Running a small business means wearing multiple hats. You may find yourself managing employees one minute and marketing your new product or service the next. But one of the toughest challenges you’ll face is overseeing the accounting operations for your business, especially if money management isn’t your area of expertise.
That’s where a bookkeeper can help out. The right tools can make all the difference. This Bench accounting review takes a look at one of the most popular tools for small business owners, examining its features and pricing to help you make a decision.
Pros
- Dedicated human bookkeeper to manage your books
- Demo and one-month trial available
- Visual reports help with monitoring your cashflow
Cons
- Can be pricey compared to automation
- Yearly payment required for lowest price
- Accounts receivable tracking costs $100 extra monthly
When to Use Bench Accounting
- You need full-service bookkeeping help: Bench pairs you with dedicated bookkeeping experts to handle all your bookkeeping.
- You need a good tax preparer: Having dedicated help with your tax preparation can come in handy, especially if that person manages your books year-round.
- You prefer one-on-one help: Bench’s dedicated bookkeeper makes it a great fit for those who like personalized accounting help.
When to Use Something Else
- You’re a do-it-yourselfer: If you simply need a piece of software to help you organize things, there are less expensive options.
- Your business is growing and changing; As you’ll learn from Bench accounting reviews, the software is proprietary, which makes it tough to shift your bookkeeping operations to a new solution if your needs change.
- You need invoicing and payroll: If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution, Bench isn’t the best option. You’ll need to purchase invoicing and payroll software separately.
- You’re a nonprofit: Bench does not currently support nonprofits.
Deciding Factors
| Price | $249/month for basic plan; $399/month for premium (paid annually) |
| Ease of Use | 4/5: Users like the intuitive interface that makes it easy to learn |
| Support | 5/5: This is where Bench excels, offering unlimited support to all customers. |
| Scalability | 3/5: Bench’s software is proprietary, which means it doesn’t play well with other popular solutions. |
| Number of Users | 5/5: There is no limit to the number of users on a Bench plan. |
Bench Accounting Prices and Features
If you run a small business, chances are, you don’t have the bandwidth to hire a full-time accountant. You can outsource the work to an accountant that charges by the hour, but the average accountant cost is between $30 and $50 an hour.
Keeping that in mind, Bench pricing is a decent deal. The basic plan is $249 a month, but if you want tax help, you’ll need to go with a premium plan for $399 a month. That Bench price only applies if you pay for a year in advance. Otherwise, you’ll pay $299 a month for the basic plan and $499 a month for premium.
With the basic plan, you’ll get:
- Dedicated bookkeeping experts
- Monthly reports
- Year-end reports that you can take to your tax preparer
- Profit and loss, balance sheet, and 1099 reporting
- Unlimited communication with your bookkeeping team
The premium plan gives you all those features, plus a team of tax professionals to handle your return for you. This includes both your state and federal tax forms. If you need tax advice throughout the year, the premium plan also lets you make that call.
Bench Accounting Advantages & Disadvantages
| Pros | Cons |
| Personalized bookkeeping help | Features like invoicing and accounts payable are add-ons |
| Unlimited customer support | Pricier than do-it-yourself options |
| State and federal taxes filed with higher-tier plan | Tax preparation not available with lower-tier plan |
Bench Accounting Customer Service
No Bench bookkeeping review would be complete without mentioning its stellar customer service. In fact, multiple Bench bookkeeping reviews cite the attentive accounting team. If you need help, you can reach out in the app or on your computer at any time and get help within one business day.
If you just need a call from your bookkeeper to discuss things, you can schedule that, as well. Keep in mind that your bookkeeper will only be available during business hours, and Bench is on Pacific Time.
Bench Accounting Integrations
Although this Bench accounting review mentioned that Bench is proprietary, it does integrate with some of the most popular apps. These include:
- Payment processors: If you use Square or Stripe, you can link up Bench to track your invoices and payments. Bench also integrates with Airwallex for multicurrency payments.
- Marketing: Ease marketing expense tracking by linking up to apps like Marketing 360, Shopify, and NiceJob.
- Taxes: In addition to getting advice from your bookkeepers, you can integrate with Neo.Tax to track down tax credits that can help your business.
When you’re looking at Bench accounting pricing, keep in mind that all these integrations can help extend the power of your subscription. You might not be able to send invoices with Bench alone, for instance, but with a Square or Stripe membership, you can get your business up and running and ensure all your invoicing activity is tracked.
Is Bench Accounting Worth It? The Final Verdict
Bench pricing can give you a little sticker shock, but if your business needs hands-on bookkeeping help, keep that in mind as you’re reading any Bench accounting review. You’re not just getting a piece of software that lets you input information and run reports. Bench assigns a dedicated bookkeeping team that lends its years of expertise to your small business. If you opt for the premium subscription, you’ll also have help preparing and filing your state and federal income taxes each year. That alone could make it worth the price.
FAQs
Is Bench good for bookkeeping?
If you’re a small business that needs hands-on help with your bookkeeping, Bench can be a great alternative to hiring a full-time employee. As your business grows, though, you may find you need to shift to a bookkeeper that can work solely for your organization.
