Xendoo vs. Bench: Which bookkeeping service is best?

In our head-to-head comparison of Xendoo vs. Bench, I look at various features, including financial reporting, tax management, user experience and user interface, and more, to help you get your questions answered.

In digital accounting, Xendoo and Bench are two prominent solutions offering unique features and benefits tailored to specific business needs.

Both offer a dedicated team of bookkeeping professionals who will help you balance your books every month – but some key differences between the two platforms may make one better for your business than the other.

Xendoo vs. Bench at a glance

Feature	Xendoo	Bench	Winner
SMB Guide’s Rating	7/10	8/10	Bench
General Ledger and Chart of Accounts	Only customized at the highest plan level	Complicated to understand and edit	Bench
Bank Integration and Reconciliation	Easy to connect but accounts are limited based on plan	Easy to connect and edit for bookkeeper review	Bench
Financial Reporting	Unable to truly evaluate	Basic financial reporting	Bench
AP and AR Management	Discuss accrual-based accounting with your consultant during onboarding	Available for an additional fee under “specialized accounting services”	Bench
Payroll Processing	Requires Gusto	Requires Gusto	Tie
Tax Management	✅	✅	Tie
UX and UI	✅	✅	Tie
Integration & API Capabilities	Limited based on your plan, but more options overall	Integrates with Square, Stripe, and Shopify	Bench
Supported Platforms	Web-based, iOS, and Android	Web-based, with an iOS app available	Xendoo
Customer Support	Live chat, phone, email, and messaging in your account	Live chat, phone, and messaging in your account	Tie
Pricing	$395/mo – $995/mo	$249/mo – $349/mo	Bench
Scalability	✅	✅	Bench

How we evaluate and test softwares

When testing softwares/apps, SMB Guide employs a dual approach based on free trial availability and demos. For platforms offering free trials, we test their functionalities, usability, navigation, and ease of use. In the case of tools lacking a free version or trial, we rely on in-depth research and user testimonials through software review platforms like G2, Capterra, TrustRadius, Software Advice, and GetApp to gauge their performance and capabilities. Learn more about our ratings criteria for bookkeeping software & services here.

Xendoo: Key Features, Pros, Cons, & Pricing

Xendoo is a cloud-based platform that works with both QuickBooks Online and Xero, to help with your bookkeeping.

You’re paying for a dedicated team of bookkeeping professionals to help you keep your books clean (and possibly help you when it’s time to file taxes, depending on the plan you choose.)

Pros & Cons

Pricing

Xendoo offers three pricing plans to choose from:

• Essential: $395/month ($355/month with annual billing) up to four bank accounts and credit cards connected with cash-basis accounting and one integration. For businesses with up to $50K in monthly expenses.
• Growth:  $695/month ($625/month with annual billing) up to six bank accounts and credit cards connected with cash-basis or modified accrual accounting and two integrations. For businesses with up to $75K in monthly expenses.
• Scale: $995/month ($8955/month with annual billing) up to 12 bank accounts and credit cards connected with cash-basis or modified accrual accounting, custom chart of accounts, and four integrations. For businesses with up to $125K in monthly expenses.

Bench: Key Features, Pros, Cons, & Pricing

Bench is another cloud-based accounting software that can assist with tax filing. It offers a dedicated team of bookkeepers to ensure your finances are clean and ready for taxes.

Pros & Cons

Pricing

You have two pricing plans to choose from, but if you opt for the higher plan, you must commit to an annual contract.

The premium plan offers tax advice and tax filing services, which are not included in the basic plan.

Essential

• $349/month when billed month-to-month
• $299/month with an annual contract
• $2,988/year when billed annually with a contract

Premium

• $499/month with an annual contract
• $4,788/year when billed annually with a contract

General Ledger and Chart of Accounts

Because I did not complete an onboarding call with Xendoo, I couldn’t see how their Chart of Accounts and General Ledger worked.

The fact that you can’t get a custom chart unless you pay for Xendoo’s highest plan could be a turn-off for some users. 

Bench’s GL and CoA are easy to see and customize as needed, so that’s why they win this category.

✅ Winner: Bench

Bank Integration and Reconciliation

Both platforms make it easy to integrate your bank accounts and credit cards. I couldn’t connect anything to Xendoo, so I couldn’t see how well it did (or didn’t) handle reconciliation.

Because it’s so similar to other tools, I’m sure you can edit it, make adjustments, and offer clarification for your bookkeeping team. 

I declare Bench the winner here because there’s no limit on the number of accounts you can connect to the platform, as there is with Xendoo.

✅ Winner: Bench

Financial Reporting

There’s a financial report section in Xendoo, but since I wasn’t able to fully demo the software, I can’t see what would be offered there.

Bench, on the other hand, offers income statements, balance sheets, and a profit and loss statement.

Bench is the winner here because it’s easier to see and navigate. If at any point I’m able to see what Xendoo offers and find it to be more in-depth or easier to understand, I will edit this content to reflect that.

✅ Winner: Bench

AP and AR Management

If your business uses accrual accounting, you’ll have to speak to a Xendoo consultant to learn more about how this works.

It wasn’t clear during my research if this is an option or if additional fees are involved. 

Bench does offer accrual accounting services, but you’ll pay more because it’s considered a specialized accounting service and comes at an additional fee, which starts at $100/month.

✅ Winner: Bench

Payroll Processing

Neither Bench nor Xendoo offers built-in payroll and tax management. Both tools require you to use a separate service, Gusto, to take care of this.

Both platforms integrate with it, so you can manage it from within the respective dashboard.

✅ Winner: Tie

Tax Management

Both services offer tax management services, for an additional fee. It’s included based on the service plan you choose.

You’ll pay $499/month (with an annual contract) with Bench. You’ll pay at least $625/month (with an annual discount) for the same with Xendoo.

I tied them here, because even though the price point is lower with Bench, the service is available with both and the level of service will depend on the complexities of your individual business.

✅ Winner: Tie

User Experience and User Interface

I had limited experience with the Xendoo platform, but from what I could see after account creation, everything was clearly laid out and easy to navigate.

The intuitive design ensures that no matter your technology comfort level, you’ll be able to use it with. Bench offered demo information, making it much easier for me to experience the full software.

As with Xendoo, everything was clearly laid out and easy to navigate. They don’t make it difficult to find anything, and making edits where necessary is easy.

The built-in messaging system ensures you can always reach your bookkeeping team when needed.

✅ Winner: Tie

Integration & API Capabilities

Xendoo integrates with QuickBooks and Xero, along with a few other tools like Gusto and ecommerce platforms and marketplaces.

Bench offers integrations with Square, Stripe, Shopify, and Gusto. Custom integrations may also be available, depending on your need, but you must speak to a Bench team member for more information.

I declare Bench the winner here because the number of integrations available with Xendoo is limited based on your plan.

✅ Winner: Bench

Supported Platforms

Both Xendoo and Bench are web-based solutions you can access from any device connected to the internet.

Bench offers an iOS app, while Xendoo offers both iOS and Android mobile apps. That’s the only reason it wins here.

✅ Winner: Xendoo

Customer Support

Since nearly every company on the face of the planet advertises world-class customer service, it always surprises me when companies hold up their end of the deal.

Both Bench and Xendoo offer excellent customer service.

I found both companies to be highly responsive whenever I reached out to them for more information or clarification.

They both have extensive help resources, so that’s why I had to give them a tie here.

✅ Winner: Tie

Pricing

Xendoo, like many companies in this space, charges based on your company’s monthly expense volume.

You’ll pay anywhere from $395-$995 a month, depending on which plan you fall under, before any annual discounts.

It puts their pricing higher than Bench. Bench charges a flat rate regardless of your business’s monthly expense volume.

You’ll pay anywhere from $299/month to $499/month, depending on your plan and whether you commit to annual billing.

The premium plan does require an annual contract and is required for tax services. You will pay more, starting at $100/month, if you require specialized accounting services, such as accrual-based accounting.

For most businesses, Bench will be the more affordable solution.

✅ Winner: Bench

Scalability

You can scale your business easily with both platforms, since you can change your plan as your business grows.

The reason I call Bench the winner here is the flat rate, rather than increasing your price based on how many business expenses you have every month.

✅ Winner: Bench

Standout Features of Xendoo

Xendoo offers many of the same features as Bench, and I don’t think there’s anything in the features that really stands out that I’ve not already mentioned here.

And unfortunately, after praising the first few rounds of my experience with the customer support team, when I reached out for a quote about what makes Xendoo better than Bench, my question appeared to have fallen on deaf ears.

Should I get a response in the future, I will edit this article to include it.

Standout Features of Bench

One thing that makes Bench stand out is the Client Research Team. They’re available to help you answer any number of questions about how to run and manage your business – like whether it’s better to become an S Corp or C Corp. 

When I asked the customer support team what makes them better than Xendoo, agent Jenna Li responded with, “We work with and help clients separate their personal/business crossover, whereas Xendoo requires no commingled personal expenses in order to be a client.

[We] offer flexible catch-up services for however many months the client needs, while Xendoo requires the purchase of that full year.

[We’re a] more established bookkeeping service with 700+ employees, leading to more reliable, consistent, and customer-focused service.

The difference is the extra mile we go with service – we have three sets of eyes reviewing the books each month + a dedicated Client Research Team – but also that we’ve been around longer, so [we] have been able to build a service that you can absolutely depend on.

Xendoo vs. Bench: SMB Guide’s Verdict

While these highly similar tools are aimed at small to medium-sized businesses, Bench is the winner here for a few reasons.

It has better pricing – a flat rate rather than based on your business’s monthly expense volume. Bench also offers more integrations and doesn’t limit the number you can use based on your subscription. 

That said, if you want a tool that allows you to take your accounting data with you, then Xendoo is the winner since it works with QuickBooks Online and Xero.

Bench uses proprietary software, so your data is more difficult to migrate to another platform.