# Counsel: Honest AI CFO — The C-Suite for Small Business

> AI-powered financial analysis and forecasting for small businesses. (iPhone/iPad app by BRANDON JAMES GRUTKOWSKI.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/counsel-honest-ai-cfo/id6802312256 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [BRANDON JAMES GRUTKOWSKI](https://appshunter.io/developer/6802312258)
- Category: Finance, Business
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 17 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-08-26
- Data updated: 2026-10-15
- Monetization: freemium

## What is Counsel?

Counsel reads your business numbers the way a careful C-Suite would, and then does something no dashboard does: it shows you the math behind every single claim.

Every number in Counsel opens. Tap it and you get the receipt: what was computed, over what window, from which of your records, and how sure the answer is. When the data is not enough to call something, Counsel says "not ready to call" instead of guessing. That refusal is the product.

WHAT IT DOES
- The morning read: what changed, what needs a minute, what can wait
- This week's three moves: every engine's best proposal, ranked by dollars at stake
- The Simulations Lab: stack a hire, a price move, a big purchase, and watch the whole plan land on your 13 week cash path, run across 500 simulated quarters
- A revenue band you can plan on, with the uncertainty stated
- Change detection that knows its own error rate, measured on thousands of stress tests, and says when a "break" might be noise
- Pay Yourself: the largest owner draw your cash floor can support
- 13 week cash view, profit and loss, price power, customer risk, restock math, fee audit, and a decision tracker that grades its own advice

YOUR DATA STAYS YOURS
Your records live on your device. Connect Square, Stripe, Shopify, Etsy, or QuickBooks with one sign-in, or just drop in a CSV, PDF statement, or receipt photo. Nothing is uploaded to us; sync passes through, and the analysis runs locally. No ads, no tracking, no selling data. Delete everything with one tap in Settings.

HONEST BY CONSTRUCTION
Counsel is powered by Aurora, an open source statistical engine. The methods are named, the thresholds are visible, and the false-fire rates of its detectors are published. If you find one claim you disagree with, you can trace it to the exact numbers that produced it.

Built by a solo founder for real small businesses: the coffee shop, the landscaping crew, the working musician, the twelve person firm. Try the demo worlds first; connect your own numbers when you trust it. The first 50 businesses to join become founding members and keep Pro free for life.

Terms of Use (EULA): https://counsel-demo.pages.dev/terms
Privacy Policy: https://counsel-demo.pages.dev/privacy

## Key features

- Transparent financial analysis
- Actionable business insights
- Cash flow forecasting
- Simulation lab for planning
- Change detection with error rates
- Owner draw recommendations
- Data privacy and local processing

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Counsel Pro Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Counsel Pro Annual | $119.99 | per year |


## Is Counsel safe?

Not enough ratings yet to assess Counsel.

## Is Counsel legit?

Counsel: Honest AI CFO has limited verification signals. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for Counsel is 58 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.


## Frequently asked questions about Counsel

### What is Counsel's core function?

Counsel reads your business numbers and provides transparent financial analysis, showing the exact math behind every insight. It avoids guessing by stating when data is insufficient.

### How does Counsel ensure data privacy?

Your business records stay on your device. Connections to platforms like Square or QuickBooks sync data locally, and nothing is uploaded to the developer. You can delete all data with one tap.

### What kind of financial insights does Counsel offer?

Counsel provides a morning read of changes, suggests top business moves ranked by financial impact, offers a revenue band with uncertainty, and calculates the largest owner draw your cash floor can support.

### Can I test Counsel before connecting my data?

Yes, you can try the demo worlds first to understand its functionality. You can connect your own numbers when you feel confident in the tool.

### What are the subscription options for Counsel Pro?

Counsel Pro offers monthly and annual subscription plans. The monthly plan is $14.99, and the annual plan is $119.99.

### Is Counsel suitable for very small businesses?

Yes, Counsel is built for real small businesses, including coffee shops, landscaping crews, musicians, and small firms. The first 50 businesses to join become founding members and receive Pro for free for life.

### How frequently is Counsel updated?

The latest version, 1.0.5, was last updated on September 4, 2026. This indicates a relatively recent update cycle for the application.

### Does Counsel have ads?

No, Counsel is ad-free. The description explicitly states 'No ads, no tracking, no selling data' to ensure a focused user experience.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.0.5 — 2026-09-04

Bank connections now live in Counsel Pro. Every other source — Square, Stripe, Shopify, Etsy, QuickBooks, and CSV files — stays free forever, along with all the math and every receipt.

### 1.0.4 — 2026-09-03

Refreshed App Store screenshots and small polish.

### 1.0.3 — 2026-08-31

A fresh icon.
Counsel may ask for a rating once, at most — right after it shows you the math. If you have feedback instead of stars, contact@fantasylab.tech reaches a human.
Small refinements. Every number still carries its receipt.

### 1.0.2 — 2026-08-28

Small refinements and housekeeping. Every number still carries its receipt, and when the math is not conclusive, Counsel still says so.

### 1.0.1 — 2026-08-27

Connect your bank: expenses flow in read-only through Plaid, straight from your statements. All seven connection paths are now live.
Price power is more honest: when a price change's measured effect is not yet statistically conclusive, Counsel says exactly that instead of projecting a gain.
The "what changed" drivers read in plain English, and unit prices show to the cent.
Math receipts render cleanly on every card, plus polish across the paywall and capability ledger.

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## More apps by BRANDON JAMES GRUTKOWSKI

- [Spotless Parking](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spotless-parking/id6806359960)

All apps by BRANDON JAMES GRUTKOWSKI: https://appshunter.io/developer/6802312258

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-10-15.*