Median vs Burkland
These two are not really competing for the same budget line. Burkland sells strategic finance leadership to funded startups. Median sells books that stay current and an accountant who owns them.
| Median | Burkland | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | AI-native firm that keeps its own ledger | CFO-led accounting firm for venture-backed startups |
| What you are mainly buying | Current, accurate books and answers from them | Experienced finance leadership |
| How often books are touched | Updated every business day | Monthly |
| Pricing model | Flat fee, banded by annual revenue | Published starting prices by tier; final price set by scope |
| Starting price | $200 / mo under $250K revenue | Accounting from $495 / mo; CFO from $1,600 / mo |
| Typical engagement | Scales with your accounts and volume | $500 to $5,000+ / mo by their own materials |
| Where the books live | Median's own ledger, exportable on request | Your system: QuickBooks, NetSuite, Rillet, Puzzle and others |
| AI assistant access | Read-only MCP server | MCP access not stated |
| Built for | Software and services startups, funded or not | Venture-backed startups, pre-seed through growth |
Public pricing and terms as of September 2026. Models differ, so figures are not directly comparable. Confirm current details with each provider.
Where Burkland wins
If what you actually need is a finance leader, Burkland is a better answer than Median, and it is worth saying that plainly rather than pretending every problem is a bookkeeping problem.
- A deep fractional CFO bench from $1,600 a month as of September 2026, with the pattern recognition that comes from a stated 800-plus venture-backed clients.
- Help with the things that surround a raise: the model, the diligence pack, the board conversation.
- It works inside whatever system you already run, naming QuickBooks, NetSuite, Rillet and Puzzle, so nothing is locked to its platform.
- A full back office under one roof, including HR, payroll from $500 a month and tax preparation at $3,000 for federal and home-state filing, as of September 2026.
Where Median wins
Most early companies do not need a fractional CFO yet. They need books that are right and current, and someone accountable for them. That is the job Median is built for.
- Cost, and knowing it in advance. Burkland publishes starting prices, but states that most engagements run $500 to $5,000-plus a month depending on the services you need, as of September 2026. Median is a flat $200 a month under $250K in annual revenue and $500 from $250K to $1M, published before you talk to anyone.
- Books categorized and posted every business day. Burkland's entry plan schedules month-end close work for the second half of the month, typically starting on the 16th, with a controller review each quarter.
- A fit that does not depend on being venture-backed. Bootstrapped and profitable companies get the same service and the same price.
- A read-only MCP server, so you can ask Claude about your live books instead of waiting for a monthly package.
How each one is built
Burkland is a people-first advisory firm. Its value is experienced humans applied to your finances, which is why it works in your existing system rather than building its own, and why the price reflects the seniority of the people involved. The bookkeeping is the foundation under the advisory work rather than the product itself.
Median inverts that. Software does the high-volume categorization and posting every business day, a dedicated accountant reviews the exceptions and owns the result, and the ledger Median keeps is the system of record. The product is current, reliable books and the ability to ask questions of them, priced by your revenue band rather than by the seniority of the people on the account. If you later need a CFO, you hire one on top of books that are already right.
Pricing compared
Burkland publishes starting prices on its pricing page. Accounting runs from $495 a month on Starter, which is cash or modified accrual with a quarterly controller review, to $665 on Core and $1,025 on Advanced, which adds a dedicated controller and revenue recognition support. Fractional CFO starts at $1,600, $2,500 and $4,200 a month by tier, tax preparation is $3,000 for federal and home-state filing plus $650 per additional state, R&D credit work typically runs $4,000 to $7,000, and payroll starts at $500 a month for up to 10 employees. Burkland states that most engagements run $500 to $5,000-plus a month, with the final number set by scope. Verified on burklandassociates.com 2026-09-30.
Median publishes a flat monthly fee set by annual revenue: $200 a month under $250K with up to seven financial accounts, and $500 a month from $250K to $1M or at eight or more accounts, with reports, scenarios, daily bookkeeping and every seat included, and no setup fee. Above $1M the price is scoped on a call. Tax filing is an add-on from $1,499 per year, R&D credit work is $5,000 flat under a $50,000 estimated credit and 10 percent of the credit at $50,000 and above, and sales tax filing starts at $99 per month per jurisdiction. Compare them on what you actually need: if the answer includes a CFO, Burkland's number is buying something Median does not sell.
Frequently asked questions
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 us the same ones, and ask them too.
See the answers on your own books first.
Share accountant access to QuickBooks or Xero 48 hours ahead and we will spend twenty minutes going through what is actually wrong, ranked, with what each one costs you. You keep the findings whether or not you work with us.
Book the teardown