- 250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
- 95+ years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance.
- 75+ categories of best business software selections.
- Objective and comprehensive business accounting software ratings rubric. (Learn more about our star ratings.)
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. Price increases as average monthly expenses increase. | N/A | Learn more on QuickBooks Live's secure website |
Bookkeeper360 | Best for Overall bookkeeping service | $49/month Additional pricing tiers (per month) starting at: $399, $549, $749. | 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 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $499. | One free month of bookkeeping. | |
1-800Accountant | Best for Tax support | $399/month (billed annually) | N/A | |
Decimal | Best for Project-based businesses | $395/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $995, custom. | N/A | |
inDinero | Best for Midsize businesses | $750/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $1,250, custom. | N/A |
Our pick for
QuickBooks users
If you already use or are planning to use QuickBooks Online for your business accounting, then it makes good sense to use QuickBooks Live for your bookkeeping needs.
QuickBooks Live
on QuickBooks Live's secure website
Plus first-month cleanup fee. Price increases as average monthly expenses increase.
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.
Our pick for
Overall bookkeeping service
Bookkeeper360 stands out among some of its competitors by offering bookkeeping services for both cash basis and accrual basis accounting, plus it integrates with popular accounting software. The company offers a range of plans based on which accounting method you use and how often you wish to receive reports and updates.
Bookkeeper360
Additional pricing tiers (per month) starting at: $399, $549, $749.
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 is one of the lowest-priced bookkeeping options on our list. The team at Merritt works in QuickBooks, which is helpful for easy handoff to your accountant and in case you decide down the line to bring your bookkeeping in-house.
Merritt Bookkeeping
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
With headquarters in San Francisco, CA, and backing from some major venture capital firms, it’s not surprising that Pilot caters its bookkeeping and additional financial support services to startups. If you’re just getting your business off the ground and project rapid growth, Pilot is worth exploring for your bookkeeping and business success needs.
Pilot
Plus onboarding fee equal to one month of bookkeeping.
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.
Our pick for
New businesses
Bench offers some valuable premium services, such as income tax filing, and add-ons, and it falls on the lower end of the pricing spectrum for online bookkeeping services. Bench uses its own accounting product, however, and doesn’t integrate with popular accounting software, which could make for a trickier software transition down the line if you outgrow Bench.
Bench
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $499.
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.
Our pick for
Tax support
Not all bookkeepers offer tax preparation and/or filing services, so 1-800Accountant stands out with its additional tax services. The company not only helps you prepare for tax season but also offers ongoing tax advice throughout the year.
1-800Accountant
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 offers a number of add-on options to accompany its bookkeeping services. Several of those additional services — including job costing, project profitability tracking and inventory management — lend themselves well to businesses that work largely on a project basis.
Decimal
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $995, custom.
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
Because inDinero integrates with accounting software that’s better suited to midsize and large businesse, like NetSuite, and with the many additional services it offers along with bookkeeping, it’s a good solution for midsize businesses.
inDinero
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $1,250, custom.
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
- $49 per month plus hourly cost for support for Pay-As-You-Go plan.
- $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.
Merritt Bookkeeping: Best for businesses on a budget
Bench: Best for new businesses
- $299 per month for the Essential plan.
- $499 per month for the Premium plan.
Pilot: Best for fast-growing startups
- $499 per month for the Starter plan (pre-revenue companies).
- $699 per month for the Core plan.
- Custom pricing for the Plus plan.
QuickBooks Live: Best for QuickBooks users
- $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.
1-800Accountant: Best for tax support
- $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).
Decimal: Best for project-based businesses
- $395 per month for the Essentials plan.
- $995 per month for the Plus plan.
- Custom pricing for the Premium plan.
inDinero: Best for midsize businesses
- Starting at $750 per month for the Essential plan.
- Starting at $1,250 per month for the Growth plan.
- Custom pricing for the Executive plan.
- Recording transactions.
- Reconciling bank statements.
- Handling accounts receivable.
- Running financial reports.
- Managing payroll.
- Preparing tax forms.
Is the bookkeeping service compatible with your accounting method?
Does it integrate with your accounting software?
Do you need add-on services outside of basic bookkeeping tasks?
Will you require catch-up bookkeeping services?
How often do you want to communicate with your bookkeeper?
What’s your online bookkeeping services budget?
Methodology
- 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.