The Bench Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Bench in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Bench
The Insider’s Guide
Bookkeeping done by an assigned bookkeeper, with optional tax filing
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among accounting and invoicing tools, read from Bench’s own pages.
Made by Bench Accounting · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Bench’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Bench’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
1.6
GPA, above 1 of the 65 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade
Bench is a bookkeeping service for U.S. businesses: an assigned bookkeeper categorizes and reconciles transactions each month and delivers financial statements through Bench's own software. Tax filing and catch-up bookkeeping for past months are sold separately. Bench says it is now owned by Employer.com, which acquired it in December 2024.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Bench, taken from its own pages and our grades.
If you'd rather keep your own books, look elsewhere.
- 1
Best for hands-off monthly bookkeeping for US businesses
Bench is a bookkeeping service: an assigned bookkeeper does your monthly books, and tax filing costs extra.
- 2
Paid plans start at $199 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $199 per month, billed monthly (Bookkeeping Light).
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Assigned bookkeeper
Each business is matched with a bookkeeper who reconciles accounts transaction by transaction and can be reached by phone, message or video call.
- 5
Monthly books and year-end financials
Plans deliver up-to-date monthly books and year-end tax-ready financial statements, with reviews by multiple bookkeepers each month.
- 6
Business tax filing
The tax plans add filing of business income tax returns by licensed tax professionals, with up to four advisory calls a year.
- 7
A 1.6 GPA, above 1 of 65
That is against the other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
To replace Bench you would be making live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Bench at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid, from $199 per month, billed monthly (Bookkeeping Light)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Bench Accounting, since 2012
- Category
- Accounting & Invoicing
- Our grade
- 1.6 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for hands-off monthly bookkeeping for US businesses
Bench is a bookkeeping service: an assigned bookkeeper does your monthly books, and tax filing costs extra. There is no free plan or trial, the cheapest plan is $199 a month and the base one $399, and it only serves businesses in the US. If you'd rather keep your own books, look elsewhere.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | $199 a month for Light and $399 for the base plan, against $26 in the middle for this category. A person does the work, but that's still the dearest tenth. |
| Free plan and trial | F | No free plan and no trial on the pricing page. The 20% discount only comes with paying for 12 months at once. |
| Features | B | Monthly books, year-end financials, tax filing, catch-up work and a QuickBooks Online option from one provider. The listing shows no gap in the bookkeeping job. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. It's a service, so you hand over account access and answer your bookkeeper's questions instead of learning software. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web only, for US businesses only. It reads your accounts, and works inside QuickBooks Online on the QBO plans. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Bench is for
- Fits if you'd rather pay someone to do the monthly books than do them yourself
- Makes sense if you're a small US business that also wants tax filing from the same provider
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you're a small outfit: $399 a month for the base plan and $649 with tax filing
- Skip it if you want a free plan or a trial, because there's neither
- Not for you if your business is outside the US
- Watch out: monthly tax pricing needs a 12-month commitment, and bigger QuickBooks plans start at $999 a month
- Watch out: Bench paused operations in December 2024 and resumed in January 2025 under Employer.com
Good to know
Good for
- Owners who want someone else to do the bookkeeping each month
- Small U.S. businesses that also want tax filing from the same provider
- Businesses that already run QuickBooks Online and want a bookkeeper working in it
Worth knowing
- Bench serves U.S.-based businesses; it is a service with a monthly fee, not software you run yourself.
- The base Bookkeeping plan is $399 a month, and Complexity 3 QuickBooks plans start at $999 a month.
- Monthly tax pricing needs a 12-month commitment bought at least 3 months before the filing deadline.
- Bench paused operations in December 2024 and resumed in January 2025 under Employer.com.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$199
A month to start
Bench is a paid product, starting at $199 per month, billed monthly (Bookkeeping Light).
A person does the work, but that's still the dearest tenth.
Bookkeeping Light
$199
per month, billed monthly
Monthly books for micro businesses with $250K a year or less in revenue; 20% off with annual payment.
Bookkeeping
$399
per month, billed monthly
Monthly books, year-end tax-ready financials and unlimited contact with your bookkeeper; $3,830 a year if paid annually.
Bookkeeping + Tax
$649
per month, billed monthly
Bookkeeping plus business income tax filing and up to four tax advisory calls a year; $6,230 a year if paid annually.
Full-service tax
$300
per month, 12-month commitment
Tax filing and year-round advisory without bookkeeping; $2,880 a year if paid annually.
QBO Bookkeeping: Complexity 1
$399
per month, billed monthly
Cash-basis books kept inside your own QuickBooks Online, up to 500 transactions a month.
QBO Bookkeeping: Complexity 2
$699
per month, billed monthly
Cash or accrual books in your QuickBooks Online, up to 2,000 transactions a month.
Read from bench.co on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save 20% on a 12-month plan
Bench's pricing page lists 20% off its bookkeeping, tax and QuickBooks plans when you pay for 12 months at once.
Stated on bench.co
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Bookkeeping done by an assigned bookkeeper, with optional tax filing. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: reports, bookkeeping.
Monthly books, year-end financials, tax filing, catch-up work and a QuickBooks Online option from one provider.
- Assigned bookkeeper
- Each business is matched with a bookkeeper who reconciles accounts transaction by transaction and can be reached by phone, message or video call.
- Monthly books and year-end financials
- Plans deliver up-to-date monthly books and year-end tax-ready financial statements, with reviews by multiple bookkeepers each month.
- Business tax filing
- The tax plans add filing of business income tax returns by licensed tax professionals, with up to four advisory calls a year.
- Catch-up bookkeeping
- Past months that were never reconciled can be cleaned up; the page says catch-up for the current year is free with an annual plan.
- Work inside QuickBooks Online
- A separate QBO plan has Bench's bookkeepers work in your existing QuickBooks account instead of Bench's own software.
- Read-only account access
- Bench says it connects to financial accounts with read-only access to import transactions for bookkeeping.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- QuickBooks Online
Bench is made by Bench Accounting, and has been around since 2012.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
1/65
Other accounting and invoicing tools it is graded above
Bench's GPA of 1.6 is higher than 1 of the 65 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on features (B, above 51 of 65) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $199 a month, against a middle price of $18.09 for the category: 53 of the 54 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 16 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 66 accounting and invoicing tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Bench’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 65
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 65
- BFeaturesAbove 51 of 65
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 65
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 1 of 65
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 58 accounting and invoicing tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Bench is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Bench you would be making live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 59 of the 65 other accounting and invoicing tools grade higher. It costs $2,388 a year.
What you could make
- Reports: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Bench’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
QuickBooks Online, Xero, Wave, Found and Kashoo
The 5 tools Bench is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
QuickBooks Online
Free plan · from $38/mo
Cloud accounting from Intuit, from a free plan to 25-user Advanced.
- QuickBooks Online has a free plan. Bench does not.
- Only QuickBooks Online lists iOS and Android apps.
- QuickBooks Online also covers invoicing, expense tracking and payroll.
- 2.6GPA
Xero
Free trial · from $27/mo
Cloud accounting for small businesses, with unlimited users.
- Only Xero lists iOS and Android apps.
- Xero also covers invoicing, expense tracking and payroll.
- 2.4GPA
Wave
Free plan · from $19/mo
Free invoicing and bookkeeping for US and Canadian small businesses.
- Wave has a free plan. Bench does not.
- Only Wave lists iOS and Android apps.
- Wave also covers invoicing, expense tracking and payroll.
- 2.8GPA
Found
Free plan · from $35/mo
Business bank account with bookkeeping and tax tools built in.
- Found has a free plan. Bench does not.
- Only Found lists iOS and Android apps.
- Found also covers invoicing and expense tracking.
- 2.2GPA
Kashoo
Free trial · from $30/mo
One-plan online accounting with unlimited users and bank feeds.
- Only Kashoo lists iOS and Android apps.
- Kashoo also covers invoicing and expense tracking.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Bench free?
No. Bench is a paid product, starting at $199 per month, billed monthly (Bookkeeping Light).
How much does Bench cost?
Bench lists 6 plans. Bookkeeping Light: $199 per month, billed monthly.
What platforms does Bench work on?
Bench is available on Web.
Does Bench offer any discounts?
Bench publicly lists the following: Save 20% on a 12-month plan.
Does Bench have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Bench is listed for Web.
Does Bench have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Bench is listed for Web.
Is Bench open source?
Bench is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
What does Bench integrate with?
Bench's listing names QuickBooks Online. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Bench?
Bench is made by Bench Accounting. It dates from 2012.
What are the alternatives to Bench?
The closest alternatives to Bench in our directory are QuickBooks Online, Xero, Wave, Found and Kashoo.
How does Bench compare with other accounting and invoicing tools?
Bench's GPA of 1.6 is higher than 1 of the 65 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, and level with 5.
Is Bench good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Bench D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $199 a month, against a middle price of $18.09 for the category: 53 of the 54 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Bench?
To replace Bench you would be making live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Bench’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Bench's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Bench Accounting. Prices change, so check bench.co before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Bench, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/bench
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Bench: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/bench
Know someone choosing between accounting and invoicing tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/bench/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded accounting and invoicing tools after Bench, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Accounting & Invoicing Insider's GuideEvery one of the 67 accounting and invoicing tools we grade, compared
- Zoho Invoice Insider's GuideFree invoicing app from Zoho for freelancers and small businesses3.6 GPA
- Zoho Books Insider's GuideOnline accounting from Zoho, with a free plan and six paid tiers3.4 GPA
- Odoo Insider's GuideBusiness app suite whose Accounting app is free when used on its own3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Bench’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Bench is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Bench Accounting. Prices and plans change: check bench.co before you buy.