Today, we’re doing a head-to-head comparison of Bench vs Xendoo. Both offer attractive solutions for businesses of any size—but which one should you choose?
Bench vs. Xendoo: an overview
Bench and Xendoo are two outsourced bookkeeping services for U.S.-based small businesses. They both offer a wide range of features and pricing options to suit businesses of different sizes or budgets.
Bench
Bench is America’s largest professional bookkeeping service for small businesses. We use proprietary software, so you don’t need any other bookkeeping software to work with Bench. Every client gets a dedicated bookkeeper supported by a team of knowledgeable small business experts.
When you sign up with Bench, you get monthly financial statements and expense overviews to help you stay on top of your small business finances. Check out our visual reports to get insights on your business and make smart decisions.
At the end of the year, you also get a year-end package with everything you need to file your tax returns.
If you’ve fallen behind on your bookkeeping and tax filing, we can even help you get caught up—whether you’re a few months behind or haven’t looked at your numbers in years.
Xendoo
Xendoo is also an online accounting service designed for small business owners. Their software connects to your books in either Xero or QuickBooks Online. Each customer has a dedicated bookkeeper who reconciles their books weekly and provides a monthly profit and loss statement and balance sheet.
Xendoo also offers catch-up bookkeeping for customers who’ve fallen behind on their books.
Bench vs. Xendoo: Features
Choosing the right bookkeeping service for your business is essential, and features are important. When selecting a solution, you want to ensure it meets your current needs and can scale with your business as it grows.
Let’s look at how Bench and Xendoo compare in terms of features.
Integrations
Integrations are an essential aspect of your outsourced bookkeeping because when your accounting software connects with other business tools, it’s easier to manage everything in one place.
Bench has partnered with several well-known and respected apps and tools, including Gusto for payroll, FreshBooks for invoicing, Stripe and Square for accepting payments, Shopify, Keap, Attune, and Clio. Plus, you get up to 30% off when they work with a Bench partner.
Xendoo integrates with multiple applications, including Gusto, Bill.com, Expensify, Amazon, Shopify, and Stripe.
Which service offers the best integrations? That’s something that only you can decide based on your specific needs. But both services provide a lot of flexibility and options for businesses of all sizes.
Bench’s embedded solution gives you the opportunity to bring powerful financial insights to your customers directly inside your platform, enabling them to make the right decisions for their business. For example, Bench’s Financial Reports API will allow you to build your own powerful financial dashboard inside your platform and you can add value for your customers by allowing them to view their data across all financial accounts, when and where they want.
Tax Preparation
As a small business owner, filing your federal and state income tax returns on time every year can be stressful. However, neglecting your tax filing obligations could result in penalties and interest charges from the IRS.
With Bench, you get a year-end package that you can easily hand off to your CPA or tax preparer. You’ll get an all-in-one financial solution that provides bookkeeping, advisory, and income tax filing—with every detail handled by Bench. We will collect all necessary documents and connect you to a trusted Taxfyle Tax Preparer to get your taxes filed on time, every time.
Bench Premium offers year-round unlimited tax consultations—including unlimited phone calls with our tax experts—so you don’t have to wait until tax season to ask questions or plan for deductions.
Xendoo customers can add tax services onto any plan for an additional fee to receive year-round tax support, a year-end financial package, and have Xendoo file their annual and state returns.
When it comes to choosing a bookkeeping solution, features are a crucial consideration. In this comparison between Bench and Xendoo, both companies offer a wide range of integrations, making it easy to manage everything in one place. Another important aspect is tax preparation, and both companies provide a year-end package that you can hand off to your CPA or tax preparer. However, Bench Premium offers year-round unlimited tax consultations, whereas Xendoo customers can add tax services for an additional fee. Ultimately, the choice between these two bookkeeping services will depend on your specific business needs and preferences.
Informational returns
Employers and businesses that pay out income to other individuals or organizations, such as independent contractors, sub-contractors, and vendors, must file informational returns like 1099s and W-2s after the end of each year. Neglecting to issue these forms or filing them past the January 31 deadline can result in hefty penalties from the IRS.
Bench’s recently launched 1099 reporting feature keeps track of all 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC payments. At year-end, customers receive a 1099 report, making 1099 filing a breeze.
If you use Gusto for payroll, you can have Gusto send 1099s and W-2s for you. Or you can order forms from the IRS to issue 1099s with the information included in your 1099 report.
Xendoo doesn’t feature 1099 reporting. According to the FAQs, they recommend using Gusto for 1099s.
Accounting methods
Small businesses can use the cash or accrual method of accounting when recording business transactions. Cash accounting is the more straightforward method because expenses are recorded when payment is made, and revenue is recorded when it is received. Accrual accounting, on the other hand, records transactions as they occur, regardless of when the money changes hands.
Bench uses a modified form of cash basis bookkeeping, where we record transactions when money is deposited into your bank account or charged to your bank or credit card. However, we can also complete accrual adjustments for tracking accounts receivable, accounts payable, and unearned revenue.
Xendoo’s base plan offers the cash basis of accounting, but customers that opt for premium packages can choose between cash and modified accrual.
The Bench difference
Bench offers businesses a comprehensive bookkeeping solution that provides peace of mind, expert support, and accuracy.
Accuracy is critical when it comes to bookkeeping, and that’s where we come in. We guarantee accurate, IRS-compliant books, ensuring that you are always ready for tax season. We organize your business transactions, prepare financial statements, and provide a tidy annual financial package for simple tax filing. Our Premium Plan even offers additional support by filing your income taxes for you and providing tax advisory services.
With Bench, you can see all your financial statements and expenses in one central platform. Our visual reports provide insights into your business, helping you make smart decisions. We integrate with services like Stripe, Shopify, Gusto, Square, Freshbooks, and more, ensuring all your financial transactions are in one place.
Our team is always available to answer your questions at no extra cost. You can send us a message, and you’ll hear back within one business day or less. We even offer book review calls with your bookkeeper directly through the Bench platform, whether it’s a year-end review call or a monthly check-in.
We stay on top of IRS, tax code, and bookkeeping changes, so you don’t have to. We follow a consistent standard to ensure your books are IRS-compliant and your tax professional can take advantage of all available tax deductions. Our team of pros prepares your annual financial statements to file income taxes, and every document gets a secondary, independent review to ensure accuracy.
Our platform automates data inputs to avoid common mistakes, and we partner with merchants like Gusto, Stripe, and Square to ensure your finances are always accurate. With Bench, you can trust that your bookkeeping is in good hands, allowing you to focus on what matters most: running your business.
Bench vs. Xendoo: Pricing
Now it’s time to talk about what every small business owner wants to know when selecting accounting services: how much will it cost?
Bench offers two pricing plans:
- Essential: $299/month, ($249/month billed annually). This package includes monthly bookkeeping, a dedicated bookkeeping team, year-end tax-ready financial statements, and direct, unlimited communication with Bench’s in-house research team.
- Premium: $499/month ($399 billed annually). This package includes everything in the Essential plan, unlimited income tax support, and annual income tax filing for the business and its owners.
Xendoo offers three service levels:
- Essential: $395/month ($355/month when billed annually), for businesses with up to $50,000 in expenses per month. This package includes weekly bookkeeping connected to up to four bank or credit card accounts), a dedicated bookkeeping team, cash basis accounting, and one add-on application.
- Growth: $695/month ($625/month when billed annually), for businesses with up to $75,000 in expenses per month. This package includes weekly bookkeeping connected to up to six bank or credit card accounts), cash or modified basis accounting, semi-annual tax consulting, and two add-ons.
- Scale: $995/month ($895/month when billed annually), for businesses with up to $125,000 in expenses per month. This package includes weekly bookkeeping connected to up to twelve bank or credit card accounts and four add-ons.
Adding tax support to any plan runs an extra $1,200 per year.
So which option is right for you? While both Bench and Xendoo are great options for small businesses that need to handle their bookkeeping, accounting and tax filing, Bench is less expensive while offering all of the features small businesses need. If you’d like to give it a try, sign up for a free trial. You’ll get a free month of virtual bookkeeping to see how Bench works and ensure it’s the best fit for your business.
