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Software · head to head

Pilot vs Zoho People

Pilot logo

Pilot

Software

Bookkeeping, CFO, and tax for startups

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoho People logo

Zoho People

Software

Cloud HR software for growing businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zoho People 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; Zoho People slow response times and slow loading on the platform affecting user efficiency
  • They diverge on capability: Pilot covers Bookkeeping, Zoho People covers Employee Database.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Pilot and Zoho People actually diverge.

Attributes where Pilot and Zoho People differ
AttributePilotZoho People
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
Founded20171996

Identical on both: 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 Zoho People

  • Employee Database
  • Time Off
  • Time Tracking
  • Attendance
  • Performance
  • Onboarding
  • Self-Service
  • Zoho CRM

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 Zoho People
  • Federal, state and Delaware franchise tax filing for US companiesnot Zoho People
  • Fractional CFO support for financial planning and fundraisingnot Zoho People

Zoho People

No use cases recorded yet. See the Zoho People review.

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

Zoho People

  • Slow response times and slow loading on the platform affecting user efficiency
  • Limited customization options for leave and performance management workflows
  • Mobile app is missing key features available in desktop version, like timesheets and reporting
  • Customer support is ticket-based only with no live chat unless on premium plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Pilot

$29/month
  • Core$599/month
    • Bookkeeping
    • Accrual basis
    • Monthly close
  • Plus$849/month
    • CFO support
    • Custom reporting
    • Board deck

Zoho People

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zoho People review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Pilot if

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

Choose Zoho People if

  • You need employee database.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want time off.
Zoho People review

Questions people ask

Is Pilot or Zoho People better?
Neither clearly leads. Pilot starts at $29/month and Zoho People at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Pilot or Zoho People?
Zoho People has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Pilot and Free for Zoho People.
Does Pilot or Zoho People run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Zoho People for free?
Yes. Zoho People 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 Zoho People is typically brought in for.
What can Pilot do that Zoho People cannot?
Pilot covers Bookkeeping, CFO services, Tax preparation, R&D tax credits. Zoho People covers Employee Database, Time Off, Time Tracking, Attendance. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Zoho People: Does Zoho People have a free tier?

Yes, the Free plan supports up to 5-10 users with essential HR tools, email support, and 30-day free trial available on all paid plans with no credit card required.

Source
Zoho People: What is the pricing for Zoho People?

Pricing starts at $1.25 per user per month when billed annually. The Essential HR plan costs $1.50 monthly per user, dropping to $1.25 annually with five tiers available: Free, Essential HR, Professional, Premium, and Enterprise.

Source
Zoho People: Does Zoho People work with other Zoho applications?

Yes, Zoho People integrates with the Zoho ecosystem including Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, and other Zoho applications for unified business management.

Source
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