Pilla vs KNOW (2026): AI that acts inside the work, or a frontline super-app for lists, training and comms
Liam Jones
Founder of Pilla
Date Modified
16 September 2026
I wrote this because I keep getting asked whether Pilla replaces KNOW. I ran restaurants for years. I know the job: you want the floor to do the work without you chasing every check.
KNOW is a frontline super-app from LOCTOC. You log into the KNOW app. Floor teams run checklists and forms on a phone, offline if they need to. They collect photo and signature proof, log issues, take mobile courses and get HQ announcements. You can add scheduling, a GPS time clock and assets if you buy those modules.
I built Pilla so you can turn a process you already know into a workflow on a canvas. Your team runs it on a phone, tablet or the web app. Pilla can fetch, decide and act while the work is happening. You keep the judgement calls.
If you want to try it on a process you already run, open the canvas.
I would pick Pilla when I want AI to act inside the work. I would pick KNOW when I want checklists bundled with training, comms and labour tools.
How did we compare them?
I ask the same twelve questions on every comparison. For Pilla I describe what the product does today. For KNOW I went back to their public product pages, FAQs, client terms, App Store listing and Google Play on 16 September 2026. They do not publish a help centre. Where they stay quiet, I stay quiet.
I am Liam Jones. I founded Pilla after more than ten years running hospitality operations, food safety and frontline teams. On 16 September 2026 I sat with KNOW's public pages: the homepage, operations, digital checklists, forms, tasks, audits, incidents, comms, learning, scheduling, AI insights, restaurant use, FAQs, client terms, the App Store listing and Google Play. They do not publish a help centre. I have not lived in a paid KNOW account for this write-up. I am telling you what their public pages say.
What should you take away?
- I would pick Pilla if I wanted the floor to follow the process without me chasing every check
- I would pick Pilla if I wanted the work checked as it comes in, and followed up when something needs me
- I would keep KNOW if I needed checklists plus training, roster and comms in one app
- I would not switch expecting Pilla to take over training, announcements or the time clock
How do Pilla and KNOW compare at a glance?
| Capability | Pilla | KNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Core job | AI work management for deskless teams | Frontline super-app for checklists, training and comms |
| Design the work | Visual canvas, branching, reusable workflows | Reusable checklists and forms with conditions |
| Provide guidance | Written, photo and video guidance beside each step | Courses, knowledge library and SOPs attached to tasks |
| Run the work | Phone, tablet, or web app | Phone and tablet apps; HQ web dashboard |
| Capture evidence | Photos, video, audio, files, signatures, ratings, numbers, checklists, dates and location | Photos, video, signatures, QR, GPS, numbers, checklists; audio and files on issues |
| Check the work | AI fetching, decisions and actions inside the work | Pass/fail, scores, photo and GPS proof |
| Follow up | Human and AI follow-ups | Corrective actions, reminders and BI recommended actions |
| Talk to the team | DMs and group chats | Team chat, announcements, polls and task threads |
| Connect other software | MCP server, API, integrations | Payroll and Google connectors |
| See what happened | Workflow records and evidence | Checklist records, photos, dashboards, Excel and PDF |
| What you pay for | Unlimited users, usage based on workflows | Quote; modular subscription by usage and features |
| Best for | Operators who want AI to act inside the work | Teams that want checklists plus training, roster and comms |
I built Pilla for AI work management on the floor. KNOW sells a frontline super-app for checklists, training and comms.
Why do people like Pilla?
You open Pilla on the phone you already carry. You see the next step, read how to do it, take the photo or sign, and move on. The record lands while you work. Pilla checks it against the rules you set and follows up when something needs you.
I hear the same thing from managers: they draw the process once and stop asking all day whether it happened. The team likes it because they can see what good looks like before they start.
“Pilla helps me have a day off knowing that procedures will be followed”
Charles, owner of 11 hospitality sites
When does switching from KNOW to Pilla make sense?
- You want Pilla to check the work as it comes in
- You want to draw the process on a canvas and branch it
- You want written, photo and video guidance sitting on the step itself
- You want an MCP server and an API you can call
- You want unlimited people, with usage on workflows
- You are happy to keep courses, announcements, rotas and punches somewhere else
What do you pay for?
| Capability | Pilla | KNOW |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay for | Unlimited users, usage based on workflows | Quote; modular subscription by usage and features |
| Public price | Starter is £49 a month for 500 processed workflows. Pro is £99 a month for 1,000. | No public software price. Sales quote. |
| Trial | 14-day free trial of every Pro feature, with no card | Free trial account, no card. Length not stated. Demo also offered. |
KNOW bills from a sales order. The FAQ says a subscription based on usage, modular by the features you need, and discounts as users or features increase. Client terms add a set-up fee and extra fees if you go past Service Capacity. They do not claim unlimited users. I have left third-party dollar figures off this page.
How long does setup take, and how hard is it?
You can open Pilla the same day. Every new account gets a 14-day trial of Pro, with no card. I usually see a first opening or closing workflow take an afternoon. KNOW advertises a free trial account with no card, and a demo. They do not publish the trial length. Checklists can go live quickly. Training, comms, rostering and the time clock take a real rollout.
If you move, you rebuild the checklists on the canvas. Photos and history stay in KNOW unless you export them by hand. Run both for a while. Keep courses, announcements, rotas and punches on KNOW or another vendor. I did not build Pilla to do shift scheduling, payroll or HR.
Does the answer change by budget or size?
If you only need digital lists and you want to try something today, start with Pilla. If you run restaurants or stores and you need checklists, mobile training, HQ announcements and a GPS time clock from one vendor, stay with KNOW. If money is tight, I publish prices. KNOW quotes you. If you want AI in the run and an MCP server, I would pick Pilla even in a small team.
What is each one used for?
KNOW works well for
- Opening, closing, line checks and SOP checklists
- HACCP temperature logs with out-of-range corrective tasks
- Food-safety, merchandising and walk audits with scores and photos
- Issue tickets with photo close-out
- Mobile onboarding, quizzes and a knowledge library
- HQ announcements, polls, recognition and team messaging
- Shift scheduling, GPS attendance and payroll export
- Asset and equipment tracking
Pilla works well for
- Opening and closing the team can follow on their phone
- Showing someone how to do a step with writing, a photo or a video
- Collecting photos, video, audio, files and signatures as the work happens
- Letting AI fetch, decide and act while the run is live
- Following up yourself, or letting Pilla follow up
- Talking in DMs and group chats next to the work
- Connecting other software through MCP, API and integrations
- Paying for workflows with as many people as you need
What is KNOW designed to do?
KNOW holds opening, closing, HACCP and audit lists in one phone app. You prove the work with photos, signatures, GPS and timestamps. Failed items become corrective actions until someone closes them. The same app can train new hires, blast announcements with read receipts, and, if you buy those modules, roster the floor and punch with GPS or a selfie. I would stay on KNOW for that whole suite.
What is Pilla designed to do?
I built Pilla so you can turn the processes you already know into workflows on a canvas. Your team follows them on a phone, tablet or the web app. Pilla checks completed work and handles the follow-up you configured. You keep judgement, coaching and the awkward calls. I left shift scheduling, payroll and HR out on purpose.
What differences actually matter?
How do they check the work?
On Pilla I put AI fetching, decisions and actions in the run. On KNOW a pass or fail, a score, a required field, a photo or GPS does the checking. KNOW Intelligence then asks questions of captured data and recommends manager actions. I could not find an AI step inside a KNOW checklist.
How do you design the work?
On Pilla you draw a visual canvas with branching and reuse the workflow. On KNOW you build reusable checklists and forms, hide sections with conditions, and run multi-stage approvals. Recurrence is a schedule and reminders. I could not find a visual node canvas.
How do you provide guidance?
On Pilla you sit written, photo and video guidance beside each step. On KNOW you attach SOPs to task lists, and you put courses, videos and policies in Learn and the knowledge library. I could not find a dedicated photo-guidance or video-guidance step.
How does the team talk?
On Pilla you get DMs and group chats, including on a workflow. KNOW documents team messaging, announcements with read receipts, polls, recognition, and a message thread on each task. I could not find 1:1 DM rooms named as their own object.
How do they connect other software?
Pilla publishes an MCP server, a REST API and integrations. KNOW names payroll providers, Google Calendar, and Google Sheets, Analytics, Data Studio and Cloud. I could not find a public API or a KNOW MCP server.
What are you paying for?
On Pilla you pay for processed workflows, with unlimited people, and you get a 14-day trial of every Pro feature with no card. KNOW quotes you for usage and modules. I could not find a public software price.
Which should you pick?
If I ran restaurants or stores that needed checklists, mobile training, HQ announcements and a GPS time clock from one vendor, I would keep KNOW. That suite is a fair reason to stay. If I wanted the work drawn on a canvas and AI acting inside the run, with DMs and MCP, I would use Pilla, and I would keep courses, rotas and punches somewhere else.
Frequently asked questions
Is KNOW the same as knowapp.com?
No. KNOW is the frontline super-app from LOCTOC. You log in at app.knownuggets.com. Marketing lives at getknowapp.com. In September 2026, www.knowapp.com did not resolve as their site, and bare knowapp.com was an unrelated event calendar.
Does KNOW have AI inside checklists?
I could not find an AI step inside a checklist. Checking is pass or fail, scores, required fields, photos and GPS. KNOW Intelligence answers questions about captured data, chats from SOPs, and recommends manager actions. Restaurant pages talk about summarising store performance and flagging food safety exceptions. I could not find an MCP server.
Can staff chat in KNOW the way they would in Pilla?
KNOW documents team messaging, announcements with read receipts, polls, recognition, and a message thread on each task. The App Store lists Messaging and Chat. I could not find 1:1 DM rooms named as their own object.
What evidence can a KNOW checklist capture?
A checklist can take a photo, a video, a finger e-signature, a QR or barcode, timestamps, GPS, pass or fail, and numeric readings such as temperatures. Audio and extra files are documented on incidents and task threads. I could not find a star-rating field or a dedicated file-upload item on the live checklist page.
Does KNOW run on tablet and web?
There is an iPhone app and an Android app. The App Store listing is for iPhone only. Marketing and FAQs also say tablets. HQ uses a web dashboard. Login is app.knownuggets.com. I could not find whether floor staff complete checklists in a browser, and I could not find a native iPad listing.
How much does KNOW cost compared to Pilla?
KNOW quotes you. I could not find a public software price. The FAQ says a subscription based on usage, modular by feature, with discounts as users or features increase. They advertise a free trial account with no card. They do not publish the trial length. I do not charge per person. Starter is £49 a month with 500 processed workflows included. Pro is £99 a month with 1,000 included, and adds AI automations inside Pilla. Every new account gets a 14-day trial of every Pro feature, with no card.
Does KNOW have an API or MCP?
I could not find a public API reference, a developer portal or an MCP server. They name payroll providers, Google Calendar, and Google Sheets, Analytics, Data Studio and Cloud. Client terms mention Third Party Applications.
Does switching to Pilla replace KNOW scheduling, time clock or LMS?
No. I did not build Pilla for shift scheduling, payroll or HR, and I did not build an LMS authoring suite. If you need KNOW's roster, punches, courses or announcement engine, keep those on KNOW or another product.
How long does it take to switch from KNOW to Pilla?
You rebuild the checklists on the canvas. A first workflow usually takes an afternoon. Running both side by side can take days or a couple of weeks, depending on how many lists you have. Photos and history stay in KNOW unless you move them by hand.
How did you compare Pilla and KNOW?
I read KNOW's public product pages, FAQs, client terms, App Store listing and Google Play on 16 September 2026 and answered the same twelve questions I use on every comparison. I described Pilla as it works today. I left out anything KNOW does not publish.
Where did these facts come from?
KNOW claims on this page come from their own public docs. Pilla claims come from the current product.
Pilla is AI work management for deskless teams. Try every Pro feature free for 14 days, with no card. Start a free trial or visit KNOW.
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