Guide · Hiring
How to compare bookkeeping proposals side by side.
Two proposals at similar prices can buy very different work. One prices by monthly expenses, another by transactions, a third by the hour; one works in your QuickBooks file, another in its own platform; one reviews its work, another doesn’t say. Put them side by side on the same seven lines before you compare the numbers.
To compare bookkeeping proposals, line them up on the same seven points before comparing price: scope (accounts and periods), deliverables and dates, exclusions, how the price is set (fixed, per-transaction, by expense tier, or hourly), contract terms (minimum term, renewal, cancellation), where the books live and who owns them, and who reviews the work. Normalize the scope first: a lower price for less work is not a lower price.
TechBrot Inc. · independent bookkeeping and advisory firm led by a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor — not a CPA firm and not affiliated with Intuit Inc.
Intuit certifications
Every engagement is reviewed by a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor (QuickBooks Online Level 2, Payroll) — verification on request. Intuit’s ProAdvisor program becomes ProPartner Accountants in early 2027; the certifications continue.
Comparing bookkeeping proposals, in five questions.
How do I compare bookkeeping proposals?
On the same seven lines before price: scope, deliverables, exclusions, price basis, contract terms, where the books live, and who reviews the work.
Why can two similar prices mean different work?
Because proposals cover different accounts, periods and deliverables. Normalize the scope first.
What price structures do bookkeepers use?
Fixed fees against a written scope, per-transaction tiers, tiers by monthly expenses, and hourly rates — each behaves differently as volume changes.
What contract terms should I check?
Minimum term, automatic renewal and its notice period, scheduled price increases, and any cancellation fee.
Why does it matter where the books live?
If the books are in your own QuickBooks or Xero file, leaving is simple. If they live in the provider’s platform, check what you can take with you.
Compare the work before the price.
Proposals are written to look comparable and rarely are. Before the price, check that each one covers the same accounts, the same periods and the same deliverables; where one leaves something out, price it back in or ask for it.
Then compare how the price is set. Some providers price by transaction volume, some by monthly expenses, some by the hour, some as a fixed fee against a written scope — each behaves differently when your business has a busy month.
Questions that separate proposals.
“What happens in a month twice as busy?”
The answer tells you whether the price is fixed or a floor.
“What do I get if I leave?”
Your file, your data and the reconciliations — or an export from someone else’s system.
“Who reviews the work?”
A named credential, a process, or nobody in particular.
“How are catch-up months priced?”
Behind books are often priced separately, and sometimes monthly.
Put every proposal on these seven lines.
- Scope: which entities, accounts and periods are covered.
- Deliverables: what you receive each month or at the end, and by when.
- Exclusions: what is not included — tax filing, payroll filing, sales tax, catch-up.
- Price basis: fixed against a scope, per transaction, by expense tier, or hourly — and what happens when volume rises.
- Contract terms: minimum term, automatic renewal and notice, price increases, cancellation fees.
- Where the books live: your own QuickBooks or Xero file, or the provider’s platform — and what you take with you if you leave.
- Review: who checks the work before it reaches you, and what their credentials are.
Where published prices sit.
What several providers publish on their own pricing pages — quoted, dated and linked — is on our bookkeeping pricing and cleanup pricing pages, alongside TechBrot’s own ranges and why they differ.
Head-to-head comparisons: Bookkeeper360, Xendoo, 1-800Accountant, Bench (Mainstreet).
Questions about comparing bookkeeping quotes.
Should I just pick the cheapest proposal?
Is per-transaction pricing bad?
What should I ask about contracts?
Does TechBrot publish competitor prices?
Is TechBrot a CPA firm?
Comparing quotes now?
Add a written fixed-fee scope to the pile.
Book a free 30-minute discovery call. You get a written fixed-fee scope within 3 business days that answers all seven lines, so you can compare like with like.
Tell us what’s wrong with the books. We’ll tell you whether cleanup, catch-up or monthly bookkeeping fits.
Call (877) 751-5575. If we miss you, a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor returns your call within one business day. Written fixed-fee scope within 3 business days. No hourly billing.