Bench vs Odoo 

QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Enterprise

Xero

QuickBooks Online is an all-in-one online business software designed to help manage business finances. The platform is built to scale businesses, unlocking insights and providing the functionality of a larger team, all on one integrated platform.

QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise is an accounting software for small businesses which provides users with real-time access to customer, employee, and vendor information. The software includes tools for managing inventory, shipping, sales orders, pricing, tasks, invoicing, reporting, and more.

Xero is an award-winning online accounting software designed for small business owners and accountants, available on any computer or mobile device with an internet connection. Simplify business admin and get a range of financial insights to help you make better decisions for your business.

Owner

They are unclear about what information they need from you, the customer, and ask for various things in multiple places.

Couple all of that with their service team's (big shout out to [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN]) genuine care for you and your company and you have kind of a no brainer.

President

The reason this has occurred is Bench is a stand-ready service (similar to Netflix).  

Your Bench team is on hand to remove the burden of bookkeeping from your life. They’ll learn your bookkeeping needs inside and out, giving you more time to focus on your business.

Access Controls/Permissions

Accounting

Accounting Integration

Accounts Payable

Accounts Receivable

Activity Dashboard

Bank Reconciliation

Bookkeeping Services Integration

Cash Management

CPA Firms

Dashboard

Data Import/Export

Data Visualization

Expense Tracking

Financial Management

Financial Reporting

For Legal Professionals

For Small Businesses

General Ledger

Income & Balance Sheet

Multi-Currency

Profit/Loss Statement

Project Accounting

Real-Time Data

Reminders

Remote Access/Control

Sales Tax Management

Spend Management

Tax Calculation

Tax Compliance

Tax Filing

Tax Management

Transaction History

Transaction Management

Reviewers indicate that Bench offers fair pricing for the convenience and time savings it provides. Some reviewers find the pricing high for smaller businesses, and some users report concerns about upfront payments and price gouging compared to competitors.

Value for money

Reviews for Bench come from a wide variety of industries, including marketing and advertising (12% of reviewers), retail (7%), and health, wellness and fitness (6%). The most frequent use case for Bench cited by reviewers is bookkeeping (64% of reviewers).

Bench

iPad

iPhone

Web-based

FreshBooks

Wave

QuickBooks Online Advanced

Pilot

Odoo 

BQE CORE Suite

Bookkeeping

Bookkeeping & Tax

Frequent bank connection issues

56% of reviewers feel negative about Bench’s bank account integration. Some users report ongoing problems with linking their bank accounts, including frequent disconnections and the need for repeated manual uploads of statements. Reviewers indicate that authentication and security protocols often interrupt the syncing process, leading to inconvenience and extra maintenance. They say setup can be cumbersome, and recurring issues with account linking require additional effort to resolve. Users feel these integration challenges add unnecessary complexity to their bookkeeping workflow.

Efficient financial organization

I spent hours each month, tracking my business financials. Since I started using Bench, I've been able to spend less time on tracking numbers and more time on doing what I do best in my business.

Bench allows us to accurately forecast our cashflow with ease.

96% of reviewers feel positive about Bench’s financial tracking. Users think the platform saves them significant time by organizing and tracking finances efficiently, allowing them to focus more on running their business. Some reviewers find that having clear, accessible financial reports and statements gives them peace of mind and a better understanding of their company’s financial health. They appreciate being able to monitor cash flow, forecast future trends, and easily access all financial information in one place, which they say improves decision-making.

Streamlined and intuitive experience

100% of reviewers feel positive about Bench’s ease of use. Reviewers appreciate that the software is intuitive and straightforward, allowing them to quickly learn the system and manage their tasks with minimal effort. They find the layout clean and navigation simple, which helps them stay organized and reduces the time spent on administrative work. Some users report that transitioning from other platforms is smooth, and they value the accessible support available when questions arise. Many users say the software’s simplicity makes daily bookkeeping and reporting much less stressful.

I have to file an extension again because they didn't have my bookkeeping ready in time, despite me monitoring and updating all transactions on my end throughout the year. When I ask for a phone call, they don't call me. When I call them, no answer.

owner

I signed up for Bench's bookkeeping services in September, expecting professional and accurate records within the 10–15 days they promised for historical bookkeeping.

TAx preparer and Licensed Producer

What I like most about Bench is the time it saves and the platform keeps client's book organized.

Had I relied on their data for tax filing, I would have drastically overpaid in taxes. Despite reaching out and escalating to their management, I’m left with the feeling that this service is not delivering on its promises.

For two months in a row, I've received inaccurate monthly books, and I now lack confidence in their ability to complete accurate year-end financials.

For instance, my "alerts" section continuously tells me I'm "all caught up!", but then my tax person will ask for things in lengthy messages that I'm not notified of.

Founder

After working daily with Bench to get my financials for 2023 for over 5 weeks, I am told the financials will not be ready until after tax season and if I want them to file a tax extension.

Back in 2020-21 they were fine, I had one point of contact and reminders to upload information.

Speaking of tax person - I've been a client for two years and have had SIX different accountants, and have to get each new person up to speed.

Principal Designer

I feel that a tiered rate based on expense quantities would be valuable to smaller companies wishing to offload the accounting work, but can't justify the cost.

Their response times are abysmal and their team has little to no knowledge about actual tax compliance and filling.

Customer Care Rep

Books never get done and can't trust the results.

Founder - CEO

Their service for anything like updating balance sheets with loans, etc is awful.  

Use Bench if you like your accounting services like a rollercoaster without the thrill, a puzzle without a solution.

We hired Bench to do some simple bank statement sync entries for the previous 6 months.  

I wish I would have known sooner that they are not a good book keeping company.

Charging us 21+ months of billings for accounting and tax services they never provided or actually completed.

After months of back and forth with their accounting team I was finally put with an account manager who knows what they are doing and can communicate effectively

Let's not forget the enchanting dance of communication with our main Bench point of contact, our very own guide through this nightmare.

Here is her response to my refund request:   To answer your question "Have I refunded the account" , there has been no refunds processed.  

Bench has allowed our early stage startup to handle US bookkeeping at a reasonable price, and with a real human being behind the interface.

They cost me money in lost time and lost access to reports.

Multiple changes with our point of contact and main bookkeeper.

My rep ([sensitive content hidden]) makes appointments and will not hold the appointment time.

I also like that I can export all data into a single workbook (summaries and itemized transactions).

Bench is lifer.

Experience mixed emotions, I am happy coz finally it's really approachable

I like the product, but am unsure of the value for smaller firms with fewer expenses.

I have worked with Bench for over a year and cannot get access to any of my financials.

It is now August and they are still figuring out how to file my 2022 return.

They told me it would be months after my tax filing deadline before I would receive it.

Owner operator

Their pricing is based on working with much larger companies.

Simple Dashboard and Document upload process.

Bench tracks all expenses and the team communicates regarding expenses in question and suggest "expense categories."

SAY I AM IN THE PROCESS OF DISPUTING WITH THE CREDIT CARD COMPANY NOW THE $1200 THEY CHARGED

Professionalism, accuracy and commitment to the contract is very lacking.

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.

Their service level has gone down substantially.  

They owe me completed books going back to June 2023.

Our books from last year are still not wrapped up.

The process starts over, if it ever started to begin with.

Bench has been a life saver running a business is hard and you have to wear a lot of hats and get very little sleep. But, Bench makes the accounting side so much easier.  

The software is missing integration with the invoicing tool we are using.

Customer Support

Data Management

Document Upload

Pricing

Financial Tracking

Bank Account Integration

Freelancers

Small Business

Reviewers indicate that Bench offers a fair and affordable price for the convenience and time savings it provides, especially compared to hiring a traditional firm. Users think the service is easy to use and appreciate the value it brings for their business size and needs. Some reviewers find the pricing a bit high, particularly for smaller businesses or those with fewer transactions, and feel the available pricing tiers do not always align with their needs. Some users report that Bench can be more expensive than other online accounting solutions and express concerns about upfront payments and perceived price gouging.

Bench Accounting

NetSuite

NetSuite is an AI-powered cloud-based business management suite. It helps organizations streamline their operations and gain real-time insights into their performance. The suite caters to a range of industries such as manufacturing, retail, and professional services.

Technical Assistant

Customer support could be a bit slow at times, especially if you’re on one of the lower-tier plans, which is frustrating when you need help quickly.

Support is great even if you are in the free level Odoo support is there to help you!

Marketing Head

Customer service support is prompt and very helpful to solve my issues.

Odoo Inventory enables warehouse managers to smartly manage their warehouse and maximize their inventory efficiency by reducing stock levels and avoiding stock-outs. Manage your manufacturing chain of products, define quality-control tests and automate product routing.

Bench vs Odoo Comparison (2026)

Bench

Odoo

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives