Cost of Outsourced Bookkeeping
Outsourced bookkeeping for a small business typically costs €200-600 per month as a retainer, with entry-level packages starting from around €150 and comprehensive service reaching €800-1,200+. The price depends on transaction volume, complexity, and reporting needs. Per-invoice AI processing from $0.40 per processed invoice is often cheaper for businesses whose outsourced cost is driven mainly by invoice volume rather than advisory work.
| Outsourced bookkeeping tier | Monthly cost | What you typically get |
|---|---|---|
| Basic / entry-level retainer | €150-250 / month | Up to ~50-100 transactions. Invoice entry, basic categorisation, bank reconciliation. |
| Standard small-business package | €250-500 / month | 100-300 transactions. Adds VAT/sales-tax prep, monthly reports, supplier follow-up. |
| Full-service / complex business | €500-1,200+ / month | Multi-entity, payroll, inventory, management reporting. Often includes advisory. |
| Hourly outsourced bookkeeper | €15-35 / hour | Unpredictable monthly cost. Good for sporadic needs, bad for budgeting. |
| AI invoice processing (Nika) | {price} per processed invoice | Scales exactly with volume. No retainer, no minimum, no hourly surprise. |
How Nika compares
The key question with an outsourced retainer is how much of the monthly fee is actual invoice processing versus advisory, reconciliation, and reporting. If most of the fee goes to data entry, per-invoice AI pricing at $0.40 per invoice replaces that portion for a fraction of the cost — while you keep an accountant for the advisory work that actually requires a human.
Verdict
Outsourced bookkeeping is the right choice when you want a single firm handling everything — invoices, VAT, reports, and tax — and your volume justifies the retainer. If you are paying a retainer primarily for invoice data entry, you are overpaying for the most automatable part of bookkeeping. Splitting the work — AI for invoice filing, accountant for review and tax — is usually the cheapest combination.
Questions
Is outsourced bookkeeping cheaper than in-house?
Yes, for most small businesses. An outsourced retainer of €200-600/month is far below an in-house salary of €25,000-45,000/year. But if your retainer is mostly paying for invoice data entry, per-invoice AI at $0.40 per invoice is cheaper still.
What is usually included in an outsourced bookkeeping retainer?
Typically: invoice and receipt entry, bank reconciliation, VAT/sales-tax preparation, and monthly financial reports. Advisory, tax filing, and representation are usually billed separately or in a higher-tier package.