SF Business Solutions vs QuickBooks Live
Best for a US small business that wants payroll, cleanup and its tax return prepared and filed alongside the books, in QuickBooks Online or Xero: SF Business Solutions, quoted on your own volume.
By SF Business Solutions · Our team includes a licensed CPA · 1 sources · Updated October 20, 2026QuickBooks Live is Intuit's own bookkeeping service inside QuickBooks Online, sold as Expert Assisted or Expert Full Service and quoted after a free consultation. SF Business Solutions publishes this comparison; QuickBooks Live's details are from Intuit's page.
At a glance
QuickBooks Live's details are from Intuit's own page, read in September 2026.
| SF Business Solutions | QuickBooks Live | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Quoted on your own volume; cleanup quoted on transactions and backlog | Not listed on Intuit's page; quoted after a free consultation |
| Software | QuickBooks Online or Xero, in your own file | QuickBooks Online only |
| Versions | One team; scope quoted to your books | Expert Assisted (guidance) or Expert Full Service (cleanup and a dedicated bookkeeper) |
| Scope | Bookkeeping, payroll, accounts payable and the tax return | Bookkeeping inside QuickBooks Online |
Where QuickBooks Live is stronger
QuickBooks Live is built into QuickBooks Online: there is nothing to connect and no outside firm to add, and the bookkeeper works inside the product you already pay for. For a business that only needs its QuickBooks books kept, that is convenient.
Where SF Business Solutions is stronger
SF Business Solutions is not tied to one product: it works in QuickBooks Online or Xero, runs payroll and accounts payable, cleans up books that are months or years behind, and prepares and files the tax return from the same books. Its team includes a licensed CPA.
SF Business Solutions gives a written quote after a free look at your books, and cleanup is quoted on the number of transactions and how far behind the books are.
Which to choose
SF Business Solutions publishes this comparison, so our pick comes first and our own drawback comes with it: we have no published SOC 2 report and three published client reviews, so ask for references.
- Best overall for a small business that wants bookkeeping, payroll and the tax return from one team: SF Business Solutions, quoted on your own volume.
- Best for a Xero user, or a business that may move off QuickBooks: SF Business Solutions, working in either.
- QuickBooks Live works inside QuickBooks Online only, and Intuit quotes it after a free consultation.
What to have ready if you switch
Moving goes faster when the new team has the records on day one.
- Your last filed business tax return.
- Access to your QuickBooks Online file as an accountant user.
- Bank, card and loan statements since the last closed month.
- Payroll reports, and a list of unpaid invoices and bills.
Questions to ask any bookkeeping provider
Whichever you choose, the same questions separate a good fit from a bad one. Ask them before you sign, and get the answers in writing.
- Who does the work: a named person, a rotating team, or software with a reviewer?
- Whose file are the books in, and do you keep it if you leave?
- When is each month closed, and what reports arrive when it is?
- Is payroll included, an add-on, or not offered?
- Who prepares and files the tax return, and from which numbers?
- If the books are behind, how is the catch-up priced?
- Intuit QuickBooks Live Bookkeeping page, read September 2026
SF Business Solutions vs QuickBooks Live: which is better?
Best for a business that wants payroll, cleanup and its tax return alongside the books: SF Business Solutions, quoted on your own volume. QuickBooks Live keeps the books inside QuickBooks Online only.
How much does QuickBooks Live cost?
Intuit's page does not list QuickBooks Live prices; it quotes after a free consultation.
Does QuickBooks Live work with Xero?
No. QuickBooks Live works inside QuickBooks Online. SF Business Solutions works in either QuickBooks Online or Xero.
Can SF Business Solutions work in my QuickBooks file?
Yes. SF Business Solutions works in your own QuickBooks Online file as an accountant user, so the file stays yours.
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