Puzzle review (2026): is it worth $25 a month, billed yearly?
AI-driven accounting software for startups and small businesses
Black Friday: is there a Puzzle sale?
Puzzle report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for AI-run books for startups
Puzzle is AI-driven accounting for startups and small businesses, from $25 a month on annual billing, with cash and accrual books. AI credits are capped (25 for life on Starter and Core), Starter has 1 seat and Core 5, and bookkeeping services start at $171 a month.
Who Puzzle is for
- Fits if you're a startup that wants AI to categorize transactions
- Works for founders who link Stripe, Mercury or Ramp
Who Puzzle is not for
- 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
Why Puzzle gets a 2.0
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for money$25 a month on annual billing ($30 monthly) for Starter and $60 for Core, close to this category's $26 middle.
- DFree plan and trialA free trial is offered, but the pricing page doesn't say how long it lasts. No free plan.
- CFeaturesAI 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.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. You connect banks and payment tools and review what the AI books.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb only, with Stripe, Mercury, Ramp, Brex, Gusto, QuickBooks, Claude and ChatGPT, plus an API and MCP.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Puzzle's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/puzzle#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/puzzle.svg" alt="Puzzle: 2.0 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Puzzle stands among accounting and invoicing tools
Puzzle's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 11 of the 65 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, and level with 10.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 13 of 65) and worst on free plan and trial (D, above 11).
Its paid plans start at $25 a month, against a middle price of $18.09 for the category: 33 of the 54 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 9 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 66 accounting and invoicing tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Puzzle’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 13 of 65, level with 34
- DFree plan and trialAbove 11 of 65, level with 3
- CFeaturesAbove 4 of 65, level with 46
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 65, level with 56
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 13 of 65, level with 46
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 58 accounting and invoicing tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Puzzle, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Puzzle you would be making live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 44 of the 65 other accounting and invoicing tools grade higher. It costs $300 a year.
What you could make
- Reports, invoicing and expense tracking: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them.
- It plugs into other products, Stripe, Mercury and Ramp among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Puzzle’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Puzzle?
Puzzle is web-based accounting software that categorizes transactions with AI, reconciles bank accounts and drafts financial statements, in cash and accrual books. It targets startups and small companies and also sells bookkeeping services that run on top of a subscription. An AI suite and an MCP connection for Claude and ChatGPT are listed.
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
Puzzle pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Puzzle is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $25 per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly).
- Starts at
- $25 per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- Free trial offered; length not stated on the pricing page
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $25per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly) | 1 seat; 85 to 90% of transactions categorized automatically, cash and accrual books, 25 lifetime AI credits. |
| Core | $60per month, billed annually ($72 billed monthly) | 5 seats; adds cash, burn and runway insights, variance analysis, custom chart of accounts and multi-entity. |
| Complete | $100per month, billed annually ($120 billed monthly) | Unlimited seats; adds AI accuracy review and reconciliations, revenue recognition, priority support; 100 AI credits a month. |
| Scale | $300per month, billed annually ($360 billed monthly) | High-volume accounting with subledgers, no transaction or integration limits, backup and restore; 300 AI credits a month. |
Read from puzzle.io on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Puzzle before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discount12 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.
Stated on puzzle.io
Works with
- Stripe
- Mercury
- Ramp
- Brex
- Gusto
- QuickBooks
- Claude
- ChatGPT
Puzzle alternatives
- Puzzle vs QuickBooks Online
Free plan · from $38/mo
- Puzzle vs Xero
Free trial · from $27/mo
- Puzzle vs Digits
Free trial · from $65/mo
- Puzzle vs Bench
From $199/mo
- Puzzle vs Pennylane
Free trial · from €7/mo
Common questions
Does Puzzle have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Puzzle is listed for Web.
Does Puzzle have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Puzzle is listed for Web.
Is Puzzle open source?
Puzzle is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Does Puzzle have an API?
Yes. Puzzle offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.