Annual Bookkeeping Cost Calculator
See the true annual cost of bookkeeping for your business — and compare DIY, hiring a bookkeeper, and using software.
Annual accountant / CPA cost
For tax prep, year-end review
Annual cost comparison
9.5 hrs/month
QuickBooks: $35/mo
$9,770
/year
Est. $550/month
Based on your volume
$7,400
/year
2.9 hrs/month
Free tools + QuickBooks
$3,785
/year
Switching from manual DIY to DIY + automation saves you
$5,985
per year — and 6.7 hours every month
Stop doing this manually in QuickBooks
Our free Stripe → QuickBooks converter takes your full Stripe CSV export and produces a QuickBooks-ready import file in seconds. Every transaction, every fee, every refund — correctly categorized. No signup. No data stored.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a bookkeeper cost per month?
A freelance bookkeeper typically costs $300-800/month for basic services (transaction categorization, reconciliation, monthly reports). Full-charge bookkeepers who handle payroll and more complex tasks cost $800-2,000/month. Virtual bookkeeping services like Bench or Bookkeeper360 charge $299-599/month.
Is DIY bookkeeping worth it for small businesses?
DIY bookkeeping makes sense if you have fewer than 100 transactions per month, your time is worth less than $50/hour, and your books are simple (one revenue stream, no inventory). Above those thresholds, the time cost of DIY usually exceeds what a bookkeeper would charge.
What is the cheapest way to do bookkeeping?
The cheapest approach for most small businesses is QuickBooks Self-Employed ($15/month) plus free automation tools for imports. Using free tools like our Stripe → QuickBooks converter to automate transaction imports reduces the time cost of DIY to 1-2 hours/month.
Does QuickBooks replace a bookkeeper?
QuickBooks is a tool, not a bookkeeper. It can automate transaction imports, generate reports, and categorize expenses — but someone still needs to review categorizations, reconcile accounts, and interpret the numbers. QuickBooks reduces bookkeeping time but doesn't eliminate the need for financial oversight.
What's included in basic bookkeeping services?
Basic bookkeeping typically includes: monthly transaction categorization, bank reconciliation, accounts payable/receivable tracking, monthly financial reports (P&L, balance sheet), and year-end preparation for your accountant. Payroll, tax filing, and CFO-level analysis are usually separate services.