QuickBooks
Digits
Pilot
Bench
Zeni
What is Puzzle?
Founded in 2019, Puzzle is an AI-native accounting platform for startups, small businesses and accounting firms. It has raised $50M and supports 10,000+ companies.
Puzzle is an AI-native general ledger that connects banks, cards, payroll, payments and other financial systems into continuously updated books. Its AI Suite includes Chat, Cowork and Close, which categorize transactions, draft reconciliations, generate financial statements and support month-end workflows. Users review and approve proposed work rather than allowing AI to post changes without control. The platform supports cash and accrual accounting, and its dashboards surface cash position, burn, runway, margin and related operating metrics.
The product covers automated categorization, auto-drafted statements, bank and credit-card reconciliations, revenue recognition, advanced reporting, custom charts of accounts, classes, departments, projects and AI-powered accuracy review. Core adds startup metrics and reporting, Complete adds enhanced automation and unlimited seats, and Scale adds subledgers, backup and restore and no transaction or integration limits. Optional migration, catch-up bookkeeping, R&D studies and tax filing are available, while complex structures and unsupported data sources may require additional accounting help.
Puzzle sells software directly to founders, startup finance teams, small businesses and accounting firms, with plans priced at $30, $72, $120 and $360 per month. A free trial is available, and annual billing saves 20% on software. Accounting services run on top of an active Core or Complete subscription: Expert Reviewed costs $171 per month including Core for eligible businesses with up to $10,000 in monthly expenses, while Full Service pricing depends on the plan and expense volume.
Key features
AI categorization
AI categorizes up to 98% of transactions automatically, with users reviewing the resulting work.
Reconciliation workflows
AI Close drafts categorization, reconciliations and month-end work for review and approval.
Real-time reporting
Dashboards show cash, burn, runway, margin, financial statements and other operating metrics.
Cash and accrual books
The ledger supports both cash and accrual accounting with auto-drafted financial statements.
Revenue recognition
Complete and higher plans support revenue recognition workflows for startup and subscription businesses.
Financial integrations
Puzzle connects banks, cards, payroll, payments and fintech systems through supported integrations.
Accounting services
Vetted partners provide expert review, monthly close, catch-up bookkeeping, R&D studies and tax filing.
Puzzle pricing
Software plans cost $30 per month for Starter, $72 for Core, $120 for Complete and $360 for Scale; annual billing saves 20%. Expert Reviewed costs $171 per month including Core for eligible businesses with up to $10,000 in monthly expenses, while Full Service pricing depends on the selected plan and monthly expenses. Migration costs $149, catch-up bookkeeping starts at $300 per month of books, R&D studies cost 1.5% of qualifying spend and tax filing starts at $1,250 per year plus $250 per state.
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $30/moSoftware plan | AI Suite, Chat, Cowork, Close, 25 lifetime AI credits, one seat, up to 98% auto-categorization, auto-drafted financial statements, cash and accrual books, unlimited connections, one-click tax report and CPA-approved chart of accounts templates |
| Core | $72/moSoftware plan | Everything in Starter, cash, burn, runway and margin insights, spend and revenue tracking, variance analysis, multi-entity via integration, advanced reporting, custom chart of accounts and up to five seats |
| Complete | $120/moSoftware plan | Everything in Core, AI-powered accuracy review and reconciliations, enhanced categorization, inbox categorization, classes, departments, projects, revenue recognition, priority support, 100 AI credits per month and unlimited seats |
| Scale | $360/moSoftware plan | Everything in Complete, subledgers, no transaction or integration limits, backup and restore, dedicated onboarding and support, 300 AI credits per month and unlimited seats |
| Expert Reviewed | $171/moIncludes Core; up to $10K monthly expenses | Core software, bookkeeper review, corrected transactions, bank and credit-card reconciliation checks, full monthly close, accruals and prepaids, named bookkeeper and unlimited bookkeeping questions by email |
Free trial: A free trial period is available; the subscription begins automatically after the trial unless canceled.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Publishes clear software pricing from $30 per month.
- Connects common startup banking, cards, payroll and payment tools.
- Keeps AI-generated accounting work subject to review and approval.
- Offers software-only, expert-reviewed and full-service paths.
Cons
- Accounting services are priced separately from most software plans.
- Complex entities and unsupported sources may need additional accounting support.
- Automated categorization and accuracy reviews still require human review.
- Some integrations and reporting workflows may need troubleshooting.
Who is Puzzle best for?
- Startups needing live cash, burn and runway reporting.
- Founders replacing QuickBooks with AI-assisted accounting.
- Accounting firms standardizing close work across clients.
- Teams wanting optional bookkeeping and tax services.
Use cases
Integrations
Notable customers
Frequently asked questions
How much does Puzzle cost?
+
Puzzle software costs $30 per month for Starter, $72 for Core, $120 for Complete and $360 for Scale. Expert Reviewed costs $171 per month including Core for eligible businesses with up to $10,000 in monthly expenses; Full Service pricing depends on the plan and expense volume.
How does Puzzle onboarding and migration work?
+
Users connect supported financial sources and configure their books inside the platform, then review and approve the generated accounting work. Puzzle offers a $149 migration from QuickBooks, Xero or another current system, while the close guarantee requires onboarding and a setup call within seven days.
How does Puzzle compare with QuickBooks?
+
Puzzle is built around AI categorization, drafted reconciliations, continuous reporting and startup metrics such as burn and runway. QuickBooks remains a broader traditional accounting ecosystem, while Puzzle emphasizes modern fintech integrations and automated startup workflows.
What integrations does Puzzle support?
+
Puzzle supports more than 12,000 banks and cards and lists integrations including Stripe, Mercury, Brex, Ramp, Gusto, Rippling, Deel and BILL. Supported live integrations can cover banking, cards, payroll, invoicing and payment processors.
Who is Puzzle best suited for?
+
Puzzle is designed for startups, small businesses, founders, finance teams and accounting firms using modern banking, card, payroll and payment systems. It is especially suited to teams that want cash, burn, runway and financial statements updated continuously.
How does Puzzle handle security and accounting accuracy?
+
Puzzle keeps AI-generated work subject to user or accountant review and approval, and its plans include accuracy review and reconciliation features at higher tiers. Accuracy depends on connected data, categorization review and reconciliation workflows, so teams should validate outputs before relying on them for reporting or tax filings.
Sources
Facts and pricing verified on October 19, 2026. Vendors change pricing often, so confirm with Puzzle before buying. How we research
