How much outsourced bookkeeping costs depends on three things: your transaction volume, how specialized your industry's accounting needs are, and which type of provider you choose — a software-first tool, a generalist bookkeeping service, or a dedicated, industry-specialized bookkeeper. Providers publish very different numbers because they're often selling different things.
At the low end, some providers advertise entry pricing around $299/month billed annually, but that number is typically a starting tier tied to a monthly-expense ceiling — cross that ceiling and the same provider's pricing climbs to $799–$1,199+/month, with CFO add-ons pushing past $1,750/month. The headline number and the actual monthly bill are frequently two different things.
A modular full-service provider might advertise a flat-looking $399/month, but once you add a typical onboarding fee (often around $1,000) plus common add-ons — payroll administration, sales-tax filing, back-office technology — the realistic monthly outlay lands closer to $870+/month before tax preparation is even part of the conversation. Modular pricing means the advertised number is rarely the final one.
Software-only options — QuickBooks Live and similar built-in services — sit at a different price point because they offer a narrower scope: transaction categorization and reconciliation, but typically no accounts payable/receivable management, no payroll, no sales-tax filing, and no guarantee of a consistent bookkeeper month to month. That narrower scope is why the price looks lower — you are buying less.
In-house is the other end of the spectrum. A US-based bookkeeper runs roughly $40–75/hour fully loaded once payroll taxes, benefits, PTO, and equipment are factored in — typically $6,900 to $13,000/month for a full-time hire, before counting the recruiting cycle and management overhead. Offshore staffing firms advertise $1,200–$2,000/month per full-time-equivalent, though review cycles and rework to catch errors before they reach your books often narrow that gap in practice.
The variable that moves the number most, regardless of provider type, is industry complexity. Real estate depreciation and multi-entity tracking, construction job costing and WIP, restaurant COGS and tip reporting, and trust accounting for law firms or property managers all require a bookkeeper who understands that specific accounting — a generalist service priced for simple retail transactions is usually mispriced for those cases, in either direction.
Transaction volume is the second-biggest driver. A single-property landlord with a handful of transactions a month costs far less to service correctly than a multi-entity portfolio, a multi-location restaurant group, or a contractor running concurrent jobs — which is why flat monthly quotes are typically scoped to your actual volume rather than sold as one universal number.
The honest way to compare offers is to normalize for scope: does the quote include reconciliation, categorization, monthly financial statements, and a free historical cleanup, or is that priced separately as an onboarding fee? Is the bookkeeper dedicated and consistent, or a rotating queue? Is the provider specialized in your industry, or generic? Two quotes that look close on the sticker price often diverge sharply once those questions are answered.
Daxable prices bookkeeping engagements on a flat monthly rate scoped to your actual transaction volume and industry, with a free historical cleanup for qualifying new clients and no setup fee — rather than a published one-size-fits-all number that may not reflect what your business actually needs. The fastest way to get an accurate number for your specific situation is a short discovery call.
| Provider type | Typical starting range | What can push the price up |
|---|---|---|
| Software-only (e.g. QuickBooks Live) | Lower, narrower scope | No AP/AR, payroll, or sales-tax filing included; add-ons needed for full service |
| Startup-focused full-service (e.g. Pilot) | ~$299/mo entry tier | Climbs to $799–$1,199+/mo as expenses grow; CFO add-ons ~$1,750+/mo |
| Modular full-service (e.g. Bookkeeper360) | ~$399/mo advertised | ~$1,000 onboarding fee + payroll/sales-tax/tech add-ons push realistic cost past $870/mo |
| In-house US hire | $6,900–$13,000/mo fully loaded | Recruiting cycle, benefits, PTO, management overhead |
| Offshore staffing | $1,200–$2,000/mo per FTE | Review cycles and rework to catch errors before they reach your books |
| Daxable (flat rate, scoped to volume) | Quoted per discovery call | Scales with transaction volume and industry complexity, not a published tier |
Outsourced bookkeeping pricing varies by scope, transaction volume, and industry complexity — the sticker price rarely reflects the final monthly bill until add-ons and onboarding fees are factored in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do outsourced bookkeeping quotes vary so much between providers?
Providers sell different scopes of work at different prices — software-only categorization, a modular full-service package with add-ons, or a dedicated bookkeeper scoped to your actual volume and industry. Comparing the sticker price without comparing scope is comparing different products.
Is a cheaper bookkeeping service actually cheaper?
Not always. Modular providers often advertise a low headline price that grows once onboarding fees and common add-ons (payroll, sales tax, back-office technology) are included, so the realistic monthly cost can end up close to or above a flat-rate specialist.
Does industry affect bookkeeping pricing?
Yes. Real estate, construction, restaurants, law firms, and property management all have industry-specific accounting requirements — depreciation, job costing, COGS, trust accounting — that a generalist bookkeeper priced for simple transactions typically isn't scoped to handle correctly.
How much does Daxable charge?
Daxable uses a flat monthly rate scoped to your transaction volume and industry rather than one published number, with a free historical cleanup for qualifying new clients. Book a discovery call for an accurate quote for your specific business.