Bench vs FreshBooks
- ✦ Dedicated Bookkeeper
- ✦ Monthly Financial Statements
- ✦ Year-end Tax Package
- ✦ Invoicing
- ✦ Expense Tracking
- ✦ Time Tracking
Bench and FreshBooks are both Accounting tools. Bench starts at $199/mo, FreshBooks at $23/mo. Compare features, pricing, and ratings below to find the best fit for your team.
When to Choose Bench vs FreshBooks
The question that matters: “In what situation will I regret choosing A over B after 3 months?”
Bank Connections syncs 12,000+ financial institutions and a dedicated bookkeeper reconciles each account as transactions clear, catching errors in 48 hours.
Time Tracking logs hours per project and auto-populates invoice line items at configured rates, with records attached to each bill to reduce client disputes.
Historical Bookkeeping reconstructs transaction records from bank statements and receipts, delivering audit-ready Monthly Financial Statements in 2-4 months.
Estimates & Proposals convert to invoices in one click - preserving line items, rates, and client details - cutting the proposal-to-payment cycle by up to 40%.
Pricing Comparison & PlansHigh· Verified Jun 2, 2026
Bench Plans
Paid plans only
Bookkeeping Grow
$199/moBest for: Dedicated bookkeeping experts, Monthly books & year-end tax packages, P&L, balance sheet, 1099 reporting
- ✓Dedicated bookkeeping experts
- ✓Accurate monthly books
- ✓Year-end tax-ready financial statements
- ✓Unlimited communication with your bookkeeping team
- ✓P&L, balance sheet, and 1099 reporting
Bookkeeping Core + Tax
$599/mo- ✓All features of Bookkeeping Core
- ✓Full-service bookkeeping with income tax advisory
- ✓Annual income tax filing for businesses (partnerships, S corps, C corps)
- ✓Annual income tax filing for individuals (sole proprietors, contractors)
- ✓Dedicated team of licensed tax professionals
Bookkeeping Core
$319/mo- ✓All features of Bookkeeping Grow
- ✓Reliable bookkeeping for basic financial reporting
- ✓100% tax deductible
- ✓Custom categorizations
FreshBooks Plans
Paid plans only
Lite
$23/moBest for: This plan is ideal for freelancers or very small businesses needing basic invoicing and expense tracking
- ✓Send invoices to 5 clients
- ✓Track expenses in real time
- ✓Create and send estimates
- ✓Generate tax summaries
- ✓Generate expense reports
Plus
$43/moBest for: Suited for growing businesses with multiple clients, this plan adds double-entry accounting, bank reconciliation, and client retainers
- ✓Send invoices to 50 clients
- ✓Track expenses in real time
- ✓Create and send estimates, proposals
- ✓Project tracking
- ✓Accounting reports
Premium
$70/moBest for: established businesses managing numerous clients and projects, this plan includes advanced reporting and project profitability tracking
- ✓Send invoices to unlimited clients
- ✓Track expenses in real time
- ✓Create estimates, proposals, and client retainers
- ✓Automated late payment reminders
- ✓Multi-user access
Select
Contact SalesBest for: Designed for larger businesses or those with specific needs, this custom plan offers personalized features and dedicated account management
- ✓Customized pricing
- ✓Dedicated account manager
- ✓Lower credit card transaction fees
- ✓Capped bank transfer (ACH) fees
- ✓Assisted data migration
Capability Breakdown
9 differences found across 16 standardized features
- •Dedicated Bookkeeper
- •Monthly Financial Statements
- •Year-end Tax Package
- •Tax Filing
- •Bank Connections
- •Receipt Management
- •Payroll Support
- •Historical Bookkeeping
- •Dashboard
- •Profit & Loss
- •Balance Sheet
- •Cash Flow
- •Mobile App
- •1099 Filing
- •Catch-up Bookkeeping
- •Invoicing
- •Expense Tracking
- •Time Tracking
- •Project Management
- •Estimates & Proposals
- •Online Payments
- •Bank Reconciliation
- •Double-entry Accounting
- •Financial Reports
- •Receipt Capture
- •Automated Late Reminders
- •Client Portal
- •Mobile App
- •200+ Integrations
- •Multi-currency
- •Customizable Invoice Templates
- •Sales Tax Calculations
- •Automated Billing Schedules
- •Credit Note Management
- •Inventory Tracking System
- •Vendor Management Tools
- •Budgeting and Forecasting
- •Cash Flow Analysis
- •Audit Trail Logs
- •User Permission Controls
- •Recurring Invoice Options
- •Transaction Matching
Strengths & Limitations
Evaluative strengths and weaknesses: not feature lists
- +Dedicated human bookkeeper who learns your business
- +Intuitive software designed for non-accountants
- +Year-end financial package for tax filing included
- +Catch-up bookkeeping for past-due books (add-on)
- +Direct communication with your bookkeeper via the app
- −Does not offer accounts payable or receivable (bill pay/invoicing)
- −No inventory management features
- −Not a full replacement for a CPA; tax filing is a separate service
- −Pricing is per business, can be costly for multiple entities
- −Primarily for US-based small businesses using cash-basis accounting
- +Excellent time tracking integrated directly into invoices
- +Professional, customizable invoice templates are easy to create
- +Client portal allows customers to view and pay invoices online
- +Strong project profitability tracking features for service businesses
- +Simple, intuitive interface designed for non-accountants
- −Limited inventory management, not suitable for product-based businesses
- −No built-in payroll; requires integration with Gusto (US only)
- −Lower-tier plans have restrictive client limits (5 on Lite plan)
- −Mobile app has fewer features than the desktop version
- −Lacks advanced accounting features like accounts payable aging
At a Glance
Recent Price History
Bench removed the "Premium" plan
Plan removed · Jun 2, 2026
Bench removed the "Essential" plan
Plan removed · Jun 2, 2026
Bench added a new "Bookkeeping Core + Tax" plan at $599/mo
Plan added · Jun 2, 2026
Bench added a new "Bookkeeping Core" plan (Custom pricing)
Plan added · Jun 2, 2026
Bench added a new "Bookkeeping Grow" plan at $199/mo
Plan added · Jun 2, 2026
FreshBooks raised "Lite" from $19/mo to $23/mo (+21%)
Price change · May 30, 2026
FreshBooks raised "Premium" from $60/mo to $70/mo (+17%)
Price change · May 30, 2026
FreshBooks raised "Plus" from $33/mo to $43/mo (+30%)
Price change · May 30, 2026
FreshBooks lowered "Premium" from $76 to $60/mo (21%)
Price change · May 21, 2026
FreshBooks lowered "Plus" from $40 to $33/mo (18%)
Price change · May 21, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
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