Digits, Numbrr, Puzzle and Pilot Essentials are all AI bookkeeping software: you connect your accounts and the software does the categorizing. The differences show up after that. How much accrual work does each one automate, what does it cost as you grow, and what happens when you want a person to look at the books? This guide compares them on those questions.
We make Numbrr, so read this with that in mind. Digits is cheaper than Numbrr at every comparable step. For AI that works inside QuickBooks or Xero, and for services with bookkeepers included, see our AI bookkeeping software roundup.
Digits, as of today
On Digits’ pricing page on October 3, 2026: Essentials $65/mo, Core $100/mo, and Pro $250/mo marked coming soon. All plans include AI bookkeeping and reconciliation, financial statements, invoicing, bill pay, bank and payroll connections, mobile apps, and API and MCP access. Core adds dimensional accounting (department and location tracking) and automated schedules. Pro is to add custom management reports, budget vs. actuals and custom dashboards. Billing is per business entity, there is a 30-day free trial, and service is for US-based entities.
What Digits does well
- Price. $65/mo for AI bookkeeping with invoicing and bill pay is the lowest starting point among the tools here.
- Cash or accrual, with automated schedules on Core.
- Built for developers too. API and MCP access on every plan.
- A month to decide. The 30-day free trial is the longest of the group.
Where it stops
- No person in the plan. Digits prepares books for your tax preparer or a partner accounting firm. If you want someone reviewing the books each month, you find and pay a firm separately.
- Management reporting is on a plan that isn’t out yet. Budget vs. actuals, custom reports and dashboards are listed under Pro, marked coming soon.
- No tax filing. Digits states that it does not file taxes.
The alternatives at a glance
| Starting price | Accrual | A person, if you want one | Tax filing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Numbrr | $99/mo, set by monthly expenses | Every plan; full accrual automation from Numbrr One ($399) | Dedicated Controller, $200/mo | 1099 e-filing |
| Digits | $65/mo, per entity | Yes; automated schedules from Core ($100) | Partner firms | No |
| Puzzle | $30/mo, by seats and AI credits | Yes; revenue recognition from Complete ($120) | Expert Reviewed $171/mo (to $10K expenses); Full Service quoted | From $1,250/yr + $250 per state |
| Pilot Essentials | $99/mo, to $100K expenses | No (cash basis); accrual on Core | Pilot Core, price via sales | Add-on, from $1,000/yr |
Numbrr
Numbrr is AI bookkeeping software on a double-entry general ledger. It codes each transaction, books what it is confident about, and asks you in plain English about the rest. Every plan keeps accrual-basis books. Numbrr One adds the accrual work as features you can see on the Numbrr pricing page: invoicing with online payment through your own Stripe account, recurring invoices, bills with document scanning and vendor pay runs, prepaid expenses, ASC 606 revenue recognition with deferred revenue schedules, fixed assets with automatic depreciation, manual journal entries, and an automated monthly reporting pack. The platform page shows how Numbrr’s AI bookkeeping works, from transactions to reports.
Where it differs from Digits
- A person when you want one, from Numbrr. The Dedicated Controller add-on ($200/mo, or $2,000/yr on an annual plan) is one controller who reviews your books each month, works through AI-flagged exceptions, and checks your monthly reports before they reach you.
- Monthly reporting now. The reporting pack and advanced reporting are on Numbrr One today; forecasting is on Pro.
- 1099 e-filing. Included on Pro, and a $99/yr add-on on Starter and Numbrr One.
- Closed periods stay closed. Corrections go in as reversals in an open month.
Where Digits is ahead
- Price. Digits Core is $100/mo with accrual schedules; Numbrr’s accrual automation starts at $399/mo on Numbrr One.
- Payroll connections. Digits lists them on every plan. Payroll integration is on Numbrr’s coming-soon list.
- Trial length. 30 days at Digits.
- Developer access. Digits publishes an API and MCP on every plan.
Puzzle
Puzzle prices its software by seats and AI credits. On its pricing page on October 3, 2026: Starter $30/mo (one seat), Core $72/mo (five seats), Complete $120/mo (unlimited seats, revenue recognition) and Scale $360/mo (subledgers, no transaction limits). All plans support cash and accrual. Expert Reviewed adds a bookkeeper who reviews and closes your books monthly for $171/mo, for companies with up to $10K in monthly expenses and one entity; Full Service with a named bookkeeper is priced by expense tier. Tax filing starts at $1,250 a year plus $250 per state. Our Puzzle alternatives guide prices each plan and service.
- Strength: revenue recognition at $120/mo, with unlimited seats.
- Strength: a bookkeeper option on its own price list for small companies.
- Weakness: Expert Reviewed stops at $10K a month in expenses. Past that, the human option is Full Service at a quoted price.
- Weakness: AI credits are part of the price. Starter and Core include 25 lifetime credits; Complete and Scale include a monthly allowance.
Pilot Essentials
Pilot Essentials is $99/mo for up to $100K in monthly expenses (October 3, 2026): AI-only, cash-basis bookkeeping on a standard chart of accounts, a year-end tax package and in-app support. Its advantage is the path to a person: Pilot Core adds a US-based bookkeeper and accrual books, and Pilot sells tax and CFO plans. The trade-off is that Essentials stays on the cash basis, and Core’s price was not shown on the pricing page. Our Pilot alternatives guide covers the two plans side by side.
Which one fits
- Lowest cost, and you will run the books yourself
- Digits Essentials or Core, or Puzzle Starter if you are a team of one.
- Revenue recognition at a low price
- Puzzle Complete, or Digits Core’s automated schedules if they cover your contracts.
- The full accrual workflow in one product, with a person checking it
- Numbrr One or Pro with the Dedicated Controller add-on.
- A path to a full-service firm later
- Pilot Essentials now, Core when you need it.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Digits cost?
On October 3, 2026, Digits listed Essentials at $65/mo and Core at $100/mo, with Pro at $250/mo marked coming soon. Each business entity needs its own subscription, and there is a 30-day free trial.
Does Digits include a bookkeeper?
Digits plans are software. Digits prepares books for your tax preparer or a partner accounting firm, so a person reviewing your books is someone you engage separately.
Does Digits file taxes?
No. Digits states that it does not file taxes; it prepares books for your preparer.
Is Numbrr cheaper than Digits?
No. Digits starts at $65/mo and Numbrr at $99/mo, and Digits Core ($100/mo) costs less than Numbrr One ($399/mo and up). Numbrr One includes more of the accrual workflow in the product, and Numbrr offers its own Dedicated Controller if you want a person on the books.