Recruitment & ATS · head to head
Pilot vs iCIMS
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; iCIMS difficult customer support requiring escalation for resolution
- They diverge on capability: Pilot covers Bookkeeping, iCIMS covers Applicant Tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Pilot and iCIMS actually diverge.
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Recruitment & ATS).
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 iCIMS
- Applicant Tracking
- CRM
- Career Sites
- Text Recruiting
- Video Interviewing
- AI Matching
- Analytics
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 iCIMS
- Federal, state and Delaware franchise tax filing for US companiesnot iCIMS
- Fractional CFO support for financial planning and fundraisingnot iCIMS
iCIMS
- Enterprise applicant tracking with configurable hiring workflowsnot Pilot
- High volume hiring in retail, hospitality and healthcarenot Pilot
- Candidate relationship management and automated campaignsnot Pilot
- Career site and employer branding managementnot Pilot
- Employee onboarding after offer acceptancenot 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
iCIMS
- Difficult customer support requiring escalation for resolution
- Complex and dated user interface compared to modern cloud recruiting tools
- CRM, ATS, and Text engagement systems do not sync well and require separate logins
- Custom reporting is difficult to create without IT expertise
Pricing, plan by plan
Pilot
$29/month- Core$599/month
- Bookkeeping
- Accrual basis
- Monthly close
- Plus$849/month
- CFO support
- Custom reporting
- Board deck
iCIMS
$14500/yearNo published plan breakdown. See the iCIMS review.
Which should you pick?
Choose iCIMS if
- You need applicant tracking.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want crm.
Questions people ask
- Is Pilot or iCIMS better?
- Neither clearly leads. Pilot starts at $29/month and iCIMS at $14500/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Pilot or iCIMS?
- Pilot starts at $29/month and iCIMS at $14500/year.
- Does Pilot or iCIMS run on more platforms?
- Pilot runs on Web. iCIMS runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- 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 iCIMS is typically brought in for.
- What can Pilot do that iCIMS cannot?
- Pilot covers Bookkeeping, CFO services, Tax preparation, R&D tax credits. iCIMS covers Applicant Tracking, CRM, Career Sites, Text Recruiting. Both handle Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
iCIMS: How much does iCIMS cost?
iCIMS pricing varies from $14,500 to $635,000 annually depending on organization size and modules. Mid-market companies typically pay $15,000-$35,000 annually, with larger enterprises exceeding $100,000 plus implementation fees.
SourceiCIMS: What companies use iCIMS?
iCIMS serves more than 4,400 companies across 200 countries, including a quarter of Fortune 500 companies, particularly in retail, healthcare, manufacturing, and finance sectors.
SourceiCIMS: Does iCIMS integrate with other HR systems?
Yes, iCIMS connects with more than 800 partner technologies including job boards, background check services, HR systems, and social platforms.
SourceiCIMS: How long does iCIMS implementation take?
iCIMS implementation is typically lengthy and complex, with setup time varying based on workflow complexity, integrations, and organizational requirements. The process requires professional services and can involve extended ramp-up periods for configuration and training.
SourceRelated pages
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