Pilot vs Zoho Books Pricing (2026)
How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.
| Pilot pricing | Zoho Books pricing | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $99/mo | $20/mo |
| Number of plans | 3 | 4 |
| Free plan | — | |
| Free trial | — | |
| Pricing model | flat-rate | flat-rate |
Price is one row. To weigh the features too, use our feature comparison template →
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
FREE
- Create invoices, quotes, expenses & journals
- Receipt autoscans (New)
- Sales receipts
- Manage vendors
- Mileage tracking
- Accept online payments
- Enable self-service customer portal
- Retention payments
- Automate payment reminders
- Bank reconciliation
- Setup recurring invoices
- W-9 management
- Track 1099 contractors
- Prepare and file 1099s
- P&L, Balance Sheet & 50+ Reports
STANDARD
- Progress invoicing
- Track sales tax and use tax
- E-File 1099-MISC & 1099-NEC
- Connect bank feeds
- Setup recurring expenses
- Enable transaction period locking
- Add custom fields
- Create custom reports
- Create journal templates
- API Access
PROFESSIONAL
Popular- Track sales and purchase orders
- Record multi-currency transactions
- Bill timesheets
- Project profitability
- Manage retainers
- Track inventory
- Create price lists
- Setup sales and purchase approvals
- Customize business workflows
- Collaborate with users (chat, voice, video and screen sharing)
- Create custom user roles
PREMIUM
- Revenue recognition - Basic
- Fixed asset management
- Profit Margin
- Manage budgets
- Cashflow forecasting
- Enable self-service vendor portal
- Set up custom domain
- Create business-specific custom modules
- Add custom button
- Create custom field validation rules
- Embed contextual web pages/apps
- Manage custom functions
Pilot vs Zoho Books FAQ
- Which one is cheaper?
- Zoho Books is the cheaper option, starting at $20/mo vs $99/mo for Pilot.
- Can I use either one for free?
- Zoho Books has a free plan. Pilot doesn't — you'll need to pay from day one.
- 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 in the premium tier of startup bookkeeping services — well above DIY tools like QuickBooks or Xero, and priced to compete with Bench and Puzzle rather than freelance bookkeepers. They're clearly chasing venture-backed startups who'll trade cash for reliability and investor-ready financials. Zoho Books: Sitting well under QuickBooks and Xero at every tier, Zoho Books is clearly playing the value card for cost-conscious small businesses and Zoho ecosystem users who want accounting bundled cheaply with CRM, inventory, and other Zoho apps.
Still deciding? See the best Pilot alternatives or the best Zoho Books alternatives, ranked with verified pricing.
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