Bench Accounting

3/5 stars

A bookkeeping service and software for small businesses and freelancers.

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Pros

Combined accounting software & live bookkeeping service
Relatively affordable bookkeeping service

Cons

Inconsistent bookkeeper quality
Proprietary software makes it difficult to switch bookkeepers or accounting software
Lacks invoicing, billing, and inventory management

The Bottom Line

For those with simple bookkeeping needs, Bench offers a time-saving alternative to traditional accounting. Just make sure it fits your needs.

This page may contain affiliate links. Our assessments are grounded solely in the product’s merits and performance.

Plans & Pricing

Essential

$249/per month

Dedicated bookkeeping experts
Accurate monthly books and year-end tax-ready financial packages
P&L, balance sheet, and 1099 reporting
Unlimited communication with your bookkeeping team

Premium

$399/per month

Everything in Essential, plus:
Dedicated team of licensed tax professionals to file income tax return
Annual income tax filing for businesses
Annual income tax filing for individuals

Pricing information is retrieved from publicly accessible pricing materials. The actual cost may vary based on specific plans chosen. Always check directly with the seller for the final quote.

Pricing information last updated March 7, 2024.

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Product Review

Busy owners of small and medium sized businesses may find Bench Accounting a valuable time saver. Unlike the other products listed, this isn’t just an accounting software: an account with Bench Accounting also provides you with a personal bookkeeper.

Each month, they’ll import bank statements, categorize transactions, and prepare financial statements for you. At the end of the year, they’ll ensure you’re ready to file for taxes. If you have questions, you can send them in a text chat or schedule a call.

Saving Time

If you’re currently doing all your own bookkeeping, this might save you a ton of time and worry. And, with prices at $249/mo for monthly bookkeeping and $399/mo for tax filing, it may be cheaper than getting your own part-time bookkeeper. It’s an ideal service for those with relatively simple bookkeeping needs who would rather not spend a day each month reconciling their books.

Scalability Concerns

Bench uses its own proprietary accounting software, which is generally easy to use and thoughtfully designed. However, if your accounting needs change, you’ll have a difficult time switching over to a different accounting software or moving over to a traditional accounting firm. For this reason, it’s not a great choice for businesses that might scale rapidly.

You also won’t find the invoice management, bill payment, or inventory management tools that many accounting software include.

Finally, there’s some variation in reported satisfaction with the bookkeeping service. While many customers rave about the level of support they receive, we’ve also hear about unresponsive, unhelpful bookkeeping service. We imagine this may come down to which individual bookkeeper you’re assigned to.

All in all, Bench can be a cost-effective way to save accounting headaches. If you’re the kind of business owner who dreads bookkeeping tasks, it’s potentially a good fit. If your company is growing quickly and your needs are changing rapidly, however, you’re probably better off choosing an accounting software that can grow with you.

Why we love it:

Saves time: If you’re doing your own bookkeeping (and hating it) Bench provides a fairly affordable way to take these tasks off your plate.

Requires no accounting know-how: The software is simple to use and, besides, your personally assigned bookkeeper will be doing most of the heavy-lifting.