FreshBooks vs Pilot

FreshBooks is accounting software for freelancers, solopreneurs, and small businesses. It creates invoices with tracked time and expenses, calculates taxes, and offers configurable payment options. Users can track time against clients and projects, then generate invoices from those records. Projects organize client work, team members, time, invoices, and expenses, and include profitability views. Listed payment options include card and ACH payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and buy now, pay later options. FreshBooks also offers recurring invoices, expense tracking, and a client portal. Its API uses OAuth2 for integrations and account automation. The service runs on the web and has iOS and Android apps, but some features, including reporting, are desktop-only. Mobile apps require iOS 15 or later or Android 7.0 or later. Lite costs $23 a month and includes five billable clients; Plus costs $43 a month and includes 50. Premium costs $70 a month and includes unlimited clients. Double-entry accounting is available on Plus, Premium, and Select. There is no free plan, and the listed trial lasts 30 days.

Pilot is web-based accounting software with bank feeds, automated reconciliation, and accountant access. It does not provide inventory tracking, and web is the only listed platform. The free Core plan is listed at free, billed annually, with $0 in monthly expenses and up to 10 vendor bills per month. Essentials costs $99 a month, billed monthly, and supports up to $100,000 in monthly expenses. A Custom plan has no listed price and is described for complex business structures, custom workflows and reporting, full accounts receivable, full accounts payable, payroll administration, and CFO advisory. Pilot’s pricing note states that a 15-day trial is available and paid plans start from $99/mo. The maker is Pilot, founded in 2017, with headquarters in San Francisco, California, and Nashville, Tennessee. Access is through a browser rather than a listed mobile application.