Bench and Bookkeeper360 are both virtual bookkeeping services. They allow you to outsource your bookkeeping and other financial tasks, combining the best of both worlds—the automation of accounting software and the guidance of a professional bookkeeper.
A key difference between Bench vs Bookkeeper360 is that Bench focuses on basic bookkeeping tasks and income tax filing for a low price, while Bookkeeper360 offers a wider range of services, such as chief financial officer (CFO) advisory, payments and lending, and inventory management. While some small businesses will benefit from the custom services provided by Bookkeeper360, we think that Bench will satisfy the majority of businesses at a very reasonable rate:
- Bench: Best for most businesses seeking basic bookkeeping and income tax support
- Bookkeeper360: Best for startups and growth-stage businesses looking for a full suite of certified public accountant (CPA) services
You can save thousands of dollars per year by doing your own bookkeeping. Our top-recommended small business accounting software is QuickBooks Online:
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Use Cases and Pros & Cons
- Small businesses that want unlimited bookkeeping support: Because of its unlimited bookkeeping support, range of services, and low price, Bench leads our roundup of the best online bookkeeping services.
- Small businesses that have basic bookkeeping needs and work remotely: Users can access basic financial reporting information and real-time cash flow updates through Bench’s iOS app.
- Businesses that need catch-up bookkeeping: Bench offers the add-on service for prior years, which provides cash-basis financial statements for tax returns. This is done quickly and efficiently by focusing exclusively on bank transactions.
- Businesses that seek tax assistance: Users get unlimited access to a tax professional who’ll assist with preparing and filing your return with a Premium subscription.
Pros
- Supports unlimited users
- Provides access to a team of in-house bookkeepers
- Offers a free demo that includes a prior month of bookkeeping and financial statements
Cons
- Has no Android app
- Requires separate software for invoicing, bill payment, and inventory management
- Is proprietary software that makes it difficult to switch to another provider
- Small businesses seeking tax preparation: For an additional fee, Bookkeeper360 will prepare and file your business tax return.
- Small businesses that need not just monthly bookkeeping services: Bookkeeper360 offers pay-as-you-go and weekly services on top of its monthly service.
- QuickBooks Online users who want access to financial advisory services: The fractional CFO services of Bookkeeper360 can be customized to your business’ needs, whether that’s ongoing or a one-off.
Pros
- Is compatible with Xero and QuickBooks
- Has accrual-basis accounting
- Offers a wide range of services and tailored solutions
Cons
- Requires a $500 initial retainer fee for pay-as-you-go plan
- Has no sales tax management
- Has largely quote-based pricing
- Small businesses on a budget: Offering a flat monthly fee of $190, Merritt Bookkeeping is an ideal solution for small businesses on a tight budget. Its bookkeepers will perform basic bookkeeping tasks and track income and expenses. Read our review of Merritt Bookkeeping to determine if it’s a fit for your business.
User Reviews: Bookkeeper360 Wins
Both Bench and Bookkeeper360 received mostly positive user reviews, but Bookkeeper360’s average score is higher. We feel this is mainly because of the quality of its customer service, which has been described as both responsive and knowledgeable. Its integrations with both Xero and QuickBooks Online make it easy for users to understand their financial picture.
Users appreciate Bench for its cost-effectiveness and the added benefit of a one-month free bookkeeping trial—but Fit Small Business readers can get two months of bookkeeping for free. The unlimited customer support and year-round tax advisory services are also noteworthy perks. Some commented that they wished that Bench had an Android mobile app and support for multiple currencies. Users have also expressed interest in CFO advisory services, a feature not currently provided by Bench.
Bench earned the following average scores on popular review sites:
- Software Advice[1]: 4.7 out of 5 based on almost 300 reviews
- G2.com[2]: 4.3 out of 5 based on about 75 reviews
- Trustpilot[3]: 4.2 out of 5 based on around 950 reviews
We found only a few user reviews of Bookkeeper360, but most of the scores are high. Since the platform works best when integrated with QuickBooks and Xero, we evaluated user scores from the app stores of each accounting software.
Users commented on Bookkeeper360’s quality of service and responsiveness, how easily the software integrates with QuickBooks Online and Xero, and the ability to collaborate with a team of professionals. The only complaint we identified was that it is more expensive as compared to its competitors. While we agree that Bookkeeper360 is more expensive than firms that offer limited bookkeeping and tax services, we think it’s fairly priced for a firm that provides a wide variety of services similar to a traditional accounting firm.
Bookkeeper360 earned the following average scores on popular review sites:
- QuickBooks App Store[4]: 4.5 out of 5 based on around 25 reviews
- Xero App Store[5]: 4.89 out of 5 based on about 30 reviews
Pricing: Bench Wins
We chose Bench as the winner in this category because it is value priced and even includes your income tax return if you subscribe to the Premium plan for $499 per month.
Unlike Bookkeeper360, Bench pricing is very straightforward and doesn’t depend on the size of your business or the number of transactions. All customers choose from either the Essential plan or Premium plan based on whether they want tax services included. If needed, you can add historical (or catch-up) bookkeeping for an additional fee.
Add-ons
- Historical bookkeeping: Starts at $299 per month
- Specialized bookkeeping: Starts at $100 per month
- Business owner’s individual return filing add-on: $69 per month for one partner or shareholder when billed monthly and $59 per month when billed annually
Bookkeeper360’s basic bookkeeping plans are priced higher than most of its competitors, including Bench. However, they could be worth it for businesses that take advantage of some of its more advanced offerings like CFO services, invoicing, and bill pay.
Bookkeeper360 has upfront pricing on bookkeeping packages for companies with less than $100,000. Companies larger than that must request a custom quote. The ultimate cost of your bundle depends on your level of expenses, whether you require accrual versus cash accounting, and whether you want monthly, weekly, or pay-as-you-go service. While Bookkeeper360 doesn’t provide a free trial, it does offer month-to-month pricing without entering a long-term contract.
For the costs based on monthly expenses, click through the tabs below.
Other Services
- CFO advisory: Starts at $1,000 per month, includes business planning, profit, cost, margin analysis, coaching, corporate governance, capital strategies, and financial projections and forecasting.
- Tax: Starts at $800 per filing for businesses and $300 per filing for individuals, includes business and individual taxation, sales taxation, 401(k) planning, tax planning, and tax credits
- Payroll and HR: Starts at $46 per month and includes set-up and ongoing payroll and HR services
- Back office: Starts at $150 per month, includes invoicing and billings, inventory management, expense reimbursement, payments, collections, point-of-sale (POS) integrations, and enterprise resource planning (ERP).
Features: Bookkeeper360 Wins
Both Bench and Bookkeeper360 offer basic bookkeeping services by categorizing your transactions and reconciling your bank accounts every month, providing you with financial statements for review. You’ll also have your own dedicated bookkeeper with both services, but Bookkeeper360 has much more to offer in terms of add-on services, which is why we awarded it the winner of this category.
Meanwhile, Bench is designed to be a user-friendly service for small businesses with basic bookkeeping needs. These include access to financial statements and integrations to streamline business management processes, such as a payroll integration with Gusto and merchant accounts with Square. With the help of your dedicated bookkeeper, you can monitor your financial statements and stay on top of your books. You also receive tax support and return filing if you opt for the Premium plan.
Fractional CFO Services: Bookkeeper360 Wins
Bookkeeper360 offers fractional CFO services that can be customized to the needs of your business—whether that’s on an ongoing basis or for a one-time project. Your dedicated CFO will assist with cash flow optimization, growth strategy, profitability analysis, key performance indicators (KPIs), and pricing and cost analysis. Bookeeper360’s advisors can also help with raising capital, producing financial forecasts, capital deployment strategies, and corporate governance.
Customized Service Plan: Bookkeeper360 Wins
Bookkeeper360 allows you to select from a menu of services to create your own customized plan. These services are hands-on bookkeeping, payroll, and human resources (HR) solutions, tax support and filing, payments and lending, and CFO advisory services. All plans come with your own dedicated bookkeeper, who serves as your point of contact.
Business Performance Dashboard: Bookkeeper360 Wins
Xero and QuickBooks users have the added benefit of a business performance dashboard with Bookkeeper360, which connects to both the desktop and mobile apps to provide financial data in the form of metrics and scorecards. You can use the app to keep track of business performance by viewing dashboards and auto-generated reports that show profit and loss details, direct costs, revenues, and net income.
Ease of Use: Bench Wins
Bench and Bookkeeper360 scored high with overall ease of use, but Bench has the slight edge in this category. Both assign you to a dedicated bookkeeper upon sign-up but the difference is that Bench offers a free trial for one month of prior bookkeeping before you commit to the service.
Also, your Bench bookkeeper uses the company’s proprietary software to work on your books, whereas your Bookkeeper360 bookkeeper uses Xero or QuickBooks. Bench bookkeepers are also more accessible as they’re open to calls as often as needed, while Bookkeeper360 limits your financial review meetings to a monthly basis.
Integrations: Bookkeeper360 Wins
Bench has fewer integrations than Bookkeeper360, which gives its users access to Marketplace. One of Marketplace’s features is that it will analyze your finances and make recommendations for third-party software products that can integrate with Bookkeeper360.
- Bench integrations: Gusto, FreshBooks, Stripe, Square, Shopify, Attune, Keap, Brex, PayPal, and Clio
- Bookkeeper360 integrations: QuickBooks Online, Xero, Gusto, Bill, A2X, Ramp, Divvy, Shopbop, Heartland, Brex, and Critical Financing
Bookkeeper360 has a very nice integration with QuickBooks Online and Xero, which it refers to as the Bookkeeper360 app, which is a desktop app, not a mobile app. It is included in all Bookkeeper360 plans or can be purchased separately for $19 a month. It allows you to view your financial information in a very user-friendly format that’s easy to analyze, after establishing the connection between the Bookkeeper360 app and your QuickBooks or Xero account.
Mobile App: Bench Wins
When we compare Bench and Bookkeeper360 for their mobile apps, we give the win to Bench. Its iOS app gives access to real-time cash flow updates and intuitive visual reports. You can also message your Bench bookkeeping team and leave categorization notes. Meanwhile, Bookkeeper360 users can access the QuickBooks Online app like any other users, but there isn’t any mobile app for communicating or uploading documents to Bookkeeper360.
Customer Support: Bench Wins
We chose Bench as the winner in this category because it offers unlimited support and access to community support, two features that Bookkeeper360 lacks. You can book a phone or Zoom call with your Bench bookkeeper or communicate via in-app message directly through the Bench app. They can assist you with monthly calls or a tax season review and welcome calls whenever you have a question. Bench doesn’t charge a monthly support fee or extra for these calls—it’s all included with its service.
Bench Accounting status page (Source: Bench Accounting)
Your Bookkeeper360 bookkeeper is available to meet via email, live chat, and phone. Meetings are scheduled on a monthly basis to review financial reports, and your bookkeeper will grant you access to their screen so that you can view your books.
Bookkeeper360 Business Performance Page (Source: Bookkeeper360)
How We Evaluated Bench vs Bookkeeper360
We compare Bench and Bookkeeper360 based on the following criteria:
35% of Overall Score
Because each plan depends on many factors, we looked at the value provided in terms of the time and potential money that you’re saving by using the service.
20% of Overall Score
You should be able to access a dedicated bookkeeper for any questions or advice and one-on-one assistance.
15% of Overall Score
The best online bookkeeping service should offer a wide range of bookkeeping solutions, including catch-up bookkeeping, invoicing, bill pay, bank reconciliation, payroll, and tax filing.
10% of Overall Score
We evaluated whether the online bookkeeping service offered tax and consulting, and the scope of those services.
20% of Overall Score
We consider the opinions of users and the service’s ratings on various review sites. These criteria were disregarded for providers where no reviews were found.
*Percentages of overall score
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Bench uses its own proprietary software for your bookkeeping, so you don’t need to purchase any other accounting software.
Bookkeeper360 offers support via email, phone, and live chat.
Yes, both Bench and Bookkeeper360 offer catch-up bookkeeping services.
Bottom Line
Bench offers straightforward bookkeeping and proprietary software, with the option to add tax filing and catch-up bookkeeping services. In contrast, Bookkeeper360 offers a customizable package that can be tailored to your business with additional options such as payroll and HR solutions and is available for either QuickBooks or Xero users.
We feel that Bench is the better option because it offers affordable services that are useful for most small businesses, like tax filing and catch-up bookkeeping. However, you’ll want Bookkeeper360 if you’re looking for more customizable services similar to those offered by traditional accounting firms.
User review references:
1 Software Advice | Bench
2 G2.com | Bench
3 Trustpilot | Bench
4 QuickBooks App Store | Bookkeeper360
5 Xero App Store | Bookkeeper360
