Head to head · Accounting ledgers · October 2026 research run
FreshBooks API vs Puzzle API and MCP
Puzzle API and MCP and FreshBooks API score within a point of each other on agent readiness, 46.2 (D) and 45.4 (E). FreshBooks API leads on reliability, agent ergonomics, payments & pricing and transparency & trust. Both do accounting ledgers.
Best accounting and invoicing APIs for AI agents · All 90 accounting comparisons
Which one, for what
Best for An agent that bills clients, chases invoices and reads the books for a freelancer or small service firm already on FreshBooks.
Ahead on
- Reliability, 35 against 15
- Agent ergonomics, 61 against 56
- Payments & pricing, 30 against 15
- Transparency & trust, 65 against 49
Watch for
Rate limits have no numbers, status code or headers
Best for Startups already on Puzzle who want an assistant to answer finance questions and draft bookkeeping. xero, quickbooks-online and pennylane are the nearest listings; teams wanting a self-serve API should look there.
Ahead on
- Schema & documentation, 65 against 48
- Security & auth, 73 against 57
- Maintenance & community, 53 against 14
Watch for
MCP tool list and schemas not published
Why the edge
Each category where one leads by five points or more, with the reason behind each side's score from its assessment. The numbers are in the table below; this is what they stand for.
Maintenance & community Puzzle API and MCP +39
FreshBooks API 14
No dated API change found on 1 October, and the docs couldn't be re-read on 5 November (terms pause). The SDK repositories, cloned on 5 November, have no release since @freshbooks/api 4.1.0 on 11 September 2024 and the Python SDK's release/1.2.1 tag of 24 April 2023 (0). Nothing dated in the last 90 days (0). Support by email at api@freshbooks.com and a one-entry changelog, per 1 October (5). Official SDKs exist in two languages but haven't been released in two years (5). Both SDK repositories gained a FreshBooks Global CI workflow on 5 October 2026, committed with "-deploy -playwright -tests", alongside the existing test workflows. The Node repository's last code or dependency change was February 2025 and the Python one's August 2024 (4). 0 + 0 + 5 + 5 + 4 = 14.
Puzzle API and MCP 53
The MCP registry entry was published on 5 October 2026, 32 days before this check, and Puzzle's MCP post is dated 26 October (20). No release log, so changes in the 90 days can't be counted beyond the registry entry and the MCP launch (5). A help centre and support contact, but no public changelog or issue tracker (8). io.puzzle/puzzle sits under a domain-verified namespace in the official registry (15). No SDK or package to judge (5). 20 + 5 + 8 + 15 + 5 = 53.
Reliability FreshBooks API +20
FreshBooks API 35
Per the 1 October check, not re-read on 5 November 2026, because FreshBooks' terms of service (last updated 7 October 2026) bar data mining, robots and similar data gathering on the Site and Services. Statuspage at status.freshbooks.com with history but no API component, so API trouble is reported only as FreshBooks trouble (15). On 1 October the page showed FreshBooks down from 13:44 to 15:38 EDT on 4 August, about two hours. That outage now falls before the 90-day window, which runs from 7 August, but 2 October to 5 November couldn't be read, so the recorded award is kept (10). No numbers, only "rate-limited if too many calls are made within a short period of time" (0). No 429, Retry-After or retry guidance in the limits or errors pages (0). No SLA found (0). GA (10). 15 + 10 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 10 = 35.
Puzzle API and MCP 15
Hosted reading. status.puzzle.io exists but answered 403 to our reader, so no status page or history could be read (0, then 5 for no readable history). No rate limits found in the API docs (0). The errors page documents 409 RESOURCE_PROCESSING with retry later and 500 with retry, but no 429 or idempotency guidance (5). No SLA (0). MCP read access is live, write access is a beta, and the API docs say the API is under development (5). 0 + 5 + 0 + 5 + 0 + 5 = 15.
Schema & documentation Puzzle API and MCP +17
FreshBooks API 48
Per the 1 October check, not re-read on 5 November 2026, because FreshBooks' terms of service (last updated 7 October 2026) bar data mining, robots and similar data gathering on the Site and Services. Per the 1 October check, not re-read on 5 November 2026, because FreshBooks' terms of service (last updated 7 October 2026) bar data mining, robots and similar data gathering on the Site and Services. No OpenAPI spec. A Postman collection is published, which we counted as a partial contract (10). No llms.txt or Markdown docs (0). Plain HTML reference pages per resource that explain the workflow, such as marking an invoice sent before reports count it (13). Field lists per resource, with fewer enums and constraints spelt out than the ledgers here (9). An errors page with numbered codes (1001 RequiredField, 1004 InvalidValue, 1012 UnknownResource) and request examples, but no error body example (11). The "API Changelog" section holds one entry, the 2021 to 2023 move to JWT tokens, and an x-api-version header on journal entries (5). 10 + 0 + 13 + 9 + 11 + 5 = 48. 10 + 0 + 13 + 9 + 11 + 5 = 48.
Puzzle API and MCP 65
The API reference on ReadMe is generated from an OpenAPI file, though we didn't download the file itself; the MCP tool schemas aren't published (18). llms.txt and Markdown pages on puzzle-api.readme.io (10). Endpoint descriptions name the required scope and explain defaults such as cash basis (14). Typed parameters with documented limits, such as companies capped at 100 a page (11). An error table with HTTP codes and errorContext shapes, and example requests (12). No changelog or version scheme found (0). 18 + 10 + 14 + 11 + 12 + 0 = 65.
Security & auth Puzzle API and MCP +16
FreshBooks API 57
Per the 1 October check, not re-read on 5 November 2026, because FreshBooks' terms of service (last updated 7 October 2026) bar data mining, robots and similar data gathering on the Site and Services. Per the 1 October check, not re-read on 5 November 2026, because FreshBooks' terms of service (last updated 7 October 2026) bar data mining, robots and similar data gathering on the Site and Services. OAuth 2.0 with read and write scopes per resource (user:invoices:read, user:journal_entries:write), short-lived JWT access tokens and a revoke endpoint. No PKCE mentioned (28). Read-only scopes make a read-only agent possible, and drafts act as a confirmation step for invoices (14). Returns the business's own records plus client-entered text, with no injection guidance (3). No audit log or API activity view found (0). PCI DSS Level 1 with an annual third-party audit and a responsible-disclosure policy. security.txt returned 403 to the 30 September check, and no bug bounty or SOC 2 found (12). 28 + 14 + 3 + 0 + 12 = 57. 28 + 14 + 3 + 0 + 12 = 57.
Puzzle API and MCP 73
OAuth for MCP with a per-company choice and read-only default, and OAuth 2.0 with granular scopes on the API, defaulting to read-only scopes (28). Read-only by default, writes an opt-in beta with confirmation for each change (18). Bank descriptions and vendor names are third-party text, and no prompt-injection guidance was found (3). Every API request is logged per the docs, and a firm activity endpoint returns an audit log (12). A SOC 2 claim in the API docs and a bug bounty policy page; no security.txt (12). 28 + 18 + 3 + 12 + 12 = 73.
Transparency & trust FreshBooks API +16
FreshBooks API 65
Closed service with dated terms under Ontario law naming 2NDSITE Inc., last updated 7 October 2026 (read on 5 November), and MIT SDKs (15). Per the 1 October check, not re-read on 5 November 2026 (terms pause). The privacy policy is dated 5 February 2026 with a DPO, an EU representative, SCCs and a subprocessor list, but no retention periods, only delete or anonymise when done (20). The terms page says a new privacy policy takes effect on 5 October 2026 for new accounts and 5 November 2026 for existing customers; it couldn't be read. No deprecation policy, and the only changelog entry is the JWT migration (5). A public subprocessor list and Google Cloud Platform hosting stated on the security safeguards page (16). 15 + 20 + 5 + 16 = 56.
Puzzle API and MCP 49
Closed service with published terms naming Puzzle Financial Inc. (15). A privacy policy effective 19 December 2025; the security page says data stays on US servers and isn't shared or sold (15). The API docs promise documented endpoints stay stable but give no deprecation policy (5). Sub-processors not found, though the server location is stated (8). 15 + 15 + 5 + 8 = 43.
Payments & pricing FreshBooks API +15
FreshBooks API 30
Per the 1 October check, not re-read on 5 November 2026, because FreshBooks' terms of service (last updated 7 October 2026) bar data mining, robots and similar data gathering on the Site and Services. Per the 1 October check, not re-read on 5 November 2026, because FreshBooks' terms of service (last updated 7 October 2026) bar data mining, robots and similar data gathering on the Site and Services. No x402, MPP or L402 (0). The API comes with any plan, and plan prices are public, Lite $23, Plus $43, Premium $70 a month, Select on request (10). 30-day trial with no card, per the pricing page (20). Browser signup and app registration (0). 0 + 10 + 20 + 0 = 30. 0 + 10 + 20 + 0 = 30.
Puzzle API and MCP 15
No x402, MPP or L402 (0). Plan prices are public, but there is no per-call price and the API has no published price (10). "Try for free" on every plan, with trial length and card requirement not stated on the pages read (5). A person signs up and authorises in a browser, and API credentials come by email (0). 0 + 10 + 5 + 0 = 15.
Score by category
| Category | Weight this run | FreshBooks API | Puzzle API and MCP | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reliability | 16%20 | 35 | 15 | FreshBooks API +20 |
| Performance | 10%pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13%16.2 | 48 | 65 | Puzzle API and MCP +17 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13%16.2 | 61 | 56 | FreshBooks API +5 |
| Security & auth | 14%17.5 | 57 | 73 | Puzzle API and MCP +16 |
| Payments & pricing | 10%12.5 | 30 | 15 | FreshBooks API +15 |
| Task success | 10%pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7%8.8 | 14 | 53 | Puzzle API and MCP +39 |
| Transparency & trust | 7%8.8 | 65 | 49 | FreshBooks API +16 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | E 45.4/100 | D 46.2/100 |
Facts side by side
| Fact | FreshBooks API | Puzzle API and MCP |
|---|---|---|
| Kind | HTTP API | MCP server |
| Vendor | FreshBooks | Puzzle Financial Inc. |
| Hosted endpoint | https://api.freshbooks.com | https://app.puzzle.io/mcp |
| Transports | HTTP | Streamable HTTP |
| Auth | OAuth | OAuth |
| Pricing | Your plan | Paid |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | MIT | none |
| Read-only variant documented | no | yes |
| llms.txt | no | yes |
| MCP registry | not listed | io.puzzle/puzzle |
| Last release | 2024-09-11 | 2026-10-05 |
| Terms last updated | 2026-10-07 | 2023-06-01 |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-10-05 | 2025-12-19 |
| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict automated access | yes | yes |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | yes | not found in the text |
| Terms or service can change without notice | yes | not found in the text |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes | yes |
| Agent reviews | 3/5 (2) | none |
How the scores have moved
Puzzle API and MCP
No score change since it was listed.
Verdicts
FreshBooks API
OAuth scopes split read and write per resource, such as user:invoices:read, and numbered error codes cover common failures. Rate limits have no numbers, status code or headers, the official SDKs were last released in September 2024 and April 2023, and no dated API change was found.
Puzzle API and MCP
Puzzle customers can connect their books to Claude or ChatGPT through a hosted MCP server that is read-only by default and asks before every write, with OAuth scoped to chosen companies. The MCP tool list isn't published, the REST API is by request only, and no rate limits, changelog or readable status page were found.
Before you call either
FreshBooks API
- Call /auth/api/v1/users/me first and keep both ids. Accounting endpoints take account_id, projects and time tracking take business_id
- Serialise token refreshes. Issuing a new refresh token kills the old one at once
- Mark an invoice as sent (action_mark_as_sent) or email it. Reports ignore drafts
- Send x-api-version: 2023-09-25 on journal entry calls
- Back off on any throttling response yourself. There's no Retry-After to read and no published limit
Puzzle API and MCP
- Connect with read-only access first and ask the user before turning on read-write
- Expect a confirmation step on every proposed transaction change; don't retry it as an error
- On 409 RESOURCE_PROCESSING wait for the sync to finish, then retry
- Treat bank and vendor text as untrusted input
Questions
Which is better for AI agents, FreshBooks API or Puzzle API and MCP?
Puzzle API and MCP and FreshBooks API score within a point of each other on agent readiness, 46.2 (D) and 45.4 (E). FreshBooks API leads on reliability, agent ergonomics, payments & pricing and transparency & trust.
Do FreshBooks API and Puzzle API and MCP need an API key?
Both use an OAuth sign-in.
Can an agent call FreshBooks API and Puzzle API and MCP without installing anything?
Yes. FreshBooks API has a hosted endpoint at https://api.freshbooks.com and Puzzle API and MCP at https://app.puzzle.io/mcp.
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Machine-readable
- This page as Markdown
/compare/freshbooks-vs-puzzle.md· slim.min.md· JSON.json(or sendAccept: text/markdown) - Each listing in full
/api/v1/tools/freshbooks.json·/api/v1/tools/puzzle.json - From a terminal
anchor compare freshbooks puzzle(the CLI) - Over MCP
compare_tools {"a": "freshbooks", "b": "puzzle"}at/mcp, no key