Is Bench Accounting still in business?

Yes. After shutting down abruptly on December 27, 2024, Bench was acquired by Employer.com on December 30, 2024 and relaunched under new ownership. As of July 2026, Bench sells bookkeeping in three tiers — Grow at $199/month (businesses under $250K in annual revenue), Core at $399/month, and Core + Tax at $599/month — with annual-prepay discounts of roughly 20%, and the work done by in-house trained staff on its proprietary software. Its Better Business Bureau rating is a D- and it is not BBB accredited, with post-acquisition complaints citing late filings, data loss, and unresponsive support.

What happened to Bench Accounting?

Bench shut down without warning on December 27, 2024, locking more than 12,000 businesses out of their books. Employer.com announced an acquisition three days later, on December 30, 2024, and restored platform access. Bench's Canadian entities then filed for bankruptcy on January 7, 2025 — filings showed $65.4 million in total liabilities, including $51 million owed to the National Bank of Canada, against $2.8 million in remaining cash.

How do I get my books out of Bench?

Log in and export everything before you cancel: income statements, balance sheets, and transaction-level detail for every year you were a customer, plus any statements or receipts you uploaded. Bench runs on proprietary software, so there is no one-click migration to QuickBooks, Xero, or another ledger — whoever takes over your books rebuilds from the exported reports and your bank statements. Keep your own permanent copy of every export; the December 2024 shutdown showed what happens when the only copy lives on someone else's servers.

What is the best Bench alternative for small businesses?

It depends on your situation. QuickBooks Live keeps the ledger in your own QuickBooks Online file, so your data stays portable. Pilot fits funded startups that need accrual books and runs on QuickBooks Online. Xendoo and 1-800Accountant offer team-based service at different price points. A solo CPA practice puts one licensed person on both your books and your tax return. Whatever you pick, require the two things stranded Bench customers did not have: a data-export guarantee in standard formats, and a named, licensed human responsible for your books.

How much does a Bench alternative cost?

As of July 2026: QuickBooks Live runs $300–$700/month plus a required QuickBooks Online subscription ($35–$235/month) and a custom-priced first-month cleanup fee. Pilot starts at $99/month (Essentials, AI-first), with Core from $499/month and tax packages priced by entity from $1,000+/year extra. Xendoo runs $395–$995/month with tax prep priced separately. 1-800Accountant runs $299–$469/month but bills annually upfront. My own practice charges $500/month flat with the bookkeeping software included and tax returns quoted separately. For comparison, Bench itself now charges $199–$599/month depending on tier, with annual-prepay discounts.

Does Bench Accounting use CPAs?

No. As of June 2026, Bench's published pricing describes the work as done by in-house trained experts on Bench's proprietary software — not by licensed CPAs. The distinction matters: a CPA is state-licensed, can sign tax returns, and can represent you before the IRS. If a licensed professional on your books matters to you, ask any provider directly who does the work and what license they hold — then verify the license on the state registry.

Bench Accounting Alternatives in 2026: What to Know

Bench Accounting Alternatives in 2026: What to KnowBy Timothy LeGendre, CPA · Florida License #AC62625 · Last reviewed 2026-07-02Bench shut down in December 2024, stranding 12,000+ businesses. What happened and how to choose a replacement that won't strand your data.Bench Accounting — one of the largest online bookkeeping services in North America — shut down without warning on December 27, 2024, locking more than 12,000 businesses out of their books days before year-end. Employer.com announced an acquisition three days later and restored access. Bench's Canadian entities filed for bankruptcy on January 7, 2025 with $65.4 million in total liabilities ($51 million owed to the National Bank of Canada) against $2.8 million in cash. As of July 2026 Bench operates under new ownership with three tiers — Grow $199/month (businesses under $250K annual revenue), Core $399/month, Core + Tax $599/month, with roughly 20% annual-prepay discounts — carries a D- Better Business Bureau rating, and is not BBB accredited. The lesson: who holds your books matters. Bench's proprietary ledger is exactly why customers got stranded — books were not portable. What to require in any replacement: a named licensed person responsible for your books, a data-export guarantee in standard formats, month-to-month terms, tax and bookkeeping under one roof, and verifiable reviews. Replacement options as of July 2026: QuickBooks Live ($300-$700/month plus required QuickBooks Online subscription $35-$235/month plus a custom-priced first-month cleanup fee; ledger stays in your own QBO file), Pilot (Essentials $99/month AI-first, Core from $499/month, tax priced by entity from $1,000+/year; runs on QuickBooks Online), Xendoo ($395-$995/month, tax priced separately), 1-800Accountant ($299-$469/month billed annually upfront), and my solo CPA practice ($500/month flat, licensed Florida CPA #AC62625 personally does the work, software included, month-to-month, CSV export of the full ledger anytime — if you ever leave, your books leave with you).

Frequently asked questions

Is Bench Accounting still in business?: Yes. After shutting down abruptly on December 27, 2024, Bench was acquired by Employer.com on December 30, 2024 and relaunched under new ownership. As of July 2026, Bench sells bookkeeping in three tiers — Grow at $199/month (businesses under $250K in annual revenue), Core at $399/month, and Core + Tax at $599/month — with annual-prepay discounts of roughly 20%, and the work done by in-house trained staff on its proprietary software. Its Better Business Bureau rating is a D- and it is not BBB accredited, with post-acquisition complaints citing late filings, data loss, and unresponsive support.
What happened to Bench Accounting?: Bench shut down without warning on December 27, 2024, locking more than 12,000 businesses out of their books. Employer.com announced an acquisition three days later, on December 30, 2024, and restored platform access. Bench's Canadian entities then filed for bankruptcy on January 7, 2025 — filings showed $65.4 million in total liabilities, including $51 million owed to the National Bank of Canada, against $2.8 million in remaining cash.
How do I get my books out of Bench?: Log in and export everything before you cancel: income statements, balance sheets, and transaction-level detail for every year you were a customer, plus any statements or receipts you uploaded. Bench runs on proprietary software, so there is no one-click migration to QuickBooks, Xero, or another ledger — whoever takes over your books rebuilds from the exported reports and your bank statements. Keep your own permanent copy of every export; the December 2024 shutdown showed what happens when the only copy lives on someone else's servers.
What is the best Bench alternative for small businesses?: It depends on your situation. QuickBooks Live keeps the ledger in your own QuickBooks Online file, so your data stays portable. Pilot fits funded startups that need accrual books and runs on QuickBooks Online. Xendoo and 1-800Accountant offer team-based service at different price points. A solo CPA practice puts one licensed person on both your books and your tax return. Whatever you pick, require the two things stranded Bench customers did not have: a data-export guarantee in standard formats, and a named, licensed human responsible for your books.
How much does a Bench alternative cost?: As of July 2026: QuickBooks Live runs $300–$700/month plus a required QuickBooks Online subscription ($35–$235/month) and a custom-priced first-month cleanup fee. Pilot starts at $99/month (Essentials, AI-first), with Core from $499/month and tax packages priced by entity from $1,000+/year extra. Xendoo runs $395–$995/month with tax prep priced separately. 1-800Accountant runs $299–$469/month but bills annually upfront. My own practice charges $500/month flat with the bookkeeping software included and tax returns quoted separately. For comparison, Bench itself now charges $199–$599/month depending on tier, with annual-prepay discounts.
Does Bench Accounting use CPAs?: No. As of June 2026, Bench's published pricing describes the work as done by in-house trained experts on Bench's proprietary software — not by licensed CPAs. The distinction matters: a CPA is state-licensed, can sign tax returns, and can represent you before the IRS. If a licensed professional on your books matters to you, ask any provider directly who does the work and what license they hold — then verify the license on the state registry.