Best Bookkeeping Services of August 2025 (Ranked & Compared)

Searching for the best bookkeeping services in August 2025? We evaluated top outsourced and online bookkeeping providers across pricing, platform compatibility, feature support, and flexibility. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur, a growing eCommerce brand, or a CPA firm, this side-by-side breakdown will help you make the right decision.

Table of Contents

• Comparison Table
• Detailed Provider Reviews
• Best Bookkeeping Services by Industry
• How to Choose the Right Bookkeeper
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Final Verdict

Best Bookkeeping Services – August 2025

Legend: ✅ Fully Supported    ❌ Not Supported    🟠⊕ Available as Add-on    🟡◐ Partial Support

Detailed Provider Reviews

1. Maxim Liberty – Best Overall for Flexibility & Value

Maxim Liberty is a U.S.-based firm that has been providing outsourced bookkeeping services since 2005, trusted by both small businesses and CPA firms across industries. Their pricing is transparent and competitive: just $9/hour for CPA firms and $12/hour for businesses. There are no long-term contracts or setup fees, and clients can choose between hourly billing or fixed monthly plans.

What sets Maxim Liberty apart is its support for a wide range of accounting platforms including QuickBooks, Xero, Sage, NetSuite, AppFolio, Buildium, Stessa, Propertyware, and more. Whether you manage construction, real estate, retail, law, medical, or nonprofit books, their team works directly within your existing system to handle everything from reconciliations and AP/AR to payroll, sales tax filings, and accrual-based accounting. Daily, weekly, or monthly updates are available, based on your needs.

Maxim Liberty does not require you to switch platforms or adopt a proprietary dashboard — their team adapts to your workflow, not the other way around. They also assign a dedicated bookkeeper and provide fast turnaround, making it ideal for growing businesses and accounting professionals alike.

Features included:

• ✅ Daily, weekly, or monthly bookkeeping updates
• ✅ Accrual-basis and cash-basis accounting
• ✅ Accounts payable & receivable management
• ✅ Bank reconciliations
• ✅ Sales tax filings across states
• ✅ Payroll processing & tax payments
• ✅ Multi-entity and multi-location support
• ✅ Software flexibility: works with your existing tools

Pros: Affordable pricing, works with most software, customized service, CPA firm-friendly, no platform lock-in
Cons: No custom dashboard or proprietary reporting interface

Why We Picked It: Maxim Liberty combines expert service with unmatched flexibility, making it the best choice for businesses and CPA firms that want full-featured bookkeeping support on their own terms — without switching software or paying for unneeded extras.

BBB Status: A+ rated and in business for over 20 years with consistently positive feedback across review platforms.

2. Bench – Best for Startups Using an All-in-One Platform

Bench offers bundled bookkeeping software and human bookkeepers under a fixed monthly rate. It’s a great fit for startups looking for a clean, visual dashboard and a team to handle cash-basis bookkeeping without needing to learn third-party accounting software. Everything runs through Bench’s own platform, which simplifies onboarding and reporting for first-time business owners.

However, this convenience comes with some limitations. Bench is a closed system — it doesn’t support QuickBooks, Xero, Sage, or industry-specific software. For businesses that later want to switch providers or migrate to another platform, exporting historical data can require manual work and may not be fully compatible with standard accounting software.

In December 2024, Bench announced plans to shut down operations. Customers were asked to download their data by March 2025. While a new owner acquired the platform and restored operations, the transition period raised concerns among some users about long-term continuity.

Bench has received a mix of positive and critical reviews on sites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB), with some users praising its simplicity and others citing slow support response times or challenges when canceling service. As with any SaaS solution, it’s important to understand the limitations before committing.

The platform currently does not support accrual accounting, accounts payable (A/P), accounts receivable (A/R), multi-entity accounting, or specialized reporting needs for construction, real estate, or nonprofits. It’s designed for straightforward service businesses using cash-basis accounting.

• Pros: Software included, intuitive dashboard, optional tax filing
• Cons: No accrual or A/P/A/R support, limited software flexibility, not ideal for complex use cases

Feature Support:

• ✅ Monthly summaries
• ❌ Accrual accounting
• ❌ A/P & A/R
• ❌ Sales tax filings
• ❌ Payroll
• ❌ Industry-specific software compatibility
• ❌ Multi-entity support

Why We Picked It: Bench is a good choice for startups that want a simplified, all-in-one solution and don’t need advanced bookkeeping features. For companies with more complex needs or those who value software flexibility, it may be less suitable long-term.

3. Bookkeeper360 – Best for Businesses Needing Strategic Add-Ons

Bookkeeper360 is a bookkeeping and advisory firm designed for growing businesses that need more than just monthly reconciliations. It combines accounting services with business strategy support, offering CFO advisory, payroll administration, sales tax filings, and accounts payable/receivable management through integrations with tools like QuickBooks, Xero, Gusto, Avalara, and Bill.com.

The company offers two service frequencies: monthly (Sky) and weekly (Space). There is no daily bookkeeping option. All plans require a one-time setup fee of $1,000, which covers onboarding, prior-month bookkeeping, and chart of accounts restructuring.

Base bookkeeping plans start at $399/month and scale based on complexity. Most operational features—including payroll, A/P, A/R, and sales tax—are priced separately and must be added à la carte. Businesses seeking advanced strategy or consolidation services can opt for the CFO Advisory package, which starts at $1,599/month.

• Pros: Forecasting tools, KPI dashboards, Gusto and Avalara integrations, optional CFO advisory
• Cons: Higher price point, $1,000 setup fee, most features are paid add-ons, limited to QuickBooks/Xero, no industry-specific platform support

Feature Support:

• ✅ Accrual-based bookkeeping
• ✅ Weekly or monthly updates (no Daily updates)
• ⊕ Accounts Payable / Receivable ($150/month)
• ⊕ Payroll administration ($200/month)
• ⊕ Sales tax filings ($125/month)
• ✅ Multi-entity support
• ❌ Industry-specific software (Buildium, Sage CRE, AppFolio, Stessa)

Why We Picked It: Bookkeeper360 is a solid option for growing businesses that want access to deeper financial analytics and optional advisory services. However, the pricing structure is best suited to companies that are prepared to invest in a full-service accounting and finance partner. Those needing daily updates, software flexibility, or bundled support may want to compare other providers.

User Feedback: Reviews on platforms like Capterra and Software Advice highlight the platform’s useful dashboards and knowledgeable advisors. Some customers note onboarding delays, variable support response times, and billing complexity as areas for improvement.

BBB Status: Bookkeeper360 is not currently accredited by the Better Business Bureau and does not have a public BBB rating.

4. QuickBooks Live – Best for QuickBooks Online Users with Basic Bookkeeping Needs

QuickBooks Live is Intuit’s in-house bookkeeping service, built exclusively for users of QuickBooks Online. A certified bookkeeper helps with setup, manages monthly reconciliations, and generates basic financial reports such as profit & loss and balance sheets.

The service starts at $300/month, after an initial cleanup fee (amount not disclosed). The platform focuses solely on cash-basis bookkeeping and integrates directly within QBO. While convenient for QuickBooks users, the service lacks support for payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and accrual accounting. There are also no options for industry-specific tools, multi-entity support, or third-party integrations.

Features included:

• ✅ QuickBooks-certified bookkeeper
• ✅ Monthly profit & loss and balance sheet reports
• ✅ Personalized setup and support
• ✅ Tax resource support and extended hours (via Live Priority)
• ❌ No accrual accounting
• ❌ No A/P or A/R
• ❌ No payroll services
• ❌ No sales tax filings
• ❌ No support for industry-specific software
• ❌ No multi-entity accounting

Pros: Seamless for QuickBooks Online users, certified bookkeepers, integrated reporting
Cons: Limited features, no support for accrual, A/P, payroll, or external integrations

Why We Picked It: A straightforward solution for cash-basis bookkeeping inside QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Live is best suited for businesses that don’t require advanced functionality or software flexibility.

BBB Status: Intuit, the parent company, is BBB-accredited with a longstanding reputation, though customer satisfaction varies depending on the product.

Best Bookkeeping Services by Industry

• Construction: QuickBooks for Construction, Sage 300 CRE
• Real Estate: AppFolio, Buildium, Stessa
• Law Firms: Trust accounting experts
• Nonprofits: Donor, grant & fund tracking
• CPA Firms: White-labeled back office

How to Choose the Right Bookkeeper

Selecting the right bookkeeping partner is about more than just price — it’s about fit, flexibility, reliability, and long-term value. Here’s a breakdown of the most important factors to consider:

1. Platform Compatibility

Some services require you to use their own proprietary software (like Bench), while others (like Maxim Liberty or Bookkeeper360) work inside your existing system — whether that’s QuickBooks, Xero, or more advanced software like NetSuite, AppFolio, or Buildium. Make sure your provider supports the platform you already use, or one you want to grow into.

2. Feature Set

Not all bookkeepers offer the same range of services. You may need:

• Cash vs. Accrual Accounting: Accrual is critical for GAAP compliance and growing businesses.
• Accounts Payable (AP) & Accounts Receivable (AR): Needed to track what you owe and what you’re owed.
• Payroll Services: A must-have if you have employees.
• Sales Tax Filings: Vital for ecommerce, retail, restaurants, and multi-state businesses.

Some platforms include these by default; others charge extra or don’t offer them at all.

3. Update Frequency

Depending on how fast your business moves, you may want weekly or even daily updates — especially for cash flow forecasting or inventory-heavy businesses. Only Maxim Liberty advertises daily update options, while others operate weekly or monthly.

4. Scalability & Reliability

Look at how long the provider has been in business, what types of clients they serve, and their public reviews. A firm that has stood the test of time, like Maxim Liberty (since 2005), is less likely to shut down suddenly — unlike Bench, which nearly did in December 2024. BBB ratings and Trustpilot/Google reviews can offer valuable insight into customer experience and issue resolution.

5. Total Cost of Ownership

Don’t just look at the base plan. Consider software subscription costs, add-on pricing (e.g., payroll, tax filing), and setup fees. A $250/month flat-rate provider may seem cheaper but could be far more expensive when you add up everything you actually need.

Bookkeeping Service Comparison Table

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the lowest monthly bookkeeping cost with each provider?

Which is the best bookkeeping service for August 2025?

Maxim Liberty, Bench, Bookkeeper360, and QuickBooks Live are four of the top-rated services. Maxim Liberty stands out for flexibility, full feature support, and excellent pricing — especially for CPA firms and businesses using non-standard software.

Do these services include sales tax filings?

Maxim Liberty includes sales tax filing in its enterprise plan which costs $240/mo. The enterprise plan is a full-service daily update plan that includes AP/AR management, payroll processing and sales tax filings. Bench and QuickBooks Live do not offer it. Bookkeeper360 includes it as a paid add-on (around $125/month).

What is the difference between outsourced vs. online bookkeeping?

Outsourced bookkeeping (Maxim Liberty, Bookkeeper360) uses your existing software and often provides more flexibility and human interaction. Online platforms (Bench, QuickBooks Live) use proprietary systems or lock you into specific tools, which may limit integrations or long-term scalability.

Final Verdict

For most businesses, Maxim Liberty offers the best combination of price, flexibility, and full-feature support — especially if you’re a CPA firm or small business needing help across accounts payable, receivable, payroll, and multi-entity reporting. While Bench and Bookkeeper360 have their niches, Maxim Liberty remains the most comprehensive solution heading into Q4 of 2025.

Get started with Maxim Liberty today to see how affordable full-service bookkeeping can be.