Software · head to head
Pilot vs Ashby
The short version
- Each has a real cost: 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; Ashby no native iOS or Android mobile app; only mobile web access with limited functionality
- They diverge on capability: Pilot covers Bookkeeping, Ashby covers Applicant Tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Pilot and Ashby actually diverge.
Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Pilot
- Bookkeeping
- CFO services
- Tax preparation
- R&D tax credits
- Financial reporting
- QuickBooks
- Stripe
- Brex
Only in Ashby
- Applicant Tracking
- CRM
- Scheduling
- Analytics
- Sourcing
- Offer Management
- Reporting
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Pilot
- Outsourced monthly bookkeeping for startups and small businessesnot Ashby
- Federal, state and Delaware franchise tax filing for US companiesnot Ashby
- Fractional CFO support for financial planning and fundraisingnot Ashby
Ashby
- End to end applicant tracking for startups through to enterprisenot Pilot
- Sourcing and candidate relationship managementnot Pilot
- Interview scheduling and coordinationnot Pilot
- Recruiting analytics, including as a standalone module alongside an existing ATSnot Pilot
- Structured hiring and consistent candidate assessmentnot Pilot
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Ashby
- No native iOS or Android mobile app; only mobile web access with limited functionality
- Email lookup quotas and limited bulk actions for high-volume sourcing workflows
- Advanced workflow branching and custom fields system are less flexible than competitors
Pricing, plan by plan
Pilot
$29/month- Core$599/month
- Bookkeeping
- Accrual basis
- Monthly close
- Plus$849/month
- CFO support
- Custom reporting
- Board deck
Ashby
$400/month- Foundations$400/month
- Core ATS
- Scheduling
- Basic reporting
Which should you pick?
Questions people ask
- Is Pilot or Ashby better?
- Neither clearly leads. Pilot starts at $29/month and Ashby at $400/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Pilot or Ashby?
- Pilot starts at $29/month and Ashby at $400/month.
- Does Pilot or Ashby run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is Pilot best used for?
- Pilot is most often used for outsourced monthly bookkeeping for startups and small businesses, federal, state and delaware franchise tax filing for us companies, fractional cfo support for financial planning and fundraising. Of those, outsourced monthly bookkeeping for startups and small businesses and federal, state and delaware franchise tax filing for us companies are not what Ashby is typically brought in for.
- What can Pilot do that Ashby cannot?
- Pilot covers Bookkeeping, CFO services, Tax preparation, R&D tax credits. Ashby covers Applicant Tracking, CRM, Scheduling, Analytics. Both handle Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Ashby: What integrations does Ashby support?
Ashby integrates with Slack for recruiting notifications, Zapier for automation with 9,000+ apps, and has an open API for custom workflows. It also supports 250+ marketplace integrations.
SourceAshby: Does Ashby have a mobile app?
Ashby does not have native iOS or Android apps. The platform is cloud-based accessible via mobile web, but mobile functionality is limited compared to desktop.
SourceAshby: What is the minimum price for Ashby?
The Foundations plan starts at $400 per month for companies up to 100 employees. Plus and Enterprise plans are custom quoted based on company size.
SourceAshby: Can Ashby create and update jobs across multiple job boards?
Yes, Ashby integrates with job boards and allows you to manage candidate pipeline, scheduling, and analytics in one platform.
Source