Pilot vs Wave
Pilot
pilot.comWave
waveapps.comSide by side
| Figure | Pilot | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $62.50/mo | $6/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 11 | 10 |
| Spec score · Bookkeeping Software | 8.8 (#17) | 9.3 (#4) |
| Bank feeds | Yes | Pro supports read-only bank and credit-card connections with automatic transaction import, merging and categorization. |
| Founded | LinkedIn lists Pilot’s founding year as 2016. | 2010 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, and Nashville, Tennessee, United States | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Integrations | Pilot says it connects with more than 10,000 banks, payment processors, payroll systems, and business tools. | Wave Pro lists integrations including Etsy, Driversnote, GoHighLevel, Google Sheets and Make.com. |
| Rating on G2 | 4.7 out of 5 from 143 reviews. | 4.3 out of 5 from 358 reviews |
| Rating on GetApp | 4.9 out of 5 from 29 reviews. | 4.4 out of 5 from 1,731 reviews |
| Rating on Trustpilot | 2.9 out of 5 from 20 reviews. | 3.2 out of 5 from 555 reviews |
| Paid from | 99 | 19 |
| Support | Pilot says plan support is included and that it aims to respond to inquiries within one business day. | The Help Center and automated support chatbot Mave are available 24/7 to all customers; eligible customers can contact support by email or live chat Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern. |
| What it does | Pilot combines bookkeeping software and finance professionals to provide bookkeeping, tax, and advisory services for startups and small businesses. | Wave provides cloud accounting, invoicing, payments, payroll and bookkeeping tools for small businesses, freelancers and contractors. |
Plans
Pilot
- Essentials$99 a month
- CoreFree
- CustomPrice not published
- Essentials (bookkeeping)$99 a month
- Starter (tax)$750 a year
- Basic (CFO)$1,750 a month
- Essentials (tax)$2,450 a year
- Essentials (CFO)$3,150 a month
- Standard (tax)$5,400 a year
- Core (bookkeeping)Priced on request
Wave
- StarterFree
- Pro$19 a month
- StarterFree
- Receipts$8 a month
- Pro$19 a month
- Pro Plan$19 a month
- Receipts$72 a year
- Wave Advisors$149 a month
- Pro$190 a year
- Pro Plan$190 a year
In their own words
Pilot
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.
Wave
Wave's invoicing software helps businesses create and send invoices, receive payments, and manage customer information. Invoice templates can be customized with a logo and brand colors using drag-and-drop editing. It supports recurring invoices and automatic credit card payments for repeat customers. Customers can pay by credit card, bank payment (ACH/EFT), or Apple Pay, and invoice and payment information connects to Wave's accounting feature. The free Starter plan costs nothing and includes unlimited estimates, invoices, bills, and bookkeeping records; online payments have transaction fees. Pro costs $19 a month and adds automatic bank transaction import, transaction merging and categorization, receipt capture, expense tracking, and late-payment reminders. Wave lists integrations including Amazon, eBay, Capsule, and Etsy, with workflows through Make. Connecting or maintaining Partner integrations and Make requires Pro or a Wave Advisors bookkeeping subscription; third-party API connections also require an active Pro or Wave Advisors package. Wave says it is not HIPAA-compliant and does not support healthcare-related businesses.