Xendoo vs Bench: Compare Features & Pricing
This article is part of a larger series on Accounting Software.
Xendoo and Bench are two popular online bookkeeping services. Xendoo is great for both ecommerce and franchise businesses, and its fractional chief financial officer (CFO) services can be useful for those seeking insights on how best to scale their business growth. Meanwhile, Bench is the better choice for businesses that need help with paying bills and invoicing customers. It’s also less expensive than Xendoo and offers tax services as part of its higher-priced plan, rather than as an add-on service.
- Xendoo: Best for Ecommerce and franchise businesses, especially Xero users
- Bench: Best for professional service businesses that need unlimited bookkeeping support
We recommend Ecommerce businesses also consider QuickBooks Online, our best overall Ecommerce accounting software.
- QuickBooks Online: Best DIY Ecommerce and overall small business accounting software
Xendoo vs Bench At a Glance
Xendoo | Bench | |
---|---|---|
Monthly Pricing Billed Annually | Starting at $355 | Starting at $249 |
Service Frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
Dedicated Bookkeeper | ✓ | ✓ |
Catch-up Bookkeeping | ✓ | ✓ |
Accounts Payable (A/P) Tracking | ✕ | ✓ |
Accounts Receivable (A/R) Tracking | ✕ | ✓ |
Tax Advisory & Filing | ✓ | ✓ |
Advanced Financial Reporting | ✕ | ✓ |
CFO Services | ✓ | ✕ |
Who Should Use Each
Who Should Use an Alternative
- New businesses that require assistance with entity formation: Neither Bench nor Xendoo offer assistance with entity formation, but 1-800Accountant will prepare and file your articles of organization, file for your employer identification number (EIN), serve as your registered agent, and help ensure compliance with the IRS.
- Businesses seeking the lowest price for basic services: Merritt Bookkeeping is an excellent alternative for users that only need basic services and prefer a more affordable choice. For $190 per month, you can obtain bookkeeping services without any transaction limits. You’ll also receive a discounted monthly fee for catch-up bookkeeping.
- Businesses that need advanced financial planning and advice: Since neither Xendoo nor Bench offers financial planning services like investment and business expansion, FinancePal is a great option if you want a one-stop-shop bookkeeping solution that offers advanced planning and advice.
- Startup companies: Pilot is a better option for startups with big plans for rapid growth, as it offers not only CFO services but also controller services. Its services are built around the needs of startup businesses backed by venture capitalists. Your pilot controller can assist with the cost of goods sold (COGS) categorization, revenue recognition best practices, and other services as needed.
Xendoo vs Bench: Pricing
Xendoo | Bench | |
---|---|---|
Monthly Pricing With Annual Contract |
|
|
Catch-up Bookkeeping | Starting at $295 per month | Starting at $299 per month |
Invoicing | N/A | Starting at $100 per hour |
Bill Pay | N/A | Starting at $100 per hour |
Tax Services | $1,200 per year (includes annual federal and state tax return) | Included in Premium plan ($399 per month for support and filing) |
CFO Services | Starting at $1,500 per month | N/A |
Free Trial | No | Yes |
Xendoo offers three different subscription plans, which are priced based on the monthly expenses of your business and the number of bank and credit card accounts that are connected. The Essential Plan allows for monthly expenses of up to $50,000, the Growth plan for up to $75,000, and the Scale plan for up to $125,000. Custom plans are also available for businesses with more than $125,000 in monthly expenses. Xendoo also offers add-on tax and CFO services for an additional fee. If you opt for the annual subscription for either service, you’ll receive a discount.
Meanwhile, Bench offers the same price no matter the monthly expenses. Its two plans—Essential and Premium—differ mainly in that the Premium plan includes tax services. However, you can only sign up for Premium on an annual basis. Also, while Bench doesn’t offer add-ons like CFO services, it does allow you to add on invoicing and bill pay services for an additional fee. You can also take advantage of Bench’s 30-day free trial, an incentive that Xendoo doesn’t offer.
Xendoo vs Bench: Features
Xendoo | Bench | |
---|---|---|
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 | ✓ | ✓ |
Multiple Currency Support | ✓ | ✕ |
Money-back Guarantee | ✓ | ✕ |
One major difference in features is that Bench offers A/R and A/P services for an additional cost, which starts at $100 per hour. These aren’t available with Xendoo unless you use Xero or QuickBooks Online—both Xendoo integrations—to pay bills and invoice customers yourself.
Xendoo’s fractional CFO services deliver the strategic insight needed to accelerate and scale the growth of your business, and you’ll receive expert advice and data-driven strategy from a financial expert. Two other Xendoo features that aren’t offered by Bench include multiple currency support and a 30-day money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied with its services.
Both platforms integrate with Gusto for payroll support and offer a dedicated bookkeeper who is backed by the support of a bookkeeping team and catch-up bookkeeping services. The two services also offer account reconciliation, transaction categorization, and tax consulting, preparation, and filing. However, day-to-day bookkeeping tasks like entering daily sales are unavailable.
Xendoo vs Bench: Ease of Use
Xendoo | Bench | |
---|---|---|
Overall Ease of Use | Easy | Easy |
Accessibility | Cloud | Cloud |
Online Help Section | ✕ | ✓ |
User-friendly Dashboard | ✓ | ✓ |
Xendoo and Bench are fairly intuitive and easy to use, and their dashboards are user-friendly. They also feature an online portal and mobile app for you to communicate with your bookkeeper, which streamlines communication. The only difference between the two is that Bench has a wider selection of help resources, including an online help section with a searchable knowledge base and community support.
Xendoo vs Bench: Integrations
Xendoo | Bench | |
---|---|---|
Built-in Integrations | 0 | 0 |
Number of Integrations | 10 | 9 |
Xendoo and Bench have almost the same number of integrations, which range from accounting software to ecommerce, payroll, and tax integrations:
- Xendoo integrations: Xero, QuickBooks, Gusto, A2X, OFX, Biller Genie, TaxJar, Sellers Funding, Stripe, and Stax
- Bench integrations: Gusto, FreshBooks, Stripe, Square, Shopify, Attune, Keap, Brex, and Clio
Xendoo vs Bench: Mobile App
Xendoo | Bench | |
---|---|---|
Mobile App | ✓ | ✓ |
Availability | iOS and Android | iOS |
Real-time Cash Flow Updates | ✕ | ✓ |
Report Access | ✓ | ✓ |
View Accounts | ✕ | ✓ |
Check Spending Categories | ✓ | ✓ |
Upload Documents | ✓ | ✓ |
Schedule Appointments | ✓ | ✓ |
Correspond With Bookkeeper | ✓ | ✓ |
Due Date Reminders |
Xendoo’s mobile app is available for both iOS and Android while Bench’s app is for iOS only. Therefore, if you’re an Android user, then Xendoo is your best bet. Both, however, allow you to upload documents, communicate with your bookkeeper, and schedule appointments as needed.
Bench is more advanced with the reports that it provides, and you can access real-time cash flow updates. You can also check your spending categories, with the ability to make corrections in the app. Meanwhile, Xendoo keeps you on top of your due dates with reminders and notifications for tax payments, but you’re not able to view your accounts in the app.
Xendoo vs Bench: Customer Support
Xendoo | Bench | |
---|---|---|
Unlimited Support | ✓ | ✓ |
Community Support | ✕ | ✓ |
Email Support | ✓ | ✓ |
Live Chat Support | ✓ | ✕ |
Phone Support | ✓ | ✓ |
Searchable Knowledgebase | ✕ | ✓ |
Online Help Resources | ✓ | ✓ |
Both solutions offer unlimited phone support with all plans and have strong customer support features. While Bench has more online resources, including a searchable knowledge base and community support, Xendoo has a slight edge with its live chat support feature.
Bottom Line
Xendoo and Bench are strong options for online bookkeeping services. Bench is a great fit for professional service businesses, especially those using FreshBooks. It even offers A/R and A/P services for an additional fee. Meanwhile, Xendoo is ideal for franchise and ecommerce businesses that could benefit from its specialized services, such as fractional CFO services. It’s also a good fit for Xero and QuickBooks Online users because of its software integrations, and while it’s more expensive than Bench, it has a money-back guarantee.