# The best bookkeeping and accounting tools for startups — Tick Mark Books > Source: https://tickmarkbooks.com/category/startups (curated, re-verified) > Updated 27 October 2026 · Reviewed by the Tick Mark Books editorial team We compare 9 bookkeeping and accounting tools for startups as of October 2026. Bookkeeper360 has the lowest paid entry price, from $19 a month. Inkle and Zoho Books have a free plan. 9 tools in this category, ranked by what we can confirm about each (a public price, an API and docs, independent sources, stated limits; payment never changes the order). Each name links to its answer-first markdown twin. ## Facts - Free to start: 2 of 9 - API: 0 of 9 - First paid plan a month: 7 of 9 publish one, $19 to $549, median $65 - Checked against their own sites: 26–31 October 2026 (9 of 9) - Added in November 2026: 0 | Name | What it is | Pricing | | --- | --- | --- | | [Inkle](https://tickmarkbooks.com/inkle.md) | US accounting software with AI categorization, plus bookkeepers, tax filing and compliance in one app. | Free, then $30 a month | | [Zoho Books](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zoho-books.md) | Cloud accounting ledger with Zia AI, bank feeds, sales tax and 1099 e-filing, from $20 a month. | Free, then $20 a month | | [Puzzle](https://tickmarkbooks.com/puzzle.md) | AI-native accounting software with optional bookkeeper services for startups and small businesses. | — | | [Digits](https://tickmarkbooks.com/digits.md) | AI-native general ledger that books and reconciles itself, replacing QuickBooks or Xero for US businesses. | From $65 a month | | [SimpleAI](https://tickmarkbooks.com/simpleai.md) | AI agents that extract, classify and reconcile accounting documents, then publish them into Xero or QuickBooks. | From $79 a month | | [Pilot](https://tickmarkbooks.com/pilot.md) | A bookkeeping and tax service for startups that pairs software-driven dashboards with human financial advisors. | — | | [Every](https://tickmarkbooks.com/every.md) | AI-enriched bookkeeping for US startups with a dedicated bookkeeper and controller. | From $330 a month | | [Bookkeeper360](https://tickmarkbooks.com/bookkeeper360.md) | US-based outsourced bookkeeping, tax and CFO team working in your QuickBooks Online or Xero. | From $19 a month | | [Zeni](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zeni.md) | AI bookkeeping with a dedicated finance team, built on QuickBooks Online Plus. | From $549 a month | ## Bookkeeping and accounting tools for startups compared | Tool | Price on its site | MCP server | API | Open source | Self-host | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Inkle](https://tickmarkbooks.com/inkle) | Free, then $30 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | | [Zoho Books](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zoho-books) | Free, then $20 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | | [Puzzle](https://tickmarkbooks.com/puzzle) | No list price | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | | [Digits](https://tickmarkbooks.com/digits) | From $65 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | | [SimpleAI](https://tickmarkbooks.com/simpleai) | From $79 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | | [Pilot](https://tickmarkbooks.com/pilot) | No list price | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | | [Every](https://tickmarkbooks.com/every) | From $330 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | | [Bookkeeper360](https://tickmarkbooks.com/bookkeeper360) | From $19 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | | [Zeni](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zeni) | From $549 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | All 9 bookkeeping and accounting tools for startups we list. Accrual books, investor-ready reports and services built for venture-backed startups. ## Questions buyers ask ### Which tool here costs the least? 2 of the 9 have a free plan: Inkle and Zoho Books. The lowest paid plan is Bookkeeper360, from $19 a month. Price checked on 27 October 2026. ### How much do bookkeeping and accounting tools for startups cost? Paid plans run from $19 to $549 a month, across the 7 with a monthly price. The median is $65 a month. ### When were these prices checked? We read each price between 26 October 2026 and 31 October 2026 on the maker's own pricing page. ## Sources and method Cheapest month first, the ledger included; products we could not price at the end. [How we rank](https://tickmarkbooks.com/methodology/) Every price was read on the maker's own pricing page. - [Bookkeeper360](https://tickmarkbooks.com/bookkeeper360): [bookkeeper360.com/app](https://bookkeeper360.com/app/), checked 27 October 2026 - [Digits](https://tickmarkbooks.com/digits): [digits.com/pricing](https://digits.com/pricing/), checked 27 October 2026 - [Every](https://tickmarkbooks.com/every): [every.io/bookkeeping](https://www.every.io/bookkeeping), checked 27 October 2026 - [Inkle](https://tickmarkbooks.com/inkle): [inkle.ai/pricing](https://www.inkle.ai/pricing), checked 27 October 2026 - [SimpleAI](https://tickmarkbooks.com/simpleai): [simpleaiworks.com/en/pricing](https://simpleaiworks.com/en/pricing), checked 27 October 2026 - [Zeni](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zeni): [zeni.ai/pricing](https://www.zeni.ai/pricing), checked 31 October 2026 - [Zoho Books](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zoho-books): [zoho.com/us/books/pricing](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/pricing/), checked 26 October 2026 ## Where next ### Related categories - [Cheapest accounting software](https://tickmarkbooks.com/category/cheapest) - [Small businesses](https://tickmarkbooks.com/category/small-business) - [Online bookkeeping services](https://tickmarkbooks.com/category/bookkeeping-services) - [Bookkeepers and accounting firms](https://tickmarkbooks.com/category/accounting-firms) - [Freelancers and the self-employed](https://tickmarkbooks.com/category/freelancers) - [With a bookkeeper checking](https://tickmarkbooks.com/category/with-a-bookkeeper) - [Works with QuickBooks Online](https://tickmarkbooks.com/category/works-with-quickbooks) - [Accounting software](https://tickmarkbooks.com/category/accounting-software)