Small-business bookkeeping is the process of accurately recording your business's financial activity. When bookkeeping tasks become too time-consuming to handle on your own, hiring an online bookkeeping service can be a worthwhile investment. These services are typically staffed by people who have access to your accounting software and help make sure none of your financial data slips through the cracks.
The best bookkeeping services handle your target tasks without breaking your business’s budget, integrate with your accounting software and offer a dedicated line of communication with a live bookkeeper. In addition, consider the availability of add-on services like tax planning, payroll and human resources support.
Here are NerdWallet’s picks for the top online bookkeeping services for small businesses.
Our Nerdy picks for
Businesses on a budget
Merritt BookkeepingBest Online Bookkeeping Services
Product | Promotion | Learn more | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
QuickBooks Live Learn more on QuickBooks Live's secure website | Best for QuickBooks users | $200/month Plus first-month cleanup fee. | N/A | Learn more on QuickBooks Live's secure website |
Bookkeeper360 | Best for Overall bookkeeping service | $399/month | N/A | |
Merritt Bookkeeping | Best for Businesses on a budget | $190/month | N/A | |
Pilot | Best for Fast-growing startups | $699/month (billed annually) Plus onboarding fee equal to one month of bookkeeping. | First-year $200 monthly discount for pre-revenue companies. | |
Bench | Best for New businesses | $299/month | One free month of bookkeeping. | |
1-800Accountant | Best for Businesses that need extensive tax support | $399/month (billed annually) | N/A | |
Decimal | Best for Project-based businesses | $395/month | N/A | |
inDinero | Best for Midsize businesses | $750/month | N/A |
Our pick for
QuickBooks users
QuickBooks Live
Learn more
on QuickBooks Live's secure website
Starting at
$200/month
Plus first-month cleanup fee.
Promotion
N/A
QuickBooks Live is convenient for people who already use QuickBooks Online for accounting because the services are automatically integrated.
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 filing 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.
Our pick for
Overall bookkeeping service
Bookkeeper360
Starting at
$399/month
Promotion
N/A
Bookkeeper360, unlike some other accounting and bookkeeping services, accommodates both cash and accrual accounting methods (although pricing varies between the two). It also plays nicely with both QuickBooks Online and Xero.
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.
Our pick for
Businesses on a budget
Merritt Bookkeeping
Starting at
$190/month
Promotion
N/A
Merritt Bookkeeping is a straightforward, budget-friendly bookkeeping option that runs on QuickBooks.
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.
Our pick for
Fast-growing startups
Pilot
Starting at
$699/month (billed annually)
Plus onboarding fee equal to one month of bookkeeping.
Promotion
First-year $200 monthly discount
for pre-revenue companies.
Pilot aims to serve startups with niche services, like help claiming the research and development tax credit.
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.
Our pick for
New businesses
Bench
Starting at
$299/month
Promotion
One free month of bookkeeping.
Bench offers bookkeeping support at a lower price than many competitors and is a good choice if you prefer to completely hand over your bookkeeping to an online service.
Pros
- Unlimited in-app 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 accounts receivable tracking.
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.
Our pick for
Businesses that need extensive tax support
1-800Accountant
Starting at
$399/month (billed annually)
Promotion
N/A
1-800Accountant goes beyond basic bookkeeping support by offering year-round tax advice from an accountant, along with personal and business tax preparation and filing services.
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.
Our pick for
Project-based businesses
Decimal
Starting at
$395/month
Promotion
N/A
In addition to accounting and bookkeeping services, Decimal offers features like invoicing, bill pay and payroll.
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.
Our pick for
Midsize businesses
inDinero
Starting at
$750/month
Promotion
N/A
You can customize inDinero plans according to your specific needs and choose between a variety of services including invoicing, tax support, profit and loss and balance sheet reporting, cash flow forecasting, employee reimbursements and equity management.
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.
Bookkeeper360: Best overall bookkeeping service
Price:
- $399 per month for monthly cash basis bookkeeping.
- $549 per month for weekly cash basis bookkeeping.
- $549 per month for monthly accrual basis bookkeeping.
- $749 per month for weekly accrual basis bookkeeping.
Why we like it: Bookkeeper360 is our top selection for online bookkeeping service because of its scalability, wide range of add-on services and multiple accounting integrations. Some online bookkeeping services either only integrate with QuickBooks or use proprietary accounting software, which makes it difficult to switch accounting services down the road. But Bookkeeper 360 integrates with Xero and QuickBooks. If you’re looking to scale up as your business grows, you can upgrade to weekly (instead of monthly) financial reports and choose from a number of add-on services to receive support for payroll, human resources, invoicing and tax filing. This makes the product a good fit for small businesses of varying complexity. Read our Bookkeeper360 review.
Merritt Bookkeeping: Best for businesses on a budget
Price: $190 per month.
Why we like it: Merritt’s bookkeepers work in QuickBooks to categorize your bank transactions each month and produce simple financial reports for you to work from. During tax season, the team will be in touch with your CPA as needed and will also issue 1099s. As you might expect based on the lower price point, Merritt’s offerings are lighter than some of its competitors: It doesn’t offer payroll or HR support, financial forecasting, accrual basis accounting or tax planning.
Bench: Best for new businesses
Price:
- $299 per month for the Essential plan.
- $499 per month for the Premium plan.
Why we like it: Because Bench uses proprietary accounting software, it's best suited to businesses that are fairly new and haven't become too reliant on third-party accounting software yet. Although that lack of integration could make switching accounting software down the road a pain if you outgrow Bench, you can still access your financial data after canceling your subscription. It also offers a plan with unlimited income tax support and annual tax filing services. Read our complete Bench review.
Pilot: Best for fast-growing startups
Price:
- $499 per month for Starter plan (pre-revenue companies).
- $699 per month for Core plan.
Why we like it: Pilot caters to startup businesses at all stages by offering a lower cost Starter plan for pre-revenue companies as well as add-on support for R&D tax credit services, stock administration and strategic financial planning support for CFOs. The company also calculates burn rate, an important metric for venture capital-backed companies. And while other services primarily focus on cash basis bookkeeping, Pilot stands out for operating on an accrual basis only. Read our full Pilot review.
QuickBooks Live: Best for QuickBooks users
Price:
- $200 per month if your average monthly expenses are $0 to $10,000.
- $300 per month if your average monthly expenses are $10,001 to $50,000.
- $400 per month if your average monthly expenses are $50,001 or more.
Why we like it: QuickBooks Live is a bookkeeping service available to QuickBooks Online users; you can subscribe to it through your account. When matching you with a bookkeeper, the company will try to select someone who has experience in your industry and has similar availability. Bookkeepers can provide monthly financial reports, but they can’t help with tax planning, sending invoices or managing payroll. Read our review of QuickBooks Live.
» MORE: Explore QuickBooks pricing
1-800Accountant: Best for tax support
Price:
- $139 per month for the Business plan (accounting support but no bookkeeping).
- $239 per month for the Corporation plan (accounting and tax support but no bookkeeping).
- $399 per month for the Enterprise plan (includes accounting, tax and bookkeeping support).
Why we like it: Unlike some competitors that offer tax support only as an add-on, 1-800Accountant’s bookkeeping plan (Enterprise) includes it. On average, according to the company, this helps businesses save over $12,000 in taxes per year. The proprietary software also includes built-in accounting features like invoicing, bank connections, receipt storage and mileage tracking.
While 1-800Accountant offers less expensive plans that may be useful for businesses that need only tax advice and quarterly reviews, only its most expensive Enterprise plan comes with bookkeeping services.
Decimal: Best for project-based businesses
Price:
- $395 per month for the Essentials plan.
- $995 per month for the Plus plan.
Why we like it: In addition to accounting and bookkeeping services, Decimal has add-ons for job costing and project-based accounting, which is a plus for businesses that need assistance gauging project profitability. Accounting software typically comes with project-tracking features, but analyzing the resulting figures can be time-consuming. Outsourcing the task can help you quickly parse out which types of projects are worth your business’s time and effort.
inDinero: Best for midsize businesses
Price:
- Starting at $750 per month for the Essential plan.
- Starting at $1,250 per month for the Growth plan.
Why we like it: Whereas multiple bookkeeping services integrate with QuickBooks Online and Xero, inDinero’s Growth plan also accommodates clients that work with NetSuite, a popular enterprise resource system for more complex, growing businesses. Note, however, that the lowest-tier Essential plan uses proprietary software and lacks integrations with QuickBooks Online or NetSuite. Considering the price point and more advanced CFO-level features you can add to your plan, inDinero is best suited for medium-sized and quickly growing businesses.
You might choose to outsource some bookkeeping basics and more complex tasks to online bookkeeping services, including:
- Recording transactions.
- Reconciling bank statements.
- Handling accounts receivable.
- Running financial reports.
- Managing payroll.
- Preparing tax forms.
At the very least, you can expect most bookkeeping services to input transactions, reconcile accounts and send you financial statements regularly. Most services touch base monthly, but in some cases, you can pay extra to receive weekly reports. Depending on the company, you can speak with your bookkeeper (or team of bookkeepers) as often as you'd like or at least a few times per month.
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. Cash basis accounting is much simpler, which is why many bookkeeping services offer it at a lower price. But accrual accounting can give you a better understanding of where your business stands. So, choose a service that does the right accounting for your business's size and complexity.
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, another popular cloud-based accounting software. If you're comfortable with your current software, ensure your bookkeeping service supports it.
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, prepare your returns and file them. Even if a bookkeeping service has all of these add-ons, they can be expensive, so be sure you understand the total cost before choosing a service.
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, available by email or occasionally by phone. If you don't want to communicate virtually, these bookkeeper interview questions can help you find a resource near you.
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.
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.
Last updated on November 2, 2023
Frequently Asked Questions
The best bookkeeping services take care of basic bookkeeping tasks, like reconciling bank statements, inputting transactions and generating financial reports. You should be able to directly call or message your bookkeeper with questions whenever necessary, and some services offer add-ons for tax planning and payroll.
Accounting software makes it possible to handle bookkeeping tasks on your own and automate some of them, such as categorizing and matching transactions. Even with these features, though, you’ll still want to double-check for errors, which takes time. And the more complex your business’s financials, the more likely you’ll want to bring on a dedicated bookkeeping service.
If the hours you spend working with your accounting software could be better spent elsewhere and you’re already using the software as efficiently as possible, it might be time to hire an online bookkeeping service. Ultimately, it can benefit your business by freeing up your time and ensuring your books are up to date. This puts your business in a solid position come tax time and helps you keep a finger on the pulse of its financial state.
Bookkeepers and accountants both play a role in your business’s financial health, but business owners probably chat with their bookkeepers more frequently. Whereas accountants usually file your taxes and advise you on financial decisions, bookkeepers help maintain your books throughout the year by preparing monthly financial statements, recording transactions and reconciling bank statements.