In this Pilot Bookkeeping review for 2023, we’ll dive deep into the features and pricing of Pilot Bookkeeping, an innovative solution designed to simplify and streamline your financial management processes.
Whether you’re a small business owner, a freelancer, or a startup founder, understanding the capabilities and cost structure of Pilot Bookkeeping can empower you to make informed decisions about your accounting needs. Join us as we explore the latest offerings from Pilot Bookkeeping and discover how it can revolutionize your bookkeeping experience.
Pilot Bookkeeping is a virtual service that helps you manage bookkeeping with the help of features like bookkeeping, tax services, and chief financial officer (CFO). Primarily focusing on startups and rapidly growing businesses, Pilot Bookkeeping pairs your business with a dedicated finance expert to manage your monthly finance functions with add-on functions like CFO consultation or R&D loan applications.
Quick view: Pros & Cons
pros
- Access to a dedicated finance expert or bookkeeper
- Accrual-basis bookkeeping
- Expert support for integration with platforms like Gusto, Stripe, or Expensify
- Access to tax filing and CFO consulting as add-ons
- Discounts available for pre-revenue companies
cons
- More expensive than competitors
- Lacks cash-basis accounting
- Entry-level plans only offer email support
- Only uses QuickBooks Online for bookkeeping
- No payroll services
When To Choose
- You are a rapidly growing or high-growth potential business
- You are looking for tax filing support or CFO consultation
- You are looking to catch up or clean up your bookkeeping operations
- You need support across multiple business entities
In short, if you are a rapidly growing small business or startup in need of financial services assistance, Pilot Bookkeeping is one of the best one-stop financial shops for you.
- You are not using QuickBooks Online accounting software
- You need basic bookkeeping services for a fixed price
- You are looking for payroll services
Pilot Bookkeeping Review: Deciding Factors
Pilot bookkeeping can be a one-stop financial shop for your growing startup or small business. Some key deciding factors that can help your team assess whether Pilot Bookkeeping is the right solution for you are:
| Price | Pilot Bookkeeping plans start from $599 per month. It does not offer a free trial. |
| Accounting Method | All Pilot Bookkeeping plans follow accrual-basis accounting. |
| Accounting Software Integration | Pilot Bookkeeping uses QuickBooks Online for bookkeeping. But it can help you transition from other accounting software, like Xero, to QuickBooks Online during onboarding. |
| Bookkeeper Availability | Pilot Bookkeeping offers you dedicated bookkeeper support. All plans offer email-based bookkeeper support, while features like priority support, monthly phone review, or customized support are available with Select and Plus plans. |
| Financial Reporting | Monthly reports include profit and loss statements, balance sheets, cash-flow statements, charts of accounts, and burn-rate calculations. Additional reporting and custom reporting are available as add-ons for Select and Plus plans. |
| Back-Office, Tax, and Consulting Services | Services like accounts receivable, accounts payable, inventory tracking, tax support, CFO consultation, R&D tax credit, and controller services are available as add-ons. |
Pilot Bookkeeping Review: Pricing and Features
Pilot Bookkeeping prices depend on your business’s monthly expenses, including payroll, distributions, and cost of goods sold. Although the listed prices are monthly, Pilot Bookkeeping services are available on an annual subscription basis, and Pilot will adjust the pricing if your business’s current expenses change.
Additionally, Pilot Bookkeeping also charges a one-time onboarding fee (equal to a month’s bookkeeping charges) in the beginning. The three Pilot Bookkeeping plans you can select from are:
Core Plan
Ideal for small businesses, Pilot Bookkeeping’s Core plan offers basic financial services at the following prices:
| Monthly Business Expense | Pricing |
| Less than $30,000 | $599 per month |
| $30,000 – $59,999 | $649 per month |
| $60,000 – $99,999 | $719 per month |
| $100,000 – $149,999 | $809 per month |
| $150,000 – $199,999 | $899 per month |
With these pricings, the Core plan gives you access to the following features:
- A dedicated bookkeeper
- Accrual-basis accounting
- Automatic transaction import
- Monthly financial reporting and burn-rate calculations
- Payroll and balance sheet reconciliation
- Standard chart of accounts
Select Plan
The select plan is perfect for businesses growing rapidly and needing additional support managing their finance operations. The pricing structure for the Select plan is as follows:
| Monthly Business Expense | Pricing |
| Less than $30,000 | $849 per month |
| $30,000 – $59,999 | $899 per month |
| $60,000 – $99,999 | $969 per month |
| $100,000 – $149,999 | $1,059 per month |
| $150,000 – $199,999 | $1,149 per month |
With these pricings, the Select plan gives you access to the following features:
- Access to all features of the Core plan
- Insights into industry-standard financial ratios
- Monthly phone reviews with your financial advisor
- Expedited bookkeeping delivery
- Priority support
Plus Plan
The Plus plan is ideal for large businesses or growing startups with complex financial support needs. This plan offers custom pricing per business needs, and only businesses with $200,000 or more monthly expenses are eligible. The Plus plan gives you access to all the Core plan features with the following add-on options:
- Custom chart of accounts
- Customized financial transactions
- Customized connections to financial institutions
- Industry-standard financial ratios
- Advanced revenue recognition
- Billable expenses
- Custom reporting
- Multiple entity and currency support
- Accounts receivable, accounts payable, and inventory tracking
- Customized priority support
- Monthly phone reviews with your bookkeeper
- Expedited bookkeeping delivery
Moreover, you can also opt for the following add-on financial services for an additional fee:
| Add-On Services | Pricing |
| Pilot CFO | Starting at $1,350 annually for monthly engagementStarting at $1,500 annually for annual budgeting and forecasting |
| Pilot Tax | Starting at $1,950 annually for tax services |
| A/P and A/R | Starting at $125 per hour for accounts payable and accounts receivable support |
| Controller Services | Starting at $200 per hour for support in building finance operations |
| R&D Tax Credit | 2% of total qualifying expense |
Benefits of Pilot Bookkeeping
The key benefits of Pilot Bookkeeping’s service offerings are:
Dedicated Bookkeeping
With Pilot Bookkeeping, you have access to a dedicated bookkeeper that will help you manage your books each month. This includes standard bookkeeping and reporting along with burn-rate calculations, 20 special transactions per month, advice on financial best practices, and support if you have any queries. Additionally, with Select or Plus plans, you can also access customized advanced bookkeeping services along with priority support.
Perks for Startups
For pre-revenue companies (total revenue less than $15,000), Pilot Bookkeeping offers $200 off Core or Select plans each month for the first year. Additionally, Pilot also includes burn-rate calculations and assistance with the R&D tax credit.
Add-On Services
On top of the financial and bookkeeping services, Pilot Bookkeeping also offers a variety of add-on services – like accounts payable and receivable services, controller services, and CFO consultation – to meet your unique business needs.
On the other hand, the major drawbacks of Pilot Bookkeeping are:
Expensive Monthly Plans
Pilot Bookkeeping services start at $599 per month and can go up to $1,149 per month. Many small businesses cannot afford to pay these fees on an annual subscription basis. Moreover, some competitors also offer similar or more advanced services at a lower price point.
Email-Based Support
Pilot Bookkeeping’s Core plan only offers email-based support, where you can expect a response within a couple of business days. Select and Plus plans give you access to priority support and a monthly review call with your bookkeeper. However, Pilot does not offer general phone support. This is in contrast to many competitors that offer phone, video chat, and live chat support.
Pilot Bookkeeping Customer Service
Pilot Bookkeeping offers email-based support and advice from finance experts with all its plans. Upgrading to Select and Plus plans gives you access to priority support and monthly phone review with your bookkeeper. However, Pilot Bookkeeper does not offer overall phone or live chat support.
Pilot Bookkeeping Integrations
As Pilot Bookkeeping only uses QuickBooks Online, your dedicated bookkeeping expert will walk you through integrating your existing bookkeeping processes, systems, and software with QuickBooks. And once the onboarding process is complete, you can immediately see all the changes in your QuickBooks account. Additionally, Pilot also offers easy integration tools with platforms like Gusto, Stripe, or Expensify for payroll and other HR functions.
Is Pilot Bookkeeping Worth It? – The Final Verdict
Although Pilot Bookkeeping’s pricing structure is more expensive than its competitors, it is still one of the best financial service providers for startups and small businesses with tremendous growth potential. Pilot connects you with a dedicated bookkeeping expert that helps you manage your books and gives you monthly financial reports for insights into your finance operations.
Additionally, apart from the basic bookkeeping services, Pilot offers many add-ons that can support growing businesses, from accounts receivable and payable services and tax advisory to CFO consultation and R&D tax credit. Thus, a unique blend of custom software and expert bookkeepers makes Pilot Bookkeeping one of the best solutions for financial services that you can customize for the needs of your business.As a small business owner, you can lighten your workload and focus on the essential aspects of running your business. That’s why finding the best online bookkeeping services that offer a worry-free experience is crucial.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Pilot Bookkeeping do?
Pilot Bookkeeping offers you a unique blend of expert bookkeeping and custom software to give you customized financial services – including standard bookkeeping and reporting, tax advisory, CFO consultation, and R&D support – that best suit the needs of your business.
