Puzzle vs Pilot.com
Puzzle and Pilot.com side by side: what each one is, what it costs to start, and whether you can try it free. Everything below comes from the vendors' own sites and other public sources, not from hands-on testing.
Neither tool is ranked above the other here. These are research-based profiles, not hands-on tests. Starting price is the lowest listed paid plan per month (annual-billing equivalent where the vendor lists one), as shown on the vendor's own site when we last checked. Prices change, so confirm on the vendor's site. How this site works.
At a glance
| Puzzle | Pilot.com | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Finance & Accounting AI | Finance & Accounting AI |
| Starting price | $30/mo (checked October 2026) | $99/mo (checked October 2026) |
| Free tier | Not listed | Not listed |
| Profile | Read profile | Read profile |
Prices are in US dollars unless shown otherwise. Confirm the current price on the vendor's site before you buy.
Key differences
Neither lists a free tier, so expect to pay to use either one.
Puzzle has the lower starting price ($30/mo against $99/mo for Pilot.com). The cheapest plan rarely has the same limits or features, so compare plans before choosing on price.
Both are in our Finance & Accounting AI category.
About each tool
P
Puzzle
Accounting software with AI transaction categorization and optional bookkeeping services. Starter is $30 a month (monthly equivalent, billed annually).
Strengths
- Puzzle lists cash and accrual books, unlimited connections, a one-click tax report and CPA-approved chart of accounts templates on its $30 Starter plan.
- Puzzle says the AI Suite (Chat, Cowork, Close) is included in every software plan, and that Cowork changes nothing in the books until you review and approve it.
- Puzzle lists direct integrations with Stripe, Mercury, Brex, Ramp, Gusto, Rippling, Deel and Bill.com, and bank and card connections through Plaid (12,000+ per its home page).
Limitations
- Seats and AI credits are tiered: Starter lists 1 seat and 25 lifetime credits, Core 5 seats and 25 lifetime credits, Complete unlimited seats and 100 credits a month, Scale unlimited seats and 300 credits a month. No page read explains how credits are metered. Features such as AI accuracy review, AI reconciliations, revenue recognition and priority support are listed from Complete up; subledgers, backup and restore and dedicated onboarding are listed on Scale.
- Services cannot be bought alone and add-ons require an active subscription. Expert Reviewed is limited to up to $10K in monthly expenses, one entity, one accounting basis, and no payroll, accounts payable/receivable or inventory. Full Service prices are not shown on the page text read.
- The vendor's pages disagree on free access: the home page lists a 14-day free trial, the pricing page has a footnote 'Starter is free for 2 months' not tied to a specific element, no free plan is listed, and a blog post describes Puzzle as free at the formation stage for US entities (its date is unclear).
- The money-back guarantee has conflicting timing: the pricing page says a 50% close-time reduction within 60 days, while its refund section refers to the second month close, with requests within 30 days and up to 90 days from start. Onboarding in 7 days, live API connections and a single entity are required.
- The privacy policy read (effective Dec 19, 2025) is website-scoped and does not mention AI or model training, and no read page states whether customer data is used for AI training. The terms say website users must reside in the United States or its territories.
P
Pilot.com
US bookkeeping, tax and CFO service using an AI accountant with human support. Essentials bookkeeping is $99 a month, billed monthly per the pricing page.
Who it is for
Pilot says it serves US entities, including startups and small businesses, wherever the owners are based. It does not support foreign entities, and it says it is not a public accounting firm.
Strengths
- Pilot lists Essentials bookkeeping at $99 a month for up to $100,000 in monthly expenses, with cash-basis books, a standard chart of accounts, a year-end package for your tax preparer, AI answers and in-app messaging support.
- Pilot lists Core with a US-based bookkeeper, cash or accrual basis, a custom chart of accounts, reports on the 10th business day, and in-app, email and phone support.
- Pilot says its AI Accountant covers categorization, reconciliation, vendor identification and financial statements through monthly close, syncs as activity happens, and flags unusual items such as duplicate charges for review.
- Pilot lists integrations with bank and other financial accounts, Stripe and Gusto, and its FAQ names Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce and Salesforce Commerce Cloud for ecommerce; its FAQ also says Xero migration to QuickBooks is supported.
- Pilot's terms say Customer Data is treated as your Confidential Information, and that on bookkeeping termination Pilot transfers the QuickBooks Online primary administrator status to you.
Limitations
- Pilot's pages disagree on billing: the pricing page and the Essentials landing page list Essentials as $99 a month, monthly, with no commitment and cancel anytime, while the FAQ says plans are annual subscriptions priced on monthly expenses, connected institutions, bills and invoices, recalculated monthly from the prior three months' averages.
- The FAQ says prepaying does not lock in a price and any usage above the prepaid amount is billed as a difference that month; it also lists a one-time onboarding charge equal to one month of bookkeeping, but the pricing page lists no setup fee for bookkeeping, tax or CFO. These pages differ.
- Tax plans must be bought with Bookkeeping, and the FAQ says Pilot does not offer sales tax services or file personal income taxes; Core covers four connected financial institutions, and the FAQ says AP and AR are not included by default.
- Pilot's terms say payments are generally non-refundable, prepaid fees are not refunded if you stop using the services without cause, and non-renewal notice is due 7 days before a monthly or quarterly term ends or 30 days before an annual term ends. The terms let Pilot use Customer Data to improve its platform, including AI-based tools, and do not say explicitly whether data is used to train AI models.
