The best online bookkeeping services are affordable and easy to use, offer a wide range of bookkeeping solutions, and provide easy access to dedicated bookkeepers. Many of the top services also have add-on services, such as catch-up bookkeeping, payroll, and tax filing, which can streamline your work.
We have compiled a list of the nine best virtual bookkeeping services for small businesses in 2024:
- Bench: Best overall online bookkeeping service with a range of services offered at a great value
- Merritt Bookkeeping: Best value for basic bookkeeping services
- Wave Advisors: Best for users of Wave Accounting, our overall best free accounting software
- Bookkeeper.com: Best virtual full-service accounting firm
- QuickBooks Live: Best for companies that want assistance with QuickBooks Online
- Bookkeeper360: Best for companies using Xero bookkeeping software
- Pilot: Best for startups
- Block Advisors: Best online bookkeeping firm with low-priced tax preparation
- 1-800Accountant: Best for new nonprofit organizations
Need a bookkeeping solution for your small business? Get on top of your financials today with Merritt Bookkeeping |
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Comparison of Best Online Bookkeeping Services
Monthly Pricing | Dedicated Bookkeeper | Catch-up Bookkeeping | Bill Pay | Invoicing | Bank Reconciliation | Payroll Integration | Tax Filing | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Starts at $299 | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
$190 for any business | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | |
Advisors | Starts at $149 | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
Starts at $399 | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Starts at $300 | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | |
Starts at $399 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Starts at $499 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Starts at $175 | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Starts at $399 | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Which Online Bookkeeping Service is Right for You?
Bench: Overall Best Online Bookkeeping Service
Pros
- Supports unlimited users
- Offers catch-up bookkeeping services
- Has affordable plans that include annual income tax return
- Provides access to a team of in-house bookkeepers
- Has a free demo that includes a free prior month of bookkeeping and financial statements
Cons
- Operates on proprietary software that doesn’t integrate with other accounting software like QuickBooks
- Has no Android app
- Requires separate software for invoicing, bill payment, payroll, and inventory management
Bench offers two different pricing plans, which depend on whether you want tax advice and filings included with your bookkeeping. Discounts are available if you elect to pay annually:
- Essential: $299 per month for monthly bookkeeping ($249 per month if paid annually)
- Premium: $499 a month for monthly bookkeeping, annual tax filing, and tax advisory services ($399 per month if paid annually)
If you are behind on your bookkeeping, you can use Bench’s Catch Up and Retro bookkeeping services to bring your books up to date. Fees start at $299 per month.
Add-ons:
- Historical bookkeeping: Starts at $299 monthly
- Specialized bookkeeping: Starts at $100 monthly
- S corporations (S-corps), C corporations (C-corps), and partnerships filing: $69 a month for one partner or shareholder
Our overall best online bookkeeping service is Bench because it provides bookkeeping support at a lower cost than many similar platforms while also offering tax assistance and payroll integration. It has catch-up bookkeeping services—ideal if you have fallen more than two years behind in your bookkeeping. While the service alone doesn’t let you create invoices and manage bill pay and payroll, it’ll work closely with accounting software, like FreshBooks, so you can perform such essential tasks.
Freelancers and startups that work remotely often will appreciate the iOS mobile app that provides financial reporting functionality and real-time cash flow updates. Upon enrollment, you’ll have access to a team of in-house bookkeepers, and you can book a monthly check-in or tax season review call with them at no additional charge.
For a direct comparison of Bench with other online bookkeeping services, see our articles:
Merritt Bookkeeping: Best Value for Basic Bookkeeping Services
Pros
- Offers a 100% money-back guarantee if you’re unsatisfied with services
- Has catch-up bookkeeping at a discounted rate
- Is budget-friendly; flat-rate pricing with no setup charges
- Comes with a quick setup and initiation process
- Has outstanding user reviews of 4.98 out of 5
Cons
- Has no accrual basis accounting
- Doesn’t offer personal access to your QuickBooks files
- Offers only basic bookkeeping services; lacks payroll, tax, and invoicing
Merritt Bookkeeping costs a flat rate of $190 per month, with no restriction on the number of monthly transactions or the frequency of the service. The price is the same regardless of your business size and the number of employees.
It also offers catch-up bookkeeping services, which is $140 for each month you’re behind. The rate goes down to $70 per month for months that are almost complete.
We selected Merritt Bookkeeping as one of the best online bookkeeping services because it ranked high among users, with the best scores of all providers listed here, and is praised for its ease of use and accessible customer service.
Its 100% money-back guarantee is also an attractive feature. You can use its monthly financial reports to assist with filing taxes, and it provides a simplified issuance and electronic filing of 1099s for your contractors at an additional fee.
It works with businesses using QuickBooks. While it doesn’t offer many of the advanced tools that other online bookkeeping services provide, it’s easy to use and has a quick setup process. If you’re behind on your books, catch-up bookkeeping is available.
To see how Merritt performs against its major competitors, see our guides:
Wave Advisors: Best Online Bookkeeping Service for Users of Wave Accounting, Our Overall Best Free Accounting Software
Pros
- Features account reconciliation and transaction categorization
- Offers monthly review calls with your accountant
- Provides accounting and payroll coaching
- Has Wave Advisors that work with Wave, a free accounting software
Cons
- Lacks bill pay or invoicing services
- Has no free trial
- Lacks tax filing services
- Requires you to request a custom quote for bookkeeping support
Wave Advisors offers bookkeeping support, accounting and payroll coaching, and tax coaching. Not a lot of information is offered in terms of the type of support offered, and Wave only provides pricing for prepaid annual plans—although month-to-month plans are available.
For bookkeeping support, fees are calculated for a calendar month of transactions and depend on the size of your business:
- Bookkeeping Support: Starts at $149 per month, includes collaboration with your accountant and monthly review calls
- Accounting & Payroll Coaching: One-time fee of $379, although other packages are available; includes two hours of live coaching and unlimited 30-day email access to your coach
- Tax Coaching: Custom quote; includes one video call of up to 60 minutes and unlimited 30-day email access to your coach
We love Wave because it offers great accounting software that is free. If you need help with the platform, working with a Wave Advisor is the easiest way to do so because it offers a team of dedicated bookkeeping professionals to help businesses manage their finances.
Because of the integration with Wave Accounting, it simplifies working with your bookkeeper and provides the ability to view your books in real time, which is why we selected it as the best for Wave users. In addition to bookkeeping, it provides accounting and payroll coaching as well as tax coaching, with access to both live coaching and email support.
Although Wave Advisors has many useful features, it doesn’t provide invoicing or bill pay services. If that’s important to you, then we recommend looking into other providers like Bookkeeper.com. However, we’re fine with the low scores because its target is Wave users, which are businesses with very basic needs.
One benefit of using Wave Financial’s software is the ease of using products and services that integrate seamlessly. This includes payroll, invoicing, the ability to accept online payments, and a Wave Money account for qualified users.
To learn more about Wave and its other products and services, check out our guide on what Wave Financial software is and does.
Bookkeeper.com: Best Virtual Full-service Accounting Firm
Pros
- Is an all-in-one bookkeeping, tax, and consulting solution
- Specializes in QuickBooks Online
- Features a dedicated bookkeeper
- Provides payroll for an additional fee
- Has a secure online network that protects your financial data
Cons
- Lacks a mobile app
- Charges a high monthly service fee
- Lacks transparent pricing with add-on services like tax preparation
- Requires you to pay for features you may not need
- Has no free trial
Bookkeeper.com has four subscription levels, which are determined by the number of monthly transactions and the frequency of service:
- Small Business (monthly): $399 per month for up to 100 transactions per month
- Small Business Plus (semimonthly): $599 per month for up to 200 transactions per month plus 20 bill payments
- Small Business Advanced (weekly): $799 per month for up to 300 transactions per month plus 40 bill payments
- Custom (weekly): Custom pricing for more than 300 transactions per month
If your business needs additional services, such as tax filing, payroll management, or budget preparation, Bookkeeper.com will create a customized quote based on the size and needs of your business.
We chose Bookkeeper.com as the best virtual full-service accounting firm because it features a wide range of add-on services, including bill pay, tax return preparation, and payroll. Business, financial planning, and tax advice are even provided for free. Also, it offers more services to QuickBooks Online users than QuickBooks Live; and, upon enrollment, you’re assigned your own dedicated bookkeeper and account manager.
While it lacks its own mobile app, you can use QuickBooks Online’s app to access your books. It’s ideal for businesses looking to outsource their bookkeeping with a full-service accounting firm. But if you’re looking for a dedicated mobile app that enables you to communicate with your accounting team and access your account from anywhere, then 1-800Accountant is a good option.
To see how Bookkeeper.com stacks up against other online bookkeeping services, see our guides:
QuickBooks Live: Best for Assistance With QuickBooks Online
Pros
- Provides a dedicated bookkeeper
- Offers monthly financial reports
- Doesn’t require a contract
- Has a 100% Accurate Books Guarantee
Cons
- Requires a separate subscription to QuickBooks Online
- Excludes bill payment, invoicing clients, accounts receivable (A/R), or accounts payable (A/P)
- Has no financial and tax advice
- Doesn’t support accrual basis accounting
- Lacks inventory management
There are three pricing tiers for QuickBooks Live, which are based on your business’s monthly expenses. In addition to the cost of QuickBooks Live, you will pay a monthly subscription fee for QuickBooks Online, which ranges from $30 to $200.
Your first month of service with QuickBooks Live is dedicated to onboarding and cleaning up your books at an undisclosed cost that will be customized for each customer. After that, you will pay the fee for the applicable pricing tier:
- Low volume: $300 per month for up to $10,000 in monthly expenses
- Medium volume: $500 per month for $10,000 to $50,000 in monthly expenses
- High volume: $700 per month for more than $50,000 in monthly expenses
Although a free trial is unavailable for QuickBooks Live, there is no contract, and you can cancel anytime.
QuickBooks Live is an online bookkeeping service offered by QuickBooks Online, which we ranked as the best small business accounting software. We selected QuickBooks Live as the best for assistance with QuickBooks Online because its professionals excel at helping QuickBooks users with the fundamentals of managing bank feeds, classifying transactions, reconciling accounts, and printing financial statements.
After you’re matched with a dedicated bookkeeper, you can opt to be trained on day-to-day bookkeeping tasks, which is ideal for novice QuickBooks users. Your bookkeeper will assist you with setting up your chart of accounts, connecting your banks, and creating a plan to clean up any existing data.
However, while your financial statements are sent to you monthly, your bookkeeper won’t pay bills, send invoices, manage inventory, and provide financial advice. If this is important to your business, we suggest Bookkeeper.com, which aced our bookkeeping services category and also works with QuickBooks Online users.
See how QuickBooks Live stacks up against some of its major competitors:
Bookkeeper360: Best Online Bookkeeping Service for Xero Users
Pros
- Offers a dedicated bookkeeper
- Uses Xero or QuickBooks bookkeeping software
- Provides free consultations
- Has a wide range of services and tailored solutions
- Offers accrual basis accounting
Cons
- Requires a $500 initial retainer for the Pay-As-You-Go plan
- Is more expensive than other options listed in our guide
There are three subscription plans available, depending on the services you need and the frequency. These are starting prices as they increase based on the number of monthly expenses. There is no contract required, and you can cancel anytime:
- Pay-As-You-Go: $125 per hour for support for up to $20,000 in monthly expenses
- Monthly: Starts at $399 per month for cash and $549 for accrual for up to $20,000 in monthly expenses; support included
- Weekly: Starts at $549 per month for cash and $749 for accrual for up to $20,000 in monthly expenses; support and advanced reporting included
Add-ons:
- Invoicing & Bill Pay: Starts at $150 per month
- Payroll & HR: Starts at $46 per month
- CFO Advisory: Starts at $1,000 per month
- Tax filing: $800 per business filing and $300 per individual filing
Bookkeeper360 offers both accounting and cloud-based bookkeeping services and business advisory services. We selected it as the best online bookkeeping service for Xero users because as a Xero Platinum Partner, it’s ideal for small businesses that use Xero bookkeeping software and are looking for more than just a bookkeeping service. Bookkeeper360 is also the only provider in this guide that works with Xero.
Its mobile app integrates with your Xero account to provide business insights, and there are also payroll, human resources (HR), taxes, back office, and CFO advisory services available. While Bookkeeper360 is our best recommendation for Xero users, it also works well for QuickBooks Online users dissatisfied with the limited services of QuickBooks Live.
For a direct comparison of Bookkeeper360 with other online bookkeeping services, see our articles:
Pilot: Best Online Bookkeeping Service for Startups
Pros
- Provides a dedicated bookkeeper
- Offers accrual-based accounting
- Has industry-specific financial reports
- Offers add-ons for bill pay, invoicing, tax, and CFO services
Cons
- Requires businesses to use QuickBooks Online
- Has only accrual-basis financial statements
- Is more expensive than other providers listed here
- Lacks payroll services
- Comes with prepaid annual plans
Pilot offers three bookkeeping plans, based on an annual subscription model, that scale with your monthly expenses and your business needs:
- Starter: Starts at $499 per month for less than $30,000 in monthly expenses; includes features like dedicated finance expert, financial statements, and support
- Core: Starts at $699 per month for less than $30,000 in monthly expenses; includes everything in Core plus priority support and expedited books delivery, among others
- Plus: Custom pricing; best for large businesses with complex needs
Add-ons:
- Pilot CFO: Starts at $1,350 per month, billed annually, for monthly engagement, and $8,100 per year for annual budgeting and forecasting
- Pilot Tax: Starts at $2,450 per year for tax services, which includes federal corporate income tax and 1099 filing
- A/P and A/R: Starts at $125 per hour for support with paying bills and creating and sending invoices
- Controller services: Starts at $200 per hour for assistance with cost of goods sold (COGS) categorization, revenue recognition best practices, and other services as needed
Pilot is a financial services firm that provides bookkeeping, tax, and CFO advisory services for startups and small businesses. Its services are built around the needs of startup companies backed by venture capitalists, which is why we chose it as the best online bookkeeping service for startups.
As your business grows and potentially takes on funding, the accrual-based and advanced bookkeeping services that it offers will be especially useful. You’ll be matched with a dedicated bookkeeper when you enroll in the service, and they’ll walk you through how to integrate your existing processes and software with QuickBooks.
Check out our comparison of Pilot vs QuickBooks Live to learn more about how one stacks up against the other.
Block Advisors: Best Online Bookkeeping Firm That Includes Low-priced Tax Preparation
Pros
- Offers tax help with free accounting software
- Lets you meet with a tax pro in person or virtually
- Has a full menu of financial services, including taxes and payroll
- Has transaction syncing
- Can import documents, like W-2s and 1099s, by snapping a photo
Cons
- Has no desktop software
- Lacks a dedicated mobile app
- Has a DIY option that’s unavailable for corporate and partnership returns
- Uses Xero accounting software, which can be limiting if you would prefer to use QuickBooks or another software
Block Advisors offers three levels of pricing:
- Self-Serve: $39 per month for DIY bookkeeping with income and expense management, easy receipt capture, and standard reporting
- Full-Service: $175 per month; includes everything in Basic, plus a dedicated accountant, chart of accounts (COA) set-up, review of books year-to-date (YTD), and custom financial statements
- Premium: $299 per month; includes everything in Full-Service, plus inventory, mileage, and expense tracking tools, custom chart of accounts, accrual-based accounting, sales and use tax filing, and multiple currency options
Tax filing starts at $85 for DIY and $203 for full-service assistance.
Block Advisors is a branch of H&R Block that provides tax, bookkeeping, and payroll support. It’s a great option if you’re looking for reliable and efficient support year-round. We selected it as the best online bookkeeping firm that includes low-priced tax preparation because you can either work one-on-one with a tax professional or opt for its DIY option, with assistance available via live chat, phone, and videoconference.
Its bookkeeping services include a free, 30-minute consultation with an account manager, a review of your books year-to-date, and an action plan created each quarter with specific recommendations. Its plans are affordable and can be customized based on your needs.
1-800Accountant: Best for New Nonprofit Organizations
Pros
- Can manage multiple business entities
- Mobile app
- Dedicated accountants
Cons
- No monthly subscription option; only annual
- Bookkeeping services available only in Enterprise
- Financial reports available only in Enterprise
A free live bookkeeping consultation is required before signing up, and services are billed annually. You also have the option of customizing a package that is more specifically tailored to your business needs.
Bookkeeping services and financial reports are available only with an Enterprise subscription, while business and personal tax preparation services are available with the Corporation and Enterprise plans:
- Business: $139 per month for year-round tax advice and proactive tax planning
- Corporation: $239 per month for year-round tax advice, proactive tax planning, and tax preparation
- Enterprise: $399 per month for year-round tax advice, proactive tax planning, bookkeeping, and tax preparation
1-800Accountant is a nationwide virtual accounting firm that will handle all of your accounting needs, from bookkeeping to tax preparation and filing. The solution is ideal for nonprofits because it can support the business at every stage—from walking you through setup requirements and filing your 501(c)(3) application to educating you about compliance and performing ongoing bookkeeping.
Note that bookkeeping services are available only with the Enterprise plan, which also includes priority support and access to financial reports.
With its powerful mobile app, it is also useful for businesses working remotely. Additionally, you’ll have access to bookkeepers, tax and financial advisors, payroll specialists, and a dedicated accountant who is an expert in your state and industry.
How We Evaluated the Best Virtual Bookkeeping Services
We evaluated the best online bookkeeping services 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.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A virtual bookkeeper handles your bookkeeping remotely, and all communication and storage of financial documents are handled within the bookkeeping software. They will categorize your transactions and prepare financial statements for your review. Depending on the service you select, they may also pay bills, invoice clients, process payroll, and prepare your income taxes.
You should outsource your bookkeeping tasks to a virtual bookkeeper if you don’t have the time for and knowledge of DIY bookkeeping. As your business grows and your financial transactions increase, you will need a virtual bookkeeper to do routine tasks, like classifying transactions and reconciling bank accounts.
The leading online bookkeeping services offer many levels of security. The best way to ensure that your data is secure is to look for security features like documentation that show frequent security updates and patches, intrusion detection, data encryption, and multifactor authentication (MFA).
A few benefits of using an online bookkeeping service include increased efficiency and accuracy, access to expert advice and insights, cost savings, real-time financial reporting, and reduced administrative burden for business owners.
There are many factors to consider, such as if they can handle the accounting tasks you want to outsource and offer the services you need—at present and in the future—at a cost you can afford. You will also want to take into account which accounting method the bookkeeper uses and how often you will communicate with them. Other questions to consider include whether the service can accommodate your accounting software and if you will require catch-up bookkeeping services. We suggest reading our guide on how to choose a virtual bookkeeper for the step-by-step process.
Bottom Line
The best online bookkeeping services depend on the exact needs of your business. If you have fallen behind on your books and want to get caught up, Bench might be the best option for you. If you’re using QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Live can match you with a ProAdvisor to help you manage your books. If you need other services aside from bookkeeping, such as financial planning, tax advice, and payroll, you should consider Bookkeeper.com.