Software · head to head
Bench vs Pilot
Bench
Software
America's largest bookkeeping service for small businesses
- From
- $299/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Bench recent bankruptcy and acquisition by Employer.com creates uncertainty about product roadmap and support continuity; Pilot the Essentials bookkeeping plan at $99 per month covers up to $100,000 in monthly expenses, and is cash-basis only using bank and credit card data
- They diverge on capability: Bench covers Dedicated bookkeeper, Pilot covers Bookkeeping.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bench and Pilot actually diverge.
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Bench
- Dedicated bookkeeper
- Monthly financial statements
- Bank reconciliation
- Expense categorization
- PayPal
- Square
- Ios support
- Android support
Only in Pilot
- Bookkeeping
- CFO services
- R&D tax credits
- Financial reporting
- QuickBooks
- Brex
- Gusto
Both cover
- Tax preparation
- Stripe
- SOC 2
- Bank-level encryption
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Bench
- Bookkeeping outsourcingnot Pilot
- Tax preparationnot Pilot
- Financial reportingnot Pilot
Pilot
- Outsourced monthly bookkeeping for startups and small businessesnot Bench
- Federal, state and Delaware franchise tax filing for US companiesnot Bench
- Fractional CFO support for financial planning and fundraisingnot Bench
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Bench
- Recent bankruptcy and acquisition by Employer.com creates uncertainty about product roadmap and support continuity
- Higher starting cost at $299/month compared to self-service accounting software like Wave or QuickBooks Online
- Requires manual connection of financial accounts and ongoing coordination with bookkeeping team, less automated than software-first solutions
- Tax services limited to US income tax returns; no support for complex entity structures or multi-state taxation
- History of burning through capital rapidly, raising concerns about long-term business sustainability
Pilot
- The Essentials bookkeeping plan at $99 per month covers up to $100,000 in monthly expenses, and is cash-basis only using bank and credit card data
- A dedicated US-based bookkeeper, accrual-basis books and phone support require the Core plan, which is contact sales and billed annually
- Core caps bill management at 10 vendor bills per month
- Keeping an existing QuickBooks account with historical data requires the Custom plan
- Accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll administration and CFO advisory are Custom plan only
- Monthly reports arrive on the 10th business day on Core and the 6th business day only on Custom
- Tax filing is sold separately, starting at $1,000 per year for single member LLCs and $2,000 per year for partnerships and S-Corps, billed annually
- The tax service must be purchased together with Pilot Bookkeeping
- Partnership and S-Corp tax filing includes up to 25 1099-NEC filings
Pricing, plan by plan
Bench
$299/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Bench review.
Pilot
$29/month- Core$599/month
- Bookkeeping
- Accrual basis
- Monthly close
- Plus$849/month
- CFO support
- Custom reporting
- Board deck
Which should you pick?
Choose Bench if
- You need dedicated bookkeeper.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want monthly financial statements.
Questions people ask
- Is Bench or Pilot better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bench starts at $299/month and Pilot at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bench or Pilot?
- Bench starts at $299/month and Pilot at $29/month.
- Does Bench or Pilot run on more platforms?
- Bench runs on Web, Ios, Android. Pilot runs on Web.
- What is Bench best used for?
- Bench is most often used for bookkeeping outsourcing, tax preparation, financial reporting. Of those, bookkeeping outsourcing and tax preparation are not what Pilot is typically brought in for.
- What can Bench do that Pilot cannot?
- Bench covers Dedicated bookkeeper, Monthly financial statements, Bank reconciliation, Expense categorization. Pilot covers Bookkeeping, CFO services, R&D tax credits, Financial reporting. Both handle Tax preparation, Stripe, SOC 2, Bank-level encryption.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Bench: What happened to Bench Accounting?
Bench shut down abruptly on December 27, 2024, filing for bankruptcy in Canada with $65 million in debt. The company was acquired by Employer.com on December 30, 2024, and resumed operations in January 2025 under new ownership.
SourceBench: What are Bench's current pricing plans?
Bench offers Bookkeeping at $299/month (billed annually) and Bookkeeping + Tax at $599/month (billed annually). Both include automated bookkeeping, real-time financial statements, and a dedicated team of bookkeepers.
SourceBench: Does Bench include tax preparation services?
The Bookkeeping plan includes monthly bookkeeping and year-end tax-ready financial statements. The Bookkeeping + Tax plan adds one-on-one income tax consulting and annual income tax return filing.
SourceBench: How does Bench's bookkeeping work?
Bench combines proprietary software with human bookkeepers. You connect your financial accounts to automate data entry, and Bench's team handles bookkeeping and provides year-end tax-ready statements. Customers can reach their dedicated team within 24 hours.
SourceBench: Can I access real-time financial data with Bench?
Yes, Bench provides real-time reporting, allowing you to access or download updated income statements and balance sheets at any time.
Source