User Reviews Overview
About Bench
Bench is the online bookkeeping platform for small business owners. Each month, Bench automatically gathers transaction data from all connected business accounts. Then, a dedicated team of bookkeepers ensures books are tax-ready. ...
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- Used Monthly for 2+ years
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Review Source
Solves the Startup Book-keeping Headaches
All of my book-keeping headaches are gone!
Pros
I really like it that Bench people essentially leave me alone and they will do all the bookkeeping stuff for me. It is not my forte, so it is great and done at much lower price point than hiring a firm. The web interface is great and pretty much you upload your expense receipts and they will take care of it.
Cons
Occasionally the bank statement transfers stops, then takes a bit of trial and errors for it to work, only happens perhaps once a year or so. No biggie, but could improve it.
Response from Bench
Hi Manabu - Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to be able to ease the headache of bookkeeping for you. We've passed the message on to Nadeeshi and the rest of your team, and you've made their day much brighter. - SP
- Industry: Online Media
- Company size: 2-10 Employees
- Used Weekly for 1+ year
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Review Source
Very Happy
Pros
My Team and I are very happy with the Bench software and customer service. It's easy to use, a breeze to read, and simple to update.
Cons
The lag time to get a response from a human being is something I'm getting used to as our world is moving to the online/AI experience.
Alternatives Considered
QBankReasons for Choosing Bench
We were looking for a more simple experience, something with a personal touch by CS. Price was of course a consideration and Bench is competitive.Switched From
QBankReasons for Switching to Bench
The customer service team did a great job selling it and they've kept their promises over the course of our time. We appreciate a vendor who actually delivers what they promise and Bench does just this.Response from Bench Accounting
Wow! We're absolutely thrilled to hear that we have been able to give you piece 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, Shannon!
- Industry: Accounting
- Company size: Self Employed
- Used Monthly for 2+ years
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Review Source
After happily using Bench for almost 2 years, I DONT recommend it at all
I saw many articles about bad experiences with Bench before I decided to work with them. I also saw dozens of good reviews about them. I didn't mind bad ones and thought it won't happen to me. But it happened.
Let's talk about the service and value I got; It's just bookkeeping software with a guy sitting in front of it. They consistently put my expenses in the wrong category. I had to check all the transactions manually every time. I did this with Xero for less than $40/mo. All transactions from my bank account are automatically imported to Xero and I just need to check once a month. No value here.
I didn't mind paying +$200/mo more for the same result since we had no problem with them. I also felt more secure since there is someone on the line. They offered me to file my taxes for an additional fee. I agreed. They filed franchise and corporate taxes for 2020. Everything was smooth and simple. I decided to extend my subscription for another year.
Last month, in the middle of tax season, I received an email saying that they will not file my taxes since I am a US non-resident. I respectfully understand that they made some decisions regarding their services. I am totally ok with it, but I should be informed about this in advance.
But informing me a few weeks before the deadline, in the middle of tax season, when it's impossible to find an available CPA is a selfish attitude that shows they don't care about their clients.
Pros
Standard features that all bookkeeping apps have. Syncs my bank transactions to the app. Saves time.
Cons
Service. I paid more only to have a human backed bookkeeping service to file my taxes. But it didn't happen.
Response from Bench Accounting
Thank you Arsen for sharing your experience with us. We sincerely regret to hear that this has been your experience with us, as we aim to provide accurate and open communications with our clients. A member of our Client Success Team has reached out to discuss your concerns, and we have passed this review to our Bench Tax team for further review.
Top Bench Alternatives
- Industry: Information Technology & Services
- Company size: 2-10 Employees
- Used Weekly for 1-5 months
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Review Source
Clean
Our overall experience has been that Bench is personable, intuitative, and user-friendly.
Pros
What we like most about Bench is their level of customer service. From setup to now, the team has been here with us and is extremely easy to reach out to. Beyond this, the interface is very clean, quick to load.
Cons
There are some accounts that can't be automated, but we understand this. That aside, we would like to see Bench expand and offer more all-in-one service beyond book-keeping and tax returns or make any partners more accessible (virtual CFO, CPAs would be great).
Alternatives Considered
FreshBooksReasons for Choosing Bench
We switched away from QuickBooks mainly to give our bookkeeper an out, though we were also looking for a tool that offered easier access and further automation/connection to other tools we use in our operations.Switched From
QuickBooks Desktop EnterpriseReasons for Switching to Bench
We considered several products, most of which I can't seem to find in the product selector on Capterra but I don't see that to be too relevant here. The point would be that we selected Bench mainly because our largest need was for a bookkeeping solution from a company with both a quality product and quality service, able to offer a demo of sorts, and flexibility. Bench.co offered us all of this.Response from Bench Accounting
Hi Dez! Thank you so much for your kind review. We also appreciate the feedback! Wishing you all the best.
- Industry: Retail
- Company size: 2-10 Employees
- Used Weekly for 1-5 months
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Review Source
Excellent Book Keeping Software For Running Your Business
Understanding the financial health of our business has been critical in making decisions both long and short term. Bench helped free up the minimal time that we as business owners have and spend more of that time focusing on our business, which has been very helpful.
Pros
It was great to see a breakdown of all three financial statements for our business, both from a macro and micro perspective. Being able to pull up accounts and see specific transactions from desktop and on the go through mobile was indispensable in running a healthy business and planning for the future. The messaging system was prompt and efficient for keeping in touch with our book keepers and account manager with any pressing questions. They were always very professional and did high quality work. Any questions or concerns with categorization and interpreting information were answered well.
Cons
I think it would be helpful to expand the software to allow for the dropping of all receipts into our account in order to have a one stop location for accessing and printing receipts for accounting and tax purposes. We were informed that only high ticket items needed receipts, and so we ended up using other third party software to track mileage and keep track of receipts.
Alternatives Considered
XeroReasons for Choosing Bench
They were not able to provide adequate book keeping services, due to complicated books.Reasons for Switching to Bench
Recommendations from online users, Youtubers, and a good first hand experience from the beginning while switching over to Bench.Response from Bench Accounting
Hi, Jonathan. Thanks so much for sharing your kind review! We also appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback. We have shared this to the appropriate teams.
- Industry: Media Production
- Company size: Self Employed
- Used Monthly for 6-12 months
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Review Source
failed to file business taxes on time and did not file personal taxes properly
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.
- Industry: Marketing & Advertising
- Company size: Self Employed
- Used Weekly for 1-5 months
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Review Source
Extremely happy with my choice!
Overall, really great! They're super helpful. Most of the time they're quick to respond, but at times have needed to have an extra poke to get a response. That is a rarity. Usually, I'll hear back from someone by the next day at the latest.
Pros
Having all the data to see my business stats has been really helpful. They call it the "Pulse" which shows you the health of your business with a way to visualize how you're doing over time. I like that a lot. Bookkeeping is really easy for me now and I'm thankful I outsourced it. I just connect my accounts and drag and drop invoices and receipts that I scan or receive into the documents section and they take care of things. They also provide a nice, clean, easy to understand summary at the end of each year so my accountant can do my taxes easily. I have no regrets going with Bench. It definitely saves me a lot of time and stress.
Cons
I wish there are some nice comparable summaries like percentage growth or changes month to month, by quarter, and YoY. Prices still feel a little high to me and I wish there was an option for invoicing and receiving payments into my checking accounts.
Reasons for Switching to Bench
A good blend between what I need the most, pricing, and peer reviews.Response from Bench Accounting
Thank you so much for your kind words! It's great to hear that we have been able to take away some stress. We've also shared your feedback with the appropriate parties for further consideration!
- Industry: Financial Services
- Company size: 2-10 Employees
- Used Weekly for 1+ year
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Review Source
A great value of service for taking care of bookkeeping
Great experience and helpful service. Awesome value since an in-person CPA would be double the cost.
Bench was especially around tax time when it comes to working with me to get my numbers buttoned up.
Pros
The iOS app is simple and easy to use. I appreciate the quick access to messaging back and forth with my bookkeeper, making notes about transactions, and they referred me to Gusto for an integrated payroll service
Cons
Some of the features like their Pulse tab of real time bank account syncing and electronic PDF statement syncing are glitchy.
- Industry: Law Practice
- Company size: Self Employed
- Used Weekly for 2+ years
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Review Source
Bench is great
My accounting was solved using bench, literally it's set it and forget it, these guys are top notch and make your life easy.
Pros
Incredibly supportive staff, intuitive friendly user-interface, provided year end tax portfolio that I could easily give to my CPA. Bench is just fantastic, I can't say enough good things about the way they have handled my accounts for the past 3 years, highly recommend. If you're a professional, this is for you.
Cons
The only con here is that I didn't switch sooner.
Response from Bench Accounting
Thank you so much Byron for your kind words! We are so happy to be working with you.
- Industry: Law Practice
- Company size: Self Employed
- Used Weekly for 1-5 months
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Review Source
Great product, worth the cost for peace of mind
Pros
I like that it's easy to use, comes in a user-friendly format, and simplifies accounting for me. It's dummy-proof! I'm mostly looking forward to an easier tax season with this software.
Cons
It's a little expensive for a one-person office, so I wish there were more tiers in pricing. But I like the product and will continue to use it, and understand that it costs money for a good product.
Response from Bench Accounting
Hi Heidi! Thanks so much for the kind words. If you ever feel that your average monthly expenses have decreased, we can always conduct a pricing review to see if you fall into another pricing tier. All the best!
- Industry: Design
- Company size: 2-10 Employees
- Used Weekly for 6-12 months
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Review Source
Only Do What Only You Can Do
Pleasant interactions with all personnel I’ve spoken with over the phone or via email. Onboarding was easy and comprehensive. The financials dashboard -+ the app is well designed and easy to access.
Pros
Offloading expense tracking was a massive weight off of my shoulders. I now have more time to lead my small team and know that my accounting is in good hands - if there is ever a question or discrepancy they reach out immediately.
Cons
Honestly the price. I wish it were significantly cheaper. Much of the expense tracking is already done through freshbooks, other financial input apps have APIs for the Bench team to use as well - so I don’t think the limited personal interactions (which is not a detriment-the less I can talk to accountants the better) warrants the steep price tag.
Alternatives Considered
FreshBooksReasons for Switching to Bench
Deeper analytics and reconciliation of accountsResponse from Bench Accounting
Thank you so much for sharing, Nick! We're thrilled to hear that we have been able to help take a massive weight off of your shoulders!
- Industry: Marketing & Advertising
- Company size: 2-10 Employees
- Used Daily for 6-12 months
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Review Source
One less thing off of my plate...
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!
- Industry: Hospitality
- Company size: 2-10 Employees
- Used Weekly for 1+ year
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Review Source
Bench is Amazing
Bench is amazing. As a small business owner I was spending too much time categorizing expenses and correctly documenting items for the P&L or balance statement. Bench offers such an amazing service and any time I had a question or issue my Bench specialist was right there. I would highly recommend Bench to anyone who needs bookkeeping services (and their tax team is amazing as well). Couple all of that with their service team's (big shout out to [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN]) genuine care for you and your company and you have kind of a no brainer.
Pros
The platform is intuitive and easy to use. You speak directly with the individual managing your account, which is nice for continuity. Any discrepancies are easily adjusted or annotated. It exports to multiple file types for integration with other platforms. It links with your accounts so you don't have to manually input everything. AND THEIR TEAM ACTUALLY CARES ABOUT YOU, which is a breath of fresh air.
Cons
Sometimes there are functionality issues with linked accounts, but usually it is because of the security protocols of the bank or account.
Response from Bench Accounting
Wow! Thank you so much, Joshua. We are absolutely thrilled to hear about your experience. We're excited to keep providing the support you need so you can continue to grow your business!
- Industry: Hospitality
- Company size: 11-50 Employees
- Used Daily for 1-5 months
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Review Source
Accounting for Startups
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
PilotReasons for Choosing Bench
The bookkeeper we used no longer met our needs as a growing startup.Reasons for Switching to Bench
Price and functionalityResponse 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!
- Industry: Arts & Crafts
- Company size: Self Employed
- Used Daily for 2+ years
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Review Source
Excellent Solution for Tracking Business Expenses
Bench has set my mind at ease that all of my business costs and expenditures are being accounted for successfully and tracked.
Pros
Very easy to use . This product has been very useful for me to track all business expenses and have all of the required audits of my accounts while also producing annual earnings reports. Very professional.
Cons
It would be nice if the system was able to read the memos for checks written to determine the purpose for the expenditure rather than the business owner having to review each check and identify its purpose for the business.
- Industry: Nonprofit Organization Management
- Company size: 2-10 Employees
- Used Weekly for 2+ years
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Review Source
Completely alleviated stress while reducing my bookkeeping costs
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
- Industry: Furniture
- Company size: 2-10 Employees
- Used Daily for 6-12 months
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Review Source
A lifesaver
Overall I am more than pleased. I have no doubt that my books are being done correctly, which frees me up to deal with other things.
Pros
I love the ease of use. The portal is easy to get around in and I always have someone to answer my questions.
Cons
I would like to have a little more interaction as to tax planning. I understand that it doesnt necessarily fall under bookkeeping. But I would like to be able to have some sort of review.
Response from Bench Accounting
Hi Derick, we're thrilled to hear you can rely on our bookkeeping team to help answer questions that come up! We're also happy to hear that the online platform is easy to use so you can get the information you need quickly and spend those extra minutes on growing your business. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience!
- Industry: Photography
- Company size: Self Employed
- Used Weekly for 2+ years
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Review Source
Seamless Bookkeeping
My experience has been overall positive! My bookkeeper is there when I need him and always professional and friendly!
Pros
Simply put, Bench took a headache away and made managing my bookkeeping easy and seamless. It also encourages me to be more aware of receivables and expenses + I really appreciate that I can check my books at any time, day or night. The overall look of the site is clean and approachable, and the interface is simple.
Cons
A few times my bank accounts have come "unlinked" somehow and I've had to go back in and link them.
Response from Bench Accounting
Hi Christina! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with us! We've passed this along to your bookkeeping team, and I know they will be thrilled to hear this!
- Industry: Health, Wellness & Fitness
- Company size: 11-50 Employees
- Used Daily for 2+ years
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Review Source
It's like having a personal bookkeeper at a much lower cost.
We save a considerable amount of money over brick-and-mortar services and save a huge amount of time by not trying to do this ourselves with Quick Books or similar software.
Pros
Value. They provide services like a personal bookkeeping company. Very helpful and quick response.
Cons
Nothing comes to mind. We've been very happy with it.
- Industry: Retail
- Company size: 2-10 Employees
- Used Weekly for 6-12 months
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Review Source
Love the ease of use!
Pros
After months of frustration with our old software, we switched to Bench and have been so happy. It is easy to use, painless, and so convenient.
Cons
So far I am completely happy, no cons yet!
Response from Bench Accounting
Hi Ali, we're thrilled to hear we could make the process seamless and that it's easy to use. We love working with you and are excited to see what comes next for you and your business!
- Industry: Biotechnology
- Company size: Self Employed
- Used Monthly for 1-5 months
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Review Source
Bench is making my life easier!
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!
- Used Weekly for 2+ years
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Review Source
No more all-nighters at tax time! Easy to use, great support team, no more headaches.
Pros
The interface is clean and easy. Submitting expenses is easy and in most cases automated. My team, led by customer rep, is very responsive.
Cons
The only thing and I'm splitting hairs is that for more detailed ecommerce analytics, I need to either go to my ecommerce platform and/or pull other data for company performance. It would be helpful to be in one place. But that's a tall order for the great Bench price.
Response from Bench
Thank you for the review! We're excited to hear your books are no longer keeping you up at night. I've passed along your feedback regarding ecommerce analytics to our development team as well. - SP
- Industry: Food & Beverages
- Company size: 2-10 Employees
- Used Weekly for 1-5 months
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Review Source
Has improved and simplified accounting for my business
I switched from a more traditional bookkeeping service to Bench, and couldn’t be happier. Bench is more affordable, easier to use (no more driving cross town to drop off stacks of invoices), with significantly improved reports that are clear and comprehensive. I have such a better grasp on our financials, and I love the interface. I would recommend this to anyone.
Pros
I love the ease and overall design of the software, and being able to switch between viewing the entire year, and each month. It helps me understand my financials in one glance, all in one place. It makes P&L reports infinitely more comprehensible, and they’re always completed promptly.
Cons
I have almost no complaints. My issues have been with smaller banks making it difficult to link accounts to Bench, but this is less about Bench, and more about the banks’ software.
Response from Bench Accounting
Wow! Thanks, Sonya for sharing this glowing review. We're thrilled to be working with you!
- Industry: Music
- Company size: Self Employed
- Used Daily for 6-12 months
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Review Source
I Love Bench
My experience has been super easy and smooth. I love it.
Pros
I love the fact I can do my work and not worry about keeping track of all purchases and so forth.
Cons
I wish it had a feature to keep track of my estimated taxes.
Response from Bench Accounting
Thank you for the kind words, Jonathan! We've also passed along your feedback regarding a feature to keep track of your estimated taxes. In the meantime, you may find this estimated quarterly tax calculator helpful: https://bench.co/blog/resources/quarterly-tax-calculator/.
- Industry: Health, Wellness & Fitness
- Company size: 2-10 Employees
- Used Weekly for 2+ years
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Review Source
Leave it to Bench
Being a hands on small business owner is tough enough. Not to mention all the documents, payroll, and most importantly booking keeping. This is where Bench comes in. The team at Bench is always helpful with any questions or concerns. They keep accurate booking and make it stress free each and every year. You will not be disappointed! Try them out
Pros
Ease of use and up to date information always.
Cons
Nothing. They are very good at connecting everything you need.