Finaloop vs. Traditional Bookkeepers
Which accounting service is best for your direct-to-consumer (DTC), ecommerce, or multichannel business?
Trusted by thousands of consumer brands
Traditional bookkeepers are manual and reactive, typically delivering books 15 days after month end. Finaloop’s accounting team provides services in real-time, giving you financial visibility that is built for scale.
Finaloop vs. Traditional Bookkeepers, a quick breakdown
With a traditional bookkeeper, you wait weeks for reports, manage spreadsheets, and still need an accountant to tie it all together. Finaloop replaces all of that, giving you a full ecommerce accounting team, real-time financials, and automated COGS and inventory tracking, so you always know where your business stands.
Finaloop is a real-time accounting software + service tailored exclusively for ecommerce and multichannel brands, delivering continuous financial updates, inventory tracking, and platform integrations.On the other hand, traditional bookkeepers, even those in the ecommerce space, generally rely on Quickbooks or Xero as an accounting software which is a generic tool not built for ecommerce, retail, or multichannel brands. The result is often generic and delayed books that don’t provide sufficient data to founders for making smarter business decisions.
Finaloop working in tandem with Traditional Bookkeepers Finaloop provides accounting software + services that are tailored exactly for the needs of ecommerce/multichannel brands. From native integrations, ecommerce-tailored chart of accounts, real time COGS and inventory tracking, SKU based analysis, and on-time financials that you can actually trust.Finaloop works in tandem with many founders, ecommerce bookkeepers, accountants, and Fractional CFOs providing them with powerful tools and enabling them to give more insights, analysis, and strategic advice to their clients based on updated financials. Finaloop has multiple partnerships with such firms, including with Ottit, Firm Five, Fully accountable, and countless other firms who work with the Finaloop team and use Finaloop’s financials to better support their clients.
Other bookkeeping and accounting firms (such as Acuity, LedgerGurus, BeanNinjas etc) that utilize standard accounting software (such as QBO or Xero), and third-party add on integrations are limited in the insights and visibility they can provide by inherent limitations in the software they are using. Specifically, bookkeepers or accountants using traditional accounting software:
- Typically provide books only 15 days after the month is over due to the manual work required in Quickbooks and Xero.
- Provide more generic and high-level financial reports since these accounting software are not built or tailored for ecommerce or multichannel brands.
- Deal with inaccurate COGS and inventory tracking or reconciliation delays between external inventory management systems and the accounting software.
Core differences
Market Focus
Finaloop exclusively serves DTC/ecommerce/wholesale/retail/multichannel brands; many of the bookkeeping firms serve multiple industries.
Inventory & COGS:
Finaloop does real time tracking; traditional bookkeepers rely on third-party syncing and manual inputs.
Technology
Finaloop uses proprietary tech that is native to the accounting platform; traditional bookkeepers use QuickBooks/Xero with A2X or other integration tech that are externally syncing, often with reconciliation and mapping issues.
Bookkeeping software
Finaloop provides software + integrations + services, while traditional bookkeepers just provide the service side.
Real-Time Financials
Finaloop’s financials are updated in real-time and synced with your sources of truth giving you 24/7 financial visibility; Traditional bookkeepers are limited based on the software they use.
Why leading brands choose Finaloop
 | Traditional bookkeepers | |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Reporting |  | |
| Accounting Support | | |
| Industry Focus- Exclusively built for DTC | Industry focus — built for ecom |  Serves multiple industries |
| Native integrations | Tech-stack purpose built and native | Relies on QuickBooks Online with external tools for ecommerce sync |
| Real-time Inventory tracking | Real time COGS tracking with deep platform integrations | Limited visibility; dependent on third-party tools |
| Real-time data syncing | Data sync frequency real time | Subject to delays based on integration latency |
| Automation with ecom specific CPA overview | | More traditional model with reliance on manual processes and entries |
Pricing
Alternatively, if you are looking for white-glove, fully-managed service, you can try the Premium service which includes the full Core bookkeeping service plus customized financial operations, data-entry, and controllership for $955 per month.
Essential: $399–$1,399/month
Growing: $1,399–$3,999/month
Established: $3,999–$8,999/month
Higher tiers include financial strategy, GAAP compliance, and more frequent support.
LedgerGurus Pricing: LedgerGurus' pricing starts at $350/month for basic bookkeeping and typically ranges to much more for full-service ecommerce accounting.
Bean Ninjas Pricing: Bean Ninjas does not publicly list its pricing, but positions itself for more mature brands and offers customized quotes based on complexity and revenue size.
Finaloop is the only accounting solution tailored for ecommerce.
Accurate ecommerce books, done for you.
Slash your bookkeeping costs by 60% and get better and faster financials
What you get with Finaloop
available 24/7
team, 7 days a week
accounting in one dashboard
COGS tracking
deductions left behind
FAQs
It's time to hire an accountant when you’re managing multiple sales channels, selling in various tax jurisdictions, or struggling with accounting software. An experienced accountant can streamline your bookkeeping, ensure tax compliance, and help with financial reporting to make better business decisions, especially as your eCommerce business grows.
The best eCommerce accounting services offer integrated inventory management, multi-channel sales integration, real-time financial reporting, and a user-friendly interface. These features help eCommerce businesses manage their financial data across various platforms, track profitability, and make data-driven decisions to fuel growth.
Real-time financial reporting offers instant insights into your ecommerce business's performance. By continuously updating your financial data, it helps you make informed decisions, manage cash flow effectively, and adjust strategies based on up-to-date metrics like revenue, profit margins, and inventory turnover.
Finaloop connects directly to your sales channels, banks, and payment gateways, delivers 24/7 accurate books, and shows real-time margins by SKU—freeing you from manual spreadsheets so you can focus on scaling your brand.
Finaloop Pros:
- Full-Service Accounting: Combines accounting software, real-time financials, and expert ecommerce accountants to provide a complete accounting solution.
- Real-Time Updates: Offers continuous, real-time syncing of data from ecommerce platforms, providing up-to-date financials for better decision-making.
Finaloop Cons:
- Not for Non-ecommerce Brands: Finaloop’s services are tailored for ecommerce, multichannel, and wholesale brands, making it less suitable for other types of businesses (e.g., SaaS).
Traditional Bookkeepers Pros:
- Human Expertise: Provides personalized, expert bookkeeping and can adapt to your specific needs.
- Flexible Services: Can offer a wide range of services across industries, making them versatile for businesses outside of ecommerce.
Traditional Bookkeepers Cons:
- Manual Work and Delays: Relies heavily on manual processes and third-party tools for syncing data, often resulting in delays in generating financial reports and potential reconciliation issues.
- Limited Ecommerce Specialization: Bookkeepers using generic accounting software (like QuickBooks or Xero) may struggle with ecommerce-specific challenges, such as real-time inventory tracking and COGS management.
Finaloop Pros:
- Growth-Aligned Pricing: Finaloop’s pricing scales with your business, offering both software and services tailored specifically for ecommerce brands, ensuring cost-effectiveness as you grow.
- Comprehensive Solution: Provides all-in-one ecommerce accounting, including real-time COGS and inventory tracking, eliminating the need for external bookkeepers or integration tools.
Finaloop Cons:
- Not for Non-ecommerce Brands: Finaloop is specifically designed for ecommerce, multichannel, and wholesale businesses, so it may not be the best fit for other types of companies (e.g., SaaS).
Traditional Bookkeepers Pros:
- Base Cost: Traditional bookkeepers may have lower initial costs for basic services, depending on the level of expertise required.
- Customizable Services: Offers flexibility in services and can be tailored to various business needs, though typically more generalized than ecommerce-focused solutions.
Traditional Bookkeepers Cons:
- Additional Software and Integration Costs: You’ll need to invest in accounting software (like QuickBooks or Xero) and possibly third-party integration tools, increasing the overall cost.
- Manual Processes: Reliance on manual work and slower turnaround times for financial reports can result in inefficiencies and increased costs over time for growing ecommerce businesses.