Pilot is bookkeeping for startups and small businesses: Essentials at $99 a month for AI cash-basis books, Core from $299 a month billed annually once you want a US-based bookkeeper, with the fee rising as monthly expenses grow. The closest Pilot alternatives are Bench, Keeper Tax, Collective, Facet, Domain Money, and Nino. Among these, the useful split is the job you need: company books plus a business return, or software that can grow into financial planning with a human CPA and financial planner on one team. For financial planning, tax, or both, Nino is the pick.
People comparing Pilot want books closed on time, reports partners trust, and often a path to file the entity return. Household planning matters once that company-books job is not enough.
This page covers Pilot’s published plans, a side-by-side table, a decision rule for when Pilot is your starting point, then fit notes for Bench, Keeper Tax, Collective, Facet, Domain Money, Nino, and when staying with Pilot makes sense. Verify prices on each site. Figures below were checked 2026-10-14.
What is Pilot, and what does it cost?
Pilot sells bookkeeping, tax, CFO, and COO services aimed at startups and growing companies. As of 2026-10-14, Pilot’s pricing page lists Essentials at $99 a month for AI cash-basis bookkeeping with up to $100,000 in monthly expenses, a year-end package for your tax preparer, and in-app support. Core adds a US-based bookkeeper, cash or accrual books, bill management for up to 10 vendor bills a month, and reports on the 10th business day. Core starts at $299 a month billed annually (or $399 month-to-month) at the lowest expense bucket on the page, then steps up with monthly expenses: $499 annual at the $30,000 bucket, $679 at $100,000, $999 at $200,000, then Custom. Tax filing is a separate add-on that must be purchased with Pilot Bookkeeping: Single Member LLC from $1,000+ a year, Partnerships and S-Corps from $2,000+, C-Corps from $2,450+. CFO plans list $1,750, $3,150, and $5,250 a month.
That expense ladder is the part most “Pilot alternatives” pages skip. Core is not one flat bookkeeping price. Hire, add payroll, grow cost of goods, and the published monthly fee moves with the expense slider on Pilot’s own page. At $299 a month billed annually, books alone are $3,588 a year before tax add-ons. At the $100,000 expense bucket, Core is $679 a month billed annually, or $8,148 a year for books. Add a C-Corp tax package from $2,450 and you are past $10,000 a year before any CFO line item.
Pilot’s job is the company’s books (and optional entity tax or finance support). It is not a flat-fee financial planner Concierge membership that also owns retirement, equity compensation, and household cash-flow planning on the same in-house team as a personal Form 1040. That is the gap when someone searching “Pilot alternatives” needs planning and filing together, not another bookkeeping vendor. For how flat-fee human advice is priced next to tax-only products, see what a flat-fee financial advisor is and how much a financial advisor costs. If your next question is a freelancer tax desk rather than startup books, see Keeper Tax alternatives.
What are the best Pilot alternatives in 2026?
The closest Pilot alternatives for company bookkeeping are Bench, Keeper Tax, and Collective. Bench is full-service bookkeeping with optional tax. Keeper Tax is expense tracking and filing at a lower published price point for freelancers and S-Corps. Collective packages LLC or S-Corp formation, bookkeeping, and business tax for solopreneurs. Facet and Domain Money are flat-fee planner memberships with tax filing on higher tiers through Taxfyle. Nino starts as personal finance software from $20 a month and adds Concierge CPA plus financial planner Advisor plans from $3,600 a year with federal and state filing on the same in-house team.
“Alternative” here means the same starting question: Pilot is on your shortlist for books. Seasonal DIY filing products such as TurboTax alternatives answer a different question once the return itself is the starting point. Use the table below for fees and tax ownership, then the sections for fit.
How do Pilot, Bench, Keeper Tax, Collective, Facet, Domain Money, and Nino compare?
| Platform | What you pay (seen 2026-10-14) | Who it is for | Who files taxes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot Essentials | $99/mo AI bookkeeping (≤$100k monthly expenses) | Small businesses wanting clean cash-basis books | Year-end package for your preparer; filing sold separately |
| Pilot Core | From $299/mo billed annually; rises with monthly expenses | Startups wanting a US bookkeeper and investor-ready books | Business tax add-on from $1,000+/yr by entity type |
| Bench | Bookkeeping $399/mo or $3,830/yr; Bookkeeping + Tax $649/mo or $6,230/yr; Light $199/mo (≤$250k revenue) | Growing businesses wanting done-for-you books | Licensed tax pros on tax tiers; business filing |
| Keeper Tax | Bookkeeping Only $20/mo; Standard $199/yr; Premium $399/yr; Business $1,199/yr | Freelancers, W-2 + side income, LLC, S-Corp | Tax pro on Standard+; federal + state |
| Collective | LLC $199/mo; S Corp $349/mo | Solopreneurs wanting entity + books + business tax | Business return on plan; individual return as add-on |
| Facet | Core $2,600, Plus $5,500, Complete $8,700/yr (list) | Households wanting a financial planner membership | Taxfyle partner on Plus and Complete |
| Domain Money | Essential $3,900, Strategic $5,200, Comprehensive $9,000 year 1; renewals lower | Households wanting a dedicated financial planner on a flat fee | Taxfyle partner on Strategic and up; Domain says it is not a CPA firm |
| Nino | Software $20, $100, or $200/mo; Advisor $3,600, $4,800, or $12,000/yr | People who want software and/or a CPA and financial planner team | Nino’s in-house CPA, federal and state, on every Advisor plan |
Sources: Pilot pricing, Bench pricing, Keeper Tax pricing, Collective plans and pricing, Facet pricing, Domain Money pricing, Nino pricing. Prices change; confirm on each site. Not personalized advice.
Why is Nino the best Pilot alternative for planning and taxes?
At Nino the planner and the preparer are on the same team. Your CPA prepares and files your returns and works with your financial planner on tax decisions during the year, so a move planned in November shows up on the return in April without a handoff between firms.
You can start with software: Basic at $20 a month, Pro at $100, or Ultra at $200, which adds year-round tax projections. Advisor plans add the people. Essential is $3,600 a year for 1 person with federal and state filing. Plus is $4,800 for 2 people with joint and multi-state filing. Premier is $12,000 and adds business, personal, and international filing. Every Advisor plan includes Ultra software and a 30-day money-back guarantee, and you get a quote before you join.
Pilot prices company books on monthly expenses. Nino prices household planning and tax on a published flat fee that does not climb when you hire. Pilot Core at $299 a month billed annually is $3,588 a year for books alone; add a C-Corp tax package from $2,450 and the company stack is past $6,000 before CFO work. Nino Advisor Essential is $3,600 a year for a CPA and financial planner team plus federal and state filing on the household return. Different job, different fee shape. For every plan, see Nino pricing. For flat-fee peers more broadly, see best flat-fee financial advisors and financial advisor with tax filing.
When does Bench fit?
Bench fits when you want done-for-you bookkeeping with unlimited bookkeeper access and optional tax filing. Published rates (2026-10-14): Bookkeeping Light $199 a month for businesses at or under $250,000 revenue; Bookkeeping $399 a month or $3,830 a year; Bookkeeping + Tax $649 a month or $6,230 a year. Full-service tax alone is $300 a month or $2,880 a year. Bench is a strong books peer to Pilot Core. It is not a household financial planner Concierge.
When does Keeper Tax fit?
Keeper Tax fits when expense tracking and a filed return are the main job at a lower published price than startup bookkeeping firms. Bookkeeping Only is $20 a month. Standard is $199 a year for bookkeeping and filing. Premium is $399. Business is $1,199 for S-Corp or partnership filing. See Keeper Tax alternatives for the full tax-desk comparison. Keeper is closer to freelancers than to venture-backed startups that need accrual books and investor reporting.
When does Collective fit?
Collective fits solopreneurs who want LLC or S-Corp setup, monthly bookkeeping, and business tax in one membership. Published rates: LLC $199 a month; S Corp $349 a month. Individual tax returns are an add-on. Collective is light coverage here because the job is solopreneur back office, not a multi-peer startup bookkeeping bake-off and not household financial planner Concierge.
When does Facet or Domain Money fit?
Facet and Domain Money fit when the starting point is a flat-fee financial planner membership rather than company books. Facet list prices are $2,600 / $5,500 / $8,700 a year; filing on Plus and Complete goes through Taxfyle. Domain Money year-1 prices are $3,900 / $5,200 / $9,000 with lower renewals; filing starts at Strategic through Taxfyle, and Domain states it is not a CPA firm. More in Facet alternatives and Domain Money alternatives.
When should you stay with Pilot?
Stay if clean company books, a dedicated bookkeeper, investor-ready reporting, and optional business tax or CFO support are the main job, and you are fine hiring separate help for the household plan and personal return. Multiply the Core monthly rate by 12 at your expense bucket, add the tax package you need, then compare that dollar stack to a flat household fee that includes filing. For CPA cost context outside bookkeeping firms, see how much a CPA costs.
Next step
If you want the person who builds your plan and the person who files your return on one team, book a free consultation or start with Nino pricing. This page is educational, not tax, legal, or investment advice. Confirm current fees and terms with each provider before you sign up.