# Bench alternative: Bench vs Lopifi for startup books

> Bench shut down in December 2024, was bought by Employer.com and is selling plans again. How it compares with Lopifi on ledger, basis, review and price.

Source: https://lopifi.com/compare/bench-alternative
Part of: Lopifi — US GAAP books on autopilot, reviewed by a CPA (https://lopifi.com)

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Bench closed abruptly at the end of 2024, then reopened under new ownership. If you are choosing a bookkeeper now, the useful questions are where your books live, what basis they are kept on, and who reviews them.

**The short answer.** Bench is open again and sells human bookkeeping with tax filing in one plan, which Lopifi does not offer. Lopifi keeps your books in your own QuickBooks Online or Xero file on an accrual, US GAAP basis, with a quarterly CPA review, for $200 a month. It is a waitlist today; Bench is not.

## Side by side

| Question | Bench | Lopifi |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Operating again since January 2025, as a subsidiary of Employer.com. ([Wikipedia: Bench Accounting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bench_Accounting), checked 2026-10-17) | Taking a waitlist. Companies are let in a few at a time. |
| Who does the work | Human bookkeepers: “A dedicated bookkeeper does your books.” ([bench.co](https://bench.co/), checked 2026-10-17) | AI agents categorize, reconcile and close as transactions happen. Anything that needs judgment waits for your sign-off. |
| Ledger | Bench's proprietary technology for Bookkeeping + Software; your QuickBooks Online account on the fractional plan. ([Bench pricing](https://bench.co/pricing), checked 2026-10-17) | Your own QuickBooks Online or Xero file, synced both ways. Set up for you if you have none. |
| Price | Bookkeeping Light $199/mo, Bookkeeping $399/mo, Bookkeeping + Tax $649/mo. ([Bench pricing](https://bench.co/pricing), checked 2026-10-17) | $200 a month, flat. Planned price; not open yet. |
| Tax returns | Included in Bookkeeping + Tax, or $300/mo as full-service tax on its own. ([Bench pricing](https://bench.co/pricing), checked 2026-10-17) | Not included. Deadlines are tracked, and a closed year goes to your tax preparer. |

## What December 2024 taught founders

When a bookkeeping provider keeps the ledger on its own platform, the ledger goes wherever the provider goes. Bench customers learned that in a single day, with year-end and tax season a few weeks away.

The structural fix is to keep the books in a file you own and give the provider access to it, not the other way round. That is how Lopifi works: the books stay in your QuickBooks Online or Xero file, so leaving us, or us leaving, costs you a login and nothing else.

## Basis and review

Bench's pricing page does not state whether books are kept on a cash or accrual basis, so this page does not say. Ask before you sign: investors, lenders and auditors expect accrual statements on US GAAP.

Lopifi keeps accrual books with a lead schedule behind every balance, and a licensed CPA reviews them every quarter in writing. That review is not an audit and not tax preparation.

## When Bench 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 tax returns filed by the same company that keeps your books.
- You run a small business that is not a venture-backed startup. Bench's Light plan is priced for companies with $250K or less in annual revenue.
- You want a dedicated human bookkeeper doing the work rather than agents.

## When Lopifi is the better choice

- You want to stay in the QuickBooks Online or Xero file your CPA and investors already open. Lopifi works inside it and syncs both ways.
- You want accrual books on US GAAP with a lead schedule behind every balance, closed as transactions happen rather than weeks after month end.
- You want one flat price: $200 a month, reviewed by a CPA every quarter.

## What we checked about Bench

- Bench stopped operating on December 27, 2024 and told customers the platform would be inaccessible. It filed for bankruptcy in Canada on January 7, 2025. Source: [Wikipedia: Bench Accounting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bench_Accounting), checked 2026-10-17.
- Employer.com's acquisition of Bench was announced on December 30, 2024, and Bench resumed operations in January 2025 as an Employer.com subsidiary under the Bench brand. Source: [Wikipedia: Bench Accounting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bench_Accounting), checked 2026-10-17.
- Bench's site is live and selling plans, and says Bench bookkeepers can also work within an existing QuickBooks account. Source: [bench.co](https://bench.co/), checked 2026-10-17.
- Bench describes its Bookkeeping + Software offering as done for you in Bench's proprietary technology. Its fractional bookkeeper plan ($55 an hour plus a $1,200 onboarding fee) works inside the client's QuickBooks Online account. Source: [Bench pricing](https://bench.co/pricing), checked 2026-10-17.

## Common questions

### Is Bench still in business?

Yes, as of the date on this page. Bench shut down on December 27, 2024, was acquired by Employer.com days later and resumed operations under the Bench name. Its website sells bookkeeping and tax plans today.

### Does Bench use QuickBooks?

Bench describes its Bookkeeping + Software offering as done in its own proprietary technology. Its fractional bookkeeper plan and, per its homepage, some bookkeepers work inside your QuickBooks account. Ask which applies to your plan before you sign.

### What should I look for in a Bench alternative?

Lopifi works inside your own QuickBooks Online or Xero file and syncs both ways, so the ledger is yours whatever happens to any vendor, us included.

### Does Lopifi file taxes like Bench does?

No. Lopifi does not prepare or file tax returns. It tracks the deadlines and hands a closed, reviewed year to your tax preparer. Bench sells a Bookkeeping + Tax plan if you want both from one company.