The short answerA freelance bookkeeper is personal and flexible, billed by the hour, and only as current as their last session. Lopifi works in the same QuickBooks Online or Xero file continuously, closes on US GAAP and has a CPA review it, at $200 a month.
Side by side
a freelance bookkeeper’s column says only what the cited source said on the date shown. Prices and plans change; follow the link before you decide.
| Question | a freelance bookkeeper | Lopifi |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | One person who computes, classifies and records your transactions, on the hours you buy. BLS Occupational Outlook | AI agents categorize, reconcile and close as transactions happen. Anything that needs judgment waits for your sign-off. |
| Price | Hourly. The BLS 2025 median for employed clerks is $24.36/hr; freelance rates vary. BLS Occupational Outlook | $200 a month, flat. Planned price; not open yet. |
| Ledger | Whatever they work in. Bench's fractional bookkeeper, for one, works inside your QuickBooks Online account. Bench pricing | Your own QuickBooks Online or Xero file, synced both ways. Set up for you if you have none. |
Coverage and a second pair of eyes
A part-time bookkeeper works the hours you buy, so the books are as current as their last session. Ask, too, who reviews their work before a tax preparer or an auditor sees it.
Lopifi works continuously and builds the review in: you confirm judgment calls as they come, and a CPA reviews the books each quarter.
When a freelance bookkeeper is the better choice
- You need your books kept this month. Lopifi is a waitlist and lets companies in a few at a time.
- You want one person who knows your business and picks up the phone.
- Your books need hands-on work agents cannot do, like chasing paper receipts in person.
When Lopifi is the better choice
- You want the books worked as transactions happen, not in a monthly batch.
- You want someone other than the bookkeeper to review the work: a CPA, every quarter, in writing.
- You want one flat price: $200 a month, reviewed by a CPA every quarter.
What we checked about a freelance bookkeeper
The BLS puts the 2025 median pay for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks at $24.36 an hour, or $50,670 a year. That is employee pay, not a freelance billing rate.
BLS Occupational OutlookChecked
As one published freelance-style rate, Bench lists a fractional bookkeeper at $55 an hour plus a $1,200 onboarding fee.
Bench pricingChecked
Common questions
How much does a part-time bookkeeper cost?
It varies with location and experience. The BLS median for employed bookkeeping clerks was $24.36 an hour in 2025; freelance and firm rates are typically higher, and Bench lists a fractional bookkeeper at $55 an hour.
Will a freelance bookkeeper give me GAAP books?
Not always. A bookkeeper records and reconciles; a close on US GAAP also needs accruals, schedules and a review. Ask whether they keep accrual books and who reviews their work. Lopifi has a licensed CPA review the books every quarter.
Can my bookkeeper work alongside Lopifi?
Yes. Lopifi works inside your QuickBooks Online or Xero file, so a bookkeeper, controller or CPA can keep working in it alongside us.
Keep reading
- Founder guideWhy startups should close their books every month
- Founder guideBank reconciliation step by step
- ComparisonBench alternative: Bench vs Lopifi
- ComparisonPilot vs Lopifi: startup bookkeeping compared
- ComparisonDigits vs Lopifi: AI ledger or kept books
- ComparisonPuzzle vs Lopifi: AI accounting compared
Every statement about a freelance bookkeeper links to where it was published; if one is out of date, write to hello@lopifi.com and we will correct it.