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Accounting · head to head

Mercury vs Pilot

Mercury logo

Mercury

Accounting

Banking for startups

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pilot logo

Pilot

Recruitment

Bookkeeping, CFO, and tax for startups

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mercury has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Mercury treasury access requires a $250,000 balance held with Mercury; 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: Mercury covers Business checking, Pilot covers Bookkeeping.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mercury and Pilot actually diverge.

Attributes where Mercury and Pilot differ
AttributeMercuryPilot
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
CategoryAccountingRecruitment
Founded20192017

Identical on both: 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 Mercury

  • Business checking
  • Savings accounts
  • Virtual cards
  • Team management
  • API access
  • Xero
  • FDIC insured
  • Ios support

Only in Pilot

  • Bookkeeping
  • CFO services
  • Tax preparation
  • R&D tax credits
  • Financial reporting
  • Brex
  • Gusto
  • Bank-level encryption

Both cover

  • QuickBooks
  • Stripe
  • SOC 2
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Mercury

  • Business banking and payments for startupsnot Pilot
  • Managing treasury, invoicing and corporate cards from one accountnot Pilot

Pilot

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

Where each one falls short

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

Mercury

  • Treasury access requires a $250,000 balance held with Mercury
  • Non USD international wires carry a 1% conversion fee
  • Choosing OUR wire coding, which covers intermediary bank charges, costs $15 per wire
  • ACH invoicing is $1 per transaction on Mercury Plus and only free on the $299 a month Pro plan
  • Advanced and recurring invoicing require Mercury Plus at $29.90 a month

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

Mercury

Free
  • Mercury (Free)Free
    • ACH payments
    • Domestic wires
    • Real-time payments
  • Mercury Plus$29.9/month
    • Invoice ACH debits
    • Recurring invoices
    • Invoicing API (500/month)
  • Mercury Pro$299/month
    • All Plus features
    • Relationship manager
    • Free ACH invoice debits

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 Mercury if

  • You need business checking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want savings accounts.
Mercury review

Choose Pilot if

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

Questions people ask

Is Mercury or Pilot better?
Neither clearly leads. Mercury starts at Free and Pilot at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mercury or Pilot?
Mercury has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mercury and On request for Pilot.
Does Mercury or Pilot run on more platforms?
Mercury runs on Web, Ios, Android. Pilot runs on Web.
Can I use Mercury for free?
Yes. Mercury has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Pilot starts at On request.
What is Mercury best used for?
Mercury is most often used for business banking and payments for startups, managing treasury, invoicing and corporate cards from one account. Of those, business banking and payments for startups and managing treasury, invoicing and corporate cards from one account are not what Pilot is typically brought in for.
What can Mercury do that Pilot cannot?
Mercury covers Business checking, Savings accounts, Virtual cards, Team management. Pilot covers Bookkeeping, CFO services, Tax preparation, R&D tax credits. Both handle QuickBooks, Stripe, SOC 2, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mercury: Is Mercury business banking free?

Mercury's base banking tier is free and includes ACH payments, domestic wire transfers, real-time payments, Bill Pay, and QuickBooks/Xero automations at no monthly cost.

Source
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
Mercury: What does Mercury Plus add beyond the free tier?

Mercury Plus costs $29.90 per month and adds invoice ACH debits, recurring invoice capabilities, invoicing API with 500 calls per month, unlimited 1099 filings, and access to partner benefits.

Source
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
Mercury: Does Mercury charge monthly account fees?

No, Mercury states there are no minimum account balance requirements, overdraft fees, required monthly fees, or account opening fees. The free tier includes essential business banking, with paid tiers available for additional features.

Source
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
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