Softwr

Payroll & Benefits · head to head

Oyster vs Pilot

Oyster logo

Oyster

Payroll & Benefits

Hire globally, compliantly

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 Oyster has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Oyster employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing; 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: Oyster covers Global Employment, Pilot covers Bookkeeping.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Oyster and Pilot actually diverge.

Attributes where Oyster and Pilot differ
AttributeOysterPilot
Starting priceFree$29/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
CategoryPayroll & BenefitsRecruitment & ATS
Founded20202017

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Oyster

  • Global Employment
  • Payroll
  • Benefits
  • Compliance
  • Contractor Management
  • Time Off
  • Expenses
  • BambooHR

Only in Pilot

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

Both cover

  • QuickBooks
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Oyster

  • Hiring employees abroad without setting up a local legal entitynot Pilot
  • Onboarding and paying international contractorsnot Pilot
  • Getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teamsnot Pilot

Pilot

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

Where each one falls short

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

Oyster

  • Employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing
  • A refundable deposit is required before an EOR engagement starts
  • Contractor management is free for 30 days then $29 per contractor per month
  • HR advisory through People Partner Services is billed at $300 per hour on top of the subscription
  • A currency conversion fee applies when you pay Oyster in a currency other than the contract currency
  • Payments are accepted only by direct debit or wire in USD, EUR, GBP or CAD

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

Oyster

Free
  • Contractor$29/month
    • Contractor Payments
    • Compliant Contracts
    • Invoicing
  • Employee$599/month
    • Global Employment
    • Payroll
    • Benefits

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 Oyster if

  • You need global employment.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want payroll.
Oyster review

Choose Pilot if

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

Questions people ask

Is Oyster or Pilot better?
Neither clearly leads. Oyster 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, Oyster or Pilot?
Oyster has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Oyster and $29/month for Pilot.
Does Oyster or Pilot run on more platforms?
Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android. Pilot runs on Web.
Can I use Oyster for free?
Yes. Oyster has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Pilot starts at $29/month.
What is Oyster best used for?
Oyster is most often used for hiring employees abroad without setting up a local legal entity, onboarding and paying international contractors, getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teams. Of those, hiring employees abroad without setting up a local legal entity and onboarding and paying international contractors are not what Pilot is typically brought in for.
What can Oyster do that Pilot cannot?
Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance. Pilot covers Bookkeeping, CFO services, Tax preparation, R&D tax credits. Both handle QuickBooks, Web support.
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