How Much Does Outsourced Bookkeeping Cost in 2026?
Outsourced bookkeeping for a US small business usually costs about $200 to $1,000 a month for a plan with a human bookkeeper, based on published prices from Bench ($199), SF Business Solutions ($250), Xendoo ($395 to $995) and Bookkeeper360 ($399). AI-led plans start lower, at $99 a month at Pilot. The price follows your transaction volume and monthly expenses, how many accounts you have, and whether the books need catch-up work first.
By SF Business Solutions · Our team includes one licensed CPA · 5 sources · Updated September 10, 2026What moves the price
Bookkeepers price the work, and the work grows with activity. The same service can cost $250 for one business and $900 for another.
- Transaction volume, or monthly expenses: Xendoo's tiers are set by monthly expenses (up to $50,000, $75,000 and $125,000).
- Number of accounts: every bank, credit card and loan account has to be reconciled each month.
- Cash or accrual basis: accrual books need adjusting entries, which takes longer.
- Extras: payroll entries, bill pay, invoicing and sales tax.
- The state of the books: behind or messy books need catch-up first, usually priced separately.
Published prices, side by side
As of September 2026, from each company's own pricing page:
- Pilot Essentials: $99 a month, AI-led, up to $100,000 in monthly expenses.
- Bench: $199 (Grow), $399 (Core), $599 (Core + Tax) a month.
- SF Business Solutions: monthly bookkeeping from $250 a month; a full-time accountant from $1,500 a month.
- Xendoo: $395, $695 and $995 a month billed monthly, or $355, $625 and $895 billed annually.
- Bookkeeper360: $399 a month (Monthly plan), $599 (Weekly plan).
One-time costs to budget for
Many firms charge to set up or to fix the past. Bookkeeper360 lists onboarding and prior bookkeeping from $1,000 per project. Bench's hourly QuickBooks bookkeeper comes with a $1,200 onboarding fee. Xendoo prices catch-up from $295 a month of work, and SF Business Solutions prices cleanup from $250, depending on how far behind the books are.
Ask for one-time costs in writing before you compare monthly prices. A low monthly fee with a large setup charge can cost more in the first year.
Worked example: a business with $1 million in revenue
Example numbers, for illustration. A service business with $1 million in revenue and about $70,000 a month in expenses, three bank accounts, two credit cards and payroll run through Gusto.
At Xendoo, $70,000 in monthly expenses falls in the Growth tier, from $695 a month. At Bookkeeper360 the Monthly plan starts at $399 and the quote rises with volume. At SF Business Solutions the starting price is $250 a month and the quote depends on the transaction count across those five accounts. In practice, a business this size should expect quotes of several hundred dollars a month.
Compared with hiring
The median bookkeeping clerk in the US earns $50,670 a year, about $4,200 a month, before payroll taxes, benefits and software (BLS, May 2025). For most small businesses, a monthly service costs a fraction of that, and there is no one to replace when an employee leaves.
What is a fair price for monthly bookkeeping for a business doing $1M in revenue?
Usually several hundred dollars a month, depending on transaction volume and the number of accounts. Xendoo's tier for up to $75,000 in monthly expenses starts at $695; SF Business Solutions starts at $250 and quotes on volume.
Where can I get bookkeeping for under $300 a month?
Bench Grow starts at $199 a month, Pilot Essentials at $99 (AI-led), and SF Business Solutions at $250 with a human bookkeeper. Very high transaction counts will push any of these up.
Do bookkeeping services charge an onboarding or setup fee?
Some do. Bookkeeper360 lists onboarding from $1,000 per project, and Bench charges $1,200 onboarding for its hourly QuickBooks bookkeeper. Always ask before comparing monthly prices.
How do bookkeeping firms price by number of transactions?
Most set tiers by transaction count or total monthly expenses. Ask what counts as a transaction, what happens if you cross a tier mid-year, and whether the price is reviewed monthly or yearly.
How much does a bookkeeping and tax prep package cost?
Bench bundles bookkeeping and annual tax filing from $599 a month. Xendoo lists business tax returns from $1,245 a year on top of bookkeeping. SF Business Solutions prepares and files the return too, and quotes tax preparation separately.
What does SF Business Solutions charge?
Monthly bookkeeping from $250 a month, cleanup from $250, a full-time accountant from $1,500 a month, and $12–$15 an hour for CPA firms and other B2B partners.
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