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Frontrunner 2020
Software Advice's FrontRunners report ranks top products based on user reviews, which helps businesses find the right software.
What is 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.
With books up-to-date, users can access the Bench iPhone or desktop app to monitor cash-flow and financial health with intuitive expense reports, income statements, and more. Users can also send the Bench team a text in the message feed, and they respond within one business day. And at tax time, Bench delivers a package with everything needed to get filed.
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User Review Highlights
4.73
269 Reviews
Ease-of-use
out of 5Customer Support
out of 5Value for money
out of 5Functionality
out of 5"I really enjoy the ease of use of the software and the communication with the team members, specifically [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN."
"I know that there is a TEAM supporting me, while I still know the name of my main contact person. The platform is easy to use and aesthetically pleasing."
"Very attractive, intuitive layout. Fantastic customer service."
"Not all of my business accounts can be connected via feed (ie intuit payroll), which requires a drag and drop upload each month."
"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."
"The Status tab points the blame on us, but we have always provided responses in a timely manner, within 24 hours."
Read user reviews
How much does Bench cost?
- Monthly bookkeeping - Dedicated bookkeeping team - Year-end tax ready financial statements - Direct, unlimited communication with our in-house research team
Starting price
$249.00 per month
Free trial
Available
Free version
Not Available
Which features does Bench offer?
Core features:
Access Controls/PermissionsAccountingAccounting IntegrationActivity DashboardBank ReconciliationBookkeeping Services IntegrationCash ManagementCPA FirmsData Import/ExportData VisualizationShow more features +
Other Top Recommended Accounting Software
How easy is Bench to use and deploy?
Bench supports multiple deployment options, including: Cloud, SaaS, Web-based, iPhone, iPad.
4.73/5 out of 269 Reviews
Showing 1 - 5 of 268 reviews
Chris
Verified reviewer
Company size: 11-50 employees
Industry: Telecommunications
Time used: More than 2 years
Review Source: Capterra
This review was submitted organically. No incentive was offered
October 2020
Love Bench!
Bench is the easiest way to manage our books online. It's been a huge time and money saver over the last few years.
Pros
I've been using Bench for years now and it's so simple to see and manage my books. When something isn't categorized correctly, I add a comment and it's moved over to the right one. It's been great and easy to use.
Cons
The monthly income statements are behind often. I have to ask to get them on time. I wish it integrated with Quickbooks as my CPA can easily manipulate the data for reports.
Reasons for choosing Bench
I didn't want to do the work!
Reasons for switching to Bench
The accountant was slow and took forever to make small updates.
Response from Bench Accounting
Thanks, Chris! We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and feedback. We've passed your comments to your team as well! Wishing you all the best.
Replied November 2020
Shannon
Company size: 2-10 employees
Industry: Online Media
Time used: Less than 2 years
Review Source: Capterra
This review was submitted organically. No incentive was offered
January 2022
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.
Reasons for choosing 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.
Reasons for switching to 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.
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!
Replied January 2022
Veronica
Company size: 11-50 employees
Industry: Construction
Time used: Less than 6 months
Review Source: Capterra
This review was submitted organically. No incentive was offered
May 2022
Satisfied Customer
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.
Reasons for switching to Bench
Software was to difficult to use and categorizing expenses was a headache. I constantly had to go back and approve scanned receipts, too time consuming.
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!
Replied June 2022
Evan
Company size: 2-10 employees
Industry: Computer Software
Time used: Less than 6 months
Review Source: Capterra
This review was submitted organically. No incentive was offered
June 2022
Bench for SaaS use
Need it for basic accounting/booking
Pros
Service that comes with software. We wanted more than just software.
Cons
Seems like we were overpromised for what it would do (so far at least).
Reasons for choosing Bench
Price and service (but not sure about whether it will work for us yet)
Response from Bench Accounting
Hi Evan, thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are concerned to hear that you feel you were overpromised for what Bench does. A member of our Client Success Team will be reaching out to you shortly to discuss this further.
Replied June 2022
Steve
Company size: 1 employee
Industry: Management Consulting
Time used: Less than 6 months
Review Source: Capterra
This review was submitted organically. No incentive was offered
April 2022
Friendly, helpful staff. Software is nicely designed and easy to use. It's too expensive.
Overall, I've been very impressed with Bench. The people, organization, resources, and software are top-notch. The price, however, is too much for someone who is self-employed or a small business owner with limited transactions. I understand that you generally get what you pay for, but I don't feel that you get 10x the value over self-managed bookkeeping using Quickbooks, Freshbooks, or Wave bookkeeping software. Excellent product -- it's just not for everyone.
Pros
Everyone I worked with to understand and use the bookkeeping software was friendly, professional, and helpful. The dashboard analytics was very easy to understand and is very appealing. I also like that I can export all data into a single workbook (summaries and itemized transactions).
Cons
I don't like that the product is so expensive. Depending on how large your business is and how many transactions you're managing, this product may be too expensive. For example, I've used Quickbooks Self-Employed for years and it's under $20/mo. In comparison, Bench (without any promotions) is hundreds of dollars per month. Granted, they are provided professional bookkeeping services as well as the software, but for a business with 50 transactions per month, it is a little overkill. It's really the only thing I don't love about Bench.
Reasons for choosing Bench
I chose Bench over FreshBooks and Wave Accounting because of the bookkeeper assistance, design of the product, and ease of use.
Reasons for switching to Bench
I wanted to test out Bench to see if the added cost would equate to advice on how I could save more than I'm spending. To date, everyone has been helpful but I have received no recommendations.
Response from Bench Accounting
Hi Steve, thank you for sharing your experience with us. It's great to hear that your team has been friendly, professional, and helpful. And that you are finding our User Interface to be appealing and easy to use. We're concerned to hear that you feel as though you are not experiencing the price to the relative value of our product. A member of our Client Success Team will be reaching out to you shortly.
Replied May 2022
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