Startup bookkeeping services: what you get and what you pay.
Startup bookkeeping costs anywhere from $0 for self-serve software to $750 a month or more for an established firm. Services with a real accountant mostly start between about $200 and $750 a month, and Median is a flat $200 a month under $250K in annual revenue. Prices are as of September 2026 and compared provider by provider below.
Median flat-rate bookkeeping: Essential $200, Growth $500
See flat-rate bookkeepingFourteen providers, from free self-serve software to CPA firms for venture-backed C-corps, side by side on price, how often the books are worked, and what each is actually built for. Here is how to choose, and where each one wins.
We built Median, so we are not neutral. But a comparison is worthless if it pretends every other option is bad, so this one does not. The pricing is real and dated, the tradeoffs are real, and we name where each provider beats us. If you only need a cheap cash-basis service, or a 409A and a VC network, we will tell you to look elsewhere. This list is built for startups, so if you run an agency or a shop rather than a venture-backed company, start with what a small business bookkeeper costs and covers, because the shortlist there is a different one.
What do startup bookkeeping services include?
A managed service categorizes transactions, reconciles accounts, closes the period and prepares financial reports. Ask who reviews the work, when reports arrive and how you get answers. Software alone still needs someone to run the books. Tax filing, cleanup, payroll support and CFO advice vary by provider, so get the included work and any add-ons in writing.
How much do startup bookkeeping services cost?
Compare the service scope and billing basis alongside the starting price. Median Essential is $200/month under $250K in annual revenue. Growth is $500/month from $250K to $1M. Both include daily bookkeeping, reporting, a dedicated accountant, unlimited seats and data connections, with no per-account or per-line fee. Above $1M, Scale is scoped on a call, using $55 per active financial account and $0.60 per posted general ledger line as its basis. See the current pricing and add-ons before choosing a plan.
How do you choose a startup bookkeeping provider?
Ignore the word AI for a minute and ask what a provider actually does to your ledger, how often, and who stands behind it. These six cut through the marketing.
How often your books are touched
On a monthly cycle you learn what happened in March somewhere in April. Books that are categorized and posted as activity happens keep cash, burn, and margin far closer to current. Most providers work the books once a month. Median categorizes and posts transactions every business day, then reconciles and closes at period end.
Who owns the ledger
Some providers maintain a QuickBooks file they touch monthly. Others keep their own continuously updated ledger as the system of record. The second is what keeps the numbers current when you ask a question mid-month.
How you are billed
The axis matters more than the model. Pilot and QuickBooks Live band by your monthly expenses, most of the software here bands by feature set, and Kruze and Burkland quote by complexity. Median bands by annual revenue, which is a number you already know and already report, and which moves more slowly than spending: raise a round and start hiring and an expense band can move under you inside a single month. Read what is included either way, since seats and reports are sometimes extra.
Is a real accountant accountable
AI is excellent at categorizing transactions and flagging anomalies. It is not who you want signing off on revenue recognition or a tax position. The strongest setup pairs AI on the volume work with a named human who reviews it and answers your questions.
Does it connect your whole stack
Your financial truth lives in Stripe, your bank, payroll, and spend cards, well beyond the general ledger. The more of that stack connects directly, the less you reconcile by hand and the more complete your books are.
Can your AI assistant query the books
The most forward-looking setups open your live books to an AI assistant so you can ask in plain language instead of waiting on a report. Median runs a read-only MCP server in preview. Confirm access for your company before connecting Claude.
For the longer version, see how to choose AI accounting for a startup and what daily bookkeeping is, and when it matters.
How do 14 startup bookkeeping providers compare?
The fast scan. Cadence is the column that moves the most in practice, because a monthly close and daily bookkeeping give you very different answers when you ask a question on the 12th. Read the honest profiles below for where each one genuinely wins, and where it does not.
| Provider | Cadence | Pricing model | Starting price | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MedianAI-native firm that keeps its own ledger | Monthly close, posted every business day | Flat fee, banded by annual revenue | $200 / mo under $250K revenue | Software and services startups that want current books and real answers |
| PilotWell-funded firm working in QuickBooks Online | Monthly | Flat tiers by expense band | From $99 / mo; full service higher | Venture-backed startups wanting an established provider with CFO and COO services |
| BenchSMB service on its own proprietary platform | Monthly | Flat tiers | From ~$199 / mo | Simple, cash-basis small businesses |
| QuickBooks LiveIntuit Expert Full-Service Bookkeeping inside QuickBooks Online | Monthly | Flat tiers by monthly expense band, on top of QuickBooks Online | From $300 / mo per Intuit, plus your QBO subscription | Businesses already on QuickBooks Online that want a human on the books without switching anything |
| Kruze ConsultingEstablished CPA firm for VC-backed startups | Monthly | Complexity-based quote | Bookkeeping from ~$650 / mo; full service higher | Heavily VC-backed C-corps wanting white-glove finance |
| FintaSelf-serve accounting software (YC W23) | Self-serve software | Flat tiers by feature set, with volume caps | $0, then $30 / mo and $300 / mo | Earliest, most price-sensitive founders who want cheap software |
| KickSelf-serve AI accounting software with a free tier | Self-serve software | Flat tiers, free plan capped by transaction count | $0 free, then $40, $100 and $300 / mo | Sole proprietors and very small businesses willing to run their own books |
| HavenModern AI-plus-human firm with CPAs | Monthly close | Published by monthly spend, adjusted for complexity | $450 / mo at $20K monthly spend | Growing SMBs that want a modern AI-plus-human firm |
| DigitsAI-native general ledger you run yourself | Continuous AI bookkeeping and reconciliation | Flat tiers by feature set | $65 or $100 / mo; $250 Pro tier listed as coming soon | Founders and accounting firms that want strong software and will run the books themselves |
| ZeniAI bookkeeping service with a dedicated finance team | Daily bookkeeping, monthly close (per Zeni) | Flat tiers, plus a QuickBooks Online Plus subscription you also pay for | $549 / mo, or $494 / mo paid yearly | Funded startups that want AI bookkeeping, CFO, tax and payroll from one vendor |
| BurklandCFO-led accounting firm for venture-backed startups | Monthly | Service-based, quoted by scope | Accounting from $495 / mo; CFO from $1,600 / mo | Venture-backed startups, pre-seed through growth stage |
| PuzzleAccounting software with its own ledger, run by you | Continuous, self-serve | Flat tiers, metered by AI credits and users | $30 / mo, up to $360 / mo | Founders who want a modern ledger and will keep the books themselves |
| inDineroEstablished outsourced accounting firm | Monthly reconciliations | Flat tiers by complexity | $750 / mo, rising to $1,250 / mo | Established companies with real complexity that want a full outsourced back office |
| FondoStartup accounting and tax firm for Delaware C-corps | Monthly, quarterly or annual, by plan | Flat plans by reporting frequency | $950 / yr for annual reporting; $399 / mo for monthly (limited-time offer) | Delaware C-corps from pre-seed to Series B |
Public pricing and terms as of September 2026 for all fourteen providers. Providers change plans often, so confirm current details with each. Pricing models differ, so starting prices are not directly comparable.
Which provider fits your startup?
Every provider here is a reasonable choice for someone. The trick is matching the tool to your stage and how you work. We included ourselves, catch and all. And if you already have a fractional CFO, none of this replaces them, because we run the day-to-day books underneath them, which is what the advisor partnership is for. Prices in each profile are public figures as of September 2026.
Median
AI-native firm that keeps its own ledger
- Pricing
- $200 / mo under $250K revenue
- Basis
- Cash or accrual, whichever your stage needs
- Who keeps the books
- A dedicated accountant on every account, with AI doing the volume work
Where it wins
A ledger Median keeps as the system of record and updates every business day rather than reconstructing at month end, a flat monthly fee set by your annual revenue rather than by what you spend, with reports included and no seat fees, a dedicated accountant who knows your business, and a read-only MCP server in preview so Claude can answer questions straight from your live books.
The catch
Median serves US companies and focuses on software and professional services rather than every industry. The published bands stop at $1M in annual revenue. Above that the price is scoped on a call rather than posted, so you have to ask before you can compare.
Pilot
Well-funded firm working in QuickBooks Online
- Pricing
- From $99 / mo; full service higher
- Basis
- Cash on the entry tier; cash or accrual from the Core tier up
- Who keeps the books
- AI-led entry tier; a US-based bookkeeper from the Core tier up, plus optional CFO and tax staff
Where it wins
One of the most established and deeply funded options. Books are kept in portable QuickBooks Online, and you can grow into real CFO, COO, and tax teams under one roof.
The catch
Books are worked on a monthly cycle rather than updated continuously. Pricing climbs quickly past the $99 entry tier as your expenses grow, and support can feel like a rotating team rather than one person who knows you.
Median vs PilotBench
SMB service on its own proprietary platform
- Pricing
- From ~$199 / mo
- Basis
- Modified cash basis by default; full accrual offered as a separate QuickBooks Online service
- Who keeps the books
- A bookkeeping team on an in-house platform
Where it wins
A low entry price and a clean, friendly dashboard. A reasonable fit for a straightforward, cash-basis small business.
The catch
Bench abruptly shut down in December 2024 and was acquired days later by Employer.com, an HR-tech company, followed by a Canadian bankruptcy filing in January 2025. It operates again today under Employer.com, but the continuity history is worth weighing. Its standard plans run on Bench's own software by default, with a QuickBooks option through its hourly bookkeeper service, and default to modified cash basis; full accrual is a separate service.
Median vs BenchQuickBooks Live
Intuit Expert Full-Service Bookkeeping inside QuickBooks Online
- Pricing
- From $300 / mo per Intuit, plus your QBO subscription
- Basis
- Whatever your QuickBooks file is set to
- Who keeps the books
- An Intuit-assigned bookkeeper working in your QuickBooks file
Where it wins
The lowest-friction option by a distance if you already run QuickBooks Online. Nothing migrates, your file stays yours, and Intuit stands behind it. For a business that mainly needs someone to keep a clean QuickBooks file, that is often enough.
The catch
Intuit now sells it as Intuit Expert Full-Service Bookkeeping. It is an add-on, not a firm, so it sits on top of a QuickBooks Online subscription you also pay for, and the published full-service tiers are banded by your monthly expenses. Intuit lists full service as starting at $300 a month plus a cleanup fee as of September 2026, with the tier reassessed every quarter from your average expenses, so get the current band in writing. The work is monthly, the bookkeeper is assigned rather than chosen, and the scope is bookkeeping: tax filing is sold separately by Intuit, and there are no R&D credits or analysis beyond the standard reports.
Kruze Consulting
Established CPA firm for VC-backed startups
- Pricing
- Bookkeeping from ~$650 / mo; full service higher
- Basis
- Accrual, GAAP-oriented
- Who keeps the books
- A CPA firm with named staff, working in QuickBooks Online and helping clients that outgrow it move to NetSuite
Where it wins
Deep venture expertise, GAAP and accrual from day one, board-ready reporting, a strong R&D tax credit practice, 409A valuations, and a real VC network. A safe, premium choice for a well-funded C-corp.
The catch
Priced at the top of the market and built specifically for funded Delaware C-corps, so it is a poor fit for bootstrapped or profitable SMBs. The close is monthly, and full-service cost climbs steeply by stage.
Median vs Kruze ConsultingFinta
Self-serve accounting software (YC W23)
- Pricing
- $0, then $30 / mo and $300 / mo
- Basis
- Not publicly stated
- Who keeps the books
- Software-led, with experts for tax filing
Where it wins
The most transparent and lowest-cost option, with flat published tiers rather than pricing on your spend, fast setup, and cheap flat-fee tax filing. Genuinely founder-friendly at the very earliest stage.
The catch
It is software-led with a very small team, so no dedicated accountant stands behind the numbers the way a firm does, and the independent review track record is thin. A separate relationship-CRM product at finta.ai also uses the Finta name, which can be confusing.
Kick
Self-serve AI accounting software with a free tier
- Pricing
- $0 free, then $40, $100 and $300 / mo
- Basis
- Cash on the lower plans; accrual ledger on the $100 plan
- Who keeps the books
- None included. You are the reviewer.
Where it wins
The cheapest real entry point in the category. The free plan covers auto-categorization, receipt matching, a P&L and balance sheet, and 50-plus integrations, and every plan includes unlimited team members. If your books are simple and you are willing to check the work yourself, it is hard to beat on price.
The catch
The free plan is capped at 250 transactions a year, which a real operating business passes quickly, and reconciliation only appears on the paid plans (prices as of September 2026). More importantly it is software, not a service: nobody reviews the categorizations, nobody is accountable when the books are wrong, and nobody files your taxes. What you save in fees you pay in your own review time.
Haven
Modern AI-plus-human firm with CPAs
- Pricing
- $450 / mo at $20K monthly spend
- Basis
- Accrual-capable, SaaS-aware
- Who keeps the books
- A dedicated bookkeeper with CPA oversight
Where it wins
The closest peer to Median: a modern AI-plus-human firm with strong accrual and SaaS competence, Slack-first support with fast response, and an experienced tax bench.
The catch
Haven's published ladder starts at $450 a month at $20,000 in monthly spend, and it is a floor: Haven states that the fee rises with complexity such as crypto, inventory or usage-based billing, so get the final figure in writing. Books are closed on a monthly cycle. Prices as of September 2026.
Median vs HavenDigits
AI-native general ledger you run yourself
- Pricing
- $65 or $100 / mo; $250 Pro tier listed as coming soon
- Basis
- Cash and accrual, per Digits
- Who keeps the books
- None included at any published tier. You are the reviewer.
Where it wins
The strongest pure software in this comparison. An AI-native general ledger with live dashboards, invoicing and bill pay, automated reconciliation, bank and payroll connections across 12,000-plus institutions, and a developer API and MCP server on every plan. Flat pricing means the bill does not move when your volume does.
The catch
It is software, not a firm. No accountant is included at any published tier, so nobody reviews the categorizations, nobody is accountable when the books are wrong, and nobody files your return. Books also live on Digits' own platform rather than QuickBooks or Xero, so confirm export terms. Prices verified on digits.com/pricing 2026-09-30.
Median vs DigitsZeni
AI bookkeeping service with a dedicated finance team
- Pricing
- $549 / mo, or $494 / mo paid yearly
- Basis
- Not publicly stated
- Who keeps the books
- A dedicated finance team on every plan
Where it wins
The broadest menu under one roof of anyone here: bookkeeping, fractional CFO from $1,599 a month, tax filing from $2,499 a year, and a payroll service at $199 a month. Books are kept in QuickBooks Online Plus, so they stay in mainstream, portable software rather than a proprietary ledger, and a read-only MCP server for Claude is included with bookkeeping.
The catch
It starts at $549 a month for pre-revenue companies before you add anything, and its own plans require a QuickBooks Online Plus subscription you pay for separately. The CFO tiers charge setup fees of $2,000 to $6,000. Prices verified on zeni.ai/pricing 2026-09-30.
Median vs ZeniBurkland
CFO-led accounting firm for venture-backed startups
- Pricing
- Accounting from $495 / mo; CFO from $1,600 / mo
- Basis
- Cash or modified accrual on the entry plan
- Who keeps the books
- Experienced fractional CFOs and accounting staff, working in your system
Where it wins
A deep fractional CFO bench and a stated 800-plus venture-backed clients, which is real pattern recognition when you are raising or building a model. It works inside whatever system you already run, naming QuickBooks, NetSuite, Rillet and Puzzle among others, so nothing is locked to its platform.
The catch
It is priced as an advisory firm, not a bookkeeping service. Its own materials put most engagements between $500 and $5,000-plus a month, with tax preparation at $3,000 for federal and home-state filing and payroll from $500 a month on top. The close is monthly, and the model is built around funded companies rather than bootstrapped ones. Figures verified on burklandassociates.com 2026-09-30.
Median vs BurklandPuzzle
Accounting software with its own ledger, run by you
- Pricing
- $30 / mo, up to $360 / mo
- Basis
- Cash and accrual on every plan
- Who keeps the books
- None in the software plans; partner-reviewed bookkeeping from $171 / mo including the Core software, up to $10K / mo in expenses
Where it wins
The cheapest credible modern ledger in this comparison, starting at $30 a month and offering both cash and accrual on every plan, which several pricier options do not state. Two months free on the entry plan and unlimited users from the $120 tier up.
The catch
The software plans include no accountant; Puzzle now sells partner-reviewed bookkeeping from $171 a month including the Core software, up to $10K a month in expenses. The plans meter AI credits rather than transactions: the two cheapest are capped at 25 credits for the lifetime of the account, which is a limit worth understanding before you rely on the AI features. Prices verified on puzzle.io/pricing 2026-09-30.
Median vs PuzzleinDinero
Established outsourced accounting firm
- Pricing
- $750 / mo, rising to $1,250 / mo
- Basis
- Accrual on the $1,250 tier
- Who keeps the books
- A dedicated controller and team on every plan, with accrual managed by experienced controllers from the $1,250 tier
Where it wins
A full outsourced accounting department rather than a bookkeeping subscription, with experienced controllers on the growth tier, CFO-level services above it, and work done in QuickBooks Online or NetSuite so your books stay portable. Monthly reconciliations, payroll support and standard reporting are included at every tier.
The catch
The entry point is $750 a month, which is a lot of firm for an early-stage company, and accrual accounting is stated only from the $1,250 tier. The close is monthly, and the model is built for established businesses rather than pre-revenue startups. Prices verified on indinero.com/pricing 2026-09-30.
Median vs inDineroFondo
Startup accounting and tax firm for Delaware C-corps
- Pricing
- $950 / yr for annual reporting; $399 / mo for monthly (limited-time offer)
- Basis
- Not publicly stated
- Who keeps the books
- A dedicated accountant on every plan
Where it wins
The best-priced tax bundle for a Delaware C-corp on this list. TaxPass covers the federal 1120, Delaware franchise tax, one state filing and foreign shareholder filing for $1,450 a year, with R&D credit studies listed from $500, and the annual bookkeeping plan at $950 a year is the cheapest way for a quiet pre-seed company to stay compliant.
The catch
The cheap plans buy annual or quarterly reporting, not current books, so a company making decisions mid-month is reading numbers that are months old. It is built specifically around Delaware C-corps, so an LLC or a non-standard structure fits less well, and the accounting system is not stated. The monthly and TaxPass prices were marked limited time offers when checked. Prices verified on fondo.com/pricing 2026-09-30.
Median vs FondoWhat should a provider handle for a funded Delaware C-corp?
Most founders searching for a startup bookkeeper have raised, or are about to. A funded Delaware C-corp asks more of its books than a cash-basis small business does, and the gaps tend to show up during a round rather than at tax time. Whoever you hire should be able to produce each of these.
Statements an investor can diligence
Cash basis is fine while you are pre-revenue and nobody is reading your statements. Once a lead investor asks for financials, they will usually expect accrual, with revenue, prepaid software and accrued payroll in the right months. Ask each provider which basis you get on the plan you are quoted.
Accrual vs cash basis for startupsEquity accounts that match the cap table
Founder stock, SAFEs and option grants all land on the balance sheet. A bookkeeper who never sees the cap table leaves equity that does not tie, and that surfaces in diligence rather than at month end. Keep a copy of every founder 83(b) election with the stock records.
How to file an 83(b) electionDelaware franchise tax on the cheaper method
Delaware lets a corporation pay the lesser of two calculations. The authorized shares method can produce a large figure for a startup with millions of shares authorized. The assumed par value capital method needs total gross assets and issued shares, and the gross assets come from your balance sheet, so books closed on time are what make the cheaper method usable.
Delaware franchise tax for startupsR&D wages and contractors tagged as they post
An R&D credit claim is built from wages, contractor costs and supplies tied to qualified work. Reconstructing that from a year of uncategorized payroll is slow and weak on support. Ask whether the provider tracks it during the year or only at filing time.
Form 6765, section by sectionRecords that hold up for QSBS later
Qualified small business stock is tested partly on the balance sheet at the moment shares are issued. Clean records from the first round onward are far cheaper than rebuilding them when a founder or early investor sells.
QSBS and section 1202Contractor and foreign-owner filings
Venture-backed teams lean on contractors, sometimes overseas, and some have a foreign founder or parent. Year-end 1099s and any related-party reporting both depend on vendor records kept during the year rather than pieced together in January.
Who gets a 1099On the providers above, Kruze, Burkland and Fondo describe themselves as built for funded C-corps, and Pilot for venture-backed startups. Median works for a funded company on either basis, at a flat price set by revenue up to $1M, with larger books scoped separately, so a company that has raised but not yet sold much can stay on the lower band. If a round is close, the investor due diligence guide covers what gets asked for.
Which comparisons should you read next?
This page is the wide scan. If you have already narrowed it down, these go further on the specific matchups founders ask about most.
- QuickBooks Live vs Pilot vs BenchThe three most common shortlists, taken one at a time, with who each one actually suits.
- Pilot alternatives for SaaS foundersWhat to look at when Pilot is the incumbent and the bill has outgrown the work.
- Bookkeeping services for AI startupsGPU spend, contractor teams, and R&D credits change the answer. Here is how.
Startup bookkeeping services FAQ
The questions to ask any bookkeeping service
A printable list covering what they actually do, who does the work, who pays when an error reaches your tax return, and what leaving looks like. Ask every firm on this page, us included.
What would Median cost for your startup?
A flat monthly price set by your annual revenue, transactions posted every business day, and a dedicated accountant. We migrate your books from wherever they live today, and if they are months behind, the cleanup and catch-up runs as part of onboarding.