Pilot vs Xero Pricing (2026)
How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.
Essentials
- Cash-basis bookkeeping using data from your bank and credit cards
- Standard chart of accounts
- Year-end package for your tax preparer
- Instant AI answers about past transactions and current cash flow, plus run scenarios to plan ahead
- Support through in-app messaging
Core
- US-based bookkeeper who handles, explains, and reviews your books
- Cash or accrual-basis bookkeeping that pulls from your bank, credit cards, payroll, AP, inventory, and payment platforms
- Bill management for up to 10 vendor bills per month
- Custom chart of accounts
- Reports on the 10th business day
- Support from your dedicated team in-app, email, and over the phone
Custom
- Keep your existing QuickBooks account and historical data
- Support for complex business structures
- Custom workflows and reporting
- Reports on the 6th business day
- Full accounts receivable
- Full accounts payable
- Payroll administration
- CFO advisory, financial planning, and fundraising support. Connect with your dedicated CFO in-app, by email, phone, or Slack
For Single Member LLCs
- Free tax extension
- Federal income tax filing
- State income tax filing
- Quarterly tax payments (safe harbor)
- Schedule C for your LLC's income and loss
- Reporting for one of each income sources: W-2, K-1, rental property, and 1099
- Year-round email support
For Partnerships and S-Corps
- Free extension
- Federal income tax filing
- State income tax filing
- Delaware franchise tax filing
- Up to 25 1099-NEC filings
- Year-round email support
For C-Corps
- 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
Basic
- Custom financial model with strategic insights
- Budget vs actuals variance analysis
- Scenario planning model
- Industry-specific KPI dashboard
- Monthly call with your CFO
Essentials
- Cash and runway optimization
- Investor & board reporting support
- Basic fundraising and M&A support
- Ad-hoc strategy support
- Bi-weekly call with your CFO
Custom
- 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 your CFO
Starter
- Business incorporation through Stripe Atlas
- Banking setup with Mercury
- Setup for a payroll system that actually works
- Pilot bookkeeping system setup
Essentials
- Everything in Starter (if you need the setup)
- Banking support when things get messy
- HR, payroll, and benefits that work
- Invoice collection
- Bill payment on time
Custom
- Invoice collection (high volume)
- Bill payment on time (high volume)
- State payroll and tax compliance that actually works
- Plus whatever complexity your business demands
- Stock administration without the legal bills
Early
- Send quotes and 20 invoices†
- Accept online invoice payments^
- 5 bills
- Reconcile bank transactions
- Smart Document Capture
- View real-time reports
- W-9 + 1099 management
- Sales tax
- Visualize performance with basic graphs
- 30 day cash flow forecast
- Make online bill payments (Domestic - Free ACH)
- Make online bill payments (Cross Border)
Growing
- Send invoices and quotes
- Accept online invoice payments^
- Automate bill entry and track bills
- Auto-reconcile bank transactions (Beta)
- Smart Document Capture
- View real-time reports
- W-9 + 1099 management
- Sales tax
- Visualize performance with graphs
- 60 day cash flow forecast
- Make online bill payments (Domestic - Free ACH)
- Make online bill payments (Cross Border)
- Customize performance dashboards
- Tailored financial health scorecards
Established
Popular- Send invoices and quotes
- Accept online invoice payments^
- Automate bill entry and track bills
- Auto-reconcile bank transactions (Beta)
- Smart Document Capture
- View real-time reports
- W-9 + 1099 management
- Sales tax
- Visualize performance with graphs
- 180 day cash flow forecast
- Make online bill payments (Domestic - Free ACH)
- Make online bill payments (Cross Border)
- Customize performance dashboards
- Tailored financial health scorecards
- Analyze KPIs and ratios
- Use multiple currencies
- Track time and costs for projects
- Employee expense and mileage claims
- Benchmark against the industry
- Make online bill payments (International)
Pilot vs Xero FAQ
- Which one is cheaper?
- Xero is the cheaper option, starting at $25/mo vs $99/mo for Pilot.
- Can I use either one for free?
- Neither has a free plan. But Xero offers a free trial.
- How do they charge?
- Both use a flat-rate model, so the comparison is straightforward — it comes down to features and limits at each price point.
- Which one is a better deal?
- Depends on what you need. Pilot: Pilot sits firmly in the premium tier of startup-focused accounting services — $299/mo for bookkeeping alone puts them well above DIY tools like QuickBooks and above most local bookkeepers, but they're competing on 'we know startups' against players like Bench or Kruze Consulting. They're going after VC-backed founders who want a credible finance partner, not a cheap back-office fix. Xero: At $25–$90/mo, Xero sits in the same ballpark as QuickBooks Online but positions slightly more premium on the low end while staying competitive at the top. They're clearly targeting small-to-mid businesses that have outgrown spreadsheets and want a polished, accountant-friendly platform — not the budget-first crowd.
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