10
Small businesses use an average of 10 different digital business solutions
US businesses with 10–99 employees; 630 owners and executives surveyed. Not a PenguinPilot outcome.
Intuit Business Solutions Survey · 2024SIDE BY SIDE
PenguinPilot vs GoHighLevel
One subscription. Every tool. The same $22 per user whether you're 5 people or 500 — no tier upgrades, add-on modules or onboarding fees.
Usage allowances included; top up only if you exceed them. Video Studio is included in Beta.
Prices checked November 2026 · Official GoHighLevel pricing. Check the vendor's site for current pricing.
What it takes to get PenguinPilot's full toolkit
One PenguinPilot subscription includes every module. Compare the competitor tiers, add-ons and limits for the workflows you need. Video Studio is Beta; email A/B testing is on the roadmap.
| Capability | PenguinPilot | GoHighLevel: what you need | Extra cost/limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video editing studio | ✓ Included Beta Platform pricing | AI content creation and Creator Studio | Check HighLevel's video tools against the editing workflow you need.Source |
| Design studio | ✓ IncludedPlatform pricing | AI creation and brand tools | Try HighLevel's design tools with your own templates and brand assets to check the fit.Source |
| AI Employee | ✓ Included AI Assistant included for chat-based workspace actions Platform pricing | Paid AI Employee per enabled location | $97/month Unlimited or $50/month Growth; fair-use limits. Some agency AI Assistants are free; AI Agents and phone usage remain paid.Source |
| White-label mobile app | Not equivalent Partner program included; check mobile-app options separately Platform pricing | Optional white-label mobile app add-on | $497/month in addition to the agency subscription. This is different from the $49/month branded client portal app.Source |
| Platform reselling | ✓ Included $22/user wholesale, no setup fee and no minimums. Partners set their own retail price and keep 90% of the margin above wholesale. Platform pricing | SaaS Mode on the $497/month plan | HighLevel SaaS Mode and PenguinPilot's partner program have different reselling terms and tools.Source |
| Premium workflow actions | ✓ IncludedPlatform pricing | Pay per premium execution or Workflow Pro | $0.01/execution; Workflow Pro agency tiers $10, $25 or $50/month with included executions and tier-specific overages. Workflow AI is separate.Source |
| Marketing email sends | ✓ Included Included allowances; top up if exceeded Platform pricing | Usage-billed email system | $0.675 per 1,000 emails across all plans.Source |
| SMS & phone numbers | ✓ Included SMS workflows; allowances and usage limits apply Platform pricing | Phone-system usage and number rental | US SMS: $0.00747/segment plus carrier fees (outbound examples $0.0035–$0.005); local number $1.15/month. Rates vary by carrier and direction.Source |
| US A2P registration | Not equivalent Registration/carrier requirements are not waived Platform pricing | Brand and campaign registration | $22.50–$64 one-time; recurring campaign fees $1.50–$10.50/month by campaign type. Separate phone/SMS usage applies.Source |
| Staff training | ✓ IncludedPlatform pricing | Courses (customer-facing) | Courses and memberships serve customers; evaluate whether they fit employee onboarding and training.Source |
| Advanced setup | ✓ Included No onboarding fee; your team's setup time still applies Platform pricing | Optional advanced account setup service | $1,000 optional service, not a mandatory onboarding charge.Source |
| Learning curve & how you work | ✓ Included AI-native, built in 2026 on a modern stack. One interface, one shared record, so there's less to learn — and you can run supported workflows by chat. The AI Assistant connects Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or Grok to your workspace. PenguinPilot's MCP (Model Context Protocol) server lets connected AI tools find contacts, update pipelines, create tasks, manage bookings and more, using your permissions. Your AI can only see and change what your login allows. Available actions depend on the connection; any account or subscription required by your chosen AI provider is separate. AI Assistant details | G2 reviewers cite a learning curve | Rated 4.6/5 on G2; its review summary highlights a steep learning curve. HighLevel offers optional advanced setup for $1,000, not a mandatory onboarding fee.SourceAdditional source |
No tier upgrades, add-on modules or onboarding fees — usage allowances included, top up only if you exceed them. AI credits, marketing email sends, storage, automations, SMS and ad spend are metered; compare usage as well as the subscription. Prices checked November 2026; check the vendor's site for current pricing.
The add-on gap
$97 Starter + $97 AI Employee = $194/month
One Starter account plus AI Employee Unlimited for one enabled location, before email, SMS, phone numbers or calls. Five PenguinPilot users cost $110/month with AI Assistant included and usage allowances. AI Employee has a different scope, including voice/conversation agents; some HighLevel agency AI Assistants are already free. This is an optional paid-agent configuration, not HighLevel's minimum price to use any AI.
PenguinPilot · 5 users
$110/month
HighLevel Starter + AI Employee Unlimited
$194/month
Email sends on HighLevel
$0.675 / 1,000
Sources: HighLevel pricing · AI Employee pricing · Prices checked November 2026; check the vendor's site for current pricing.
One subscription. The whole platform.
Everything in one platform — no stack of separate tools, logins and bills. $22 per user per month includes every module, with no feature tiers, add-on modules, onboarding fees or contracts.
The same $22 per-user price for a team of 1, 50 or 500. Needing another feature never moves you into a higher tier.
Enterprise-grade customization out of the box: automations, pipelines, multi-brand management, e-signature, staff training and AI in the same full platform, for a solo business or a large team. Video Studio is included in Beta.
Build your system inside PenguinPilot
The System Builder brings custom pipelines, automations, forms and workflows together inside your business platform. Run sales and operational pipelines, trigger actions across modules and keep work connected to your CRM records — without separate project tools or Zapier for those built-in workflows.
No tier upgrades, add-on modules or onboarding fees — usage allowances included, top up only if you exceed them. AI credits, marketing email sends, storage, automations, SMS and ad spend are metered; compare usage as well as the subscription.
Easier to learn, run it by chat
AI-native, built in 2026 on a modern stack. One interface, one shared record, so there's less to learn — and you can run supported workflows by chat.
The AI Assistant connects Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or Grok to your workspace. PenguinPilot's MCP (Model Context Protocol) server lets connected AI tools find contacts, update pipelines, create tasks, manage bookings and more, using your permissions.
Your AI can only see and change what your login allows. Available actions depend on the connection; any account or subscription required by your chosen AI provider is separate.
How it compares
G2 reviewers cite a learning curve. Rated 4.6/5 on G2; its review summary highlights a steep learning curve. HighLevel offers optional advanced setup for $1,000, not a mandatory onboarding fee.
Reviews & product detailsOnboarding & setup details
AI Assistant & supported workflowsThe cost of a disconnected stack
25 hours
25 hours a week spent on manual data entry or reconciling data across apps
Average reported for the surveyed US businesses with 10–99 employees, not each worker.
Intuit Business Solutions Survey · 202443%
43% say integration is a challenge
Integration with other apps/software; surveyed US businesses with 10–99 employees.
Intuit Business Solutions Survey · 202466% vs 32%
66% of growing SMBs have an integrated tech stack vs 32% of declining SMBs
Growing versus declining revenue; survey association, not evidence that integration causes growth.
Salesforce SMB Trends Report · December 2024What 5 users cost
PenguinPilot · 5 users
$110/month
Prices checked November 2026; check the vendor's site for current pricing.
$22/user/month, plus metered usage
GoHighLevel Starter · 5 users
$97/month
Prices checked November 2026; check the vendor's site for current pricing.
Flat monthly subscription, unlimited users, plus usage
GoHighLevel SaaS Mode
$497/month
Prices checked November 2026; check the vendor's site for current pricing.
Agency reselling plan, plus applicable usage
No tier upgrades, add-on modules or onboarding fees — usage allowances included, top up only if you exceed them. AI credits, marketing email sends, storage, automations, SMS and ad spend are metered; compare usage as well as the subscription.
AI Employee Unlimited costs $97/month per enabled location; Growth is $50/month. Some agency AI Assistants are free, subject to fair use; paid agents and phone-system usage are separate. Sources
Email is $0.675 per 1,000 sends. Premium workflow actions are $0.01/execution, or Workflow Pro agency tiers cost $10, $25 or $50/month with volume allowances and overages. Sources
US SMS is $0.00747/segment plus carrier fees. Local numbers cost $1.15/month; A2P registration is $22.50–$64 one-time with campaign fees $1.50–$10.50/month, depending on campaign type. Sources
For agencies, PenguinPilot offers $22/user wholesale, no setup fee and no minimums. Partners set their own retail price and keep 90% of the margin above wholesale. This is a different model from HighLevel SaaS Mode, not a claim of identical capabilities. Sources
Where GoHighLevel is the better choice
- Starter is $97/month flat with unlimited users: a strong fit for very large teams if its toolkit and usage billing suit them.
- Native SMS/phone, funnels and an established agency community; Starter has three sub-accounts and Unlimited has unlimited sub-accounts.
- SaaS Mode is on the $497/month plan; some agency AI Assistants are included at no added cost, subject to fair use.
PenguinPilot is a newer product with a smaller integration ecosystem and community than the established platforms. Support is by email.
Where PenguinPilot is the better choice
- Everything in one platform — no stack of separate tools, logins and bills. $22 per user per month includes every module, with no feature tiers, add-on modules, onboarding fees or contracts.
- The same $22 per-user price for a team of 1, 50 or 500. Needing another feature never moves you into a higher tier.
- The System Builder brings custom pipelines, automations, forms and workflows together inside your business platform. Run sales and operational pipelines, trigger actions across modules and keep work connected to your CRM records — without separate project tools or Zapier for those built-in workflows.
- Enterprise-grade customization out of the box: automations, pipelines, multi-brand management, e-signature, staff training and AI in the same full platform, for a solo business or a large team. Video Studio is included in Beta.
Evaluate both with your actual workflow. A shorter feature list or a lower subscription is not the same as a better fit.
How to switch from GoHighLevel
Plan the change before canceling your existing tools. These are general steps, not a free migration offer.
01
Export contacts as CSV
Check export permissions, fields and consent records. Keep a backup of the original file.
02
Review and import
Map fields, check duplicates and test a small sample before importing the full list.
03
Rebuild with Web Builder
Review your pages, forms and content in Web Builder. Check the new site before changing domains.
04
Connect inbox and calendar
Connect supported accounts, review permissions and test emails and bookings before your team switches.
Looking beyond these two? Explore GoHighLevel alternatives.
GoHighLevel comparison: questions answered
One workspace. All modules included.
$22 per user per month. Every module. No feature-tier upgrades, add-on modules, onboarding fees or contracts.
No tier upgrades, add-on modules or onboarding fees — usage allowances included, top up only if you exceed them. AI credits, marketing email sends, storage, automations, SMS and ad spend are metered; compare usage as well as the subscription.