Honest comparison
QuickBooks Live vs fractional bookkeeper vs SMBbookkeeper.
There's a right choice for every stage of business. Here's the honest version — including the ones where we're not it.
| Dimension | QuickBooks Live | Fractional bookkeeper | SMBbookkeeper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | Offshore team, rotating | One US bookkeeper | Named ILTEM-credentialed Integrator + vetted team |
| Monthly close | By the 15th–20th | By the 10th, usually | By the 5th, every month |
| Chart of accounts | Template | Customized once | Rebuilt to LTEM lender/buyer standards |
| Reporting | P&L + balance sheet | P&L + balance sheet + notes | Financial Engine report (the metrics that matter) |
| Strategic advisory | None | Sometimes ad-hoc | Quarterly cadence, formal |
| Capital / exit pathway | None | Referral, maybe | Built-in: SBA network, Bootstrapper Capital, Five Exits |
| Starting price | $300–$500/mo | $500–$1,500/mo | $500/mo (Tier I) |
| Best fit | <$500K revenue, simple | $500K–$3M, stable | $500K–$10M, growth or exit-minded |
When you should not hire us
If you're under $500K in revenue and your books are simple, QuickBooks Live or a local bookkeeper will serve you fine. If you're over $10M, you need an in-house controller and a fractional CFO — not us. And if you don't want to think about capital, exits, or systems and just want monthly reconciliations, a traditional bookkeeper is a better fit.
We built SMBbookkeeper for the messy middle: $500K–$10M owners who are done being the bottleneck and want a business that's finally Transferable, Durable, Valuable.
Not sure where you land?
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