1. A full ledger — not just AI reporting
Digits is AI-native reporting and insights layered on your general ledger. HelloBooks is the full stack: an AI bookkeeper categorizes and reconciles daily, plus AR/AP, invoicing, bills, inventory, and month-end close — all from one ledger. You run the whole back office, not just look at charts on top of it.
2. Multi-country tax filing, built in
Digits is US-centric AI accounting. HelloBooks generates US 1099 e-file and 50-state sales tax — and India GST, UK VAT, and Australia BAS — from the same ledger. If you operate across borders or plan to, the tax engine is already there instead of a US-only reporting view.
3. A permanent Free Plan, AI on every plan
Digits charges a monthly subscription from its entry tier up. HelloBooks Pro is a $9.99/mo founding-member price (then $19.99) with unlimited users, and the Free Plan covers most freelancers and solo LLCs at $0 — with AI bookkeeping included on every plan, not gated behind a paid tier.
4. AI cleanup for the catch-up
Behind on the books, or migrating mid-year? Point the AI cleanup mode at the backlog — it backfills categorization, matches transfers, surfaces duplicates, and reopens the books in an afternoon. What catch-up bookkeeping firms charge $1,500–$5,000 for, included in the subscription.
5. You own your books + open AI access
Your ledger lives in your account, you export any time, and the AI agent runs on a public MCP server you can query from Claude or ChatGPT. Plus a reviewer mode so your CPA reviews and signs without a separate subscription — the human oversight Digits leaves to you, built in.