QuickBooks Live and Pilot are two very different virtual bookkeeping services. While both offer a choice of three subscription plans for basic bookkeeping services, Pilot allows for additional services that are geared towards rapidly growing companies, like technology startups and ecommerce businesses. These include CFO advisory, payroll, tax management, and back-office services, such as paying bills and invoicing customers, for an additional fee. QuickBooks Live and Bookkeeper360 both combine the automation of accounting software with the guidance of a professional online bookkeeper. A major difference is that Bookkeeper360 has add-ons, such as chief financial officer (CFO) advisory services and tax filing, which is why we feel it is the better online bookkeeping service for most small businesses.

Another important difference between Bookkeeper.com vs QuickBooks Live pricing is that Bookkeeper.com varies the frequency of service as you move up in plans, whereas QuickBooks Live offers monthly service to all companies. For example, companies in the Small Business Advanced plan receive weekly service while companies in the Small Business plan receive monthly service. The value of QuickBooks Live Bookkeeping setup depends on your specific needs and circumstances. For instance, if you have limited accounting knowledge and want someone to handle the initial set-up of your QuickBooks account and provide ongoing support, then it may be worth considering.

Gusto Payroll

Your bookkeeper takes the lead on your bookkeeping and runs essential reports so you can focus on your business. QuickBooks Live’s pricing is based on the company’s average monthly expenses and ranges from $200 to $400 a month. The first month of service costs $500 and is dedicated to onboarding and the cleanup of your books.

The service’s biggest drawback is that it offers limited services and no access to financial advice. Other users wished it was possible to call someone directly, rather than wait for a response or set up a meeting. QuickBooks Payroll also requires a higher subscription tier for payroll setup services, unlike some other options. Its Elite plan will assign an expert to get it done, as long as you give them the required documents beforehand. And if you want reassurance that everything has been set up correctly, the middle-tier Premium plan comes with an expert review to catch any mistakes you might have made in the setup process. If a user provides accurate information on time and something still goes wrong, QuickBooks will pay the payroll tax penalties.

Does Pilot Bookkeeping perform cash-based bookkeeping?

You can also give your team permission to add their own hours and generate profitability reports to see how much money you’re making. For additional time tracking features, you’ll need to add on QuickBooks Time, which starts at $40 per month. QuickBooks Live varies its subscription price depending on the amount of monthly expenses. QuickBooks Live has no monthly expense cap for its High Volume plan, whereas Pilot requires a custom quote for companies with over $200,000 in monthly expenses. We awarded QuickBooks Live 5 out of 5 points for pricing since it offers affordable and upfront pricing with no add-ons.

If that isn’t possible, we try to make sure that a member of the bookkeeping team has the experience necessary to handle industry-specific questions that you may have. Patriot Accounting and QuickBooks Online are frequently recommended as top choices for small-business accounting software. While these platforms may seem very similar at first glance, a closer inspection reveals the differences between them. When we compare QuickBooks Live and Bookkeeper.com, we see they have fundamentally different business models. QuickBooks Live is a large organization that leverages economies of scale to provide a good standardized service at an affordable price.

Intuit,

Meanwhile, Quickbooks integrates with over 750 popular business apps, making it highly likely that you will be able to connect your entire software stack to QuickBooks. Navigating the small business accounting software offerings available today can feel like venturing into a maze – but … With either service, you’ll have access to the QuickBooks Online mobile app to work on your books while away from the office, so we call this category a tie. However, neither QuickBooks Live nor Pilot Bookkeeping offers a mobile app that allows communicating with your bookkeeper or uploading documents. Read our article on how to choose a virtual bookkeeper for guidance on selecting the right online bookkeeping service. Bookkeeper360 integrates with QuickBooks Online and Xero through the Bookkeeper360 app.

• Both have mostly positive reviews, though Pilot Bookkeeping takes the lead in this category based on its higher scores.
• Your bookkeeper can run detailed reports giving you a clear view of your business performance.
• Patriot Accounting does not offer any integrations outside of its own payroll and time tracking solutions, which greatly limits the utility of the software.
• Established businesses will start their engagement with QuickBooks Live Bookkeeping’s cleanup services.
• This process ensures that articles are well-researched and organized, offering in-depth insights and recommendations.

Neither QuickBooks Live nor Bookkeeper360 have a mobile app that deals specifically with your online bookkeeping tasks. However, both services integrate with QuickBooks Online, so you’ll have access to your QuickBooks Online app for basic accounting functions. Xero does not offer a mobile app, so Bookkeeper360 users should choose QuickBooks Online as their software if they want mobile accounting. While Bookkeeper.com limits the size of companies that can be covered in its predefined plans, QuickBooks Live will provide bookkeeping for any size firm in their High Volume plan for $400 per month. Smaller firms with less than $50,000 in monthly expenses can take advantage of the lower-priced plans. In addition to QuickBooks Live’s fee, you’ll need to pay for a subscription to QuickBooks Online, which starts at $30 for its most basic plan.

User Reviews: QuickBooks Live Wins

If you encounter any problems or have additional questions regarding any aspect of QuickBooks, click on our Find a Trainer link above for contact information on a skilled and experienced QuickBooks ProAdvisor® in your area. Many or all of the 4 solutions to business cash flow problems products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence.