Digits vs Pilot: AI software you run yourself or a bookkeeper you hire?

Digits is software you run yourself: $65 (Essentials) or $100 (Core) a month per company, with a 30-day trial. Pilot Essentials is AI bookkeeping at $99 a month for up to $100,000 of monthly expenses, and Pilot Core adds a US-based bookkeeper at a price Pilot does not publish. Choose Digits to see and change your own books; choose Pilot if you want a person plus tax and CFO work from one firm.

Updated September 30, 2026 · 5 min read · By the Accountable team

The short version

Digits charges per business: Essentials $65, Core $100 and Pro $250 (marked coming soon), so three companies cost $195 to $300 a month.
Pilot Essentials costs $99 a month up to $100,000 of monthly expenses, and Pilot's pricing is set by your expenses, not by the company count.
Pilot files taxes (from $1,000 a year for a single-member LLC to $2,450 for a C corporation) and sells CFO plans from $1,750 a month; Digits sends tax work to partner accounting firms.
Digits includes bill pay, invoicing and iPhone and iPad apps on every plan, and states a SOC 2 Type II report.
Digits' MCP server is read-only, so an AI agent can read your ledger but not change it.

Digits sells software; Pilot sells bookkeeping, tax and CFO service

The two companies answer a different question. Digits asks whether you want a better tool for your own books. Pilot asks whether you want someone else to keep them.

Digits vs Pilot, from each vendor's own pricing and product pages, September 30, 2026
	Digits	Pilot
Price for 1 company	$65 Essentials, $100 Core, $250 Pro (coming soon)	$99 Essentials for up to $100,000 of monthly expenses; Core and Custom are sold through Pilot
Price for 3 companies	$195 on Essentials or $300 on Core (each business needs its own subscription)	No published price for several companies
What sets the price	The plan and the number of businesses	Your monthly expenses
Who does the bookkeeping	You or your accounting firm, with 24/7 AI bookkeeping and reconciliation	Essentials: Pilot's AI Accountant. Core: a US-based bookkeeper who handles, explains and reviews your books
Bill pay and invoicing	Included on every plan, with iPhone and iPad apps	Pilot's COO plans handle bill payment, from $850 a month
Tax returns	Through partner accounting firms in Digits' directory	From $1,000 a year (single-member LLC), $2,000 (partnership or S corporation), $2,450 (C corporation), bought with bookkeeping
CFO help	Through partner firms	$1,750, $3,150 or $5,250 a month, billed annually
AI agent access	MCP server, read-only, 11 tools	A 24/7 AI chat-based advisor; no MCP server on its pricing page
Trial	30-day free trial	A free trial from Pilot's home page

Digits' MCP is read-only according to its help center, and it can list every business your login reaches. Pilot's pricing page shows quotes and plan names rather than fixed prices for its bookkeeper tiers.

Pilot's price follows your expenses, Digits' price follows your company count

The same company can look cheap at one vendor and dear at the other, depending on spend and structure.

Three scenarios, list prices

One company spending $40,000 a month: Digits Core $100, Pilot Essentials $99. The prices are the same; the difference is that Digits is software you work in and Pilot's Essentials is also AI, with no dedicated bookkeeper.

One company spending $120,000 a month: Digits Core is still $100. Pilot Essentials stops at $100,000 of monthly expenses, so you move to Core or Custom, which Pilot quotes.

Three companies each spending $30,000 a month: Digits Core is $300 a month ($3,600 a year). Pilot publishes no multi-company price, so ask for a quote.

A C corporation that also wants its return filed: Pilot's tax plan starts at $2,450 a year, about $204 a month, on top of bookkeeping.

Digits is better when you want to see and change your own books

You can open the ledger, change a category yourself and export the CSV. Digits' ledger export includes Download CSV, Export CSV to Vault and Download Financial Package.
Bill pay, invoicing and iPhone and iPad apps are in every plan, so you do not add a separate tool.
Digits states a SOC 2 Type II report on its security page. If a bank or a customer asks for one, Digits can answer today.
Its price does not jump when your spend crosses a line. Core is $100 at $10,000 or $500,000 of monthly expenses.
Cost of the trade: when something is wrong, you or your firm fix it. Digits does not list a bookkeeper on its plans.

Pilot is better when you want a person accountable and taxes filed

Core gives you a named US-based bookkeeper, which is the point of Pilot for founders who do not want to touch the books.
Tax returns and CFO plans are in the same firm. The return is filed by the firm that kept the books.
Pilot's COO plans start at $850 a month for bill payment and banking support, for founders who want one firm for back office work.
Cost of the trade: a price that follows your expenses, bookkeeper plans quoted through sales, and no published price for several companies.

If Pilot keeps your books in QuickBooks Online, Pilot's terms say it will transfer primary administrator status to you when the bookkeeping subscription ends, so you can keep the file or export it. See how to move your books from Pilot.

Decide in four steps

Step 1: Write down your monthly expenses and company count. Over $100,000 a month, Pilot Essentials is out of range.
Step 2: Decide whether you will answer the AI's questions yourself. If yes, price Digits. If no, price Pilot Core.
Step 3: List what else you need from one vendor: tax filing points to Pilot, bill pay and invoicing point to Digits.
Step 4: Ask both for the exit steps: Digits publishes how to export the ledger, financial package and chart of accounts; Pilot hands over QuickBooks admin on request.

A third option is software that does the bookkeeping and lets you or your agent fix it with approval. Accountable Pro is $149 a month for 2 companies and $198 for 3. See the Digits and Pilot alternatives.

Questions founders ask

Is Digits cheaper than Pilot?

For one company the two are close: Digits Core is $100 and Pilot Essentials is $99 a month. Digits Essentials is $65. Pilot's bookkeeper plans cost more and are quoted to you.

Does Pilot use AI or people?

Both. Pilot Essentials is its AI Accountant with no dedicated bookkeeper, and Core adds a US-based bookkeeper who reviews your books.

Can Digits file my taxes?

No. Digits routes tax filing to partner accounting firms in its directory. Pilot files returns itself, from $1,000 a year for a single-member LLC.

Can I use Claude or ChatGPT with Digits?

Yes, to read. Digits' MCP server is read-only with 11 tools, so an agent can query the ledger and run statements but cannot change anything.

How do I leave Digits or Pilot?

From Digits, download the ledger CSV, the financial package and the chart of accounts before the billing period ends. From Pilot, ask for primary admin of your QuickBooks Online file and export the general ledger.

Software that does the books, with a person replying on Pro

Accountable categorizes every transaction with its reason, closes each month by the 1st, and lets you or your AI agent fix anything with approval and undo. Moving from Digits is free; see the Digits migration.

Move my books from Digits

Sources, checked September 30, 2026: