pilot.com/security 'Which general ledgers does Meridian work with?'
Stripe
Stripe, Shopify, Gusto yes
When Stripe takes fees, Amazon holds back reserves, or your payment processor batches deposits, Pilot reconciles it correctly. ... Revenue from…
Shopify
Stripe, Shopify, Gusto yes
On the page: 'Pilot handles the matching work across systems' and 'Your financials flow in...'; Stripe at https://pilot.com/integrations-stripe; PayPal and Square in the list at https://pilot.com/integrations 'Payment & Money Transfer'; fees FAQ at https://pilot.com/faq Ecommerce
PayPal
PayPal, Square listed
On the page: 'Pilot handles the matching work across systems' and 'Your financials flow in...'; Stripe at https://pilot.com/integrations-stripe; PayPal and Square in the list at https://pilot.com/integrations 'Payment & Money Transfer'; fees FAQ at https://pilot.com/faq Ecommerce
Square
PayPal, Square listed
On the page: 'Pilot handles the matching work across systems' and 'Your financials flow in...'; Stripe at https://pilot.com/integrations-stripe; PayPal and Square in the list at https://pilot.com/integrations 'Payment & Money Transfer'; fees FAQ at https://pilot.com/faq Ecommerce
Gusto payroll
Stripe, Shopify, Gusto yes
On the page: 'Pilot handles the matching work across systems' and 'Your financials flow in...'; Stripe at https://pilot.com/integrations-stripe; PayPal and Square in the list at https://pilot.com/integrations 'Payment & Money Transfer'; fees FAQ at https://pilot.com/faq Ecommerce
Moves your history in
From Xero: monthly totals for this year only. Pilot moves Xero users onto QuickBooks Online during onboarding, as monthly summary journal entries for the current year only, not transaction history.
If I’m on Xero, can you migrate me from Xero? Yes, we can help you transition your books over to QBO. As part of our onboarding process, we’ll make…
pilot.com/faqChecked
Getting your books out
QuickBooks Online file handed to you. When bookkeeping ends, Pilot hands you primary administrator status of the QuickBooks Online account, so you keep the full ledger in QuickBooks Online (continuing the Intuit subscription yourself) or export it.
In the event your subscription to bookkeeping Services ends, we will be available to transfer to you the “primary administrator” status for the…
pilot.com/terms/client-termsChecked
Files your tax return
Pilot Tax add-on from $1,000+/yr. Tax filing is not in the bookkeeping plans.
For Single Member LLCs Starts at $1,000+ /year billed annually What's included: Free tax extension Federal income tax filing State income tax filing…
pilot.com/pricingChecked
Files 1099s
1099-NECs only with the Pilot Tax add-on. With Pilot Tax, Pilot e-files Form 1099-NEC: up to 25 on the Partnership and S-Corp plan and up to 10 on the C-Corp plan.
If you have Pilot Tax, our 1099 vendor information request form makes it easy to submit vendor information and e-file Form 1099-NEC. If you are only…
pilot.com/faqChecked
Quarterly tax estimates
Safe-harbor quarterly payments in a tax add-on. Only the Pilot Tax plan for single-member LLCs lists 'Quarterly tax payments (safe harbor)', a tax add-on.
On the page: Tax tab, Single Member LLC card; calculator at https://pilot.com/calculators/personal-estimated-tax-payments-calculator
pilot.com/pricingChecked
Your data trains AI
Trains its AI on customer books; no opt-out. The privacy policy says Pilot builds categorization rules from 'learnings from Customer Data' and develops AI methods on it, and keeps de-identified data from those rules indefinitely.
We develop automated rules that increase efficiency in tasks such as categorizations based on learnings from Customer Data. We develop and use…
pilot.com/terms/privacyChecked
For accounting firms
Meridian for firms; white-label partner program. Pilot sells Meridian, a separate AI close platform for accounting firms covering all their clients (QuickBooks Online and Xero).
Meridian is the AI operating system for accounting firms, combining an autonomous month-end close with an AI accountant engineered to handle complex…
pilot.com/meridianChecked
Several businesses
One entity per order; more on Custom by quote. By default Pilot keeps the books of only the entity that signs the order form.
Unless otherwise indicated in the “Scope of Work” section of the Order Form, Pilot only performs bookkeeping for the customer/entity that signs the…
United States
United States only
We can support you if your company is a US entity, no matter where you are based in the world. We can also provide US entities with foreign…
pilot.com/faqChecked
Canada
not Canada, UK or Australia.
On the page: How It Works, 'Do you support international companies?'; banks at https://pilot.com/platform/integrations FAQ 'Does Pilot work with international banks...'
pilot.com/faqChecked
Australia
not Canada, UK or Australia.
On the page: How It Works, 'Do you support international companies?'; banks at https://pilot.com/platform/integrations FAQ 'Does Pilot work with international banks...'
pilot.com/faqChecked
Sign up without a sales call
Plans bought through sales; only the trial is self-serve. Every bookkeeping, tax, CFO and COO plan card on the pricing page leads to 'Contact Sales' (/talk-to-expert); there is no buy or sign-up button for a paid plan.
On the page: Bookkeeping tab, button on the Essentials, Core and Custom cards
pilot.com/pricingChecked
Contract and cancelling
Monthly or annual; cancel by emailing support. The pricing page has a Monthly / Annually toggle; Core is cheaper billed annually ($299 against $399 a month in the first band).
Non-renewal notice must be provided at least (a) seven (7) days for monthly or quarterly subscriptions; or (b) thirty (30) days for annual…
pilot.com/terms/client-termsChecked
Support
In-app on Essentials; email and phone on Core. Essentials: in-app messaging, plus the Pilot AI chat (not a person).
Support through in-app messaging
pilot.com/pricingChecked
Pilot alternatives
All 9 alternatives6 more alternatives
6 of the 9 publish a price.
- Booke AINo list priceAn AI bookkeeper that works inside QuickBooks Online and Xero to categorize transactions and match documents.
- StampliOn quoteProcure-to-pay workspace for invoices, vendors, payments and card spend, with AI coding and routing.
- SimpleAIFrom $79 a monthAI agents that extract, classify and reconcile accounting documents, then publish them into Xero or QuickBooks.
- Bookkeeper360From $19 a monthUS-based outsourced bookkeeping, tax and CFO team working in your QuickBooks Online or Xero.
Sources and changes
Last changed
Sources12
- pilot.com/pricing
- pilot.com/faq
- pilot.com/terms/client-terms
- pilot.com/blog/bench-vs-pilot-bookkeeping-service
- pilot.com/blog/xero-vs-pilot-comparison-for-business-owners
- pilot.com/meridian
- pilot.com/platform/ai-accountant
- pilot.com/platform/integrations
- meridian.pilot.com/security
- pilot.com/terms/bookkeeping-policies
- pilot.com/terms/privacy
- pilot.com/why-pilot
What changed on this page1
- Bookkeeping features, free plan, plan limits, terms
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