How Much Does Bookkeeping Cost for a Small Business? (2026 Prices)

By Piyush Gupta, founder of NQD.ai · Prices checked October 21, 2026 · 8 min read

The short answer

A bookkeeping service where a person keeps your books costs about $150 to $400 a month for an entry plan, and $600 to $1,200 or more for higher volume, weekly bookkeeping or tax filing. AI bookkeeping software costs $25 to $100 a month, but you check the work yourself.

A freelance bookkeeper typically charges $11 to $40 or more an hour, and an employed bookkeeper's median US wage is $50,670 a year before payroll taxes and benefits.

Those ranges come from the prices 14 US providers publish on their own websites, which we read on October 21, 2026. We sell bookkeeping too, so we've put our own prices in the same table and said so.

Bookkeeping cost by type of service

The biggest price difference isn't between providers; it's between kinds of service, and what you're paying a person to do.

Typical cost by type of bookkeeping, US, October 2026.
Type	Typical cost	Who keeps the books
AI bookkeeping software	$25–$100 / mo	Software; you check the work
Expert coaching	$59 / mo + software	You, with an expert on call
Budget bookkeeping service	$150–$250 / mo	A bookkeeper or team, with caps on revenue or volume
Full-service bookkeeping	$300–$1,200+ / mo	A dedicated bookkeeper or team
Freelance bookkeeper	$11–$40+ / hour	One person, on your terms
In-house bookkeeper	$50,670 / yr median wage	An employee, plus payroll taxes and benefits

Published prices from 14 providers

Monthly prices in US dollars, from each provider's own pricing page. Where a provider prices by volume, this is the starting price; where paying yearly is cheaper, both are shown.

Read from each provider's website on October 21, 2026. Prices change, and some sites test different prices with different visitors: check the provider's page before you buy. Sources are listed at the end.
Provider and plan	Price per month	Who keeps the books	Tax filing	Good to know
Software and expert help (you keep the books)
doola Pulse	About $25 (billed $300/yr)	Automated software	Not included	A bookkeeper and tax filing come in doola's $2,999/yr bundle.
Kick Basic / Plus	$40 (billed $480/yr) / $100 (billed quarterly)	Bookkeeping software	Not included	A free plan covers 250 transactions a year.
QuickBooks Expert Assisted	$59, plus QuickBooks Online	An expert coaches; you do the books	Not included	Intuit says its experts “will not work in your books” on this plan.
Digits Essentials / Core	$65 / $100	AI software	Not included	Accountants are partner-provided and priced separately.
Pilot Essentials	$99	AI closes the books monthly	Not included	Up to $100K a month in expenses; cash basis.
Bookkeeping services (a person keeps your books)
Wave Advisors	From $149 billed yearly; from $179 monthly	Assigned bookkeeper	Not included	Priced by transaction volume. US and Canada only.
Fincent Pro	From $189 (up to $849)	Dedicated bookkeeper	Add-on: $100/mo or $1,000 a return	Priced by monthly expenses. The Advanced plan, from $389, includes business tax filing.
Bench Bookkeeping Light	$199 ($159/mo paid yearly)	Bookkeeper, unlimited access	Not included	Only for revenue up to $250K a year.
Finaloop Starter	$245	Accounting experts plus software (e-commerce)	Add-on	Up to $1M revenue and 4 years in business. Catch-up is quoted on a call.
Merritt Bookkeeping	$250 flat	A team enters every transaction	Not included	Catch-up $100–$200 per month behind. 3-month money-back guarantee.
Pilot Core	From $299 paid yearly; $399 monthly	US-based bookkeeper	Add-on from $1,000/yr	That price is for up to $15K a month in expenses; it reaches $999 / $1,199 at $200K. Reports by the 10th business day.
QuickBooks Expert Full Service	From $300, plus a cleanup fee and QuickBooks Online	Dedicated bookkeeper	Not included	The cleanup fee and the higher tiers aren't published; the price follows your monthly expenses.
Xendoo Essential / Growth / Scale	$395 / $695 / $995 (10% off yearly)	Dedicated team, weekly bookkeeping	Add-on from $1,295/yr	Tiers by monthly expenses ($50K / $75K / $125K) and accounts. Catch-up from $295 a month.
Bench Bookkeeping	$399 ($319/mo paid yearly)	Bookkeeper, unlimited access	Not included	This year's catch-up is free with an annual plan.
Bookkeeper360	From $400; weekly from $600	Dedicated US-based team	Add-on: business returns from $1,200/yr	Catch-up from $1,000 a project.
1-800Accountant Business Complete	$469 (billed annually)	Dedicated bookkeeper	Included: one business return	Also includes payroll setup and quarterly estimated taxes.
Zeni Starter / Growth	From $549 / $799 (annual contract)	AI plus a finance team	Add-on from $2,499/yr	Requires QuickBooks Online Plus.
Bench Bookkeeping + Tax	$649 (12-month commitment)	Bookkeeper plus tax professionals	Included: business income tax	Must start at least 3 months before your filing deadline.
Us, for comparison
NQD.ai Starter / Growth / Scale	$299 / $499 / $799	Bookkeeper; a person reviews every close	Not included; we work with your CPA	Up to 100 / 300 / 700 transactions a month, closed by the 5th business day. Founding clients: 6 months free.

What moves the price

How much happens in your books

Almost every provider charges more as your business gets busier, but they measure it differently: Wave and NQD.ai count transactions; Pilot, Xendoo, Fincent and QuickBooks go by your monthly expenses; Bench's Light plan and Finaloop cap your revenue. Compare the plan you'd actually be on, not the headline.

How often the books are done

Monthly is the norm. Weekly costs more: Bookkeeper360 lists weekly bookkeeping from $600 a month against $400 for monthly.

How far behind you are

Catch-up work is usually billed on its own. Merritt charges $100–$200 per month of backlog, Intuit's standalone QuickBooks cleanup starts at $600, Xendoo's catch-up starts at $295 a month, and Bookkeeper360's starts at $1,000 a project. Bench includes the current year with an annual plan.

Whether tax filing is included

Most bookkeeping plans stop at year-end financials for your tax preparer. Filing a business return is an add-on, often $1,000 a year or more. Bench Bookkeeping + Tax, 1-800Accountant Business Complete and Fincent Advanced bundle it in.

Paying yearly or monthly

Prepaying a year is usually 10–25% cheaper: Pilot Core is $299 a month paid yearly against $399 monthly, and Wave Advisors $149 against $179. Zeni's monthly price is on an annual contract either way.

Costs to ask about before you sign

A cleanup or onboarding fee. QuickBooks Expert Full Service starts “after initial cleanup fee”, an amount Intuit doesn't publish.
The accounting software. QuickBooks' bookkeeping service needs a QuickBooks Online plan (listed at $38–$340 a month), and Zeni needs QuickBooks Online Plus.
Limits that move you up a tier: revenue, monthly expenses, transactions or the number of bank accounts.
Commitments. Some monthly prices need a 12-month contract.
Tax filing, payroll and 1099s, which are usually extra.
When the books are done. Ask by which day of the month your reports arrive; Pilot Core, for example, delivers by the 10th business day.

Freelancer, employee or service?

Freelancer: Upwork puts median rates at $11–$25 an hour worldwide, and $25–$40 or more for experienced North American bookkeepers. Cheapest at low volume; you rely on one person.
Employee: the US median wage for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks was $50,670 a year ($24.36 an hour) in May 2025, before payroll taxes, benefits and software. Worth it once there's a full-time job's worth of work.
Service: a fixed monthly price for a bookkeeper or team, with cover when someone is away. The usual choice in between.

In the UK

The prices above are for US businesses, in dollars, and not every provider serves the UK (Wave's bookkeeping, for one, covers only the US and Canada). For a sense of UK costs: an employed bookkeeper's average salary is £28,818 a year on Indeed UK, and the National Careers Service puts the range at £24,000 for a starter to £35,000 with experience.

Where NQD.ai fits

We sell bookkeeping, so read this part with that in mind. Our plans are $299, $499 and $799 a month for up to 100, 300 and 700 transactions, on QuickBooks Online or Xero, with the books closed by the 5th business day and every close reviewed by a person. We don't file taxes; we hand your CPA clean books.

Our first 10 founding clients get 6 months free, then their plan minus $50 a month (from $249) for as long as they stay.

Book a Free Call

Or see every NQD.ai price on one page.

Every competitor price here comes from that provider's own website on October 21, 2026. If one has changed, email support@nqd.ai and we'll correct it.

Frequently asked questions

How much should a small business pay for bookkeeping per month?

In 2026, bookkeeping services where a person keeps your books publish entry prices from about $150 to $400 a month, rising to $600–$1,200 or more for higher volume, weekly bookkeeping or tax filing. AI bookkeeping software costs about $25–$100 a month, but you check the work yourself. Where you land depends on your transaction volume, how far behind the books are, and whether you need tax filing included.

Is a freelance bookkeeper cheaper than a bookkeeping service?

Often, at low volume. Upwork puts median freelance bookkeeper rates at $11–$25 an hour worldwide, and experienced North American freelancers at $25–$40 or more. A few hours a month can cost less than a service plan, but you rely on one person's availability, and review and deadlines are whatever you agree with them. An employee costs more: the US median wage for bookkeeping clerks was $50,670 a year in May 2025, before payroll taxes and benefits.

How much does catch-up bookkeeping cost?

It depends on how many months are behind. Published examples: Merritt charges $100–$200 per month of backlog, Intuit's standalone QuickBooks cleanup starts at $600, Xendoo's catch-up starts at $295 a month, and Bookkeeper360's starts at $1,000 a project. Bench includes the current year's catch-up with an annual plan.

Do bookkeeping services include tax filing?

Usually not. Most plans hand year-end financials to your tax preparer, and filing is an add-on, often $1,000 a year or more (Pilot from $1,000, Bookkeeper360 business returns from $1,200, Xendoo from $1,295). A few plans bundle it: Bench Bookkeeping + Tax at $649 a month, 1-800Accountant Business Complete at $469 a month billed annually, and Fincent Advanced from $389 a month.

What's the difference between AI bookkeeping software and a bookkeeping service?

AI bookkeeping software ($25–$100 a month) categorizes and reconciles transactions automatically, but no person is responsible for getting your books right; you review the work. A bookkeeping service (about $150 a month and up) gives you a bookkeeper or team who keeps the books, closes each month and answers questions. Many services use AI underneath too; the difference is whether a person signs off.

Why do bookkeeping prices vary so much?

Providers price on different things: transaction volume (Wave, NQD.ai), monthly expenses (Pilot, Xendoo, Fincent, QuickBooks), revenue caps (Bench Bookkeeping Light, Finaloop), how often the books are done (weekly costs more), and whether tax filing, payroll or catch-up are included. Paying yearly is usually 10–25% cheaper than paying monthly.

Sources

All read on October 21, 2026.

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