Brex vs Puzzle (2026): Pricing, Features & Verdict
Brex is our pick, scoring 7.5/10 against 6.1/10 for Puzzle on our Finance Software criteria. Its biggest advantage: higher Scalability score (8/10 vs 5/10). For 10 users, Brex is free, against $120/mo for Puzzle; only Brex has a free plan.
Last updated: November 2026
Brex
7.5/10
Brex is a corporate card, expense management, bill pay and business banking platform for startups, mid-sized companies and global enterprises, and is now owned by Capital One.
Puzzle
6.1/10
AI-native accounting software and optional bookkeeping services that automate categorization, reconciliation and month-end close for startups and small businesses.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 7.5/10 | 6.1/10 |
| Scalability | 8/10 | 5/10 |
| Analytics | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Compliance | 7/10 | 5/10 |
| Integration | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 8/10 | 5/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Customization | 7/10 | 5/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | $12/user/mo Premium | $30/mo Starter |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Essentials | $120/mo Complete |
| Features | ||
| General Ledger | ||
| Accountant Access | ||
| Multi-entity Consolidation | ||
| Accounts Payable | Not listed | |
| Audit Trail | Not listed | |
| Bank Reconciliation | Not listed | |
| Budgeting and Forecasting | Not listed | |
| Corporate Cards | Not listed | |
| Expense Management | Not listed | |
| Financial Reporting | Not listed | |
| Invoicing | Not listed | |
| Multi-currency | Not listed | |
| Payroll | Not listed | |
| Tax Compliance | Not listed | |
Brex vs Puzzle cost by team size
Brex costs less at every team size we checked.
| Team size | Brex | Puzzle |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeEssentials | $30/moStarter |
| 5 users | FreeEssentials | $72/moCore |
| 10 users | FreeEssentials | $120/moComplete |
| 25 users | FreeEssentials | $120/moComplete |
| 50 users | FreeEssentials | $120/moComplete |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Who Brex and Puzzle suit
Brex fits enterprise better; Puzzle fits small business better.
| Audience | Brex | Puzzle |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise | 7/10Enterprise offers unlimited global entities, local card issuance and a named account manager, and Brex has focused on enterprise customers since 2022. | 3/10Reviewers describe it as less suited to large or complex businesses. |
| Small Business | 4/10Brex exited the small-business market in 2022, and reviewers report account closures for businesses below revenue thresholds. | 7/10Starter costs $30 a month, and reviewers say the interface is easy for non-accountants. |
| SaaS Companies | 8/10Card rewards multipliers on software and ads spend, plus the startup-focused underwriting, fit tech companies. | 8/10It offers revenue recognition and a Stripe integration, and reports SaaS metrics. |
| Startups | 9/10The free Essentials tier and card underwriting based on cash balance, with no personal guarantee, are aimed at venture-backed startups. | 9/10It is built for venture-backed startups, with burn, runway and MRR metrics and integrations with startup tools like Mercury, Brex and Stripe. |
| Accountants and Bookkeepers | Not rated | 6/10Firms can run AI Close across clients, but bookkeepers complain that AI corrections are hard to make. |
| Finance Teams | 8/10AI expense coding, ERP validation rules and journal export features are built to cut month-end close work. | Not rated |
| Mid-Market | 8/10Premium adds multi-entity support, custom ERP and HRIS integrations, advanced approvals and live budgets for mid-sized companies. | Not rated |
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Brex
- Has a free plan (Puzzle does not)
- Lower estimated cost for 10 users: Free vs $120/mo
- Higher Scalability score (8/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Security score (8/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for enterprise (7/10 vs 3/10)
Why choose Puzzle
- Higher Analytics score (7/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for small business (7/10 vs 4/10)
- Includes General Ledger, which Brex lacks
Pros & Cons
Brex
Pros
- The Essentials tier is free and includes cards, bill pay, reimbursements, travel booking, API access and accounting integrations.
- Card limits are underwritten on cash balance and revenue rather than a founder's personal guarantee, which helps startups without a credit history.
- Direct ERP syncs cover NetSuite, QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage Intacct, Business Central and newer AI-native ERPs such as Rillet and Campfire, and a two-way Accounting API launched in January 2026.
- Brex holds SOC 1 Type II and SOC 2 Type II attestations, is PCI-DSS compliant and supports SAML or OIDC single sign-on.
- Brex releases updates often. The September 2026 release alone added more than 30 features, including passkeys, p-card policy rules and access to Brex data from ChatGPT, Claude and Slack.
- Pricing is published at 12 USD per user per month for Premium, and G2 reviewers rate the product highly, at about 4.8 out of 5.
Cons
- Brex has a history of abrupt account closures and eligibility changes, and it left the small-business market in 2022.
- Credit limits move with the company's cash balance, which some reviewers find unpredictable.
- Card purchases that need currency conversion carry an FX markup of up to 3 percent, built into the exchange rate.
- It is not a general ledger. Bookkeeping and financial statements still need a separate ERP or accounting system.
- Some support and setup experiences are poor, including a clunky HRIS integration setup reported on Gartner Peer Insights.
- The Capital One acquisition could slow feature shipping during integration, according to industry commentary.
Puzzle
Pros
- Most transactions are categorized automatically: the vendor claims 85 to 90 percent on every plan.
- Reviewers praise the clean interface for non-accountant founders.
- Direct integrations with Stripe, Mercury, Brex, Ramp, Gusto and Rippling suit startup tool stacks.
- Entry pricing is low and flat, at $30 a month, and annual billing gives two months free.
- Optional bookkeeping, CFO and tax services are available from the same vendor.
Cons
- Users report AI miscategorizations that are hard to fix manually.
- Some reviewers say it feels immature, with missing basics and occasional lag.
- Reviewers report support lapses, such as a missed onboarding call.
- Revenue recognition and classes only come with Complete at $120 a month.
- Multi-currency support is not documented.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Brex scores higher on our Finance Software criteria: 7.5/10 against 6.1/10 for Puzzle. The largest gap is in Scalability: 8/10 for Brex and 5/10 for Puzzle.
Brex costs less for 10 users: free on its Essentials plan, against about $120/mo on its Complete plan for Puzzle, billed monthly.
Brex has a free plan; Puzzle does not list one.
Brex is the better fit for enterprise: we rate it 7/10 for them, against 3/10 for Puzzle.
Puzzle has General Ledger, which Brex lacks.
