QuickBooks Live vs Botkeeper 2023 Comparison
Tim is a Certified QuickBooks Time (formerly TSheets) Pro, QuickBooks ProAdvisor, and CPA with 25 years of experience. He brings his expertise to Fit Small Business’s accounting content.
Danielle is a writer for the Finance division of Fit Small Business. She has owned a bookkeeping and payroll service that specializes in small business, for over twenty years.
This article is part of a larger series on Accounting Software.
QuickBooks Live and Botkeeper offer very different online bookkeeping services. QuickBooks Live has a personalized approach for very small businesses, whereas Botkeeper uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automate the accounting for large businesses and accounting firms. If you’re seeking assistance with your accounting tasks, look into a virtual bookkeeping service as it can save you time and help ensure that your books are accurate.
QuickBooks Live vs Botkeeper at a Glance
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
What It’s Best For | QuickBooks users who want basic bookkeeping assistance from a QuickBooks ProAdvisor | Large businesses and accounting firms looking to automate their bookkeeping transactions |
Monthly Pricing Plans | Starts at $200 per month plus a QuickBooks Online subscription that starts at $30 per month | Starts at $1,000 per month for platform and tools plus $55 per month for client entity fee |
Accounts Receivable (A/R) & Accounts Payable (A/P) Tracking | N/A | N/A |
Invoice Customers | N/A | N/A |
Pay Bills | N/A | N/A |
Account Reconciliation | ✓ | ✓ |
Account Cleanup | ✓ | ✓ |
Who Should Use Each
If you’re unsure whether QuickBooks Live or Pilot Bookkeeping is the best option, see our roundup of the top online bookkeeping services.
Who Should Use an Alternative
- Businesses seeking a controller or CFO: Botkeeper doesn’t handle year-end work or create supporting schedules for the books, such as depreciation and deferred revenues. If you’re seeking CFO services like monthly engagement or annual budgeting and forecasting, Pilot is a much better option. It also provides fundraising strategy and support.
- Freelancers and small businesses on a budget: If you’re looking to save money with a flat monthly fee, Merritt Bookkeeping offers no restrictions on the number of transactions or the frequency of service. It also has a 100% money-back guarantee.
- Businesses seeking tax preparation and bookkeeping for one low fee: Bench, our overall best online bookkeeping service, provides services similar to QuickBooks Live but also includes tax consulting and return preparation as part of a monthly package.
If you’re interested in learning more about the different accounting platforms available for your business, check out our list of the best small business accounting software.
QuickBooks Live vs Botkeeper: Pricing
QuickBooks Live | Botkeeper | |
|---|---|---|
Monthly Pricing | $200 to $400, depending on monthly expenses | Starts at $1,000 for the platform fee and $55 for each client entity |
Catch-up Bookkeeping | Yes | Unavailable |
Invoicing | Unavailable | Unavailable |
Bill Pay | Unavailable | Unavailable |
Tax Services | Unavailable | Unavailable |
CFO Services | Unavailable | Unavailable |
Controller Services | Unavailable | Unavailable |
Free Trial | No | No |
QuickBooks Live offers a choice of three subscription levels, which vary in price depending on your monthly expenses. Botkeeper’s pricing isn’t transparent, with only the starting prices for two separate fees—one for platform and tools (starts at $1,000 per month) and the other a client entity fee (starts at $55 per month). But based on these prices, it’s clear that Botkeeper is much more expensive.
Also, while QuickBooks Live offers its fees on a monthly basis, Botkeeper’s fees are billed annually. The first month of service with QuickBooks Live is dedicated to onboarding and cleanup of your books (cost is $500). QuickBooks Live also requires that you have a subscription to any version of QuickBooks Online (starts at $30 per month for QuickBooks Simple Start).
QuickBooks Live vs Botkeeper: Features
QuickBooks Live | Botkeeper | |
|---|---|---|
Dedicated Bookkeeper | ✓ | ✓ |
Connect Bank Accounts | ✓ | ✓ |
Categorize Spending | ✓ | ✓ |
Pay Bills | ✕ | ✕ |
Invoicing | ✕ | ✕ |
Account Reconciliation | ✓ | ✓ |
Tax Consulting | ✕ | ✕ |
Tax Preparation & Filing | ✕ | ✕ |
Fractional CFO Services | ✕ | ✕ |
Financial Reporting | ✓ | ✓ |
Catch-up Bookkeeping | ✓ | ✕ |
Payroll Integration | ✓ | ✕ |
100% Accurate Books Guarantee | ✓ | ✕ |
Both QuickBooks Live and Botkeeper assign you to a dedicated bookkeeper upon enrollment. The difference between the two is that QuickBooks Live bookkeepers are certified with the software, and you can enjoy enhanced communication and a more personalized relationship.
QuickBooks Live is best suited for a freelancer or small business owner who prefers a do-it-yourself (DIY) solution to bookkeeping. It has many strong features, including a 100% Accurate Books Guarantee, which allows you to request a free audit if you have any doubts about the quality of its service. However, QuickBooks Live doesn’t offer any services beyond basic bookkeeping.
With Botkeeper, your experience is with a virtual robotic bookkeeper that supports your accounting practice and handles day-to-day transactions, like paying bills. While the solution automates many accounting tasks, it isn’t a replacement for an accountant but, rather, an efficient complement. It won’t handle year-end work, including taxes, and won’t create supporting schedules for the books, such as depreciation and deferred revenue.
However, its AI and machine learning (ML) combined with a team of specialists that checks the data for accuracy and tax compliance make Botkeeper a strong choice for larger businesses and accounting firms. It’s important to note that the service is only compatible with QuickBooks and Xero.
QuickBooks Live vs Botkeeper: Ease of Use
QuickBooks Live | Botkeeper | |
|---|---|---|
Overall Ease of Use | Easy | Moderate |
Accessibility | Cloud | Cloud |
Online Help Section | ✓ | ✓ |
User-friendly Dashboard | ✓ | ✓ |
QuickBooks Live is very intuitive and easy to use, and its dashboard is user-friendly compared to Botkeeper. QuickBooks Live also has a wide selection of help resources, including an online help session with a searchable knowledge base and community support. The main difference between the two is that QuickBooks Live offers the ability to communicate with your dedicated bookkeeper via one-way video chat.
QuickBooks Live vs Botkeeper: Integrations
QuickBooks Live | Botkeeper | |
|---|---|---|
Built-in Integrations | 3 | 0 |
Third-party Integrations | 450-plus | 5-plus |
Botkeeper offers mainly ecommerce integrations, whereas QuickBooks Live offers numerous third-party and even built-in integrations.
- QuickBooks Live integrations: QuickBooks Payroll, QuickBooks Time, QuickBooks Payments, Shopify, Fathom, Method:CRM, Insightly, Hubdoc, AutoEntry, TradeGecko, and more
- Botkeeper integrations: ScanBot, Xero, BigCommerce, Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento
QuickBooks Live vs Botkeeper: Mobile App
Both lack a dedicated mobile app, although Botkeeper integrates with the mobile app ScanBot, which can extract financial data directly from a photo of a receipt or invoice taken with your cell phone. You can drag and drop files into ScanBot, and it’ll read the file automatically.
Meanwhile, QuickBooks Live users can use the QuickBooks Online app to manage their bookkeeping. However, QuickBooks Live doesn’t offer a separate app for communicating with your bookkeeper and uploading documents.
QuickBooks Live vs Botkeeper: Customer Support
QuickBooks Live | Botkeeper | |
|---|---|---|
Unlimited Support | ✓ | ✓ |
Video Meetings | ✓ | ✕ |
Community Support | ✓ | ✕ |
Email Support | ✓ | ✓ |
Live Chat Support | ✓ | ✓ |
Phone Support | ✓ | ✓ |
Searchable Knowledgebase | ✓ | ✓ |
Online Help Resources | ✓ | ✕ |
Once you enroll with QuickBooks Live, you’ll be assigned a dedicated bookkeeper who’ll meet with you via one-way video chat. You’ll also have access to the QuickBooks Live Hub, which is your own personal and secure space on the site. You can check on your bookkeeper’s progress, including the status of their task list, view related documents, and schedule a live video appointment. You can also access a product support specialist with any software questions via live chat.
QuickBooks Live Hub
(Source: QuickBooks)
With Botkeeper, unlimited support is included with every plan. There’s multilevel, specialized support available for both technical and general bookkeeping issues. Support is available by phone or live chat, and you can also email your bookkeeper. You’ll typically receive a response within 24 hours of submission. If you’re an accountant, you’ll be given access to Botkeeper’s Partner Platform Overview page, which allows you to keep track of the status of all of your clients.
Botkeeper Partner Platform Overview Page
(Source: Botkeeper)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What does QuickBooks Live do?
QuickBooks Live, a virtual bookkeeping service for QuickBooks Online users, will help you connect your bank and credit card accounts, categorize expenses, reconcile accounts, and send you financial reports monthly. You can meet with your dedicated bookkeeper on an as-needed basis via telephone and one-way video conference.
What accounting software works with Botkeeper?
Botkeeper connects with both QuickBooks Online and Xero.
Does Botkeeper support both cash and accrual accounting?
Yes, Botkeeper supports bookkeeping on a cash and accrual basis for all available packages.
How much does QuickBooks Live charge?
QuickBooks Live costs anywhere from $200 to $400 per month, depending on the amount of monthly expenses.
Bottom Line
Because of the distinct differences between QuickBooks Live and Botkeeper, comparing them is a bit like comparing apples and oranges. While Botkeeper uses AI to automate accounting for accounting firms and larger businesses, QuickBooks Live relies on its personalized approach for small business owners.
QuickBooks Live has many attractive features that are ideal for DIY QuickBooks users, such as the ability to meet with your bookkeeper via one-way video chat. On the other hand, Botkeeper is a great solution for larger businesses and accounting firms with a large number of clients because of its AI and ML features that help automate transactions and, ultimately, save time.
