--- title: "Bench Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra" description: "With the help of Capterra, learn about Bench Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Bookkeeper products and more." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/137795/Bench-Bookkeeping/" page_type: "product" language: "en" publication_date: "2026-10-19" --- # Bench Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on October 19, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[FAQs](#faqs)[Users](#users)[Pros and Cons](#pros-cons)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Integrations](#integrations)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) Bench ## What is Bench? Bench is for small business owners who want to focus on their business, not their bookkeeping. Every month, Bench turns your data into tax-ready financial statements. You can monitor your business's financial health, download your financial statements, and chat with your team any time via the Bench app. And at the end of the year, Bench provides you with everything you (or your CPA) will need to file your taxes. ## What is Bench used for? [Bookkeeper](https://www.capterra.com/bookkeeper-software/)[Accounting](https://www.capterra.com/accounting-software/)[Financial Reporting](https://www.capterra.com/financial-reporting-software/) Top alternative Featured Overall rating Based on 312 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive 89% Neutral 1% Negative 10% Pros & cons Streamlined and intuitive experience Clean and approachable design Unreliable bank connection process Starting price $349 Flat Rate, Per Month Free trial available Free version not included Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### Bench 4.5 (312) VS. [4.4 (3,341)](https://www.capterra.com/p/120109/Xero/reviews/) Starting Price $349 Flat Rate, Per Month Starting Price $25 Flat Rate, Per Month Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 4.6 (311) Ease Of Use 4.4 (7,789) Value For Money 4.3 (297) Value For Money 4.2 (6,697) Customer Service 4.5 (307) Customer Service 4.0 (6,400) ## Bench alternatives [4.2 (2,086)](https://www.capterra.com/p/135757/NetSuite/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 85% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.3 (718)](https://www.capterra.com/p/76/Intacct/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 86% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.4 (684)](https://www.capterra.com/p/163115/Zoho-Books/reviews/) Starting price $20.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 89% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [QuickBooks Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/) [4.3 (8,555)](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/reviews/) Starting price $38.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 86% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/) [View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/137795/Bench-Bookkeeping/alternatives/) ## FAQs about Bench Overview ### What problems does Bench solve? Bench solves the burden of manual bookkeeping, expense categorization, and month-end financial review by connecting accounts, organizing transactions, and providing readable profit-and-loss, balance-sheet, and annual reports. It helps small-business owners, founders, freelancers, and lean startup teams stay current on cash flow, prepare tax-ready records, and give accountants the information needed for filing. Answer based on 212 reviews Overview ### Which roles and teams benefit most from Bench? Bench is most used by small-business owners, founders, CEOs, and presidents who need organized bookkeeping and clear financial records. Partners, COOs, and managers use it to oversee cash flow and operational spending, while attorneys and creative leaders rely on current books to support client work, budgeting, and tax preparation. Answer based on 311 reviews Overview ### What company size and industries is Bench built for? Bench is for small business owners who want to focus on their business rather than bookkeeping, with 98% of reviewers from small businesses. Its most common industries are Marketing and Advertising (11%), Retail (7%), and Health, Wellness and Fitness (6%). Midsize businesses account for 2% of reviewers, while enterprises account for none. Answer based on 312 reviews Features and Usability ### What are the key features of Bench? Bench includes core bookkeeping features for expense tracking, bank reconciliation, and transaction management. Its financial reporting provides summaries, detailed ledgers, profit and loss statements, and balance sheets to support business decisions. Bench also offers tax management, tax filing, and tax compliance, alongside accounting integration and accounts payable and receivable tools. Answer based on 20 reviews Pricing ### How much does it cost and what fees or limitations are included? Bench offers Bookkeeping from $349 per month, falling to 299 monthly with annual billing, and includes a free trial. Bookkeeping & Tax costs 699 monthly or 599 annually. Reviewers value the time saved and all-in-one service, though some smaller businesses find pricing high or want tiers better matched to transaction volume. Answer based on 66 reviews Integrations ### Which third-party tools and platforms does Bench integrate with? Bench integrates with five third-party tools: Gusto for payroll, Shoeboxed for receipt management, Shopify for ecommerce, Square Point of Sale for sales transactions, and Stripe for payment processing. Reviewer feedback specifically confirms data sharing between Bench and Gusto, while the official catalog lists the other supported platforms. Answer based on 18 reviews Getting Started and Support ### What training and onboarding options does Bench offer? Bench provides in person training, live online sessions, and documentation to help teams get started. In person training supports direct instruction, live online sessions allow guided setup remotely, and documentation offers written reference material for self-paced review and ongoing use. Answer based on 4 reviews Getting Started and Support ### What customer support options does Bench offer, and how do users rate the experience? Bench offers email/help desk, FAQ/forum, phone support, and chat. Many users describe assigned bookkeepers and support staff as responsive, helpful, and clear, often resolving questions quickly. However, some report delayed replies, difficulty reaching support by phone, inconsistent communication, staff turnover, and unresolved bookkeeping or deadline issues. Answer based on 128 reviews Bookkeeping ### How well does Bench handle bookkeeping for small businesses? Bench provides outsourced bookkeeping that saves many small business owners time and keeps financial records accessible. Its human bookkeepers, clear reports, and transaction support suit entrepreneurs who prefer not to manage accounts themselves, but pricing, limited customization, and reported delays or categorization errors can concern businesses with complex needs. Answer based on 133 reviews ## Who uses Bench? Based on Capterra reviews from the past 6 years Talk to a software expert to get a free software list tailored to your business needs ## Pros and Cons Streamlined and intuitive experience 100% positive reviews out of 58 Most reviewers find ease of use essential, highlighting simple setup, intuitive navigation, and organized workflows. Unreliable bank connection process 56% negative reviews out of 43 Some reviewers indicate bank account integration is inconsistent, requiring frequent manual intervention and repeated authentication. Clean and approachable design 91% positive reviews out of 45 Most reviewers describe the user interface as visually appealing, easy to navigate, and highly accessible for daily tasks. Efficient financial organization tools 96% positive reviews out of 25 Most users report financial tracking helps save time, ensures accurate records, and simplifies business decision-making. ## Features AI summary Based on 2,479 Bookkeeper reviews Capterra data shows that buyers of bookkeeper software rank the following features as their top priorities: - **Accounting** (**66%** of reviewers rated this feature as critical) - **Income & Balance Sheet** (**56%**) - **Invoice Processing** (**59%**) Bench supports **Accounting** and **Income & Balance Sheet**, giving businesses a clear way to track financial activity and review overall financial health. However, it does not include **Invoice Processing**. Instead, it offers other highly rated capabilities, such as **Bank Reconciliation** (**62%**) and **General Ledger** (**56%**), which help teams keep records accurate, match transactions efficiently, and maintain organized books for reporting and decision-making. Accounting 2.7 (10) 70.00% of 10 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Built-in accounting to manage ledger, accounts payable/receivable, financial reports, etc. Income & Balance Sheet 3.5 (39) 64.10% of 39 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important A statement detailing the financial position of a business including assets, liabilities, and equity at a certain point in time Bank Reconciliation 4.1 (83) 50.60% of 83 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Compare and match accounting/financial records with corresponding bank statements General Ledger 4.3 (82) 47.56% of 82 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Centralized accounting record which tracks all financial transactions Expense Tracking 4.2 (95) 53.68% of 95 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Monitor and record expenses such as purchases or charges incurred Financial Reporting 4.3 (83) 51.81% of 83 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Generate reports to assess the financial performance of an organization Bench 33 features ### All Features - Access Controls/Permissions: Define levels of authorization for access to specific files or systems - Accounting: Built-in accounting to manage ledger, accounts payable/receivable, financial reports, etc. - Accounting Integration: Integrate with a third-party accounting system - Accounts Payable: Track money owed to a company's creditors/suppliers - Accounts Receivable: Track outstanding invoices and the money owed from clients - Activity Dashboard: Dashboard to view the status of ongoing processes, identify current incidents and track past activities - Bank Reconciliation: Compare and match accounting/financial records with corresponding bank statements - Cash Management: Process of managing an organization's cash resources, including cash on hand, investments, and bank account balances - CPA Firms: Software for Certified Public Accountants to aid clients in achieving financial goals. - Dashboard: Assembly of graphs and charts for visualizing and tracking statistics/metrics - Data Import/Export: Import and export data to and from software applications - Data Visualization: Graphical representation of data - Expense Tracking: Monitor and record expenses such as purchases or charges incurred - Financial Management: Plan, manage, and track the financial activities of an individual or organization - Financial Reporting: Generate reports to assess the financial performance of an organization - For Legal Professionals: Specifically designed to address the needs of law firms and legal departments - For Small Businesses: Designed for small businesses - General Ledger: Centralized accounting record which tracks all financial transactions - Income & Balance Sheet: A statement detailing the financial position of a business including assets, liabilities, and equity at a certain point in time - Multi-Currency: Manage and handle various international currencies - Profit/Loss Statement: A type of financial statement used to record and report an organization's revenues, costs, and expenses over a specific amount of time - Project Accounting: Manage and track financials on a project-to-project basis - Real-Time Data: Receive data and information in real time - Reminders: Timed notification for any upcoming task, deadline, appointment, or activity - Remote Access/Control: Access work applications remotely, for when working away from the office and/or traveling - Sales Tax Management: Calculation of consumption tax imposed on the sale of goods/services - Spend Management: Track the amount of money spent on a certain product or with a certain supplier - Tax Calculation: Calculate tax and make deductions on gross income from sources like wages, investments or self-employment - Tax Compliance: Track tax-related transactions, tax remittance and tax reporting for various groups of employees and contractors - Tax Filing: The completion of documentation that calculates earned income and the taxes to be paid, also called a tax return - Tax Management: Implementation of various strategies to manage tax obligations via planning and maintaining compliance - Transaction History: Record of all transactions such as purchases, deposits, withdrawals and transfers within a specific period - Transaction Management: Manage, record and track all business exchanges in form of money and its related interactions in the system --- Get Advice We can help you find the software with the features you need. Features 4.4 (311) 4.4 Based on 311 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 4.3 (297) Free Trial [View pricing plan details](https://www.capterra.com/p/137795/Bench-Bookkeeping/pricing/) Bookkeeping $349.00 Flat Rate,Per Month It includes: - Dedicated bookkeeping experts - Accurate monthly books and year-end tax-ready financial packages - P&L, balance sheet and 1099 reporting - Unlimited communication with your bookkeeping team Bookkeeping & Tax $699.00 Flat Rate,Per Month It includes: - Dedicated team of licensed tax professionals to file your income tax return on time - Annual income tax filing for businesses (partnerships, S corps, C corps) - Annual income tax filing for individuals (sole proprietors, contractors) Value for money 4.3 (297) 4.3 Based on 297 reviews ## Integrations [ Shopify](https://www.capterra.com/p/83891/Shopify/)[ Stripe Payments](https://www.capterra.com/p/123889/Stripe/)[ Square Point of Sale](https://www.capterra.com/p/275802/Square-Point-of-Sale/)[ Shoeboxed](https://www.capterra.com/p/222840/Shoeboxed/) Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs. ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 4.5 (307) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 4.5 (307) 4.5 Based on 307 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 4.5 Based on 312 reviews Filter by rating Counts reflect reviews available in this feed. 5(236) 4(42) 3(4) 2(10) 1(20) Mentioned topic Recent reviews first, then most helpful Vincent C. Project Manager Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Basic & Straightforward Accounting Software " 5.0 February 11, 2026 Pros Hands-off bookkeeping with real pros doing your books, easy-to-read financials, saves hours each month. Cons Can be pricey for what you get, limited to just bookkeeping (no invoicing/payroll), and harder to switch or customize later. CO Co-Founder Co-Founder Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Love Bench!" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 October 22, 2020 Bench is the easiest way to manage our books online. It's been a huge time and money saver over the last few years. Pros I've been using Bench for years now and it's so simple to see and manage my books. When something isn't categorized correctly, I add a comment and it's moved over to the right one. It's been great and easy to use. Cons The monthly income statements are behind often. I have to ask to get them on time. I wish it integrated with Quickbooks as my CPA can easily manipulate the data for reports. OW Owner Owner Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Helpful but pricey" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 2.0 2.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 5/10 August 9, 2021 Generally my experience has been good. The device is expensive compared to other bookkeeping devices. My biggest concern is that in working with the company you get handed off to several different staff. It has been hard to build a relationship with my bookkeeper for this reason. I’ve found that I have to reexplain a number of our specifics over and over again because I am working with new people within the company. It would be better to be assigned to one bookkeeper, especially in our case, which included historical books and present day books. My business isnt open yet but some of the limitations in the software (particularly a lack of an A/P system) cause concern for me in considering continuing use once we are open. Pros I like that the online interface is user friendly, albeit a little glitchy. Cons Software is glitchy and could use a bit of tweaking in order to ensure that it is more effective. CO Chief Operations Officer Chief Operations Officer Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "3 years of relationship ruined by the bankruptcy and Employer.com acquisition" 2.0 Overall Rating 2.0 2.0 Ease of Use 1.0 1.0 Features 1.0 1.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 2/10 February 11, 2025 Pros Giving 2 stars instead of 1 out of respect for a once good company. Cons 3 years of relationship ruined by the bankruptcy and employer.com acquisition. I paid for all of 2024, but they won't finish my books for 2024 unless I pay them an incremental $1200 one-time fee or pay ~3K for another year of their service. Not right. OW Owner Owner Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "SaaS, but with people you get to know" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 7/10 November 11, 2022 Bit of a bumpy onboarding with aggressive trials clearly operated by a different team, but so much smoother once you start a subscription and are assigned your bookkeeper. Pros A pleasant mix of self-service software, with a reliably consistent team who does genuinely get to know my business. Cons It is a walled garden, so no integrations with any existing software. Leads to a lot of duplicate or redundant content in Xero, Expensify, and other tools I use. PA Partner Partner Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Excellent Book Keeping Software For Running Your Business" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 September 1, 2020 Understanding the financial health of our business has been critical in making decisions both long and short term. Bench helped free up the minimal time that we as business owners have and spend more of that time focusing on our business, which has been very helpful. Pros It was great to see a breakdown of all three financial statements for our business, both from a macro and micro perspective. Being able to pull up accounts and see specific transactions from desktop and on the go through mobile was indispensable in running a healthy business and planning for the future. The messaging system was prompt and efficient for keeping in touch with our book keepers and account manager with any pressing questions. They were always very professional and did high quality work. Any questions or concerns with categorization and interpreting information were answered well. Cons I think it would be helpful to expand the software to allow for the dropping of all receipts into our account in order to have a one stop location for accessing and printing receipts for accounting and tax purposes. We were informed that only high ticket items needed receipts, and so we ended up using other third party software to track mileage and keep track of receipts. Marie Zywicki M. Founder Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "Bench dropped the ball & gave me a partial refund. " 2.0 Overall Rating 2.0 2.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 3.0 3.0 Likelihood to Recommend 1/10 July 28, 2020 I tested Bench out at the end of 2019 and then hired them for my entire 2020 books. In the beginning, they were on top of things. Then, mid-summer they dropped the ball. My account got passed to another team, and they didn't even touch my books for months. It was a mess. I reached out to customer service and they did give me 2 months of a refund, because the customer service rep (who was very kind & courteous) saw what I saw. In December, I requested for my bookkeeper to fix some miscategorized transactions and later asked, "Hey were those fixed?" She said she fixed them, which was a blatant lie! On top of all of that, it took them about TWO MONTHS to do my final end of year books that I could pass onto my CPA. I was told they were uploaded, but then they weren't there when I looked for them. I had to request, "Please upload them again." They apologized and did so right away, but by the time I saw them, thank goodness for the COVID extension, because I literally didn't have my deliverables from Bench until April 2020. My filings would have been late. Pros Bench is easy to use and navigate. In the beginning, they were fantastic at answering questions I had to help understand how my bookkeeping was being handled. That's about the only good thing I have to say. Cons I spent more time dealing with Bench all year long than when I was doing my own bookkeeping on a simple spreadsheet. I expected a learning curve in the beginning. They promised it would get easier "as we learn about your business and transactions," but I found month after month that the same transactions got flagged needing my input. Then, when I did thorough checks on my books, I found several transactions not in the right category. The other thing I didn't like was that my bank constantly needed to be reconnected. I truly felt like I spent more time handling Bench than I would've spend just doing my own bookkeeping. PA Partner Partner Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "Very Happy" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 January 6, 2022 Pros My Team and I are very happy with the Bench software and customer service. It's easy to use, a breeze to read, and simple to update. Cons The lag time to get a response from a human being is something I'm getting used to as our world is moving to the online/AI experience. PD Principal Designer Principal Designer Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Good Quality; Probably too Much for a Smaller Company" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 5/10 June 15, 2023 I like the product, but am unsure of the value for smaller firms with fewer expenses. Pros I like the ease of use. There is a lot of info that is consolidated well, and the customer service is quick. Cons Overall the service works well, but for a small company with relatively few expenses, the $300/mo pricing is a bit steep. I feel that a tiered rate based on expense quantities would be valuable to smaller companies wishing to offload the accounting work, but can't justify the cost. DI Director Director Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Clean" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 8/10 October 29, 2020 Our overall experience has been that Bench is personable, intuitative, and user-friendly. Pros What we like most about Bench is their level of customer service. From setup to now, the team has been here with us and is extremely easy to reach out to. Beyond this, the interface is very clean, quick to load. Cons There are some accounts that can't be automated, but we understand this. That aside, we would like to see Bench expand and offer more all-in-one service beyond book-keeping and tax returns or make any partners more accessible (virtual CFO, CPAs would be great). [View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/137795/Bench-Bookkeeping/reviews/) ## Top-rated software of 2026 ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox. Popular comparisons [QuickBooks Online vs Bench](https://www.capterra.com/compare/137795-190778/Bench-Bookkeeping-vs-QuickBooks-Online)[QuickBooks Enterprise vs Bench](https://www.capterra.com/compare/137795-174984/Bench-Bookkeeping-vs-QuickBooks-Enterprise)[Xero vs Bench](https://www.capterra.com/compare/120109-137795/Xero-vs-Bench-Bookkeeping)[NetSuite vs Bench](https://www.capterra.com/compare/135757-137795/NetSuite-vs-Bench-Bookkeeping)[Sage Intacct vs Bench](https://www.capterra.com/compare/76-137795/Intacct-vs-Bench-Bookkeeping)[Sage 50 Accounting vs Bench](https://www.capterra.com/compare/137795-174753/Bench-Bookkeeping-vs-Sage-50cloud)[Sage Accounting vs Bench](https://www.capterra.com/compare/137795-168740/Bench-Bookkeeping-vs-Sage-One-UK)[TaxDome vs Bench](https://www.capterra.com/compare/137795-186749/Bench-Bookkeeping-vs-TaxDome)[QuickBooks Online Advanced vs Bench](https://www.capterra.com/compare/137795-189398/Bench-Bookkeeping-vs-QuickBooks-Online) [Wave vs Bench](https://www.capterra.com/compare/137795-178021/Bench-Bookkeeping-vs-Wave-Apps)[Zoho Books vs Bench](https://www.capterra.com/compare/137795-163115/Bench-Bookkeeping-vs-Zoho-Books)[Sage 100 vs Bench](https://www.capterra.com/compare/137795-227232/Bench-Bookkeeping-vs-Sage-100cloud)[TallyPrime vs Bench](https://www.capterra.com/compare/127762-137795/Tally-ERP-9-vs-Bench-Bookkeeping)[Zoho Invoice vs Bench](https://www.capterra.com/compare/137795-163114/Bench-Bookkeeping-vs-Zoho-Invoice)[SAP Business One vs Bench](https://www.capterra.com/compare/137795-214667/Bench-Bookkeeping-vs-SAP-Business-One)[SAP Concur vs Bench](https://www.capterra.com/compare/380-137795/Concur-Expense-vs-Bench-Bookkeeping)[Odoo vs Bench](https://www.capterra.com/compare/135618-137795/Odoo-vs-Bench-Bookkeeping)[FreeAgent vs Bench](https://www.capterra.com/compare/122008-137795/FreeAgent-vs-Bench-Bookkeeping)