Best Pilot alternatives for startups (2026)
By The Puzzle Team · Published October 29, 2026
The best Pilot alternatives for startups in 2026 are Puzzle (AI-native accounting software with optional bookkeeping, tax and R&D services), Kruze Consulting (a CPA firm for VC-backed startups), Zeni and Bench. Choose by price, who does the books, whether tax and R&D credits are included, and whether you want live numbers between closes.
Last updated October 22, 2026. Prices are as published on each provider's site on that date.
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Why do founders look for a Pilot alternative?
Pilot is a well-known choice. Founders usually compare alternatives for one of three reasons.
- How the bill is built. Pilot's tax filing has to be bought with Pilot Bookkeeping, and its R&D credit fee is 20% of the credit you receive. Some founders prefer a flat fee for the study.
- When the numbers arrive. On Pilot Core, monthly reports land on the 10th business day (the 6th on Custom). Founders who check burn weekly want numbers between closes.
- Owning the software. Some teams want their own ledger and dashboards, with a bookkeeper on top, so the books stay with the company if the service changes.
Puzzle: accounting software plus accounting and tax services.
Puzzle is AI-native accounting software for startups, with optional Puzzle accounting services on top. The software keeps a real-time general ledger with insights on cash, burn, runway and margin (Core and up), and revenue recognition on Complete. It runs cash and accrual accounting side by side.
When you want people on your books, add a service. Both need an active Puzzle software plan:
- Expert Reviewed: $99/mo per entity for up to $10K in monthly expenses, platform not included. A monthly close, transaction review and corrections, bank and card reconciliation checks, and up to three bookkeeping questions a month.
- Full Service: from $499/mo per entity, priced by monthly expenses, platform not included. A full monthly close, categorization and reconciliations, accruals and prepaids, financial statements, a named bookkeeper and unlimited bookkeeping questions by email, and a month-end summary.
- Tax filing: from $1,250/yr depending on entity type, plus $250 per state.
- R&D study: 1.5% of qualified research expenses. A company spending $500,000 on R&D pays $7,500. A vetted partner accounting firm prepares the study, and your accountant files the claim.
- Catch-up bookkeeping: from $300 per month of books. Eleven months behind is $3,300.
The services work is done by Puzzle accountants or a vetted firm from Puzzle's partner network. See Puzzle accounting services and Puzzle for startups.
Pilot
Pilot sells bookkeeping, tax and CFO services with its own platform, and describes its model as "50/50 people and software" with US-based bookkeepers. Essentials is $99/mo for cash-basis bookkeeping from bank and card data, with a year-end package for your tax preparer. Core starts at $299/mo billed annually (as of Oct 2026; check Pilot's site) and adds a US-based bookkeeper, cash or accrual books, bill management for up to 10 bills a month and reports on the 10th business day. Custom adds full AR/AP, payroll admin and CFO advisory, and can keep your existing QuickBooks account. C-Corp tax starts at $2,450+/yr. CFO services start at $1,750/mo, billed annually.
Good fit if you want one provider to run bookkeeping and tax for you and you're happy on Pilot's platform.
Kruze Consulting
Kruze is a licensed CPA firm that works with funded Delaware C-Corps that have raised at least $500K in venture capital, from Pre-Seed to Series C. Every tier includes accrual-basis bookkeeping, a dedicated accounting manager and a monthly call. Basic runs $650–$850/mo and Founder Timesaver $850–$1,500/mo, plus a one-time onboarding fee per entity that isn't published. Tax services are priced separately, and R&D credits are quote-based.
Good fit if you've raised a priced round and want a CPA firm to own the books and tax. More in Kruze Consulting alternatives.
Zeni
Zeni prices bookkeeping by complexity, monthly expenses and annual revenue. Its Starter plan starts at $549/mo ($494/mo billed annually) and is described as "Basic AI Bookkeeping For Pre-Revenue Companies + Dedicated Finance Team". Growth starts at $799/mo ($719/mo billed annually) for revenue companies. Check zeni.ai for what each plan includes on tax and R&D.
Good fit if you want a done-for-you service and your budget starts above $500 a month.
Bench
Bench offers monthly bookkeeping by an in-house team on its own technology, from $199/mo for businesses with $250K or less in yearly revenue. Bookkeeping is $399/mo and Bookkeeping + Tax is $649/mo. Bench paused operations in December 2024, was acquired by Employer.com within days, and resumed service in January 2025.
Good fit if you run a small, simple business. Compare options in Bench alternatives.
Pilot vs Puzzle: how do they compare?
Which Pilot alternative fits a seed-stage or Series A startup?
If you have one entity, up to $10K in monthly expenses and no payroll processing, AP/AR or inventory to manage, Puzzle software with Expert Reviewed is the lightest option that still gets you a monthly close.
Once you need accruals, prepaids and revenue recognition, Puzzle Full Service on the Complete plan covers it. If you want a CPA firm to own everything with a monthly call, Kruze is built for funded C-Corps. Read when to hire a bookkeeper and cash vs accrual accounting.
How do I switch from Pilot to Puzzle?
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Pick a cutover date.
Most teams switch at the start of a month, after the last month Pilot closed.
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Get your reports.
Ask for your Chart of Accounts, Balance Sheet, Profit & Loss and General Ledger from inception through the last closed month, in Excel or CSV. If your books sit in a QuickBooks Online account you can access, connect it to Puzzle instead. That connection is read-only.
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Add migration.
Puzzle's team migrates your history for $149 one-time per system migrated. Book it on a call. The $149 migration fee is waived when you add catch-up bookkeeping or Full Service. A self-guided migration option is also available.
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Review the account mapping.
Puzzle proposes a mapping from your old chart of accounts to Puzzle's. You or your accountant approve it.
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Review your migrated books.
History comes over as monthly summary journal entries that match QuickBooks month by month. Simple migrations usually take about 3–5 business days. Most conversions take around 5–7 business days, and longer if the data is complex.
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Connect your accounts and close.
Connect banks, cards and tools on integrations, choose Expert Reviewed or Full Service if you want help, and close your first month in Puzzle.
Individual transactions, invoices (AR), bills (AP) and vendor information are not migrated. Check your Pilot agreement for notice terms before you cancel. Moving from QuickBooks too? See migrate from QuickBooks to Puzzle.
Pilot alternatives: FAQ
What are the best alternatives to Pilot for startup bookkeeping?
The main Pilot alternatives in 2026 are Puzzle, Kruze Consulting, Zeni and Bench. Puzzle gives you AI-native accounting software with optional bookkeeping, tax and R&D services. Kruze is a CPA firm for funded Delaware C-Corps. Zeni and Bench are done-for-you bookkeeping services. Compare price, who does the books and whether tax is included.
How much does Pilot cost compared with Puzzle?
As published on Oct 22, 2026, Pilot Essentials is $99/mo and Core starts at $299/mo billed annually. Check Pilot's site, because prices change. Puzzle's Expert Reviewed service is $99/mo per entity and Full Service starts at $499/mo per entity, plus a Puzzle software plan from $30/mo (Starter, billed monthly) or $25/mo billed annually.
Is there a Pilot alternative that includes software and bookkeepers in one?
Yes. Puzzle is accounting software with Puzzle accounting services on top. You keep your own real-time ledger and dashboards, and add Expert Reviewed for a reviewed monthly close or Full Service for a full close with accruals and financial statements. Services need an active Puzzle software plan.
Who actually does the books with Puzzle?
On Expert Reviewed and Full Service, the monthly work is done by Puzzle accountants or a vetted firm from Puzzle's partner network. Puzzle's AI handles categorization and reconciliation in the software, and people review and close the books.
Can a Pilot alternative also file my taxes and claim the R&D credit?
Yes. Puzzle tax filing starts at $1,250/yr depending on entity type, plus $250 per state. The R&D study costs 1.5% of qualified research expenses. A vetted partner accounting firm prepares it, and your accountant files the claim. Pilot charges 20% of the credit received, and its tax filing must be bought with Pilot Bookkeeping.
Do I get accrual-basis, investor-ready financials?
With Puzzle, yes. Puzzle runs cash and accrual accounting side by side, the Complete plan includes revenue recognition, and Full Service includes accruals, prepaids and financial statements. Pilot offers accrual books on Core, and Kruze includes accrual bookkeeping on every tier.
How do I switch from Pilot to Puzzle, and what history comes over?
Pick a cutover date, export your Chart of Accounts, Balance Sheet, P&L and General Ledger, and add Puzzle migration ($149 one-time per system migrated). The $149 migration fee is waived when you add catch-up bookkeeping or Full Service. Puzzle maps your accounts and brings history in as monthly summary journal entries that match QuickBooks month by month. Individual transactions, invoices, bills and vendor details are not migrated.
Are books closed monthly or kept in real time?
Both, with Puzzle. The ledger updates between closes, so you can check cash, burn and runway any day, and Expert Reviewed or Full Service adds a monthly close. Pilot Core delivers monthly reports on the 10th business day.
Which Pilot alternative is best for a seed-stage vs Series A startup?
At seed, with one entity and up to $10K in monthly expenses, Puzzle software plus Expert Reviewed is the lightest option. Heading to Series A, Puzzle Full Service on Complete adds accruals and revenue recognition. If you want a CPA firm, Kruze focuses on funded C-Corps that raised $500K or more.
What are the best Pilot alternatives for startups?
Here is how the main options compare on what founders ask about most: price, who does the work, tax and R&D credits, and the software you end up using.
Prices change. Check each provider's pricing page before you decide. See Puzzle pricing for the current plans.
Ready to make the switch?
