Pilot vs Pleo Comparison
Compare Pilot vs Pleo features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
Pilot
6.4/10
Pilot is a US bookkeeping, tax, and CFO service for startups and small businesses. It pairs software with human accountants and charges by monthly expense volume.
Pleo
6.8/10
Pleo is a European spend management platform that gives small and mid-sized businesses company cards, receipt capture, reimbursements and supplier invoice payments.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.4/10 | 6.8/10 |
| Analytics | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Compliance | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Customization | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Integration | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Scalability | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Security | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 5/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | $99/mo Essentials | £8/user/mo Start |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | $99/mo Essentials | £80/mo Start |
| Features | ||
| General Ledger | ||
| Payroll | ||
| Accounts Payable | ||
| Budgeting and Forecasting | ||
| Accountant Access | Not listed | |
| Bank Reconciliation | Not listed | |
| Corporate Cards | Not listed | |
| Expense Management | Not listed | |
| Financial Reporting | Not listed | |
| Invoicing | Not listed | |
| Multi-currency | Not listed | |
| Tax Compliance | Not listed | |
Pilot vs Pleo cost by team size
| Team size | Pilot | Pleo |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | $99/moEssentials | £8/moStart |
| 5 users | $99/moEssentials | £40/moStart |
| 10 users | $99/moEssentials | £80/moStart |
| 25 users | $99/moEssentials | £200/moStart |
| 50 users | $99/moEssentials | £400/moStart |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Pilot
- Higher Support score (7/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for startups (10/10 vs 8/10)
- Includes General Ledger, which Pleo lacks
- Includes Payroll, which Pleo lacks
Why choose Pleo
- Higher Cost score (6/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Ease of Use score (9/10 vs 8/10)
Pros & Cons
Pilot
Pros
- Essentials starts at 99 dollars a month, which is low for managed bookkeeping.
- Bookkeeping, tax filing, fractional CFO, R&D credit, and stock administration are available from one provider.
- Long experience with venture-backed startups, with discounts for pre-revenue companies.
- Capterra users rate it 4.7 out of 5.
Cons
- Essentials is cash-basis only, with in-app support and no assigned human bookkeeper.
- Core reports arrive by the 10th business day, so last month's numbers land mid-month.
- Full AP, AR, and payroll administration require the sales-quoted Custom tier.
- Some reviewers report delayed reports, occasional service lapses, and high cost for very early-stage companies.
- Built around QuickBooks Online and US tax, so it suits non-US businesses less well.
Pleo
Pros
- G2 reviewers praise the card and receipt-capture app as easy for employees to use, and Pleo holds a 4.7 rating across roughly 1,400 G2 reviews.
- Per-user list prices are published, starting at £8 per user per month.
- Native accounting integrations cover Xero, QuickBooks, NetSuite, FreeAgent, Xledger and Twinfield.
- SAML SSO is included even on the entry Start plan.
- The UK entity is authorised by the FCA, and cards are issued under a Mastercard licence.
Cons
- Build and Optimise are billed yearly and require at least three users.
- Transaction charges such as FX fees of up to 2 percent and per-payment fees add to the subscription cost.
- Live chat support is only included on Optimise, and Trustpilot reviewers complain about slow support.
- Some reviewers report weak coverage and support in the US.
- It is not an accounting system and has no general ledger, customer invoicing or payroll.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Pleo scores higher on our Finance Software criteria: 6.8/10 against 6.4/10 for Pilot. The largest gap is in Support: 7/10 for Pilot and 5/10 for Pleo.
No, neither Pilot nor Pleo lists a free plan.
Pilot is the better fit for startups: we rate it 10/10 for them, against 8/10 for Pleo.
Pilot has General Ledger and Payroll, which Pleo lacks.
