Pilla vs Lumiform (2026): AI that acts inside the work, or a mobile inspection and audit app
Liam Jones
Founder of Pilla
Date Modified
16 September 2026
I wrote this because I keep getting asked whether Pilla replaces Lumiform. I ran restaurants for years. I know the job: you want the floor to do the work without you chasing every check.
Lumiform is still Lumiform GmbH in Berlin. You build digital checklists, collect photo and signature proof, score the visit, and you get a branded report when the inspection is done. Failed checks can open a corrective action. You can add approvals, API and integrations on Enterprise or as add-ons.
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 Lumiform when I want a mobile inspection and audit SOP.
How did we compare them?
I ask the same twelve questions on every comparison. For Pilla I describe what the product does today. For Lumiform I went back to their help and product pages on 16 September 2026. 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 Lumiform's current help: response types, documents as assistance, if-then logic, the mobile app, actions, the public API and the pricing page. I have not lived in a paid Lumiform account for this write-up. I am telling you what their docs 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 Lumiform if I needed a mobile inspection and audit SOP, with scored checklists, corrective actions and branded reports
- I would not switch expecting Pilla to take over their inspection and audit product
How do Pilla and Lumiform compare at a glance?
| Capability | Pilla | Lumiform |
|---|---|---|
| Core job | AI work management for deskless teams | Mobile inspection and audit software for frontline teams |
| Design the work | Visual canvas, branching, reusable workflows | Form builder with if-then logic and reusable templates |
| Provide guidance | Written, photo and video guidance beside each step | Written plus image or PDF beside the question; video in training |
| Run the work | Phone, tablet, or web app | Phone, tablet, or web app |
| Capture evidence | Photos, video, audio, files, signatures, ratings, numbers, checklists, dates and location | Photos, signatures, numbers, checklists, dates, scored ratings and GPS on mobile |
| Check the work | AI fetching, decisions and actions inside the work | Logic, scoring and AI photo checks |
| Follow up | Human and AI follow-ups | Human actions and approvals; rules can auto-create follow-ups |
| Talk to the team | DMs and group chats | Action chat, comments and notifications |
| Connect other software | MCP server, API, integrations | API, webhooks and integrations |
| See what happened | Workflow records and evidence | Inspection reports, action logs and analytics dashboards |
| What you pay for | Unlimited users, usage based on workflows | Quote; per-user Professional and Enterprise |
| Best for | Operators who want AI to act inside the work | Teams that want a mobile inspection and audit programme |
I built Pilla for AI work management on the floor. Lumiform sells mobile inspection and audit software for frontline teams.
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 Lumiform 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 a photo, a video or a file sitting on the step itself
- You want DMs and group chats next to the work
- You want an MCP server you can call
- You are happy to keep the inspection and audit programme somewhere else
What do you pay for?
| Capability | Pilla | Lumiform |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay for | Unlimited users, usage based on workflows | Quote; per-user Professional and Enterprise |
| Public price | Starter is £49 a month for 500 processed workflows. Pro is £99 a month for 1,000. | No public rate card on the English pricing page. Sales quote. |
| Trial | 14-day free trial of every Pro feature, with no card | No credit card required. Customer success says you can start for free. I could not find a trial length on the English pricing page. |
Billing is a user seat. One person can log in on two mobile devices. Occasional dashboard logins still count as a seat. Approvals, API, webhooks, SSO and integrations are Professional add-ons or included on Enterprise. Lumiform's own comparison pages still print Professional from €100 a month for 5 users, with volume discounts. Currencies named are EUR, GBP and USD. 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. Lumiform starts with a quote. They say no credit card is required. You can start from a template, a prompt or an uploaded file. Inspections can go live quickly.
If you move, you rebuild the checklists on the canvas. Reports and history stay in Lumiform unless you export them by hand. Run both for a while. Keep the inspection and audit programme on Lumiform 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 an inspection programme and you need scored checklists, corrective actions and branded PDFs from one vendor, stay with Lumiform. If money is tight, I publish prices. Lumiform 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?
Lumiform works well for
- Opening, closing, hygiene, HACCP and brand inspections on phone or tablet
- Mystery shopping and scored store visits
- Food production, manufacturing and logistics checks
- ISO, GMP and other audit programmes with signatures and timestamps
- Recurring scheduled inspections with reminders
- Corrective actions with owners, due dates and proof photos
- Instant branded PDF or Excel reports and score dashboards
- Training courses with videos, images and quizzes, tied to inspections
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 Lumiform designed to do?
Lumiform holds the inspection programme in one place. You start from a template, a prompt or an uploaded file. You prove the check with photos, signatures and timestamps, including offline on a phone or tablet. You score the visit, open a corrective action when something fails, and send a branded PDF. I would stay on Lumiform for that audit SOP.
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 Lumiform a score, if-then logic, a negative answer, an approval or AI photo validation does the checking. I could not find an AI step that fetches from other systems and acts inside a form.
How do you design the work?
On Pilla you draw a visual canvas with branching and reuse the workflow. On Lumiform you build a checklist in Template Builder and show follow-ups with if-then logic. Recurrence is a scheduler. Workflow automation can trigger the next form.
How do you provide guidance?
On Pilla you sit written, photo and video guidance beside each step. On Lumiform you put text, a reference image and a PDF or Excel on the question. I could not find video as a form-field instruction. Their demo and comparison pages describe video inside a training module.
How does the team talk?
On Pilla you get DMs and group chats, including on a workflow. Lumiform puts chat and comments on an action. People get email, SMS and Android push. I could not find DMs or group channels.
How do they connect other software?
Pilla publishes an MCP server, a REST API and integrations. Lumiform documents a public REST API, webhooks, and named storage and BI connectors. API and integrations are Professional add-ons or included on Enterprise. I could not find a Lumiform 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. Lumiform quotes you per user seat on Professional or Enterprise. I could not find a public rate card on the English pricing page.
Which should you pick?
If I ran an inspection programme that needed scored checklists, photo proof, corrective actions and branded PDFs from one vendor, I would keep Lumiform. That audit SOP 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 the audit product somewhere else.
Frequently asked questions
Does Lumiform have AI inside inspections?
I could not find an AI step inside a form that fetches, decides and acts. Checking is logic, scoring, required fields, a negative answer and an approval. AI Photo Validation can judge a photo against a standard. AI also writes and translates templates and answers analytics questions.
Can staff chat in Lumiform the way they would in Pilla?
Chat and comments sit on an action. Email, SMS and Android push cover assignments and reminders. You can share a report from the phone via the share sheet. I could not find DMs or group channels.
What evidence can a Lumiform inspection capture?
A form can take a photo, a signature, a number, a date, a checklist answer, scored multiple choice and a QR or barcode. You can draw on photos. GPS is recorded on mobile inspections. Voice-to-text fills notes. I could not find a video or stored-audio response type. Help still says users cannot upload documents as a form response.
Does Lumiform put video guidance beside each step?
Beside the question you get written instructions, a reference image and a downloadable PDF or Excel. I could not find video as a form-field instruction. Lumiform's demo and comparison pages describe video inside a training module. I could not open an English training product page on 16 September 2026.
How much does Lumiform cost compared to Pilla?
Lumiform quotes you per user seat on Professional or Enterprise. I could not find a public rate card on the English pricing page. Their own comparison pages still print Professional from €100 a month for 5 users. Approvals, API, webhooks, SSO and integrations are Professional add-ons or included on Enterprise. 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 switching to Pilla replace the Lumiform audit product?
No. I did not build Pilla as a branded inspection suite. If you need Lumiform's scored inspections, corrective actions and PDF reports, keep those on Lumiform or another product.
How long does it take to switch from Lumiform 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 forms you have. Reports and history stay in Lumiform unless you move them by hand.
How did you compare Pilla and Lumiform?
I read Lumiform public docs 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 Lumiform does not publish.
Where did these facts come from?
Lumiform 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 Lumiform.
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