Whether you run a startup company or manage a billion-dollar enterprise, bookkeeping is one of the most important tasks for any business. Business owners want (and need) to focus on their products and services as well as growing their company. But they also need to stay on top of bookkeeping tasks, which are tedious and time-consuming. Fortunately, there are lots of bookkeeping services available today that can help business owners streamline their bookkeeping tasks so they can focus on what matters.

Today, four of the most popular bookkeeping solutions for businesses are Botkeeper, ScaleFactor, Pilot, and Bench. But how do you know which one to choose?

In this post we’re detailing things you should consider when selecting a bookkeeping software. We’re also putting Botkeeper, ScaleFactor, Pilot, and Bench head-to-head and comparing their services to help you make the right choice.

As a note: we tried our best to make sure each company is represented honestly and fairly here because we want you to have all the facts.

With that said, let’s dive in!

What Do I Need in a Bookkeeping Software?
No two bookkeeping software solutions are exactly alike, which is a good thing since no businesses are exactly alike, either. Investing in the right bookkeeping solution depends on factors specific to your business and industry. After all, your business is unique, and some features may be necessary, while others—not so much (and you certainly don’t want to be forced to pay for unusable features).

Before you choose a bookkeeping software solution, here are some questions to consider during your evaluation:

• What features should the software have for my unique business?
• Do I need accrual basis or cash basis bookkeeping?
• What accounting and tax features are important to me?
• What financial reports do I need?
• Will this solution scale with my business?
• What if I need clean-up?
• Do Innovation and industry leading features matter? (And what’s the deal with bookkeeping and AI? )
• How is the software integrated? Can it connect to software I’m already using, like QuickBooks?
• Is the software accurate?
• Is the software secure?
• What kind of support will I receive?
• What is my bookkeeping budget, and what do these solutions cost?

1. Bookkeeping Software Features to Consider
When it comes to bookkeeping, Botkeeper, ScaleFactor, Pilot, and Bench are all capable choices worthy of your consideration. Each can tackle most of your bookkeeping tasks and help you focus on more important things (like, you know, growing your business).

Botkeeper, ScaleFactor, Pilot, and Bench each offer monthly bookkeeping services which include producing financial statements, categorizing transactions, and reconciling accounts. While there are a handful of similarities between the four, …