Compare
Finbryn vs Bench
Bench shut down on December 27, 2024 and was acquired by Employer.com within days; it has operated again under the Bench brand since January 2025, after a Canadian bankruptcy filing disclosing over US$65 million in debts. Its books lived in proprietary software rather than QuickBooks or Xero. We keep your books on QuickBooks or Xero from day one, so you always own the file, with a named pod and a recorded handover memo behind every account.
| Dimension | Bench | Finbryn |
|---|---|---|
| Business continuity | Bench's shutdown-related bankruptcy filing was specifically made in Canada, disclosing debts of over US$65 million, after the December 2024 shutdown and Employer.com acquisition.[1] | A named pod and a recorded handover memo if staffing ever changes. |
| File ownership | Books live inside Bench's own proprietary software, not QuickBooks or Xero.[2] | Client owns the QuickBooks Online or Xero file from day one. |
| Contract terms | Historically marketed as an ongoing subscription with no fixed-term commitment, on top of a proprietary, closed-book platform.[3] | Terms are set out in your engagement letter. |
| Ownership since the shutdown | Now owned by Employer.com, an HR-technology company, following the December 2024 acquisition.[4] | Founder-led, under review by a senior reviewer. |
Business continuity
Bench
Bench's shutdown-related bankruptcy filing was specifically made in Canada, disclosing debts of over US$65 million, after the December 2024 shutdown and Employer.com acquisition. [1]
Finbryn
A named pod and a recorded handover memo if staffing ever changes.
File ownership
Bench
Books live inside Bench's own proprietary software, not QuickBooks or Xero. [2]
Finbryn
Client owns the QuickBooks Online or Xero file from day one.
Contract terms
Bench
Historically marketed as an ongoing subscription with no fixed-term commitment, on top of a proprietary, closed-book platform. [3]
Finbryn
Terms are set out in your engagement letter.
Ownership since the shutdown
Bench
Now owned by Employer.com, an HR-technology company, following the December 2024 acquisition. [4]
Finbryn
Founder-led, under review by a senior reviewer.
Sources
- [1]finance.yahoo.comChecked 2026-09-28
- [2]en.wikipedia.orgChecked 2026-09-28
- [3]acuity.coChecked 2026-09-28
- [4]finaloop.comChecked 2026-09-28
Competitor details come from their public pages on the date shown. Plans and prices change, so check the source before you decide.
Switch guideSwitching from BenchQuestions
Frequently asked questions
Did Bench's shutdown affect Canadian clients specifically?
Bench's bankruptcy filing following the December 2024 shutdown was filed in Canada, disclosing debts over US$65 million. Bench was acquired by Employer.com within days and has operated again under the Bench brand since January 2025.
If I am in Canada, do I keep my books if I switch providers?
That depends on Bench's own export process, since its platform is proprietary. With us, your books already live in QuickBooks Online or Xero, so there is no proprietary system to export from.
Can a US-contracted firm serve a Canadian business?
Yes. We serve Canadian clients on QuickBooks Online or Xero with CA-specific bookkeeping and reporting support.
Where to go next
- Books, reconciled every weekBookkeepingMonthly bookkeeping in QuickBooks Online, Xero or the platform you already run: every transaction sorted into categories, every bank and card account reconciled, and a clean set of reports each month.
- BookkeepingCatch-up and cleanup bookkeepingMonths or years of books brought up to date and reconciled, with a written record of every adjustment, so monthly bookkeeping can start from a clean base.
- PricingPublished bookkeeping plans for Canadian businesses, shown in Canadian dollars, from single-entity companies through multi-entity operators.
- Special situationsSwitching from BenchSupport moving your books and history out of Bench and into a QuickBooks Online or Xero file you control, for businesses affected by Bench's December 2024 shutdown and its January 2025 reopening under new ownership.
Next step
Talk to the team that would run your books
A short call covers your setup, your software and what a first month would look like. You get a written scope and price after it.