Finaloop vs. Pilot
Which accounting service is best for your direct-to-consumer (DTC), ecommerce, or multichannel business?
Trusted by thousands of consumer brands
Finaloop and Pilot both offer full-service bookkeeping and accounting, but that’s where the similarities stop.
Finaloop vs. Pilot, a quick breakdown
Finaloop is purpose-built for DTC, ecommerce, retail, wholesale, and multichannel brands, with expert accountants, real-time financials, and inventory and COGS tracking that syncs directly from your sources of truth. Pilot serves small businesses across industries with more generalized financial support.
When carrying out a Finaloop vs. Pilot bookkeeping review, it is crucial to note that Finaloop delivers an accounting solution of software plus services, engineered specifically for DTC, ecommerce, wholesale, and multichannel brands featuring seamless integrations, continuous platform updates, and robust inventory and COGS management. Pilot, meanwhile, provides generalized accounting services across various sectors through QuickBooks and third-party app connectors.
Finaloop’s technology is built for ecommerce and uses a combination of advanced automation technology with ecommerce expert accountants to provide real-time financial visibility that helps founders make smarter decisions for their business. Contrast this with Pilot's more generalized accounting across sectors and heavier reliance on third party integrations and accounting software, like Quickbooks which prevents them from providing real-time, updated, and ecommerce-focused financials. In addition, where Pilot follows pricing structures based on expenses, Finaloop offers growth-aligned pricing, making it more affordable for your brand no matter your size.
Core differences
Industry-Exclusive Focus
Finaloop delivers accounting built specifically for ecommerce and multichannel brands, while Pilot spreads its attention across multiple industries with generalized solutions.
Purpose-Built Technology
Finaloop's proprietary platform was engineered from the ground up for online retail and multichannel, with the app integrations seamlessly syncing into the overall accounting software. Pilot, on the other hand, uses third-party integrations which are not native to Quickbooks, often creating syncing and reconciliation issues.
Superior Inventory Management
Finaloop is designed for ecommerce and retail brands’ unique challenges, with real-time visibility into inventory and COGS, rather than settling for Pilot's manual monthly updates.
Growth-Aligned Pricing
Finaloop's flexible pricing scales naturally with your ecommerce business, creating a true partnership in your success—unlike Pilot's rigid tiered pricing structure based on expenses and service levels.
Real-Time Financials
Finaloop’s financials are updated in real-time and synced with your sources of truth giving you 24/7 financial visibility; Pilot provides monthly financials not earlier than 10 days after the month is over.
Why leading brands choose Finaloop
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Full Service Accounting and Bookkeeping |  | |
| Integration with External Tools | | |
| Exclusively built for DTC | Industry focus — built for ecom |  Serves multiple industries including startups and service companies |
| Native integrations | The tech-stack purpose built and native | Relies on QuickBooks Online with external tools for ecommerce sync |
| Real-time Inventory tracking | Real time COGS tracking with deep platform integrations | Inventory updates in financial statements every month based on data provided by customer or IMS |
| Real-time data syncing | Data sync frequency real time | Earliest books prepared by 10th business day (Core plan only) |
| Ecommerce expertise | Accountants have DTC and multichannel expertise | Team of generalist accountants; lacks ecommerce-specific depth |
Pricing
Alternatively, if you are looking for white-glove, fully-managed service, you can try the Premium service which includes the full Core bookkeeping services plus customized financial operations, data-entry, and controllership for $955 per month.
Finaloop is the only accounting solution tailored for ecommerce.
Accurate ecommerce books, done for you.
Slash your bookkeeping costs by 60% and get better and faster financials
What you get with Finaloop
available 24/7
team, 7 days a week
accounting in one dashboard
COGS tracking
deductions left behind
FAQs
It's time to hire an accountant when you’re managing multiple sales channels, selling in various tax jurisdictions, or struggling with accounting software. An experienced accountant can streamline your bookkeeping, ensure tax compliance, and help with financial reporting to make better business decisions, especially as your eCommerce business grows.
The best eCommerce accounting services offer integrated inventory management, multi-channel sales integration, real-time financial reporting, and a user-friendly interface. These features help eCommerce businesses manage their financial data across various platforms, track profitability, and make data-driven decisions to fuel growth.
Real-time financial reporting offers instant insights into your ecommerce business's performance. By continuously updating your financial data, it helps you make informed decisions, manage cash flow effectively, and adjust strategies based on up-to-date metrics like revenue, profit margins, and inventory turnover.
Finaloop connects directly to your sales channels, banks, and payment gateways, delivers 24/7 accurate books, and shows real-time margins by SKU—freeing you from manual spreadsheets so you can focus on scaling your brand.
Finaloop Pros:
- Industry-Specific Focus: Tailored for ecommerce, DTC, and multichannel brands.
- Native Integrations: Seamless connections with platforms like Shopify and Amazon for real-time inventory and COGS tracking.
- Real-Time Financials: Continuous syncing with financial systems to provide up-to-date insights.
- Growth-Aligned Pricing: Flexible pricing model that scales with your business, ensuring cost-effectiveness as you grow.
Finaloop Cons:
- Not Ecommerce/wholesale/DTC brands: Finaloop's software + services is designed for ecommerce/multichannel/omnichannel, and if you are a different type of brand (SAAS for example), it might not be the greatest fit.
Pilot Pros:
- Generalized Services: Ideal for small businesses across various industries.
- Third-Party Integrations: Works with QuickBooks Online and other tools for basic accounting needs.
- Affordable for Smaller Businesses: Pricing is more predictable based on expenses, which can be a benefit for businesses with lower overhead.
Pilot Cons:
- Limited ecommerce Expertise: Lacks in-depth knowledge of ecommerce-specific needs like real-time inventory and COGS management.
Relies on Third-Party Tools: Potential syncing and reconciliation issues due to reliance on external integrations like QuickBooks.
Finaloop Pros:
- Scalable Pricing: Growth-aligned pricing adjusts as your business grows, making it more affordable in the long run.
- Real-Time Updates: Provides up-to-date financials, helping you make smarter business decisions.
Finaloop Cons:
- Not for non- Ecommerce/wholesale/DTC brands: Finaloop's software + services is designed for ecommerce/multichannel/omnichannel, and if you are a different type of brand (SAAS for example), it might not be the greatest fit.
Pilot Pros:
- Predictable Pricing: Pricing based on expenses, which can be more affordable for smaller businesses with lower overhead.
- Wide Industry Application: Suitable for businesses outside of ecommerce, making it versatile.
Pilot Cons:
- Can Get Expensive as Your Business Grows: As ecommerce businesses expand, Pilot’s tiered pricing can increase significantly.
- Not Specialized for ecommerce: Lacks real-time inventory and COGS tracking, and requires third-party tools for integration, which may lead to inefficiencies.