Pilla vs Tallyfy (2026): AI that acts inside the work, or SOP templates with guests and approvals
Liam Jones
Founder of Pilla
Date Modified
15 September 2026
I wrote this because I keep getting asked whether Pilla replaces Tallyfy. I ran restaurants for years. I know the job: you want the floor to do the work without you chasing every check.
Tallyfy turns a process you have written down into a running workflow. You build a template, launch it, and assign each step to a person, a guest or a connected AI. Clients complete their bit from a link. Approvals and an audit trail sit in the process.
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 Tallyfy when I want SOP templates, guest clients and approvals in one process tool.
How did we compare them?
I ask the same twelve questions on every comparison. For Pilla I describe what the product does today. For Tallyfy I went back to their help and product pages on 15 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 15 September 2026 I sat with Tallyfy's current docs: templates, form fields, BYO AI, the MCP server, guests, comments and pricing. I have not lived in a paid Tallyfy 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 a process I already know drawn on a canvas, with branching, not a checklist template with if-this-then-that
- I would pick Pilla if I wanted DMs and group chats next to the work, not comments on a task
- I would keep Tallyfy if I needed SOP templates, guest clients and approvals in one process tool
- I would not switch expecting Pilla to take over guest SOP runs or knowledge-only process docs
How do Pilla and Tallyfy compare at a glance?
| Capability | Pilla | Tallyfy |
|---|---|---|
| Core job | AI work management for deskless teams | AI workflow software for SOP and process teams |
| Design the work | Visual canvas, branching, reusable workflows | Reusable templates with if-this-then-that automations |
| Provide guidance | Written, photo and video guidance beside each step | Rich text, images and video in the task description |
| Run the work | Phone, tablet, or web app | Web app on phone, tablet or desktop |
| Capture evidence | Photos, video, audio, files, signatures, ratings, numbers, checklists, dates and location | Files, dates, checklists, numbers; images via file upload |
| Check the work | AI fetching, decisions and actions inside the work | BYO AI and MCP on assigned steps; approve/reject |
| Follow up | Human and AI follow-ups | Reminders, issue reports and expiring-step escalation |
| Talk to the team | DMs and group chats | Task and process comments with @mentions |
| Connect other software | MCP server, API, integrations | MCP server, API, webhooks and middleware |
| See what happened | Workflow records and evidence | Tracker, activity log, CSV; Analytics add-on |
| What you pay for | Unlimited users, usage based on workflows | Per-seat Full and Light; unlimited guests |
| Best for | Operators who want AI to act inside the work | Teams that want SOP templates, guests and approvals |
I built Pilla for AI work management on the floor. Tallyfy sells SOP templates that run, with guests and approvals.
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 Tallyfy 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 AI fetching, deciding and acting inside a live run
- You are happy to keep guest SOP runs and knowledge-only docs somewhere else
What do you pay for?
| Capability | Pilla | Tallyfy |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay for | Unlimited users, usage based on workflows | Per-seat Full and Light; unlimited guests |
| Public price | Starter is £49 a month for 500 processed workflows. Pro is £99 a month for 1,000. | Full $300/year or $30/month. Light $100/year or $10/month. |
| Trial | 14-day free trial of every Pro feature, with no card | 14-day trial. No free tier. |
A seat is one person. Full seats create templates. Light seats complete assigned tasks. Guests are free and unlimited. SSO and SCIM come with every paid plan. Analytics Data Feed is +$20 per seat per year, annual billing only. Volume discounts exist if you talk to them. 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. Tallyfy also starts with a 14-day trial. A first template can go live quickly. Guests, automations and a connected AI step take a real design pass.
If you move, you rebuild the templates on the canvas. Files and history stay in Tallyfy unless you export them by hand. Run both for a while. Keep guest SOP runs and knowledge-only docs on Tallyfy 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 a process the team can follow today, start with Pilla. If you need clients to complete steps with no login, stay with Tallyfy. If money is tight, I publish prices and so do they. Light seats start at $100 a year. If you want AI in the run, a canvas and DMs, I would pick Pilla even in a small team.
What is each one used for?
Tallyfy works well for
- Employee and client onboarding with guest links
- Purchase orders and finance approvals
- Content or document approval loops
- Kick-off forms that launch a process
- Knowledge-only SOPs people read rather than run
- AI-assigned steps with a human approve step
- Recurring audits launched from Zapier, Make or a cron script
- Slack or email as the place people hear about a task
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 Tallyfy designed to do?
Tallyfy holds the SOP in one template and launches it the same way every time. You collect form data, route approvals, and let clients or vendors do their steps from a link. A connected model can take a boring step, then a person can sign it off. I would stay on Tallyfy for that process product.
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 Tallyfy you assign a step to ChatGPT, Claude or another connected model through BYO AI or MCP, then a person can approve. Required fields and approve/reject steps still do a lot of the checking.
How do you design the work?
On Pilla you draw a visual canvas with branching and reuse the workflow. On Tallyfy you build a template as a list of steps, then hide, assign or reopen them with if-this-then-that. I could not find a visual canvas. Their own docs say they are not a flowchart builder.
How do you provide guidance?
On Pilla you sit written, photo and video guidance beside each step. On Tallyfy you put rich text, images and video in the task description, including YouTube or Vimeo. I could not find a dedicated photo-guidance or video-guidance step type.
How does the team talk?
On Pilla you get DMs and group chats, including on a workflow. Tallyfy comments live on a task or a process, with @mentions, files and emoji. A Slack plugin can create tasks and post status. I could not find DMs or group chat rooms inside Tallyfy.
What evidence can you capture?
On Pilla a step can take photos, video, audio, files and signatures, plus ratings, numbers, checklists, dates and location. On Tallyfy the form fields are short text, long text, dropdown, radio, checklist, date, file, table and assignee picker. I could not find a photo, video, audio, signature, rating or GPS field.
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. Tallyfy charges per seat. Full is $300 a year or $30 a month. Light is $100 a year or $10 a month. Guests are free.
Which should you pick?
If I needed SOP templates, guest clients and approvals in one process tool, I would keep Tallyfy. That product is a fair reason to stay. If I wanted the work drawn on a canvas and AI acting inside the run, with DMs and floor evidence, I would use Pilla, and I would keep guest SOP runs somewhere else.
Frequently asked questions
Does Tallyfy have AI inside workflows?
Yes, as assigned steps. BYO AI and the MCP server let ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot complete or comment on a task. Trackable AI and computer-use agents are documented, with vendor caveats. A person can approve before it goes live. I could not find an AI chat inside the Tallyfy web app, and I could not find a canvas of AI nodes.
Does Tallyfy have a native mobile app?
Their device article says Tallyfy is a responsive web app and there is no separate app in the stores. There is a desktop app for macOS and Windows. I treated that article as the source, even though some marketing schema still lists iOS and Android.
Can staff chat in Tallyfy the way they would in Pilla?
Comments sit on a task or a process, with @mentions, files and emoji. Slack can create tasks and post status. I could not find DMs or group chat rooms inside Tallyfy.
What evidence can a Tallyfy step capture?
Short text, long text, dropdown, radio, checklist, date with optional time, file upload, table and an assignee picker. Images go through file upload. External signing is DocuSign or HelloSign through middleware. I could not find a photo, video, audio, signature, rating or GPS field.
How much does Tallyfy cost compared to Pilla?
Tallyfy publishes prices. Full is $300 a year or $30 a month. Light is $100 a year or $10 a month. Guests are free. Analytics is +$20 per seat per year. 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 Tallyfy have an MCP server?
Yes. It is hosted at mcp.tallyfy.com, with more than 100 tools, OAuth 2.1 and PKCE. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Copilot can connect. That is a real peer on MCP, not a missing connector.
Does switching to Pilla replace Tallyfy guest SOP runs?
No. I did not build Pilla as an SOP library with free guest clients. If you bought Tallyfy for that, keep those runs on Tallyfy or another process tool.
How long does it take to switch from Tallyfy to Pilla?
You rebuild the templates 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 templates you have. Files and history stay in Tallyfy unless you move them by hand.
How did you compare Pilla and Tallyfy?
I read Tallyfy public docs on 15 September 2026 and answered the same twelve questions I use on every comparison. I described Pilla as it works today. I left out anything Tallyfy does not publish.
Where did these facts come from?
Tallyfy 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 Tallyfy.
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