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HR & Recruiting · head to head

Homebase vs Pilot

Homebase logo

Homebase

HR & Recruiting

Scheduling, time tracking and HR for hourly teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pilot logo

Pilot

Recruitment & ATS

Bookkeeping, CFO, and tax for startups

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Homebase has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Homebase free Basic plan is capped at 10 employees and a single location; 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

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Homebase and Pilot actually diverge.

Attributes where Homebase and Pilot differ
AttributeHomebasePilot
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
CategoryHR & RecruitingRecruitment & ATS
FoundedUnknown2017

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Homebase

Nothing recorded that Pilot does not also cover.

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.

Homebase

No use cases recorded yet. See the Homebase review.

Pilot

  • Outsourced monthly bookkeeping for startups and small businessesnot Homebase
  • Federal, state and Delaware franchise tax filing for US companiesnot Homebase
  • Fractional CFO support for financial planning and fundraisingnot Homebase

Where each one falls short

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

Homebase

  • Free Basic plan is capped at 10 employees and a single location
  • Paid plans are billed per location per month ($30, $70 or $120), so a multi-location business pays the rate again for each site
  • Payroll is a separate add-on at $39 per month plus $6 per month per employee paid
  • Tip Manager and Task Manager are further add-ons billed per location per month on top of the base plan

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

Homebase

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Homebase 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 Homebase if

  • You want to start without paying.
Homebase review

Choose Pilot if

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

Questions people ask

Is Homebase or Pilot better?
Neither clearly leads. Homebase 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, Homebase or Pilot?
Homebase has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Homebase and $29/month for Pilot.
Does Homebase or Pilot run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Homebase for free?
Yes. Homebase has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Pilot starts at $29/month.
What can Homebase do that Pilot cannot?
Pilot covers Bookkeeping, CFO services, Tax preparation, R&D tax credits.
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