Brex vs Pilot (2026): Pricing, Features & Verdict
Brex is our pick, scoring 7.5/10 against 6.4/10 for Pilot on our Finance Software criteria. Its biggest advantage: higher Cost score (8/10 vs 5/10). For 10 users, Brex is free, against $99/mo for Pilot; only Brex has a free plan.
Last updated: November 2026
Brex
7.5/10
Brex is a corporate card, expense management, bill pay and business banking platform for startups, mid-sized companies and global enterprises, and is now owned by Capital One.
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.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 7.5/10 | 6.4/10 |
| Scalability | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Analytics | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Compliance | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Security | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 5/10 |
| Customization | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | $12/user/mo Premium | $99/mo Essentials |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Essentials | $99/mo Essentials |
| Features | ||
| General Ledger | ||
| Accountant Access | ||
| Accounts Payable | ||
| Audit Trail | Not listed | |
| Bank Reconciliation | Not listed | |
| Budgeting and Forecasting | Not listed | |
| Corporate Cards | Not listed | |
| Expense Management | Not listed | |
| Financial Reporting | Not listed | |
| Invoicing | Not listed | |
| Multi-currency | Not listed | |
| Multi-entity Consolidation | Not listed | |
| Payroll | Not listed | |
| Tax Compliance | Not listed | |
Brex vs Pilot cost by team size
Brex costs less at every team size we checked.
| Team size | Brex | Pilot |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeEssentials | $99/moEssentials |
| 5 users | FreeEssentials | $99/moEssentials |
| 10 users | FreeEssentials | $99/moEssentials |
| 25 users | FreeEssentials | $99/moEssentials |
| 50 users | FreeEssentials | $99/moEssentials |
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.
Who Brex and Pilot suit
Brex fits enterprise better; Pilot fits small business better.
| Audience | Brex | Pilot |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise | 7/10Enterprise offers unlimited global entities, local card issuance and a named account manager, and Brex has focused on enterprise customers since 2022. | 3/10The service targets startups and SMBs rather than large organisations. |
| Small Business | 4/10Brex exited the small-business market in 2022, and reviewers report account closures for businesses below revenue thresholds. | 8/10The 99 dollar Essentials plan suits small businesses with up to 100,000 dollars in monthly expenses. |
| Startups | 9/10The free Essentials tier and card underwriting based on cash balance, with no personal guarantee, are aimed at venture-backed startups. | 10/10Pilot's plans are built around venture-backed startups, with pre-revenue discounts and help with investors and boards. |
| SaaS Companies | 8/10Card rewards multipliers on software and ads spend, plus the startup-focused underwriting, fit tech companies. | 8/10It offers accrual accounting, a Stripe integration, and R&D credit services that fit SaaS startups. |
| Finance Teams | 8/10AI expense coding, ERP validation rules and journal export features are built to cut month-end close work. | Not rated |
| Mid-Market | 8/10Premium adds multi-entity support, custom ERP and HRIS integrations, advanced approvals and live budgets for mid-sized companies. | Not rated |
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Brex
- Has a free plan (Pilot does not)
- Lower estimated cost for 10 users: Free vs $99/mo
- Higher Cost score (8/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Scalability score (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for enterprise (7/10 vs 3/10)
Why choose Pilot
- Higher Support score (7/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for small business (8/10 vs 4/10)
- Includes General Ledger, which Brex lacks
Pros & Cons
Brex
Pros
- The Essentials tier is free and includes cards, bill pay, reimbursements, travel booking, API access and accounting integrations.
- Card limits are underwritten on cash balance and revenue rather than a founder's personal guarantee, which helps startups without a credit history.
- Direct ERP syncs cover NetSuite, QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage Intacct, Business Central and newer AI-native ERPs such as Rillet and Campfire, and a two-way Accounting API launched in January 2026.
- Brex holds SOC 1 Type II and SOC 2 Type II attestations, is PCI-DSS compliant and supports SAML or OIDC single sign-on.
- Brex releases updates often. The September 2026 release alone added more than 30 features, including passkeys, p-card policy rules and access to Brex data from ChatGPT, Claude and Slack.
- Pricing is published at 12 USD per user per month for Premium, and G2 reviewers rate the product highly, at about 4.8 out of 5.
Cons
- Brex has a history of abrupt account closures and eligibility changes, and it left the small-business market in 2022.
- Credit limits move with the company's cash balance, which some reviewers find unpredictable.
- Card purchases that need currency conversion carry an FX markup of up to 3 percent, built into the exchange rate.
- It is not a general ledger. Bookkeeping and financial statements still need a separate ERP or accounting system.
- Some support and setup experiences are poor, including a clunky HRIS integration setup reported on Gartner Peer Insights.
- The Capital One acquisition could slow feature shipping during integration, according to industry commentary.
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.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Brex scores higher on our Finance Software criteria: 7.5/10 against 6.4/10 for Pilot. The largest gap is in Cost: 8/10 for Brex and 5/10 for Pilot.
Brex costs less for 10 users: free on its Essentials plan, against about $99/mo on its Essentials plan for Pilot, billed monthly.
Brex has a free plan; Pilot does not list one.
Brex is the better fit for enterprise: we rate it 7/10 for them, against 3/10 for Pilot.
Pilot has General Ledger, which Brex lacks.
