# Why Meridian | Built Inside a Working Accounting Firm

Pilot has closed 199K months of books across over 8,000 businesses since 2017. We built it because our accountants needed it. Your firm gets what we use.

Canonical URL: https://meridian.pilot.com/why-meridian

## On this page

- Three paths. One changes the unit economics
- The work runs automatically. The call is still yours
- Built for accounting. Not generalized AI with a wrapper
- Your firm's standards. Each client's quirks. Both honored
- Your clients' data stays in your ledger

## Proof points

| Figure | Label |
| --- | --- |
| 199K | Pilot: months of books |
| over 8,000 | Pilot: businesses since 2017 |

## Frequently asked questions

### What happens if I stop using Meridian?

The books stay in your general ledger. Meridian sits on top of your GL, not instead of it. If a firm stops using Meridian, the underlying data is intact in the general ledger and nothing migrates out. There is no lock-in and no data export process. The ledger is yours.

### Who owns the data?

The firm controls each client’s general ledger instance and data access. Meridian does not store a separate copy of the client’s general ledger. The general ledger is the system of record throughout. The firm’s existing permissions, chart of accounts, and client data stay exactly where they are.

### How does Meridian differ from other AI bookkeeping tools?

Most "AI accounting" tools are general-purpose models like ChatGPT and Claude with an accounting UI bolted on, built to chat rather than reason through an intercompany transaction or a deferred revenue schedule. Meridian is purpose-built for the work of closing books, trained on millions of judgment calls across 199K months of production since 2017. It sits on top of your existing QuickBooks Online ledger instead of replacing it, so your books stay yours, your firm controls the data, and there's no migration to start or stop.

### Is Meridian only for QuickBooks Online firms?

Meridian currently supports QuickBooks Online and Xero. Support for NetSuite, Sage Intacct, QuickBooks Desktop, Rillet, and additional or custom ledgers is in development. Meridian separates ledger-specific connectors from its accounting workflows, which makes it straightforward to add a ledger while preserving the depth required for subledgers, dimensions, schedules, write-back, and review. Firms with mixed portfolios or a priority ledger on this list should talk to Meridian about their requirements and the development roadmap.

### Does Meridian sell directly to my clients?

No. Meridian’s only customers are accounting firms. Pilot’s direct business serves startups and SMBs on a separate product and a separate channel. Meridian does not market to firm clients and does not compete for client relationships.

### How long has this technology been in production?

Since 2017. The same technology that powers Meridian has closed books for over 8,000 businesses. That is 199K months of books in production. Meridian is Pilot’s infrastructure, made available to accounting firms.