DIY, local bookkeeper, national chain, or Troy?
Most businesses choose their accounting solution by accident. Here is an honest, side-by-side comparison of what each option actually delivers, so you can choose the right one on purpose.
| Capability | DIY / Spouse $0 to $200/mo |
Local Bookkeeper $300 to $900/mo |
National Online Chain $200 to $1,200/mo |
Troy Accounting $1,500 to $5,000/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CORE BOOKKEEPING | ||||
| Monthly bank reconciliation | Sometimes | Yes | Yes | Yes, by the 10th business day |
| Accrual-basis books (lender-ready) | Rarely | If asked | Limited | Standard practice |
| Custom chart of accounts for your industry | No | Generic | Template only | Industry-specific build |
| Multi-entity consolidation | No | No | No | Yes |
| TAX | ||||
| Annual tax return preparation | Self-prepared | Refers out | Extra fee | Included in engagement |
| Year-round tax planning | No | No | No | Quarterly strategy sessions |
| R&D, energy, industry credit identification | No | No | No | Routinely identified |
| Multi-state nexus analysis | No | No | Surface only | Full analysis |
| PAYROLL | ||||
| Full payroll processing | Software-only | Limited | Yes | Yes, multi-state |
| Contractor (1099) compliance | Self-managed | Yes | Yes | Yes, with W-9 collection |
| S-Corp reasonable compensation analysis | No | No | No | Annual benchmark |
| ADVISORY | ||||
| Monthly financial review with strategist | No | No | No | Quarterly business review |
| 13-week cash flow forecast | No | No | No | Weekly-updated |
| KPI dashboards built around your model | No | No | Generic only | Custom-built |
| Fractional CFO access | No | No | No | Add-on engagement |
| ACCESS & OWNERSHIP | ||||
| Named, dedicated account lead | You are it | One person | Rotating staff | Same lead, every month |
| Direct phone & email access | N/A | Limited hours | Ticket queue | Unlimited, business hours |
| US-based senior staff on every engagement | N/A | Yes | Varies | Always |
| SECURITY & COMPLIANCE | ||||
| Written information security plan | No | Rarely | Yes | Yes, IRS Pub 4557 aligned |
| Multi-factor authentication required | No | Inconsistent | Yes | Mandatory |
| Encrypted client portal | No | Email-based | Yes | Yes, bank-grade |
| IRS audit representation | No | No | Extra fee | Included |
| VALUE | ||||
| Monthly engagement cost | $0 to $200 | $300 to $900 | $200 to $1,200 | $1,500 to $5,000+ (custom) |
| Hidden hourly billing risk | None | Common | Extra-fee items | Flat fee, always |
| Multi-year contract required | No | Sometimes | Annual | Month-to-month after 90 days |
Honest guidance on which to choose.
Choose DIY when
Your business is pre-revenue, you have an accounting background yourself, and tax filings are simple Schedule C. The moment you have employees, multi-state activity, or external stakeholders, DIY breaks down fast.
Choose a local bookkeeper when
You need basic transaction categorization and you have an existing CPA for taxes. Works well for small, single-state operations under $500K revenue with simple business models.
Choose a national chain when
Price is the dominant criterion and you accept that you will be a small account on a long roster. Best for businesses where the relationship is transactional, not strategic.
Choose Troy when
You want one accountable partner for books, tax, payroll, and advisory. You value the same named team every month, flat-fee pricing, and the ability to call when something matters.