PuzzleThe AI-native accounting platform that gives you hours back with books you trust.
vs
WaveClear books. Confident decisions.
Comparison · Accounting Software · weekly run Nov 2
Puzzle vs Wave
Which one do AI engines recommend, and how do they differ on price, fit and features?
The short answer
Wave is the stronger AI pick in Accounting Software: it has a visibility score of 21 versus 3.9 for Puzzle, and ranks ahead in 0% of the answers that name both.
Choose Puzzle if…
- You need SOC 2 (vendor claim) coverage
Choose Wave if…
- You want the brand AI engines rank higher (21 vs 3.9)
- You want a free plan to start
- You prefer a larger, established vendor (201–500 employees)
- Free accounting and invoicing for micro-businesses
AI visibility side by side
Latest weekly run · Nov 2
| Metric | Puzzle | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 3.9% | 21% |
| Change vs last week | New | New |
| Rank in Accounting Software | #15 | #7 |
| Share of voice | 1.1% | 7.3% |
| Mentions this run | 5 | 30 |
| Positive in AI answers | — | 38% |
The stronger value in each row is marked with a ✓.
Visibility score trend
Weekly runs over the last 60 days
Puzzle 0pp · Wave 0pp over 0 weekly runs.
Engine by engine
Wave leads on 3 of 3 engines
ChatGPT
AI Mode
Perplexity
PuzzleWave
Head to head in AI answers
2 engine answers name both brands
2Puzzle ranked higher
0Wave ranked higher
| Prompt | Engine | Puzzle | Wave |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best accounting software for startups | ChatGPT | #4 | #5 |
| Best accounting software for startups | Perplexity | #3 | #4 |
Features, pricing & fit
| Dimension | Puzzle | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat tiers | Flat tiers |
| Entry price | $30 / mo | Free; paid from $19 / mo |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud-hosted on Google Cloud, with US servers. | Cloud-based web application with a mobile app |
| Compliance | SOC 2 (vendor claim) | — |
| Support | Chat with an expert, Chat support, Priority support, Named bookkeeper and unlimited bookkeeping questions by email (Full Service) | Live chat and email support, Monday to Friday 9 AM to 4:45 PM Eastern, Wave Advisors bookkeeping and coaching (paid add-on) |
| Founded | 2019 | 2009 |
| Headquarters | Remote-first, United States | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Employees | 51–200 | 201–500 |
| Funding | Seed · $50M raised | Series D |
| Best for | Startups and small and medium businesses that want real-time books, with or without an accountant. | Freelancers, solopreneurs, contractors and consultants who run small businesses and want simple books and invoicing without accounting expertise |
Plans side by side
Wave
Starter$0month
Pro$19month per business (billed monthly); $190/year billed annually
Wave Advisors$149month (starting at)
Pros and cons
Themes from the AI answers that mention each brand
Puzzle
Profile in progress.
Wave
- Free accounting and invoicing for micro-businesses
- Well suited to freelancers and very small businesses
- Ongoing free plan rather than a time-limited trial
- Affordable and reliable for small businesses
- Clear public pricing
- Free plan mainly suits a single user, not teams
- Free products offer fewer controls and growth features
Data collected ·ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Mode·coverage 100%·next run
Cite as: SlateIndex, “Puzzle vs Wave”, https://slateindex.ai/compare/puzzle-vs-wave, data of Nov 2, 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.