Software · head to head
Pilot vs Factorial
The short version
- Only Factorial has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- 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; Factorial beyond a $8 per user per month starting price the pricing page publishes no plan tiers and no rate card, directing buyers to request a tailored quote
- They diverge on capability: Pilot covers Bookkeeping, Factorial covers HR Management.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Pilot and Factorial actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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
- Stripe
- Brex
- Gusto
Only in Factorial
- HR Management
- Time Off
- Time Tracking
- Documents
- Payroll
- Performance
- Recruiting
- Shift Management
Both cover
- QuickBooks
- 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 Factorial
- Federal, state and Delaware franchise tax filing for US companiesnot Factorial
- Fractional CFO support for financial planning and fundraisingnot Factorial
Factorial
- Managing employee records, onboarding and offboardingnot Pilot
- Tracking time off, attendance and shiftsnot Pilot
- Running recruitment and performance reviews alongside HR datanot 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
Factorial
- Beyond a $8 per user per month starting price the pricing page publishes no plan tiers and no rate card, directing buyers to request a tailored quote
- Time management, talent management, finance and IT management are sold as separate modules rather than included in the base product
Pricing, plan by plan
Pilot
$29/month- Core$599/month
- Bookkeeping
- Accrual basis
- Monthly close
- Plus$849/month
- CFO support
- Custom reporting
- Board deck
Factorial
Free- FreeFree
- Basic HR
- Time Off
- Documents
- Business$5/month
- All Free features
- Payroll
- Performance
Which should you pick?
Choose Factorial if
- You need hr management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want time off.
Questions people ask
- Is Pilot or Factorial better?
- Neither clearly leads. Pilot starts at $29/month and Factorial at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Pilot or Factorial?
- Factorial has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Pilot and Free for Factorial.
- Does Pilot or Factorial run on more platforms?
- Pilot runs on Web. Factorial runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Factorial for free?
- Yes. Factorial has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Pilot starts at $29/month.
- 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 Factorial is typically brought in for.
- What can Pilot do that Factorial cannot?
- Pilot covers Bookkeeping, CFO services, Tax preparation, R&D tax credits. Factorial covers HR Management, Time Off, Time Tracking, Documents. Both handle QuickBooks, Web support.