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The short answer
This is not a like-for-like software comparison. Pilot describes itself as "a provider of back-office services, including bookkeeping, controller services, and CFO services." On its higher plans you get a US-based bookkeeper who handles and reviews your books, monthly reports on a fixed schedule, and optional tax filing and CFO advisory (source).
ClearBooks is software. You (or a bookkeeper you choose) own the books, and an AI bookkeeping agent does the routine work through permissioned tools. Every change the agent wants to make is shown to you as a Confirm/Cancel card first. The same books are open to your own agents through an MCP server (300+ tools) and a REST API (280+ endpoints).
The real question is how much of finance you want to own.
Feature comparison
| ClearBooks | Pilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Self-serve software with an AI agent you approve | Outsourced service: people plus software |
| Who does the bookkeeping | You, the AI agent, or a bookkeeper you invite | Pilot's team; Core includes a US-based bookkeeper |
| Monthly close | You run period close; locks are enforced in the database | Reports on the 10th business day (Core) or 6th (Custom) |
| Access to the books | Real-time, in the app, over MCP, and over the REST API | Through Pilot's app and your dedicated team |
| AI | AI agent with tool access to your books; writes require confirmation | AI categorization and reconciliation on Essentials; AI answers on transactions and cash flow |
| Corporate tax | Form 1120 and California Form 100 prepared from the ledger for you or your CPA to review and file | C-corp tax filing sold as an add-on to Pilot Bookkeeping |
| CFO and advisory | Reports, forecasts, and budgets you run yourself | CFO plans with scheduled calls, fundraising and board support |
| Cap table | SAFEs, convertible notes, priced rounds, investor data rooms | Stock administration for companies using Carta or Pulley, billed hourly |
| Payroll | In-house engine: federal plus California, Texas, Arizona; no money movement or e-file | Payroll administration on the Custom plan; operations plan includes payroll setup |
| Price | Free Starter plan; Pro $29/month; Business $99/month (pricing) | Bookkeeping Essentials $99/month for up to $100,000 in monthly expenses; C-corp tax from $2,450/year; CFO from $1,750/month, as of October 2026 (source) |
Pilot's Core and Custom bookkeeping plans are quoted through sales. Pilot also notes it "is not a public accounting firm."
Where Pilot is better
- You do not have to do the work. Pilot's people handle, explain, and review your books. If no one on your team wants to touch accounting, a service removes that load in a way software alone cannot.
- Accountable humans for judgment calls. Revenue recognition, accruals, and unusual transactions are reviewed by a bookkeeper rather than left to you and an AI.
- Breadth of services. Pilot sells bookkeeping, tax filing, CFO advisory, R&D tax credit claims, operations setup, and stock administration from one vendor (source).
- Fixed reporting cadence. Monthly reports arrive on a stated business day, which is useful when investors or lenders expect them.
- Payroll and AP execution. Pilot's Custom plan includes payroll administration and full accounts payable and receivable. ClearBooks payroll does not move money or e-file.
Where ClearBooks is better
- You own and see your books in real time. There is no monthly hand-off. Transactions sync through Plaid, the agent categorizes and reconciles, and reports reflect today's numbers.
- An agent you control, not a black box. Reads run directly; every write is proposed with the exact change and waits for your confirmation. Period-close locks are enforced in the database, so they hold for the app, the API, the MCP server, and the agent. See AI bookkeeping.
- Open to your own tools. Connect Claude, Cursor, or a custom agent to the MCP server, or build on the REST API, with scoped keys per integration.
- Startup filings and equity in one ledger. ClearBooks prepares Form 1120 and California Form 100 from your books and fills the official PDFs, tracks SAFEs and convertible notes on the cap table, and hosts investor data rooms. See tax.
- Cost. ClearBooks starts free and the Pro plan is $29/month. A service carries the cost of the people doing the work, which is the point of it but matters at pre-seed.
- Works with any accountant. Invite your own bookkeeper or CPA with the Accountant role instead of committing to one firm.
Using both, and switching
The two are not mutually exclusive. A common path is to start in ClearBooks while the company is small, then bring in a service or fractional CFO once volume or investor reporting demands it. You can give that firm the Accountant role in ClearBooks, or export journal entries in QuickBooks IIF or Xero manual-journal CSV format if they work in another ledger.
Moving from a service to ClearBooks:
- Ask your provider for the closed books through your last month end: chart of accounts, trial balance, and transaction detail.
- Import transactions by CSV and enter opening balances as journal entries.
- Connect bank and card accounts through Plaid and let the agent categorize new activity.
- Reconcile the first month before relying on reports, and keep your CPA for the tax return review.
See the docs for import details.
Who should pick which
Pick Pilot if you want finance off your plate entirely, you need human-reviewed monthly reporting for investors or lenders, you want tax filing and CFO advice from the same vendor, and the service fits your budget.
Pick ClearBooks if you want to own your books in real time, you are comfortable approving the work an AI agent proposes, you want your own AI tools on your ledger through MCP or the API, and you want low-cost software that prepares the 1120 and tracks your SAFEs. Compare plans on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Is ClearBooks a Pilot alternative?
It is an alternative approach. Pilot is an outsourced bookkeeping, tax, and CFO service with people doing the work. ClearBooks is software with an AI bookkeeping agent that you direct and approve. Founders who want to own their books and keep costs low choose ClearBooks; founders who want finance fully handed off choose a service like Pilot.
Does ClearBooks include a human bookkeeper?
No. ClearBooks is software. The AI agent does routine bookkeeping with your confirmation, and you can invite your own bookkeeper or CPA with the Accountant role. If you want a dedicated bookkeeper supplied by the vendor, a service such as Pilot provides that.
Does ClearBooks file my corporate tax return?
ClearBooks prepares Form 1120 and California Form 100 from your ledger and fills the official PDFs, and tracks filing deadlines. It does not e-file; you or your CPA review and file. Pilot sells C-corp tax filing as an add-on to its bookkeeping service.
Can I use ClearBooks and an outsourced bookkeeper together?
Yes. Give the bookkeeper the Accountant role so they can edit transactions and work in the ledger, while you keep real-time access and the AI agent handles routine categorization.
How do the costs compare?
ClearBooks has a free Starter plan, Pro at $29 per month, and Business at $99 per month. As of October 2026, Pilot lists bookkeeping Essentials at $99 per month for up to $100,000 in monthly expenses, C-corp tax from $2,450 per year, and CFO plans from $1,750 per month, with Core and Custom bookkeeping quoted through sales.