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
Popular- 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
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
- Automate bill entry and track bills
- Auto-reconcile bank transactions
- Visualize performance with graphs
- 60 day cash flow forecast
- Customize performance dashboards
- Tailored financial health scorecards
Established
Popular- 180 day cash flow forecast
- 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.
- 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: With no free plan or trial, Pilot isn't competing on accessibility — they're positioning as a premium, done-for-you service aimed at funded startups who'd rather pay a human-backed team than DIY in QuickBooks. The pre-revenue startup discount on Core is a tell: they want high-potential companies locked in early, before they can shop around on price. Xero: Xero sits mid-pack against QuickBooks and FreshBooks — not the budget option, not the enterprise play, just a straightforward all-in-one for small business owners who want unlimited users without per-seat penalties. That no-free-trial, no-freemium stance is a bet that the 90%-off intro offer converts better than a trial funnel.
Still deciding? See the best Pilot alternatives or the best Xero alternatives, ranked with verified pricing.
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