Publisher disclosure: Median publishes this comparison and is one of the two companies in it. Pilot's figures below were read from pilot.com/pricing on October 4, 2026. Prices and plan terms change, so confirm them with each provider before you buy.
Median and Pilot both keep books for startups, and both publish prices. They set those prices on different measures, and they report on different schedules. This page puts what each company publishes next to the other. If Pilot is only one name on your list, the best startup bookkeeping services comparison covers the rest of the field.
How Do Median and Pilot Compare on Pricing?
Median prices on annual revenue. Pilot prices on monthly expenses. That one difference decides which service costs less for a given company.
| Published term | Median | Pilot |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Essential, $200 monthly | Essentials, $99 monthly |
| Entry plan limits | Under $250,000 in annual revenue and up to seven financial accounts | Up to $100,000 in monthly expenses, cash basis only |
| Next plan | Growth, $500 monthly, from $250,000 to $1M in annual revenue, or below $250,000 with eight or more financial accounts | Core, with a starting price that rises with monthly expenses, shown with annual billing |
| Accounting basis | Cash or accrual on both plans | Cash on Essentials; cash or accrual on Core |
| Who does the books | AI categorization with a dedicated accountant on every plan | AI on Essentials; a US-based bookkeeper on Core |
| Above the published plans | Over $1M in annual revenue, scoped on a call | Custom plan, contact sales |
Pilot's Core card has a slider for monthly expenses. On October 4, 2026 it showed these starting prices, each with annual billing:
| Monthly expenses on the slider | Pilot Core starting price |
|---|---|
| $9,000 | $299 monthly |
| $18,000 | $499 monthly |
| $30,000 | $559 monthly |
| $60,000 | $679 monthly |
| $100,000 | $799 monthly |
| $150,000 | $999 monthly |
| $200,000 and above | Custom plan |
These are starting prices, so treat them as the floor of a quote. We couldn't confirm a month-to-month price for Core from the page.
Median's two flat plans have no per-transaction charge, and reports and every seat are included. Above $1M in annual revenue the price is scoped using $55 per active financial account per month plus $0.60 per posted ledger line as the basis.
So which costs less? If cash-basis books are enough and your expenses stay under $100,000 monthly, Pilot's Essentials is the lower price, by $101 each month against Median's Essential. If you need accrual books or a person reviewing them, the comparison is Pilot's Core against Median's flat plans. A company with $400,000 in annual revenue and $60,000 in monthly expenses would see a Core starting price of $679 and a Median price of $500. A company with $150,000 in annual revenue, $9,000 in monthly expenses and four accounts would see $299 and $200. Run your own two numbers through both pages before you take a call.
What Does Each Service Include?
Posting and reporting cadence. Median categorizes and posts your activity every business day, with a monthly close, so the ledger is current through yesterday between closes. Pilot's page says Essentials closes books monthly, Core delivers reports on the 10th business day, and Custom delivers them on the 6th. If you make spending decisions between month-ends, that gap is the thing to weigh.
The entry plans are different products. Pilot's Essentials is cash basis with a standard chart of accounts, a year-end package for your tax preparer, AI answers about your transactions, and support through in-app messaging. Median's Essential includes cash or accrual books, a dedicated accountant, and the same reports as Growth. Nothing is feature-gated between Median's two plans.
Bills and back office. Pilot's Core includes bill management for up to 10 vendor bills monthly and a custom chart of accounts. Its Custom plan adds full accounts receivable and payable, payroll administration and CFO advisory. Pilot also sells CFO services separately, starting at $1,750 monthly with annual billing. Median scopes CFO advisory separately and doesn't publish a price for it.
Metrics. Median's platform reports MRR, ARR, churn and gross margin alongside the financial statements. We haven't tested Pilot's reporting, so ask for a sample report pack from both.
Connections. Median connects directly to Stripe, Mercury, Ramp, Brex, Gusto and Deel, with other banks through Plaid. Pilot says Core pulls from your bank, credit cards, payroll, AP, inventory and payment platforms. Send each provider your actual list of accounts and tools and ask which ones need manual work.
Which Service Fits an Early-Stage Startup?
Start with the two numbers each company prices on. A pre-revenue company with a handful of accounts is on Median's Essential at $200 monthly, and that price holds until annual revenue passes $250,000 or the company connects an eighth financial account. The same company on Pilot is on Essentials at $99 monthly while it can live with cash-basis books and its expenses stay under $100,000 monthly.
The boundary to watch is different for each. Hiring raises monthly expenses whether or not revenue has moved, so a company that has just closed a round can cross Pilot's expense line while it's still inside Median's first revenue band. A capital-light company with fast-growing revenue can hit Median's $250,000 line while its expenses are still small.
Accrual is the other trigger. If an investor or lender asks for accrual statements, on Pilot that means Core. Pilot's page offers pre-revenue startups a discount on Core, so ask for it in writing.
Pilot also has real advantages. Its page describes it as the largest startup and small business accounting firm in the US, and it sells bookkeeping, tax, CFO and back-office operations from one vendor. Median serves US companies, focuses on software and professional services, and publishes prices only up to $1M in annual revenue. Our Pilot review goes through its plans and add-ons in more detail.
What About Tax Filing and R&D Credits?
Both companies sell tax filing and R&D credit work as add-ons, and for some companies these lines are larger than the bookkeeping fee.
| Add-on | Median | Pilot |
|---|---|---|
| Business tax return | From $1,499 a year, covering the federal return and one state return | C-corp returns start at $2,450 a year with annual billing and must be bought with Pilot Bookkeeping. Pilot lists federal and state income tax filing, Delaware franchise tax filing and up to 10 1099-NEC filings as included |
| R&D tax credit | $5,000 flat under a $50,000 estimated credit, and 10% of the credit at $50,000 and above | 20% of your total credit received |
The R&D fee models cross over. On a $60,000 credit, Median's fee is $6,000 and Pilot's is $12,000. On a $30,000 credit, Median's fee is the $5,000 flat amount and Pilot's is $6,000. On a $20,000 credit, Median's fee is still $5,000 and Pilot's is $4,000, so Pilot costs less. Median's band is set by the initial estimated credit, and Pilot's fee is a share of the credit received.
Additional state returns, amended and prior-year returns are quoted separately at Median. Median also files sales tax as an add-on, starting at $99 monthly for each jurisdiction. For what the rest of the market charges, see what startup bookkeeping costs in 2026.
Which Service Should You Choose?
Pilot is the better fit if cash-basis books at the lowest published price are what you need and your expenses are under $100,000 monthly, if you want bookkeeping, tax and CFO services from a single large vendor, or if you want to keep an existing QuickBooks account, which Pilot lists on its Custom plan.
Median is the better fit if you want accrual books and a dedicated accountant at a flat published price while you're under $1M in annual revenue, if you want activity posted every business day, or if your R&D credit is large enough that the fee percentage matters.
If you're between the two, ask both the same question: what date are my books current through today, and what will I pay in month 12 if my expenses and revenue both double? You can see Median's full terms on the pricing page.