Float cash flow forecasting vs ReportPilot: which do you need?
Float vs ReportPilot for Xero: Float builds a 13-week and monthly cash flow forecast with scenarios; ReportPilot emails how you did each week. Prices compared.
Float details checked on 1 November 2026 from Float's own website
Short answer: Float and ReportPilot answer different questions. Float looks forward: it builds a 13-week rolling cash flow forecast and monthly forecasts (12 months on its Small Business plan, up to 36 on Growth and Scale) from Xero or QuickBooks Online, with 8 what-if scenarios and unlimited users, from GBP 99 (USD 130) a month for companies under GBP 2m revenue. ReportPilot looks back and explains: every Monday it emails the owner how much cash there is and how long it lasts at the recent pace, how sales and profit compare, who owes money and one thing to do, with a 24-month dashboard, from USD 19 a month. Choose Float if you need to plan cash week by week and test decisions. Choose ReportPilot if you want to know each week how the business is doing without opening anything.
This page is about Float, the cash flow forecasting app at floatapp.com, not a till cash float.
ReportPilot vs Float at a glance
| Float | ReportPilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Owners, finance teams, CFOs and advisors who manage cash; separate plans under and over GBP 2m revenue | Business owners on Xero, and the bookkeepers who look after them |
| Starting price | GBP 99 / USD 130 / AUD 189 a month (Small Business, under GBP 2m revenue) | USD 19 a month (Owner, 1 organisation) |
| How it is priced | Per company, monthly or yearly (yearly saves 20%: GBP 79 / USD 105 a month on Small Business); Growth GBP 199 / USD 265 / AUD 379 a month for one entity, Scale GBP 295 / USD 389 / AUD 565 for up to 5; advisor pricing on request | Per account: Owner 1 organisation USD 19, Bookkeeper up to 15 USD 49, Practice up to 50 USD 129, monthly |
| Free trial | 14 days, no card | 14 days, no card |
| Accounting systems | Xero and QuickBooks Online | Xero only |
| Plain-English email of the numbers | Not described on the pages we read: you open Float to see the forecast | Yes, the core of the product: every Monday (or monthly) cash, sales, profit, who owes you, bills due and one thing to do |
| Dashboard | Yes: a live view of the cash position, with weekly, monthly and 13-week views | Yes: 24 months of history, with a read-only link for each email recipient |
| Scheduled report emails | Not stated; forecasts export to CSV and PDF, with a presentation mode | Yes: Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet, aged receivables and payables and more as PDF, Excel or CSV, weekly, monthly or quarterly, with optional approve-before-send |
| Consolidating several companies | Yes on Scale: up to 5 entities in one cash view (extra entities GBP 59 a month) | No |
| Forecasts and budgets | Yes, the core of the product: 13-week rolling forecast, monthly forecasts (12 months on Small Business, up to 36 on Growth and Scale), 8 scenarios | No |
| Custom reports and KPIs | Not its focus: what-if scenarios, budget lines, comments and role-based permissions | No: a fixed set of Xero reports and plain-English insights |
| Under your practice name | Not stated on the pages we read | Bookkeeper and Practice plans: "Prepared by" your practice, replies go to you |
Float column: from the pages listed under Sources, as they read on 1 November 2026. Prices change; check Float's own pricing page before you decide.
Where Float is the better choice
- Forecasting: a 13-week rolling cash flow forecast and monthly forecasts, built from the invoices and bills in Xero. ReportPilot does not forecast.
- Scenarios: switch income and costs on or off and see what a decision does to cash before you make it.
- It shows when each invoice should be paid and each bill falls due, and suggests recurring costs from your transactions.
- Unlimited users with Admin, Editor and Viewer roles and comments, and QuickBooks Online as well as Xero.
Where ReportPilot is the better choice
- It comes to you: a plain-English email every Monday, so nobody has to remember to open a forecast and keep it up to date.
- It explains what already happened: sales and profit against last month, the account line that moved most, who owes money and one thing to do this week.
- Price: USD 19 a month for one organisation against Float Small Business at GBP 99 (USD 130).
- Bookkeepers can send the weekly email to every client under their practice name (up to 15 for USD 49), with scheduled report packs and approve-before-send.
ReportPilot does not consolidate companies, build forecasts or budgets, or let you design custom reports and KPIs. It connects to Xero only.
What it costs
For one company under GBP 2m revenue: Float Small Business is GBP 99 (USD 130) a month, or GBP 79 (USD 105) a month billed yearly; ReportPilot Owner is USD 19 a month. The prices do not buy the same thing: Float's buys a forecast and scenarios, which ReportPilot does not do; ReportPilot's buys a weekly explanation of the numbers, which Float's pages do not describe.
Who each is best for
Float: businesses where cash is tight or lumpy and someone will plan it week by week, and advisors who run cash flow forecasts for clients.
ReportPilot: owners on Xero who want a short weekly read of how the business is doing, and bookkeepers who want every client to get one.
Trying ReportPilot next to Float
You do not have to switch to compare. Xero lets one organisation connect to several apps at once, and ReportPilot only reads from Xero, so it cannot change anything another app relies on.
- Connect Xero with Connect Xero: pick the organisation on Xero's own screen. ReportPilot gets read-only access; no card is needed for the 14-day trial.
- Read the first email. ReportPilot loads 24 months of history, usually within a few minutes, and sends the first insight email. Put it next to the report you get from Float today and ask which one the owner would actually read.
- Set up one report pack (bookkeepers): the Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet and aged receivables as PDF or Excel, monthly, with approve-before-send so nothing reaches a client before you have looked at it.
- Run both for a full month end. Only then decide whether some or all clients move. Keep Float for the work ReportPilot does not do: consolidation, forecasts and custom reports.
Common questions
How much does Float cost?
On 1 November 2026 Float listed a Small Business plan (companies under GBP 2m revenue, one Xero or QuickBooks Online connection) at GBP 99, USD 130 or AUD 189 a month, or 20% less billed yearly. For larger companies, Growth was GBP 199 / USD 265 / AUD 379 a month and Scale GBP 295 / USD 389 / AUD 565 for up to 5 entities. All plans had a 14-day trial with no card. Check floatapp.com for current prices.
Is ReportPilot a replacement for Float?
No. Float forecasts cash forward week by week and lets you test scenarios; ReportPilot does neither. ReportPilot tells you each Monday how the business did and how long cash lasts at the recent pace, which is a projection of the last three months, not a forecast you build.
Can I use Float and ReportPilot together?
Yes. Xero lets an organisation connect to several apps, and ReportPilot only reads from Xero. Float for planning cash ahead and ReportPilot for the weekly email to the owner do different jobs.
Is there a free way to forecast cash from Xero?
Xero's own short-term cash flow looks 7 or 30 days ahead from your invoices and bills, and further on plans with Cash flow manager. For 13 weeks, a spreadsheet built from Aged Receivables and Aged Payables does the job; our 13-week cash flow forecast guide shows how, and the free cash flow forecast template builds 12 months.
Does ReportPilot work with QuickBooks?
No, Xero only. Float connects to Xero and QuickBooks Online.
Sources
- Float pricing (floatapp.com/pricing) (read 1 November 2026)
- Float small business pricing (read 1 November 2026)
- Float home page (read 1 November 2026)
Float is a trademark of its owner and is named here only to compare products. ReportPilot is not affiliated with or endorsed by Float's maker. Xero is a trademark of Xero Limited. Spotted something out of date? Email [email protected] and we will correct it.