Pilot has earned recognition as a leading outsourced bookkeeping and CFO service for startups. But as finance teams evolve, many CFOs and fractional CFOs discover their limits: high costs, less flexibility, and slow custom reporting. In 2025, more finance leaders are turning to Knolli, an AI CFO co-pilot built for speed, control, and affordability.
Pilot positions itself as a complete finance back office. It blends bookkeeping software with human accountants and CFO advisors. Founders get monthly reconciliations, tax support, and even access to financial modeling help. For early-stage startups without finance teams, Pilot is attractive: a done-for-you finance department.
Key offerings include:
But while convenient, Pilot pricing starts at $599/month and scales with expense volume and CFO add-ons. That makes it costly and less agile for growing startups.
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Many CFOs and fractional CFOs outgrow Pilot once they need deeper analysis and faster decision-making:
In fast-moving startup environments, those limits slow down strategy. That’s why many finance leaders search for a smarter, software-first alternative.
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Knolli is an AI-powered CFO co-pilot. Instead of outsourcing, it empowers your team with automation and planning tools cutting 8-hour workflows into 20 minutes. Knolli doesn’t do bookkeeping; it assumes you already have data from QuickBooks or Xero. What it does is transform raw numbers into forecasts, KPIs, board decks, and investor updates at software speed.
See More: Fractional CFO Software: Meet Knolli’s AI Finance Co-Pilot Studio
Pilot: founders with no finance staff who just want outsourced bookkeeping and tax compliance. Best for simple, single-entity U.S. startups willing to pay for convenience.
Knolli: fractional CFOs, finance leads, and founders who want control, scenario planning, KPI automation, and affordability. Ideal for those managing multiple entities or requiring investor-ready reports promptly.
A fractional CFO managing six startups would pay over $3,500/month with Pilot. With Knolli, the same CFO pays $39 total and generates board decks and investor emails in 20 minutes. That’s the difference between service dependency and software speed.
Pilot.com offers convenience, but at the cost of speed, flexibility, and budget. Knolli flips the model: empowering finance teams to plan, forecast, and report in-house. With scenario planning, KPI automation, Google integrations, and a $39 pricing model, Knolli is the best Pilot.com alternative in 2025.
Stop wrestling with spreadsheets. Knolli is ranked the #1 AI cash flow forecasting agent of 2025 — giving you rolling forecasts, KPI tracking, variance analysis, and board-ready decks in minutes.
Is Knolli cheaper than Pilot?
Yes. Knolli is $39/month vs Pilot’s $599+/month.
Does Knolli replace bookkeeping?
No. It assumes you already have accounting data. Knolli focuses on CFO-level automation and reporting.
Who should use Knolli instead of Pilot?
Fractional CFOs, finance leads, and founders needing scenario planning, KPI tracking, and faster reporting.
Why switch from Pilot to Knolli?
If you’re outgrowing Pilot’s outsourced model, need multi-entity support, or want affordability and speed, Knolli is the better choice.
