Virtual bookkeeping gives business owners accurate and current financial reports without the hassle of paper records. You centralize accounting in the cloud and close the books from anywhere. That means faster month-end, fewer manual entries, and clearer cash flows for leaders who need to make decisions on tight timelines.
In this article, we’ll explain how virtual bookkeeping works, the top services available, and how to choose a virtual bookkeeper that fits your workflow and keeps you audit-ready.
What is virtual bookkeeping?
Virtual bookkeeping—also called online bookkeeping or remote bookkeeping—is an online, cloud-based bookkeeping service. Instead of keeping ledgers on local computers or in paper files, your books live in secure accounting software you can access from anywhere. Financial transactions flow in from bank feeds and connected apps, and the ledger updates in near real time.
Unlike traditional bookkeeping, work happens inside shared systems rather than on-site. Software handles routine entries, while you or your bookkeeper reviews exceptions.
How does virtual bookkeeping work?
A virtual bookkeeping service lets you outsource your accounting to experts who run everything on cloud-based bookkeeping software for a recurring fee. Service terms usually include named contracts, response times, and clear handoffs for issues that need escalation. After setup, the work follows a structured sequence that keeps your finances current and audit-ready:
- Set up the cloud ledger and integrations: Connect bank feeds, payroll processing and invoicing tools, and receipt apps via secure APIs so your transactions arrive automatically.
- Define roles and approvals: Separate who prepares payments from who approves them, and lock prior periods after review to maintain a clean audit trail.
- Automate categorization and reconciliation: Apply rules to categorize spending, and use bank-matching to tie deposits to invoices.
- Manage invoicing and receivables digitally: Create invoices in the system, include a payment link, and let automatic reminders nudge customers. Payments post back to the books when they arrive.
- Generate reports and close on time: Use dashboards to pull live data, and follow close checklists with task automation before the period locks.
6 top virtual bookkeeping services
You don’t need to hire in-house to get accurate month-to-month books. Small business owners increasingly turn to virtual accounting companies that run their finances inside a shared cloud ledger. Here are six trusted online bookkeeping services.
1. QuickBooks Live
QuickBooks Live keeps everything inside QuickBooks Online. An Intuit-certified bookkeeper handles basic bookkeeping tasks—cleaning up past activity, categorizing monthly transactions, and reconciling accounts on a set schedule.
- Pricing: Starts at $300/mo and scales based on transactional volume.
- Best for: Teams already using QuickBooks Online.
2. Bench
Bench assigns a dedicated bookkeeping team and gives you a web-based app to review reports and track progress. It also prepares a year-end package for your tax preparer or certified public accountant (CPA).
- Pricing: Starts at $189/mo annual or $199/mo monthly for BenchGrow; $339/mo annual or $399/mo monthly for Core.
- Best for: Business owners who want predictable monthly books and an easy-to-use dashboard.
3. Bookkeeper360
Bookkeeper360 lets you start light and expand into tax services or fractional chief financial officer (CFO) support as needs grow. US-based accountants and a modern client app ensure consistency in the process.
- Pricing: Starts at $399/mo for Bookkeeping.
- Best for: Small businesses that want transparent entry pricing with room to add advisory services later.
4. Pilot
Pilot focuses on startups and growth companies, with cash or accrual books and optional tax and CFO add-ons. They also tailor reporting for investors and the board.
Pricing: Starts at $199/mo for Bookkeeping; $2,450/yr for Pilot Tax Essentials when bundled with Bookkeeping. Actual quotes vary depending on the expense level and scope.
Best for: Venture-backed or tech-leaning teams that want investor-friendly books with the option to bundle tax and advisory.
5. Xendoo
Xendoo updates your books each week with integrated tax options and transparent expense-based tiers. Plans include a dedicated team and near real-time visibility into your numbers.
- Pricing: $395/mo monthly or $355/mo annual for Essentials; $695/mo monthly or $625/mo annual for Growth; $995/mo monthly or $895/mo annual for Scale.
- Best for: E-commerce and service businesses that prefer bookkeeping and tax under one roof.
6. Merritt Bookkeeping
Merritt runs your books in QuickBooks Online, but they do the weekly categorizing, reconciliations, and month-end adjustments, so you get finished financial statements.
Pricing: $250/mo for ongoing service; catch-up priced separately.
Best for: Cost-conscious businesses that want a clean QuickBooks Online file.
Pair your provider with payroll and expenses
Bookkeeping stays organized when payroll and expenses share a workflow. The system routes reimbursements to the correct pay run and updates the ledger automatically. With Oyster, you manage pay and reimbursements in one place. Approved activity syncs to your accounting system on a scheduled basis.
Costs for payroll services vary depending on your team size and geographic spread. If you're managing employees across borders, look for international payroll providers that integrate directly with your bookkeeping platform.
For a coordinated setup that scales with you, explore Oyster's strategic partnership to align global employment and payroll as your finance grows.
How to choose a virtual bookkeeper
Small businesses need reliable month-to-month financials. To find the right virtual bookkeeper, start with the core question: Will this provider work inside your setup and deliver on a set schedule? If the answer is yes, you can evaluate the following key factors.
Integration with your current tools
Pick a provider that integrates directly with your banks, payroll, and receipt apps. Seamless connections reduce duplicate data entry and keep financial transactions flowing into the ledger automatically. Ask for a short screen-share or a live demo client file so you can see feeds running and reports scheduled in the actual system you use.
Pricing structure and room to grow
Look for services that provide flat monthly fees tied to defined deliverables. This fixed scope keeps costs predictable and avoids variable output that comes with hourly billing. As needs expand, look for tiers that add frequency for tasks, like weekly updates, bill pay, and tax.
Data security and compliance standards
Confirm the provider has multi-factor authentication, role-based access, and encrypted storage. Ask who can access your files, how offboarding works, and how long they retain records. If the answers are vague, keep shopping.
Communication and support you can count on
Efficient bookkeeping needs reliable communication. Look for clear response times, a straightforward booking process, and an onboarding procedure that establishes expectations for report reviews and task cadence. If scheduling and replies are already messy during sales, that's a warning sign.
Reputation, industry fit, and credentials
A bookkeeping service must understand your industry and tailor its approach to your business needs. The chart of accounts and revenue timing vary by sector, so providers should know how to adapt accordingly. Ask for testimonials from businesses like yours and scan independent reviews to see performance over time. You can also reach out to reputable bodies, such as the National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (NACPB) and the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers (AIPB) to check credentials.
Benefits of virtual bookkeeping
Keeping your books up to date shouldn’t be an all-consuming process. Moving the work online means the system runs every day and you get clear numbers without constant oversight. Here’s what you gain:
- Lower costs: A monthly service usually costs less than hiring a full-time accountant, and the price is predictable.
- Up-to-date numbers: Bank feeds and app integrations provide current data for you to work with when making decisions.
- Fewer mistakes: The software does the routine posting and matching; you or your bookkeeper only have to address exceptions.
- Easy proof for audits: Receipts and notes attach to each transaction, simplifying audits.
- Scalability: If your volume grows, you can bump up how often the books are updated or add a few services, and the setup stays the same.
Streamline your administrative operations with Oyster
Virtual bookkeeping handles the day-to-day numbers, but it’s only part of the accounting process. Payroll, taxes, and employee records still need a reliable and efficient system.
That’s where Oyster steps in. You centralize pay runs and time off in a single platform, and you get standardized reports you can trust during reviews or audits. The result is fewer handoffs and less retyping between tools.
Oyster’s global payroll lets you hire, pay, and support team members in over 130 countries while maintaining compliance. Local experts handle configuration of systems and manage routine updates. If you’re building a modern back office around virtual bookkeeping, pair it with payroll that scales as your team grows.
Explore Oyster’s global payroll to see how it can complement online bookkeeping and give business owners a dependable path from work performed to pay delivered.
About Oyster
Oyster is a global employment platform designed to enable visionary HR leaders to find, engage, pay, manage, develop, and take care of a thriving distributed workforce. Oyster lets growing companies give valued international team members the experience they deserve, without the usual headaches and expense.
Oyster enables hiring anywhere in the world—with reliable, compliant payroll, and great local benefits and perks.
