Bench

Bench is the human-first option in this list. You connect your accounts, a dedicated bookkeeper categorises transactions and delivers monthly books and a year-end, tax-ready package on Bench's own software, and you can message, call or meet your bookkeeper rather than learning a ledger yourself. Higher tiers remove the revenue cap, add unlimited communication, and bundle licensed tax professionals who advise through the year and file your business return, with personal filing included on the combined plan. Any honest profile has to address Bench's history directly: the company shut down abruptly in late December 2024, was acquired by Employer.com, and relaunched, with some returning customers reporting billing disputes in early 2025 that the new owner disputed. It is operating and accepting customers in 2026, and many solos still value a real person who knows their books. But that history makes data portability a question you should ask before you commit — confirm how you can export complete books, and keep your own copies of statements and reports. Bench does not run payroll, invoicing or bill pay itself, and its software is proprietary rather than QuickBooks, although a separate hourly service puts Bench bookkeepers inside your QuickBooks file if you prefer that.

Published monthly tiers by service level; annual billing is discounted versus the monthly prices shown.