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Recruitment · head to head

BrightHire vs Pilot

BrightHire logo

BrightHire

Recruitment

Records, transcribes and analyses job interviews to make hiring decisions reviewable, now owned by Zoom

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pilot logo

Pilot

Recruitment

Bookkeeping, CFO, and tax for startups

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: BrightHire zoom acquired BrightHire on 1 December 2025, so an organisation standardised on Microsoft Teams or Google Meet is now depending on a competitor of its meeting platform to keep supporting it, and should get that commitment in the contract.; 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: BrightHire covers Interview recording and transcription, Pilot covers Bookkeeping.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BrightHire and Pilot actually diverge.

Attributes where BrightHire and Pilot differ
AttributeBrightHirePilot
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google MeetWeb
FoundedUnknown2017

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Recruitment).

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 BrightHire

  • Interview recording and transcription
  • Live interviewer guidance
  • Highlight reels
  • Searchable transcript library
  • Interviewer analytics
  • ATS integration
  • BrightHire Screen
  • Consent and compliance controls

Only in Pilot

  • Bookkeeping
  • CFO services
  • Tax preparation
  • R&D tax credits
  • Financial reporting
  • QuickBooks
  • Stripe
  • Brex

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

BrightHire

  • A hiring panel that keeps disagreeing about what a candidate said and needs the transcript rather than four memoriesnot Pilot
  • Auditing whether structured interview guides are actually being followed rather than merely publishednot Pilot
  • Coaching new interviewers using recordings of their own calls instead of secondhand feedbacknot Pilot
  • Reviewing hiring processes for consistency and adverse impact with evidence a legal team will acceptnot Pilot

Pilot

  • Small business bookkeeping and accountingnot BrightHire
  • Tax preparation and filingnot BrightHire
  • CFO consulting for startupsnot BrightHire
  • Payroll and HR administrationnot BrightHire

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

BrightHire

  • Zoom acquired BrightHire on 1 December 2025, so an organisation standardised on Microsoft Teams or Google Meet is now depending on a competitor of its meeting platform to keep supporting it, and should get that commitment in the contract.
  • Pricing is quote only and mixes recruiter and hiring manager seats with a usage component tied to interview volume, so a company with a lumpy hiring plan cannot forecast the annual cost with any accuracy.
  • Recording interviews requires candidate consent and creates a retention obligation, which in Germany, France and several US states means a works council or legal review before the tool can be switched on.
  • Hiring managers are the least frequent users but often need seats to review reels and transcripts, so seat-based pricing charges most for the people who log in a few times a quarter.
  • Analytics measure process compliance, such as question coverage and talk time, not hiring outcomes, so it will tell you your interviews are consistent long before it tells you they are predictive.

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

BrightHire

On request
  • Recruiters$undefined/year
    • Recording, transcription and notes for recruiting teams
    • ATS write-back
    • Seat based, quoted
  • Teams$undefined/year
    • Everything for recruiters plus hiring manager seats
    • Interviewer analytics and highlight reels
    • Seat plus interview volume components, quoted
  • Enterprises$undefined/year
    • Organisation-wide rollout
    • Compliance, consent and retention controls
    • Advanced analytics and support
  • BrightHire Screen$undefined/year
    • AI-led screening interviews
    • Available standalone or bundled with Interview Intelligence
    • Quoted only

Pilot

On request
  • Bookkeeping Essentials$99/month
    • Up to $100,000 in monthly expenses
    • AI-powered transaction categorization
    • Monthly closing
  • Bookkeeping CoreFree
    • Dedicated US-based bookkeeper
    • Cash or accrual-basis bookkeeping
    • Bill management for up to 10 vendor bills monthly
  • Tax Single Member LLC$1000/year
    • Federal and state income tax filing
    • Schedule C reporting
  • Tax Partnerships & S-Corps$2000/year
    • Federal and state filings
    • Up to 25 1099-NEC filings

Which should you pick?

Choose BrightHire if

  • You need interview recording and transcription.
  • You work on Web, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet.
  • You also want live interviewer guidance.
BrightHire review

Choose Pilot if

  • You need bookkeeping.
  • You also want cfo services.
Pilot review

Questions people ask

Is BrightHire or Pilot better?
Neither clearly leads. BrightHire starts at On request and Pilot at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BrightHire or Pilot?
BrightHire starts at On request and Pilot at On request.
Does BrightHire or Pilot run on more platforms?
BrightHire runs on Web, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet. Pilot runs on Web.
What is BrightHire best used for?
BrightHire is most often used for a hiring panel that keeps disagreeing about what a candidate said and needs the transcript rather than four memories, auditing whether structured interview guides are actually being followed rather than merely published, coaching new interviewers using recordings of their own calls instead of secondhand feedback, reviewing hiring processes for consistency and adverse impact with evidence a legal team will accept. Of those, a hiring panel that keeps disagreeing about what a candidate said and needs the transcript rather than four memories and auditing whether structured interview guides are actually being followed rather than merely published are not what Pilot is typically brought in for.
What can BrightHire do that Pilot cannot?
BrightHire covers Interview recording and transcription, Live interviewer guidance, Highlight reels, Searchable transcript library. Pilot covers Bookkeeping, CFO services, Tax preparation, R&D tax credits.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BrightHire: Who owns BrightHire?

Zoom Communications acquired it on 1 December 2025. It continues to operate as a standalone brand.

Pilot: What is the starting price for Pilot bookkeeping?

Bookkeeping Essentials starts at $99/month and includes up to $100,000 in monthly expenses with AI-powered categorization. Bookkeeping Core pricing starts at $0/month (billed annually) with a dedicated US-based bookkeeper.

Source
BrightHire: Does it work outside Zoom?

Yes, it runs across Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet today. Given the ownership change, ask for that in writing.

Pilot: What tax services does Pilot offer?

Pilot offers tax filing starting at $1,000/year for Single Member LLCs, $2,000/year for Partnerships & S-Corps, and $2,450/year for C-Corps, each including federal and state filings.

Source
BrightHire: Is pricing published?

No. Pricing combines seats and interview volume and is quoted per organisation.

Pilot: How much do Pilot CFO services cost?

CFO Basic starts at $1,750/month (billed annually) with monthly consultation; CFO Essentials at $3,150/month (billed annually) with bi-weekly calls; CFO Custom at $5,250/month (billed annually) with weekly calls and strategic planning.

Source
BrightHire: Do candidates have to consent to recording?

Yes, and in several jurisdictions you will also need employee representative or legal sign-off before deployment.

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