Bench

4.7 (286)
You run your business. We’ll do your bookkeeping.

Overall rating

4.7 /5
(286)
Value for Money
4.5/5
Features
4.5/5
Ease of Use
4.7/5
Customer Support
4.7/5

95%
recommended this app
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286 Reviews

Scott
Overall rating
  • Industry: Building Materials
  • Company size: 11–50 Employees
  • Used Monthly for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Great solution for business owners looking to run lean

Reviewed on 29/04/2019

Great customer service, on boarding was easy - it's a total set it and forget it (and rest assured you don't have to worry about it) kind of service. They make helpful recommendations to keep you as hands off as possible. Overall, highly recommend.

Pros

Customer service is great - our account rep always gets back to us in at most 24 hours and always with helpful answers or information.

Cons

I wish tax filing (sales tax and income) was included so I could use Bench for everything.

Rahul
Overall rating
  • Industry: Consumer Goods
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

Easy to use, great customer service

Reviewed on 21/01/2021

Pros

This was super easy to set up and describe exactly what I was using it for. other providers took ages to figure out how to integrate my Amazon sales but Bench just got it!

Cons

The pricing was a bit on the higher side especially the catch up accounting that ended up being a large lumpsum in my case!

Alternatives Considered

Synder and Quickbooks Online

Reasons for Choosing Bench

Better Bookkeeping support and ease of integration with Amazon

Switched From

Quickbooks Online

Response from Bench Accounting

Thank you so much for sharing, Rahul!

Verified Reviewer
Overall rating
  • Industry: Media Production
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Monthly for 6-12 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 0.0 /10

failed to file business taxes on time and did not file personal taxes properly

Reviewed on 07/10/2022

tldr; terrible - incompetent, will not support client if there are missed filing deadlines, penalties and fees.

During my sales onboarding call, I talked about my 10 years of doing business in NYC as a sole owner of an s-corp. I have to file extensions from time to time. Bench assured me this would be no problem. They missed the deadline to file my business return with NYC. When I asked Bench about this, they replied that they don't do municipal filings. I asked why didn't my tax preparer notify me - the short answer: he didn't even know NYC requires a seperate business filing. It took several intense phone calls to get a refund. My personal returns were the same. They didn't calculate my estimated tax liability when the filed my extension. I got hit with hundreds in penalties and interest. Again I asked why they didn't notify me. Answer: it was in our disclaimer.

If you look at what Bench offers, they are charging a premium for essentially googling information for you. The actual issues you will need guidance on, they don't offer. Furthermore, they will not advise you of critical filing necessities because it's in their list of "disclaimers".

Find a local tax accountant who understands your business and will have your best interests in mind.

Pros

The dashboard chat and customer call scheduling were pretty responsive.

Cons

a bit clunky moving from bookkeeping to tax platforms and not knowing which chat/communication to use when customer support tells you to check your messages.

Response from Bench Accounting

Hi there, Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We're concerned to hear about some of your frustrations, and our Client Success Team has been actively reaching out to you to address the frustrations.

Scott
Overall rating
  • Industry: Music
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Weekly for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

Enjoying Bench Accounting for my Small Business

Reviewed on 25/05/2021

Bench helps me stay on top of my bookkeeping and know that my "i"s are dotted and "t"s are crossed.

Pros

I like how simple it was to connect my bank accounts as well as third party payors (eg. paypal, stripe). The interface is intuitive to navigate and uploading receipts using my custom email is a nifty trick!

Cons

I wish linking to Bench Tax or having some sort of tax center was a bit more seamless.

Response from Bench Accounting

Hi, Scott! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us. We're thrilled to hear that you're finding our interface user friendly, and that your team has been able to help you stay on top of your finances!

Ashley
Overall rating
  • Industry: Photography
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Monthly for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

I wish we would have invested in this sooner!

Reviewed on 23/06/2020

I LOVE it so much!! I wish we would have started using this from the start with our business.

Pros

Bench has changed our business for the better! Having all of our books from month to month in one place is GAME changing! My favorite part is the real time look at the health of our business because our books are now done monthly. I can be confident that we'll never be behind! Which helps us make better business decisions!

Cons

When I was first new to Bench and terms like "balance sheet" and "profit and loss" I wished there was a hover by where you click on them at the top that gave a quick description of what each meant.

Response from Bench Accounting

We're thrilled to hear this, Ashley! We've passed your glowing words to your bookkeeping team, who will be equally as thrilled.

Veronica
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 11–50 Employees
  • Used Monthly for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Satisfied Customer

Reviewed on 27/05/2022

I love it. Bench tracks all expenses and the team communicates regarding expenses in question and suggest "expense categories."

Pros

I love how user friendly the software is. Everything is easy to upload and the team is able to communicate with you and ask for documents or ask questions.

Cons

I have no complaints about any aspect of the software. Very satisfied overall.

Response from Bench Accounting

Hi Veronica, we're so happy to hear you're loving how user-friendly our software is, and how communicative your team has been! We're excited to keep providing the support you need so you can continue to grow your business!

Tony
Overall rating
  • Industry: Photography
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Monthly for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Finally a one stop shop

Reviewed on 18/05/2021

So far so good! Love seeing reports every month.

Pros

I love that I can finally focus on what I do best. Customer service is friendly and answers all questions in a timely manner.

Cons

An online chat would be great for faster response. Since I don’t want to be on this platform very often, when I am, I’d like answers quickly.

Response from Bench Accounting

Hi, Tony. It's great to hear that you've received the support you need to focus on other areas of your business! Your bookkeeping team can always be reached via the message feed, should you have any questions about "Huck LLC's" bookkeeping. Thanks for being with Bench!

Angela
Overall rating
  • Industry: Retail
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Monthly for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

Great option to take bookkeeping off my plate

Reviewed on 19/01/2022

I've gained more time and mental space to focus on other things since handing my books over to bench.

Pros

Using bench takes bookkeeping tasks off my plate, giving me more time to focus on more important areas to grow my business.

Cons

I am not able to get quite as granular with monthly reports as I was doing my own books with Quickbooks, but the bookkeepers are very helpful with providing info when requested.

Response from Bench Accounting

It's great to hear we've been able to make your life a little easier, Angela! Thank you so much for sharing and for being with us.

Matt
Overall rating
  • Industry: Consumer Services
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

My first bookkeeper

Reviewed on 17/01/2023

So far it’s been great. Good communication from my team, easy to use software.

Pros

I like the user experience, easy to navigate website.

Cons

My bank didn’t integrate, not entirely sure that’s Bench’s fault so I don’t want to leave bad marks just for that.

Response from Bench Accounting

It's great to hear we've been able to make your life a little easier, Matt! Thank you so much for sharing and for being with us.

David "Rev"
Overall rating
  • Industry: Internet
  • Company size: 501–1,000 Employees
  • Used Monthly for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

Reliable and affordable

Reviewed on 30/04/2019

Very positive. I renew every year. Saves me a ton of time.

Pros

I run a small business and dont have the or energy run my books, let alone even know how to do it. Bench.co offers a service that is both reliable and affordable. They are also very timely with reminders, reports and other points of contact.

Cons

Ive had a few snags with customer service but anytime something has gone of course, they apologized worked diligently to fix it. Is that what really matters?

aimee
Overall rating
  • Industry: Food & Beverages
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Monthly for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 5.0 /10

Helpful but pricey

Reviewed on 04/08/2021

Generally my experience has been good. The device is expensive compared to other bookkeeping devices. My biggest concern is that in working with the company you get handed off to several different staff. It has been hard to build a relationship with my bookkeeper for this reason. I’ve found that I have to reexplain a number of our specifics over and over again because I am working with new people within the company. It would be better to be assigned to one bookkeeper, especially in our case, which included historical books and present day books. My business isnt open yet but some of the limitations in the software (particularly a lack of an A/P system) cause concern for me in considering continuing use once we are open.

Pros

I like that the online interface is user friendly, albeit a little glitchy.

Cons

Software is glitchy and could use a bit of tweaking in order to ensure that it is more effective.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Online Advanced

Reasons for Switching to Bench

We had a decent amount of historical data that needed to be tracked and entered. This felt like a huge undertaking and we needed the assistance. Doing that was a good experience and the bookkeeper that we worked with was really helpful. I am not sure that we will continue to use the service for future months, especially once our business is open and the books become more complex.

Response from Bench Accounting

Hi Aimee, thank you for taking the time to share this with us! We're so happy to hear that you had a seamless experience with your historical bookkeeping. Regarding bookkeeper turnover, we completely understand how this can be frustrating in terms of user experience and this transition process is something we're actively working on improving. Building that working relationship with your bookkeeper is, understandably, quite important which is why we often recommend scheduling monthly check-in calls with your team!

Emily
Overall rating
  • Industry: Marketing & Advertising
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 6-12 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

One less thing off of my plate...

Reviewed on 09/11/2020

I am saving myself hours and hours of handling the bookkeeping. I am confident that it is done correctly and I am not missing anything. I like having someone to ask bookkeeping questions to if need be.

Pros

I was hesitant to start Bench because I thought I could handle the bookkeeping for our business on my own. Managing money has always been a strength for me. However, as my company grows I find that I need to keep delegating and removing things off of my plate. At the same time as a business owner I like to keep as much cash inside the company as possible.

I finally gave the free trial a chance and it has been the BIGGEST weight off of me. I know that my bookkeeping is totally taken care of and done professionally. The stress of organizing everything for taxes is lifted off, and I know that I always have someone working on it everyday on my behalf.

Anytime I have questions I get an immediate response along with very valuable advice. I am a Bench customer for life!

Cons

I don't like that it keeps disconnecting to my bank account. We've had a few technical issues with that. It can be very time consuming and frustrating especially since I am extremely busy already. I also have to confirm purchases from months prior and that can take a long time! When I confirm those purchases it is usually 30+ transactions and at that point I don't even remember all of them so it takes a while for me to locate receipts. I really dislike that too. I wish it were less expensive for us a small business owner as well.

Response from Bench Accounting

Hi Emily! We're thrilled to hear that we have been able to take one more thing off your plate. We have also shared your feedback with your team! A member of our Client Success team would also love to connect with you regarding your pain points. We will be reaching out via email shortly!

Tony
Overall rating
  • Industry: Executive Office
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Best Bookkeeper there is!

Reviewed on 08/09/2020

Bench always delivers above and beyond and i love their service.

Pros

Bench is an amazing product that is in the cloud. I love that i can access my books from anywhere on the go and get a snapshot of how the company is doing week to week.

Cons

There are no cons at this point. I wish they started an accounting arm that tied to bench since their product is so awesome!

Response from Bench Accounting

Hi Tony! Thanks so much for the lovely words! We have a network of CPA's that we can refer to our clients. They are trained on our platform, and work really well with our service! If you're interested, let your bookkeeping team know, and they can guide you with next steps. All the best!

Luisa
Overall rating
  • Industry: Hospitality
  • Company size: 11–50 Employees
  • Used Daily for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

Accounting for Startups

Reviewed on 09/11/2021

Pros

We transitioned from a traditional outsourced bookkeeper to Bench and love the ability to go in and view our reports quick and easy. The team is also much quicker to finish month end reports and responds quickly.

Cons

The onboarding process was a bit difficult. We had to adjust our expense categories to match. We would like to use the accrual accounting adjustment but haven't been able to get help with this yet.

Alternatives Considered

Pilot

Reasons for Choosing Bench

The bookkeeper we used no longer met our needs as a growing startup.

Reasons for Switching to Bench

Price and functionality

Response from Bench Accounting

Wow! We're absolutely thrilled to hear that we have been able to give you peace of mind, knowing that your bookkeeping is in great hands! It's also amazing to hear that your team has been professional, friendly and knowledgable. Thank you for sharing and for being with us, Luisa!

Sunghoon
Overall rating
  • Industry: Education Management
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

convenient and accessible

Reviewed on 29/04/2019

With bench.co I've been able to see in real-time our financial statements without having to ruffle through paperwork or calling someone/visiting an office. I would highly recommend this service to any small business owner.

Pros

Bench.co has literally changed the way I operate my organization & school. Whereas in the past we'd have to wait, and work around local accountants who had 100's of clients in queue, Bench allows me the convenience and access to my virtual accountant 24/7 online and poignantly clear on all aspects of bookkeeping.

Cons

As with all software based services, sometimes Bench can lag in their monthly accounts at the beginning of the new year. This is a very minor inconvenience to the overall experience.

Erik
Overall rating
  • Industry: Nonprofit Organization Management
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Completely alleviated stress while reducing my bookkeeping costs

Reviewed on 29/04/2019

When I first heard about Bench, I was nervous about switching from a standard, old school accounting firm I'd worked with for many years. Within a week, my fears were dissipating. Three years later, my fears are completely gone. Bench completely meets my needs as a small business owner - while saving me time and money.

Pros

Bench is SIMPLE. The software provides me an accurate and easy to understand overview of my monthly and annual financials with easy-to- process visuals and graphs. The software integrates automatically with my bank and credit card, alleviating the back and forth calls and emails I used to labor through with my former "brick and mortar" accountants. When I have a question, the Bench team is always available and quick to respond.

Cons

Nada! No complaints here! I have not experienced a single problem with the Bench software

Missy
Overall rating
  • Industry: Alternative Medicine
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Weekly for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 8.0 /10

Takes the hassle work out of financial reporting

Reviewed on 30/04/2019

Overall Bench has helped me to track and monitor my business financials. Tax seasons has been a breeze the last two years with Bench - something a lot of freelancers struggle with.

Pros

- no need to use quickbooks
- friendly and responsive staff when issues arise
- individual bookkeeper assigned to your account
- user interface is friendly and accessible
- reporting features are solid
- costs less than hiring your own bookkeeper
- affordable rates which are advantageous for small businesses

Cons

- auto syncing does not connect w Capital One bak accounts which results oftentimes a 2-3 week lag in getting monthly reports back
- only retrospective reporting; no prospective budgeting features (need to use separate software)
- does not provide tax accounting services; only bookkeeping
- cannot easily customize revenue subledgers without discussing w accountant
- no categories of fixed/variable expenses
- cannot upload documents via mobile devices

Daniel
Overall rating
  • Industry: Consumer Goods
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 6-12 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

AMT Bench Review

Reviewed on 16/06/2020

Bench allows us to accurately forecast our cashflow with ease.

Pros

Right from the beginning Bench made everything extremely easy. My bookeeping is now completely hands-off. Our bookkeeper is always very easy to reach if we have questions and learned our business practices extremely fast.

Cons

I wish I could combined the income statement and other reports to stretch over different years. For instance, if we could view December 2020 and January 2021 in one report instead of having to do the math that would be fantastic.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise

Reasons for Switching to Bench

Bench is much easier to use than quickbooks.
Lizardo
Overall rating
  • Industry: Marketing & Advertising
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 6-12 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

AMAZING SOFTWARE & CUSTOMER SERVICE

Reviewed on 18/12/2020

I'd definitely recommend this software to all my friends. Easy to use and great customer service. They get the job done. Great investment.

Pros

How easy it is to use the software. It shows you all the financial details of your business.

Cons

I'm really happy with everything they've done so far.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise

Reasons for Switching to Bench

Better quality and customer service.

Response from Bench Accounting

Thank you so much Lizardo! Our engineering team will be so happy to hear you're loving the software and we're glad we can provide you quick access to important information you need. We love working with you and your business, and look forward to what the future has in store.

Jay
Overall rating
  • Industry: Recreational Facilities & Services
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 6-12 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Life Saver

Reviewed on 16/06/2020

nothing short of great.

Pros

The Bench team was there every step to explain what the software did, how to use it and what they need from me. I am super busy so I needed hand holding and that's exactly what the bench team did.

Cons

I had to do some of the integrations manually, such as sending over bank statements, but I would to have had to do this with a regular bookeeper anyway.

Alternatives Considered

Quickbooks Online

Reasons for Choosing Bench

Bench is more comprehensive

Reasons for Switching to Bench

more comprehensive

Response from Bench Accounting

Hi Jay! Thanks for the glowing review. Thanks for being with us!

Verified Reviewer
Overall rating
  • Industry: Hospitality
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Weekly for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Must Have for Small Business Owner

Reviewed on 29/04/2019

What I love is that I don't have to enter a thing! Doing the books was not only frustrating, but also time consuming. Having Bench on my side means I can focus on building and growing my business, knowing that the data that drives my decisions is solid!

Pros

Bench isn't a software. It's a team of people USING a dedicated software platform to help you manage your books. This has made all the difference for me in my business. Other accounting programs didn't teach me how to manage my books or read my monthly reports. My dedicated Bench bookkeeper answers my questions, provides me resources and is a partner in helping me understand my business finances to make better decisions.

If you are a small business owner who is great with customers, but bad with books...this is your solution. Stop trying to figure it all out yourself. Call Bench and get a dedicated human to help you out! You won't be disappointed!

Cons

After being on such robust software platform, I miss some of the bells and whistles those packages came with. But, Bench doesn't need all that. It's intuitive and focuses on the financial reports you need to make the best decisions for your business. You may have to look outside the platform to track some of your KPI's.

Brenda
Overall rating
  • Industry: Biotechnology
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Monthly for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Bench is making my life easier!

Reviewed on 25/08/2020

Pros

This is the easiest bookkeeping software I've ever come across. I've been a freelance art director for many years, and have used Quickbooks, Less Accounting, and Freshbooks. With each of those, I was reminded that I'm not a bookkeeper and usually ended up messing up my books somehow.

In contrast, the Bench interface is really straight forward and simple to understand, it is easy to use, and the team is really responsive. The absolute best part is having a team of bookkeepers who know what they're doing, who take care of it all for me! They reach out if there are questions, and I can check in anytime I like. I now have confidence that my books are correct, and I have more time to focus on my business.

Cons

So far, I've found no cons to using Bench. I only wish I would have done it sooner!

Response from Bench Accounting

Better late than never, Brenda! We're so thrilled to hear that we are able to support you and your business. Thanks for sharing!

victoria
Overall rating
  • Industry: Marketing & Advertising
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Must have for sanity

Reviewed on 05/05/2022

The customer service is helpful with any questions we may have

Pros

It's easy to use and understand. Makes our business run smoothly.

Cons

Having an accountant that will answer any question you may have with a real explanation is really a dream come true. For anyone who doesn't have accounting background this really is a must have.

Response from Bench Accounting

Hi Victoria, thank you so much for taking the time to write this review! We are thrilled that we have been able to give you your time back so you can focus on growing your business!

Danny
Overall rating
  • Industry: Financial Services
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Game Changer!

Reviewed on 29/04/2019

Pros

I love that I don't ever have to worry about saving receipts & it has taught me to even be more organized!

Cons

Honestly I don't have any negatives on this.

Toni
Overall rating
  • Industry: Food & Beverages
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Monthly for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Thanks Bench!

Reviewed on 05/05/2022

Bench has been a life saver running a business is hard and you have to wear a lot of hats and get very little sleep. But, Bench makes the accounting side so much easier.

Pros

It is easy to use. It is smart and captures transactions in categories once I have categorized them once which saves me a TON of time.

Cons

So, far I haven't found anything I don't like.

Response from Bench Accounting

Wow! Thank you so much for the glowing review, Toni! It's great to hear that we've been able to give you valuable time back, so you can focus on growing your business!