Digits vs Spotlight Reporting (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Digits grades higher than Spotlight Reporting: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Digits grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, 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
Spotlight Reporting
Management reporting and forecasting for accountants and CFOs
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 Spotlight Reporting if
- Fits if you are an accountant giving clients monthly reports from Xero or QuickBooks
- Works for a finance lead who needs forecasts and dashboards over one or two entities
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need a ledger: it reports on one and does not replace it
- Pricey if you run one small business, at $75 a month for a single organization
- Watch out: the pricing page says the monthly figures but not whether billing is monthly or yearly
- Not for you if you use neither Xero nor QuickBooks, as those are the only ledgers named
- Watch out: prices exclude sales tax, and franchise pricing is on a separate page we did not read
How we grade them
| 2.2GPADigitsFair | 2.0GPASpotlight ReportingFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | D$75 a month for 1 organization, in the dearest tenth of accounting tools (it starts at $75 and the middle is $26). Extra organizations are $65 each, and the 10-organization plans start at $349. |
| 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. | CA 14-day trial with no card needed. There is 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. | CReports, forecasting, dashboards, consolidation and ESG reporting. It does that job fully, but it is a smaller job than accounting: it reads a ledger and does not keep one. |
| 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 Xero or QuickBooks and build reports before it is useful. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb and iPhone, with a developer API and MCP. No Android or desktop app listed. | BWeb app with Xero and QuickBooks connections. No desktop or phone apps are listed. |
| Best for | AI-run books for startups | management reports on Xero or QuickBooks |
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 Spotlight Reporting. 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. Spotlight Reporting starts at $75 a month and scores 2.3.
Digits scores higher and starts $10 a month lower. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 6 score higher than Digits for less, and 16 score higher than Spotlight Reporting 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 invoicing, bookkeeping and bill pay.
At a glance
| Digits | Spotlight Reporting | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $65 per month | $75 per month for 1 organization |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Digits | Spotlight Reporting |
| Price read from | digits.com | spotlightreporting.com |
| 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.
Spotlight Reporting
- It reports on data from an accounting ledger; it does not replace one. The pages name Xero and QuickBooks.
- The pricing page states a monthly figure but not whether the plans are billed monthly or yearly.
- Prices are shown excluding sales tax.
- Franchise and network pricing is on a separate page and was not read for this listing.
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.
Spotlight Reporting
- Management reports
- Builds narrative and visual reports from accounting data, with Spotlight AI suggestions and executive summaries layered on the calculated figures.
- Forecasting
- Three-way forecasts, budgets and scenarios for cash flow and planning, with consolidated forecasting across entities.
- Dashboards
- Drag-and-drop KPI dashboards. Advisor Starter allows 1 dashboard per organization; higher advisor plans allow unlimited.
- Consolidation
- Group reporting across entities and currencies is included from Advisor Starter and Business 10.
- ESG reporting and certification
- Spotlight Sustain ESG reports come with Advisor Growth and up, and the advisor plans include free certification for the team.
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.
Spotlight Reporting
Business$75
per month for 1 organization, billing basis not stated
Finance-team plan: reporting, forecasting and dashboards for 1 organization. Extra organizations $65 a month each.
Business 10$349
per month for up to 10 organizations, billing basis not stated
Finance-team plan with multi-entity consolidation and up to 3 training sessions a year. Extra organizations $30 each.
Advisor Starter$349
per month for up to 10 client organizations, billing basis not stated
Accountants' plan: reporting, forecasting, dashboards, consolidation, certification and one training session a year.
Advisor Growth$549
per month for up to 25 client organizations, billing basis not stated
Adds unlimited dashboards, Spotlight Sustain ESG reporting, a Customer Success Manager and unlimited training.
Advisor Scale$995
per month for up to 75 client organizations, billing basis not stated
Adds priority support, strategic reviews and tailored training for the team.
EnterpriseCustom
For accounting firms with more than 75 client organizations; the full platform with a dedicated senior success manager.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Digits or Spotlight Reporting?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Digits is cheaper to start with: $65 a month, against $75 a month for Spotlight Reporting. Digits starts at $65 per month, and Spotlight Reporting starts at $75 per month for 1 organization.
Which has a free plan, Digits or Spotlight Reporting?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Digits nor Spotlight Reporting has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Digits and Spotlight Reporting 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.