Digits vs Puzzle (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Digits grades higher than Puzzle: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Digits grades higher on the free plan and features. Puzzle grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Digits
AI-native general ledger with bookkeeping, bill pay and invoicing
Puzzle
AI-driven accounting software for startups and small businesses
Which one is for you
Pick Digits if
- Fits if you run a startup and want AI to categorize transactions in a real general ledger
- Makes sense if you want an API or MCP on your books
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you're a freelancer: $65 a month is the starting price, with no free plan
- Skip it if you need budget against actuals, as that's Pro at $250 a month
- Watch out: extra entities start at $35 a month
- Watch out: full-service accounting, CFO and tax work come through partner firms and aren't in the plans
- Not for you if you want an Android or desktop app
Pick Puzzle if
- Fits if you're a startup that wants AI to categorize transactions
- Works for founders who link Stripe, Mercury or Ramp
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you lean on the AI: 25 lifetime credits on Starter and Core, 100 a month on Complete
- Skip it if you're a team: Starter has 1 seat and Core 5, with unlimited from Complete at $100
- Pricey if you want bookkeeping done for you: from $171 a month with Core, and it needs a subscription
- Watch out: a QuickBooks migration costs $149 one-time unless you add catch-up bookkeeping or Full Service
How we grade them
| 2.2GPADigitsFair | 2.0GPAPuzzleFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$65 a month for Essentials, $100 for Core and $250 for Pro, against $26 in the middle for this category. The page doesn't say whether annual billing changes it. | C$25 a month on annual billing ($30 monthly) for Starter and $60 for Core, close to this category's $26 middle. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 30-day free trial, and the pages we read don't say whether a card is needed. No free plan. | DA free trial is offered, but the pricing page doesn't say how long it lasts. No free plan. |
| Features | BAI bookkeeping, month-end close, bill pay, invoicing, reports and multi-entity books, with an API and MCP. The listing's only limits are plan gates, such as budgets on Pro. | CAI categorization and close, cash and accrual books, startup metrics, an API and MCP. Multi-entity and variance analysis need Core, and AI credits are limited. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You connect your accounts and review what the AI books before you rely on it. | CNo store rating on record. You connect banks and payment tools and review what the AI books. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb and iPhone, with a developer API and MCP. No Android or desktop app listed. | BWeb only, with Stripe, Mercury, Ramp, Brex, Gusto, QuickBooks, Claude and ChatGPT, plus an API and MCP. |
| Best for | AI-run books for startups | AI-run books for startups |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Digits and Puzzle. How we grade
Price against what you get
Digits starts at $65 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Puzzle starts at $25 a month and scores 2.3.
Digits scores higher, and starts $40 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 7 score higher than Digits for less, and 20 score higher than Puzzle for less.
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
Where they differ
- Digits also covers bill pay and dashboards.
- Puzzle also covers expense tracking.
At a glance
| Digits | Puzzle | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $65 per month | $25 per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial | Free trial offered; length not stated on the pricing page |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Digits | Puzzle |
| Price read from | digits.com | puzzle.io |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Digits
- The pricing page states monthly prices but not whether annual billing changes them.
- Dimensional accounting and automated schedules start at Core; budget vs. actuals only on Pro.
- Extra entities beyond the free 250 transactions a year start at $35 a month.
- Full-service accounting, CFO and tax work are sold through partner firms, not in the plans.
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.
Key features
Digits
- AI bookkeeping
- AI models code incoming transactions from connected banks, cards and payroll, with checks that each one is coded and documented.
- Agentic month-end close
- A close workflow and checklist for finishing the month, with automated schedules for accruals from the Core plan.
- Bill pay and invoicing
- Drag, drop, approve and pay bills, and create invoices, on every plan.
- Reports and dashboards
- Live profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow; custom reports and dashboards arrive on Pro.
- Multi-entity books
- Several entities under one login with separate books; extra entities are free up to 250 transactions a year.
- Developer API and MCP
- An API and MCP connection to the ledger is included on all plans.
Puzzle
- AI categorization and close
- Categorizes most transactions automatically, reconciles accounts and drafts financial statements; an AI suite adds chat, cowork and close tools.
- Cash and accrual books
- Keeps both bases, with accrual automation for prepaid expenses and fixed assets and revenue recognition on Complete.
- Startup metrics
- Cash, burn, runway and margin insights plus spend and revenue tracking, from the Core plan.
- Integrations
- Connects to Stripe, Mercury, Ramp, Brex, Gusto and other finance tools through live API links.
- Accounting services
- Expert Reviewed and Full Service bookkeeping, priced by monthly expenses and sold only alongside a subscription.
- API and MCP
- An API and MCP server let you connect the books to Claude and ChatGPT.
Plans
Digits
Essentials$65
per month; billing basis not stated, no per-seat fees
For solopreneurs and early-stage businesses: core ledger, AI bookkeeping, bill pay and invoicing.
Core$100
per month; billing basis not stated, no per-seat fees
Adds dimensional accounting for departments and locations, and automated schedules.
Pro$250
per month; billing basis not stated, no per-seat fees
Adds custom reports, custom dashboards and budget vs. actuals.
Puzzle
Starter$25
per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
1 seat; 85 to 90% of transactions categorized automatically, cash and accrual books, 25 lifetime AI credits.
Core$60
per month, billed annually ($72 billed monthly)
5 seats; adds cash, burn and runway insights, variance analysis, custom chart of accounts and multi-entity.
Complete$100
per month, billed annually ($120 billed monthly)
Unlimited seats; adds AI accuracy review and reconciliations, revenue recognition, priority support; 100 AI credits a month.
Scale$300
per month, billed annually ($360 billed monthly)
High-volume accounting with subledgers, no transaction or integration limits, backup and restore; 300 AI credits a month.
Ways to pay less
Digits
No public discounts listed.
Puzzle
- Annual discount
12 months for the price of 10
The pricing page's yearly option charges for 10 months of the monthly price, which is $25 against $30 on Starter.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Digits or Puzzle?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Puzzle is cheaper to start with: $25 a month, against $65 a month for Digits. Digits starts at $65 per month, and Puzzle starts at $25 per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Digits or Puzzle?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Digits nor Puzzle has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Digits and Puzzle run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Digits lists an iOS app. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.