Technology · head to head
ClickUp vs Pilot
The short version
- Only ClickUp has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: ClickUp the free plan is capped at 60MB of storage, 5 spaces, 1 form and 3 whiteboards, so the limits are structural rather than just a seat count; 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: ClickUp covers Multiple view types, Pilot covers Bookkeeping.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ClickUp and Pilot actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2017).
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 ClickUp
- Multiple view types
- Custom fields
- Automation
- Time tracking
- Goal tracking
- Document collaboration
- Whiteboards
- Mind maps
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.
ClickUp
- Project managementnot Pilot
- Software developmentnot Pilot
- Marketing campaignsnot Pilot
- Product roadmapsnot Pilot
- Client managementnot Pilot
Pilot
- Outsourced monthly bookkeeping for startups and small businessesnot ClickUp
- Federal, state and Delaware franchise tax filing for US companiesnot ClickUp
- Fractional CFO support for financial planning and fundraisingnot ClickUp
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
ClickUp
- The free plan is capped at 60MB of storage, 5 spaces, 1 form and 3 whiteboards, so the limits are structural rather than just a seat count
- Gantt charts, time tracking and goals require Unlimited at $7 per user per month billed yearly
- Automations are rationed by tier, at 5,000 a month on Business and 250,000 on Enterprise
- SAML SSO, custom roles and HIPAA compliance are Enterprise only
- AI is charged separately, at $9 per user per month for Brain and $28 for Everything AI
- Monthly billing is substantially dearer, at $10 and $19 against the yearly rates
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
ClickUp
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited tasks
- 60 MB storage
- Collaborative docs
- Unlimited$7/user/month
- Unlimited storage
- All views
- Time tracking
- Business$12/user/month
- Sprint reporting
- Private docs
- All Unlimited features
- Business Plus$null/custom
- Advanced features
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 ClickUp if
- You need multiple view types.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
- You also want custom fields.
Questions people ask
- Is ClickUp or Pilot better?
- Neither clearly leads. ClickUp starts at Free and Pilot at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, ClickUp or Pilot?
- ClickUp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ClickUp and $29/month for Pilot.
- Does ClickUp or Pilot run on more platforms?
- ClickUp runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows. Pilot runs on Web.
- Can I use ClickUp for free?
- Yes. ClickUp has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Pilot starts at $29/month.
- What is ClickUp best used for?
- ClickUp is most often used for project management, software development, marketing campaigns, product roadmaps. Of those, project management and software development are not what Pilot is typically brought in for.
- What can ClickUp do that Pilot cannot?
- ClickUp covers Multiple view types, Custom fields, Automation, Time tracking. Pilot covers Bookkeeping, CFO services, Tax preparation, R&D tax credits.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
ClickUp: How many views does ClickUp support?
ClickUp includes List, Table, Board, Calendar, Gantt, and Inbox views, plus Whiteboards for collaboration and multiple specialized views for different workflows.
SourceClickUp: What is ClickUp Brain?
ClickUp Brain is the AI feature providing workspace Q&A, task summaries, and AI-powered automation available as an add-on at $9 or $28/user/month depending on usage.
SourceClickUp: How long does it take to set up ClickUp?
Initial setup typically takes 2-4 weeks depending on team size and complexity needs, which is longer than Monday.com (1-2 days) but necessary for ClickUp's flexibility.
SourceClickUp: Does ClickUp have built-in time tracking?
Yes, time tracking is included in the first paid plan (Unlimited) at $7/user/month, allowing teams to track project hours without additional tools.
SourceRelated pages
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- Pilot vs Asana
- Pilot vs Figma
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- Pilot vs Greenhouse
- Pilot vs Notion
- Pilot vs Amplitude
- Pilot vs Datadog
- Pilot vs PostHog
- Pilot vs PyCharm
- Pilot vs Sketch
- Pilot vs Docker
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- Pilot vs Okta
- Pilot vs Aha!
- Pilot vs Coda
- Pilot vs Dashlane
- Pilot vs GitHub
- Pilot vs Ashby
- Pilot vs Rippling
- Pilot vs Lever
- Pilot vs SmartRecruiters
- Pilot vs Oracle HCM Cloud
- Pilot vs Factorial
- Pilot vs iCIMS
- Pilot vs Jobvite
- Pilot vs SAP SuccessFactors
- Pilot vs Breezy HR
- Pilot vs Deel
- Pilot vs JazzHR
- Pilot vs Teamtailor
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