What is MCP? In plain English.
New to this? Three things to understand — then you’re running books.
You talk to your AI hostMCP is how it reaches FinStatFinStat keeps the books
You’ll also see “connector” — that’s what your AI host calls a saved connection to an outside service like FinStat. You create the FinStat connector by giving your AI host this address: https://mcp.finstat.ai/mcp.
And “tokens” — the unit AI systems use to meter work, the way a power company meters kilowatt-hours. Your first 1,000,000 are free — enough to build your first set of books.
Your AI is the new QuickBooks screen.
For years the software was the screen — you clicked through a thousand menus to make the books happen. With FinStat, your AI is the screen. You just ask in plain words; behind the scenes it uses MCP “tools” — small, named actions — to talk to FinStat and do the work. You never have to think about them.
You say “these Amazon charges are personal — move them to Owner’s Draw.”
- your AI drafts the reclassifying entry with
draft_journal_entry(a tool) - you okay it, and the ledger stays balanced
In QuickBooks that’s a dreaded reclass chore — here it’s one sentence, and picking the tool was the AI’s job, not yours.
MCP connects the brain. Your host’s file access feeds the documents.
FinStat needs both, and people are surprised by the second one. Adding the connector and seeing FinStat’s tools appear is only half the story — your AI still has to be able to reach the files on your computer and send them to FinStat. Desktop apps and coding agents can. Browser chat generally cannot, even when FinStat shows up under your connectors and the tools plainly work.
That third layer is the whole game, and it depends on where you run your AI — not just which company made it. So rather than list logos, we only walk you through setups we have actually run books on. And you don’t need real statements or documents to learn FinStat — once you’re connected, say “Run FinStat Tutorial” or “Get Started” and your AI can make sample documents and walk you through all of it. See the setups that work on your computer →
On Windows?
Claude’s optional folder-reading mode (“Cowork”) may need a one-time Windows setting the first time you use it. It’s a Windows + Claude thing, not FinStat.
Fastest fix: ask your AI — “I’m on Windows and Claude Cowork won’t start; walk me through enabling it.” Or search Claude Cowork Windows virtualization for the current steps.
Your AI is your teacher.
You don’t need real statements or documents to learn FinStat. Your AI can make sample documents and walk you through all of it — just ask. It’s your partner here, not a form to fill out. Try these first:
- “What does the FinStat MCP do?”
- “How do I get started with FinStat?”
- “Make me a sample bank statement and a few receipts, then set up books from them.”
- “Walk me through connecting FinStat, step by step.”
Ready to run your books?
Or just open your AI and ask: “How do I get started with FinStat?”
FinStat is a registered MCP server — FinStat on Smithery.