Puzzle vs Zeni (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Puzzle grades higher than Zeni: 2.0 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Puzzle grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Puzzle
AI-driven accounting software for startups and small businesses
Zeni
AI bookkeeping with a finance team, for startups and small companies
Which one is for you
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
Pick Zeni if
- Fits if you run a venture-backed startup and want a team to handle the books
- Makes sense if you already keep your ledger in QuickBooks Online
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you are a small business, at $494 a month and up
- Skip it if you want to start without a sales call, as every plan begins with a demo request
- Watch out: fractional CFO is extra, from $1,599 a month plus a $2,000 setup fee
- Watch out: listed prices are starting points and move with complexity, expenses and revenue
- Not for you if you want the ledger in Zeni, since it sits on top of QuickBooks Online
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAPuzzleFair | 1.6GPAZeniWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$25 a month on annual billing ($30 monthly) for Starter and $60 for Core, close to this category's $26 middle. | DFrom $494 a month billed annually ($549 monthly), against $99 for Pilot, $199 for Bench and $25 for Puzzle. It includes a finance team, but the final price still depends on complexity, expenses and revenue. |
| Free plan and trial | DA free trial is offered, but the pricing page doesn't say how long it lasts. No free plan. | FNothing free: no plan and no trial. Every plan starts from a demo request. |
| Features | 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. | CDaily AI categorization and reconciliation, bill pay and reimbursements. The ledger stays in QuickBooks Online, and CFO help is a separate product. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You connect banks and payment tools and review what the AI books. | CNo store rating on record. A demo and an onboarding with the finance team come before you use it. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Stripe, Mercury, Ramp, Brex, Gusto, QuickBooks, Claude and ChatGPT, plus an API and MCP. | BA web app that works with QuickBooks Online and offers an AI assistant link through Claude. No phone or desktop apps are listed. |
| Best for | AI-run books for startups | AI bookkeeping with a finance team, 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: Puzzle and Zeni. How we grade
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. Zeni starts at $494 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Puzzle starts $469 a month lower. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 9 score higher than Puzzle for less, and 16 score higher than Zeni 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
- Puzzle also covers invoicing.
- Zeni also covers bill pay.
At a glance
| Puzzle | Zeni | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $25 per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly) | $494 per month and up, billed annually ($549 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial offered; length not stated on the pricing page | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Puzzle | Zeni |
| Price read from | puzzle.io | zeni.ai |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Zeni
- Listed prices are starting points: the page says pricing follows bookkeeping complexity, monthly expenses and annual revenue.
- Fractional CFO is sold separately: CFO Lite from $1,599 a month plus a $2,000 setup fee, CFO Premium from $2,990 plus $6,000.
- Zeni's FAQ describes it as working on top of QuickBooks Online, so the ledger stays in QuickBooks.
- Every plan starts from a demo request; there is no self-serve checkout or free trial on the pricing page.
Key features
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.
Zeni
- AI bookkeeping
- Reads bank and card feeds, categorizes transactions, matches receipts and reconciles accounts, with the books updated daily.
- Dedicated finance team
- Every bookkeeping plan includes a controller, a bookkeeping manager and a bookkeeping analyst who review the AI's work.
- Bill pay and reimbursements
- Pays vendor bills and reimburses employees from the same platform; the pricing page says both are free on every plan.
- Fractional CFO
- Budgeting, forecasting and fundraising help, sold as CFO Lite, CFO Premium and Enterprise tiers with setup fees.
- AI assistant access to the books
- Zeni MCP lets people query their books from AI assistants such as Claude, per the Zeni site.
Plans
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.
Zeni
Starter$494
per month and up, billed annually ($549 monthly)
Basic AI bookkeeping for pre-revenue companies, with a dedicated finance team. Final price depends on complexity, expenses and revenue.
Growth$719
per month and up, billed annually ($799 monthly)
Advanced AI bookkeeping for companies with revenue, with a dedicated finance team. Final price depends on complexity and size.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom AI bookkeeping for complex companies, with a dedicated finance team. Quoted by Zeni.
Ways to pay less
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.
Zeni
- Annual discount
Save 10% with annual billing
The pricing page shows annual billing at 10% below the monthly rate for Starter and Growth.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Puzzle or Zeni?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Puzzle is cheaper to start with: $25 a month, against $494 a month for Zeni. Puzzle starts at $25 per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly), and Zeni starts at $494 per month and up, billed annually ($549 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Puzzle or Zeni?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Puzzle nor Zeni has a free plan. Puzzle has a free trial.
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.