Alternatives · Accounting
Puzzle alternatives
As of Nov 12, 2026, the highest-graded Puzzle alternative is Xero (2.6 GPA). The best free one is QuickBooks Online (2.4 GPA). The catch, in its listing's words: "1 user."
Puzzle compared with 10 alternatives: QuickBooks Online, Xero, Digits, Bench, Pennylane and 5 more.
Puzzle is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $25 per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly). 1 of the 10 alternatives is free or has a free plan. 4 more offer a free trial.
Listings checked up to Nov 12, 2026 · Where the facts come from
Black Friday: is there a Puzzle sale?
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| PuzzleThis tool | Free trial · from $25/mo | Trial only | Web |
| QuickBooks Online | Free plan · from $38/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Xero | Free trial · from $27/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Digits | Free trial · from $65/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS |
| Bench | From $199/mo | No | Web |
| Pennylane | Free trial · from €7/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Botkeeper | From $53/mo | No | Web |
| Pilot | From $99/mo | No | Web |
| Rillet | Paid | No | Web |
| Spotlight Reporting | Free trial · from $75/mo | Trial only | Web |
| Zeni | From $494/mo | No | Web |
Price against what you get
Puzzle starts at $25 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 9 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.
QuickBooks Online, Xero and Digits score higher without starting lower. Pennylane starts lower without scoring higher.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from Puzzle
QuickBooks Online
Cloud accounting from Intuit, from a free plan to 25-user Advanced
- QuickBooks Online starts at $38 per month, billed monthly.
- QuickBooks Online has a free plan, which Puzzle lacks.
- QuickBooks Online also lists iOS and Android apps.
- QuickBooks Online also covers payroll.
Suits: US small businesses that want their accountant working in the same books
Xero
Cloud accounting for small businesses, with unlimited users
- Xero starts at $27 per month, billed monthly.
- Xero also lists iOS and Android apps.
- Xero also covers payroll.
Suits: Small businesses that want every staff member and adviser in the books at no extra cost
Digits
AI-native general ledger with bookkeeping, bill pay and invoicing
- Digits starts at $65 per month.
- Digits also lists an iOS app.
- Digits also covers bill pay and dashboards.
- Digits does not cover expense tracking, which Puzzle does.
Suits: Startups that want AI coding of transactions without per-seat fees
Bench
Bookkeeping done by an assigned bookkeeper, with optional tax filing
- Bench starts at $199 per month, billed monthly (Bookkeeping Light).
- Bench does not cover invoicing and expense tracking, which Puzzle does.
Suits: Owners who want someone else to do the bookkeeping each month
Pennylane
French accounting, invoicing and business account in one app
- Pennylane starts at €7 per month, excluding VAT (Starter, 1 user).
- Pennylane also lists iOS and Android apps.
- Pennylane also covers bill pay and company cards.
Suits: French freelancers and small companies that want invoicing and bank sync together
Botkeeper
Automated bookkeeping platform sold to accounting firms
- Botkeeper starts at $53 per license / month at 25+ licenses, billed annually ($59 billed monthly).
- Botkeeper also covers workflow automation.
- Botkeeper does not cover invoicing and expense tracking, which Puzzle does.
Suits: Accounting firms with many small bookkeeping clients
Pilot
Done-for-you bookkeeping, tax and CFO services for small companies
- Pilot starts at $99 per month for up to $100,000 in monthly expenses.
- Pilot also covers dashboards.
- Pilot does not cover invoicing and expense tracking, which Puzzle does.
Suits: Startups that want someone else to keep the books
Rillet
AI-based ERP and general ledger for finance teams
- Rillet also covers workflow automation.
- Rillet does not cover invoicing and expense tracking, which Puzzle does.
Suits: Finance teams outgrowing a small-business accounting package
Spotlight Reporting
Management reporting and forecasting for accountants and CFOs
- Spotlight Reporting starts at $75 per month for 1 organization.
- Spotlight Reporting also covers dashboards.
- Spotlight Reporting does not cover invoicing, bookkeeping and expense tracking, which Puzzle does.
Suits: Accounting firms adding advisory work for client businesses
Zeni
AI bookkeeping with a finance team, for startups and small companies
- Zeni starts at $494 per month and up, billed annually ($549 billed monthly).
- Zeni also covers bill pay.
- Zeni does not cover invoicing, which Puzzle does.
Suits: Venture-backed startups that want bookkeeping and CFO help from one vendor
Limits worth knowing in Puzzle
- Starter allows one seat and Core five; unlimited seats start at Complete.
- AI credits are limited: 25 for the lifetime of Starter and Core, 100 a month on Complete.
- Bookkeeping services start at $171 a month with Core, for up to $10K in monthly expenses, and need an active subscription.
- A QuickBooks migration costs $149 one-time unless catch-up bookkeeping or Full Service is added.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Puzzle?
The alternatives to Puzzle in this directory are QuickBooks Online, Xero, Digits, Bench, Pennylane, Botkeeper, Pilot, Rillet, Spotlight Reporting and Zeni. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Puzzle.
Is there a free alternative to Puzzle?
Yes. QuickBooks Online has a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Puzzle alternatives work on Android?
The Puzzle listing does not include an Android app. QuickBooks Online, Xero and Pennylane list one.
Which Puzzle alternatives work on iOS?
The Puzzle listing does not include an iOS app. QuickBooks Online, Xero, Digits and Pennylane list one.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 17, 2026 to Nov 12, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.