"How much does a bookkeeper cost?" is a hard question to answer honestly, because most of the category hides its pricing behind "request a quote." Here's what actually drives the cost, and how to compare offers that are structured completely differently from each other.

The three pricing models you'll run into

  • Hourly. Common with independent bookkeepers and smaller firms. Rates typically range from roughly $30–$80/hour in Ontario depending on experience and scope. The appeal is that you only pay for time worked — the risk is that a messy month, a software migration, or a CRA question can quietly balloon the invoice with no ceiling.
  • Flat monthly retainer. A fixed monthly rate based on your transaction volume and complexity, regardless of exactly how many hours it takes in a given month. This is the model most growing businesses eventually prefer, because it makes bookkeeping a predictable line-item instead of a variable one.
  • In-house hire. A part-time or full-time bookkeeping employee. Even a part-time in-house bookkeeper typically costs more than outsourcing once you account for salary, payroll taxes, benefits, software licenses, and the management time it takes to hire and oversee them — and you still need coverage when they're on vacation or leave.

What actually drives the price, regardless of model

  • Transaction volume — how many bank/credit card transactions you generate monthly.
  • Number of accounts — bank accounts, credit cards, and payment processors that need reconciling.
  • Payroll — whether you have employees, and how many.
  • Catch-up work — if your books are behind, cleanup is typically priced separately from ongoing monthly work.
  • Reporting needs — basic monthly statements versus custom reporting for lenders or investors.

A rough starting-point range for outsourced monthly bookkeeping in Ontario: roughly $300–$800/month for a very small business with simple, low-volume transactions, up to several thousand dollars a month for businesses with payroll, multiple accounts, and higher transaction volume. Add-on services — payroll, AP/AR management, advisory — sit on top of base bookkeeping. Treat any number you see online (including this one) as a starting point, not a quote — your actual rate depends on your specific volume and needs.

Why published, flat pricing is worth looking for

Most bookkeeping firms in this category avoid publishing rates at all, which makes it hard to even shortlist options before booking a call. It also makes hourly billing risky by default — you don't find out the real monthly cost until you've already committed. When comparing quotes, ask specifically: is this hourly or flat? What's included versus billed separately? And is catch-up/cleanup work priced differently from ongoing monthly work?

Intersect publishes flat, tiered starting rates for exactly this reason — so you know roughly what to expect before you ever get on a call. See our current pricing tiers for the specifics, or book a free consultation for a quote built around your actual transaction volume.