Puzzle Pricing (2026): What Puzzle.io Costs and How It Compares to Adlega
Updated August 31, 2026
Puzzle (puzzle.io) is real-time accounting software built for startups: a Starter plan that is free until you pass $20K/month in transaction volume, then Core at $72/month, Complete at $120/month, and Scale at $360/month (about 20% less billed annually), with a 14-day trial of Complete. Puzzle is a strong modern replacement for QuickBooks-style bookkeeping, with AI auto-categorization and real-time burn, runway, and ARR on its dashboard. It is a different category from Adlega: Puzzle keeps your books and reports what happened; Adlega builds the forward forecast and plan. Many teams use one for each job.
Puzzle does one thing well: it runs your general ledger in real time, auto-categorizing up to ~98% of transactions and surfacing actuals like burn and runway as they happen. For a startup that wants modern books without a monthly close lag, that is genuinely useful. The distinction that matters for planning is that Puzzle is backward-looking (it records what happened); it is not a driver-based forecasting or scenario tool.
Puzzle pricing (2026)
| Plan | Price | For |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | Free (until $20K/mo transaction volume) | Pre-revenue / earliest stage |
| Core | $72/mo | Growing startups |
| Complete | $120/mo | Faster close, more automation |
| Scale | $360/mo | Later-stage, higher volume |
~20% off on annual billing; 14-day free trial of Complete. Starter/Core/Scale prices confirmed from puzzle.io raw page (Aug 2026); Complete from Puzzle's published tiers.
Puzzle vs Adlega: different jobs
These are complementary tools, not substitutes. The honest split:
| Dimension | Puzzle | Adlega |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Accounting / bookkeeping (general ledger) | Financial forecasting & planning |
| Direction | Backward-looking (actuals, close) | Forward-looking (forecast, scenarios) |
| Core job | Record and categorize transactions | Model revenue, costs, runway ahead |
| Entry price | Free, then $72/mo | Free plan; paid from $49/mo |
| SaaS metrics | Real-time actuals (burn, runway, ARR) | Projected MRR/ARR/churn/CAC/LTV/runway |
| AI | Auto-categorization, Ask Puzzle | AI CFO that explains every forecast number |
The bottom line
If you need modern, real-time books, Puzzle is a good choice and its free Starter is hard to beat at the earliest stage. If you need to forecast where the business is going, build base/best/worst scenarios, and see runway forward, that is a different tool. The two work well together: Puzzle for the actuals, Adlega for the model. Adlega gives you projected MRR/ARR, churn, CAC, LTV and runway, an AI CFO, a free plan, and paid plans from $49/month.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Puzzle.io cost?
Starter is free until you pass $20K/month in transaction volume. Paid plans are Core $72/month, Complete $120/month, and Scale $360/month, with roughly 20% off on annual billing and a 14-day trial of Complete.
Is Puzzle a forecasting tool?
No. Puzzle is real-time accounting: it records and categorizes transactions and shows actuals like burn and runway. It is not a driver-based forecasting or scenario-planning tool. For the forward model you would pair it with a planning tool.
Does Puzzle replace QuickBooks?
For many startups, yes, Puzzle is a modern, AI-first general ledger positioned as a QuickBooks alternative. Whether it fits depends on your accountant and integrations; check puzzle.io.
What is the difference between Puzzle and Adlega?
Puzzle does your books and reports what happened (backward-looking accounting). Adlega builds the forward forecast and plan (revenue, costs, runway, scenarios) with an AI CFO. They are complementary, one for actuals, one for the model.
Related: cash runway and burn rate, scenario planning, and the SaaS financial model guide.