Best Online Bookkeeping Services of 2024
The best bookkeeping services handle your tasks without breaking your business’s budget. Look for dedicated access with a live bookkeeper, and consider add-ons like tax planning, payroll and HR support.
Learn moreBest Online Bookkeeping Services
| Product | Best for | NerdWallet rating | Starting at | Promotion | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 QuickBooks Live on QuickBooks Live's secure website | QuickBooks users | $300/month Plus first-month cleanup fee. Price increases as average monthly expenses increase. | N/A | on QuickBooks Live's secure website | |
 Bookkeeper360 | Overall bookkeeping service | $49/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $399, $1,149. | N/A | ||
 Merritt Bookkeeping | Businesses on a budget | $190/month | N/A | ||
 Pilot | Fast-growing startups | $699/month (billed annually) Plus onboarding fee equal to one month of bookkeeping. Custom pricing also available. | First-year $200 monthly discount for pre-revenue companies. | ||
 Bench | New businesses | $299/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $499. | One-month bookkeeping demo. | ||
 1-800Accountant | Tax support | $399/month (billed annually) | N/A | ||
 Decimal | Project-based businesses | N/A | N/A | ||
 inDinero | Midsize businesses | $750/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $1,250, custom. | N/A |
Best Online Bookkeeping Services
Starting at
$300/month
Plus first-month cleanup fee. Price increases as average monthly expenses increase.
Promotion
N/A
on QuickBooks' website
Pros
- Fully integrated with QuickBooks Online.
- If you think your bookkeeper has made a mistake, QuickBooks will evaluate the situation and correct errors at no additional cost.
- No cap on meetings with your bookkeeper; QuickBooks says small-business owners usually schedule one or two video appointments per month.
Cons
- No tax prep or accrual basis accounting, even as an add-on service.
- Mandatory first-month setup fee to clean up your books.
- Prices increase after business exceeds $10,000 in average monthly expenses.
QuickBooks Live
Best for QuickBooks users
Starting at
$300/month
Plus first-month cleanup fee. Price increases as average monthly expenses increase.
Promotion
N/A
on QuickBooks' website
Pros
- Fully integrated with QuickBooks Online.
- If you think your bookkeeper has made a mistake, QuickBooks will evaluate the situation and correct errors at no additional cost.
- No cap on meetings with your bookkeeper; QuickBooks says small-business owners usually schedule one or two video appointments per month.
Cons
- No tax prep or accrual basis accounting, even as an add-on service.
- Mandatory first-month setup fee to clean up your books.
- Prices increase after business exceeds $10,000 in average monthly expenses.
Pros
- Integrates with QuickBooks and Xero.
- More complex businesses can subscribe to plans with advanced reporting and accrual basis accounting.
- Offers add-ons for tax planning, payroll and HR, and back-office tasks like invoicing, bill pay and expense reimbursements.
Cons
- Prices increase after business exceeds $20,000 in monthly expenses.
Bookkeeper360
Best for Overall bookkeeping service
Starting at
$49/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $399, $1,149.
Promotion
N/A
Pros
- Integrates with QuickBooks and Xero.
- More complex businesses can subscribe to plans with advanced reporting and accrual basis accounting.
- Offers add-ons for tax planning, payroll and HR, and back-office tasks like invoicing, bill pay and expense reimbursements.
Cons
- Prices increase after business exceeds $20,000 in monthly expenses.
Starting at
$190/month
Promotion
N/A
Pros
- Flat rate of $190 per month is more affordable than other bookkeeping services.
- Integrates with QuickBooks.
- 90-day money-back guarantee.
Cons
- No add-on services, like tax planning or accrual basis accounting, outside of catch-up bookkeeping.
Merritt Bookkeeping
Best for Businesses on a budget
Starting at
$190/month
Promotion
N/A
Pros
- Flat rate of $190 per month is more affordable than other bookkeeping services.
- Integrates with QuickBooks.
- 90-day money-back guarantee.
Cons
- No add-on services, like tax planning or accrual basis accounting, outside of catch-up bookkeeping.
Starting at
$699/month (billed annually)
Plus onboarding fee equal to one month of bookkeeping. Custom pricing also available.
Promotion
First-year 200 monthly discount
for pre-revenue companies.
Pros
- Designed for startups that have high growth potential and use accrual basis accounting.
- Offers separate tax preparation plans and add-ons for R&D tax claims, stock administration and billable expenses.
- Integrates with QuickBooks, Shopify, Gusto and more.
Cons
- Prices increase after business exceeds $30,000 in monthly expenses.
- Mandatory onboarding fee equal to one month of bookkeeping.
Pilot
Best for Fast-growing startups
Starting at
$699/month (billed annually)
Plus onboarding fee equal to one month of bookkeeping. Custom pricing also available.
Promotion
First-year 200 monthly discount
for pre-revenue companies.
Pros
- Designed for startups that have high growth potential and use accrual basis accounting.
- Offers separate tax preparation plans and add-ons for R&D tax claims, stock administration and billable expenses.
- Integrates with QuickBooks, Shopify, Gusto and more.
Cons
- Prices increase after business exceeds $30,000 in monthly expenses.
- Mandatory onboarding fee equal to one month of bookkeeping.
Starting at
$299/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $499.
Promotion
One-month bookkeeping demo.
Pros
- Unlimited messaging and phone calls with your bookkeeper.
- Premium plan covers annual income tax filing for businesses and individuals.
- Offers add-ons for catch-up bookkeeping and specialized bookkeeping.
Cons
- No integration with QuickBooks, Xero or other accounting software. Business owners have to use Bench’s proprietary software, which could make it hard to move to another provider in the future.
- No invoicing, bill pay or payroll add-ons.
Bench
Best for New businesses
Starting at
$299/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $499.
Promotion
One-month bookkeeping demo.
Pros
- Unlimited messaging and phone calls with your bookkeeper.
- Premium plan covers annual income tax filing for businesses and individuals.
- Offers add-ons for catch-up bookkeeping and specialized bookkeeping.
Cons
- No integration with QuickBooks, Xero or other accounting software. Business owners have to use Bench’s proprietary software, which could make it hard to move to another provider in the future.
- No invoicing, bill pay or payroll add-ons.
Starting at
$399/month (billed annually)
Promotion
N/A
Pros
- Includes business and personal tax preparation, plus year-round tax advice.
- Has add-on payroll services and catch-up bookkeeping.
- Offers less expensive plans for businesses that need tax support and a dedicated accountant, but not bookkeeping assistance.
Cons
- Accountant meetings occur quarterly, which is less frequent than some competitors.
- Proprietary bookkeeping software could make it difficult to switch to another provider in the future.
1-800Accountant
Best for Tax support
Starting at
$399/month (billed annually)
Promotion
N/A
Pros
- Includes business and personal tax preparation, plus year-round tax advice.
- Has add-on payroll services and catch-up bookkeeping.
- Offers less expensive plans for businesses that need tax support and a dedicated accountant, but not bookkeeping assistance.
Cons
- Accountant meetings occur quarterly, which is less frequent than some competitors.
- Proprietary bookkeeping software could make it difficult to switch to another provider in the future.
Promotion
N/A
Pros
- Add-ons for job costing and project-based accounting may be especially useful for project-based businesses. Other add-ons include inventory management, payroll and 1099 support.
- Integrates with QuickBooks.
Cons
- Provides you with tax-ready financials, but recommends its partners for other tax support and CFO services.
Decimal
Best for Project-based businesses
Promotion
N/A
Pros
- Add-ons for job costing and project-based accounting may be especially useful for project-based businesses. Other add-ons include inventory management, payroll and 1099 support.
- Integrates with QuickBooks.
Cons
- Provides you with tax-ready financials, but recommends its partners for other tax support and CFO services.
Starting at
$750/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $1,250, custom.
Promotion
N/A
Pros
- Integrates with NetSuite, making it a good fit for midsize businesses. It’s also compatible with QuickBooks Online.
- Will provide financial reports as often as you’d like.
- Customize plans to include other services like accounts receivable processing, inventory reconciliation and payroll support. Higher-tier plans enable accrual accounting.
Cons
- Plans are expensive compared to competitors.
- Custom plans make it difficult to predict exactly how much you’ll pay per month.
inDinero
Best for Midsize businesses
Starting at
$750/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $1,250, custom.
Promotion
N/A
Pros
- Integrates with NetSuite, making it a good fit for midsize businesses. It’s also compatible with QuickBooks Online.
- Will provide financial reports as often as you’d like.
- Customize plans to include other services like accounts receivable processing, inventory reconciliation and payroll support. Higher-tier plans enable accrual accounting.
Cons
- Plans are expensive compared to competitors.
- Custom plans make it difficult to predict exactly how much you’ll pay per month.
Top bookkeeping services feature checklists
Bookkeeper360: Best overall bookkeeping service
Features checklist
Merritt Bookkeeping: Best for businesses on a budget
Features checklist
Bench: Best for new businesses
Features checklist
Pilot: Best for fast-growing startups
Features checklist
QuickBooks Live: Best for QuickBooks users
Features checklist
» MORE: Explore QuickBooks pricing
1-800Accountant: Best for tax support
Features checklist
most expensive Enterprise plan comes with bookkeeping services.
Decimal: Best for project-based businesses
Features checklist
inDinero: Best for midsize businesses
Features checklist
How to choose bookkeeping services
Ask yourself the following questions to find the right online bookkeeping service for your business:
Is the bookkeeping service compatible with your accounting method?
There are two accounting methods: cash basis and accrual basis
Does it integrate with your accounting software?
Lots of bookkeeping services are built to run on QuickBooks, an industry leader in accounting and bookkeeping software. Some services also support Xero cloud-based accounting software
Do you need add-on services outside of basic bookkeeping tasks?
Not all bookkeeping services offer the same add-on features. Some business owners, for example, might want their bookkeeper to handle payroll, HR or other back-office jobs like invoicing, bill pay and inventory management on top of fielding basic bookkeeping tasks. Or, if it isn’t already included, you may be looking for tax support to take some of the pressure off when it's time to file returns. These services can help you claim the correct small-business tax credits and deductions
Will you require catch-up bookkeeping services?
If you haven't always been diligent about your financial record-keeping, most bookkeeping services will go through your old receipts, invoices and bank statements to bring your books up to date. This service usually carries an additional fee, so it's important to price out your catch-up bookkeeping costs while searching for a bookkeeping service.
How often do you want to communicate with your bookkeeper?
Online bookkeeping services typically offer a dedicated contact or team — but these are still virtual bookkeepers bookkeeper interview questions
Online services may offer one-on-one meetings, but you might have to pay more. If you want a higher level of support in the future, such as chief financial officer or CFO-style services, consider choosing a bookkeeping service that will allow you to upgrade later.
What’s your online bookkeeping services budget?
Online bookkeeping services typically range from around $200 per month to well over $500 per month if you opt for more frequent reports or back-office add-ons. Depending on the bookkeeping service, costs also rise when your business’s monthly expenses exceed a particular threshold. The decision comes down to whether the time saved is worth the expense.
When comparing services, ensure you're pricing out all the features you need, including add-on services like tax prep, payroll and HR. If you're considering a bookkeeping service that runs on QuickBooks or Xero, include the cost of that software, too. Take advantage of product demos and introductory calls to find the right service.
Frequently asked questions
What features do the best bookkeeping services include?
Can I handle bookkeeping tasks on my own?
Would my business benefit from an online bookkeeping service?
How are bookkeepers and accountants different?
Methodology
To determine the best bookkeeping services, NerdWallet considered the following features:
Affordability. Most of the bookkeeping services included start below $500 per month.
Accounting software integrations. Ideally, bookkeeping services integrate with popular accounting software, like QuickBooks Online and Xero. Some offer their own proprietary bookkeeping software instead.
Supported accounting methods. More complex small businesses should select a bookkeeping service that supports accrual basis accounting instead of only cash basis accounting.
Availability of add-on features. These include tax support, payroll, inventory tracking and catch-up bookkeeping services.
Bookkeeper communication. Unlimited messaging or phone calls with your dedicated bookkeeper or team of bookkeepers is a plus.