How much does a
bookkeeper cost in Canada?

Published September 18, 2026

Bookkeeping in Canada is typically priced one of two ways: an hourly rate, or a flat monthly package. Freelance bookkeepers commonly charge somewhere in the $30–$50/hour range, while bookkeeping firms and practices more often quote a flat monthly rate scaled to how many transactions you generate — often landing anywhere from $150/month for a very small, low-volume business up to $800+/month for a busier operation with payroll and heavier transaction volume.

What actually drives the price

• Transaction volume — more bank and credit card transactions each month means more time categorizing and reconciling
• Payroll — running payroll adds a recurring task most flat-rate packages price separately or in a higher tier
• How current your books are — a backlog needs one-time catch-up work before ongoing monthly pricing applies
• Software — QuickBooks Online and Xero subscriptions are usually billed separately from the bookkeeping service itself

Hourly vs. flat monthly

Hourly pricing can work well for very light, occasional bookkeeping needs. For an ongoing relationship, a flat monthly rate is usually easier to budget around — you know the cost going in, and it doesn't creep up in a busy month. Most established practices, Proserves included, price this way for exactly that reason.

What that looks like at Proserves

As a reference point, Proserves' own published plans start at $150/month for freelancers and sole proprietors handling up to 75 transactions, scale to $399/month for growing businesses with full accounts payable and receivable management, and go to a custom quote for larger, more complex accounts.

The real question to ask

Rather than shopping purely on price, ask what's actually included — reconciliation, financial reports, HST tracking, and how fast you'll hear back if something's wrong. A cheaper rate that leaves your books a mess by tax season usually costs more in accountant fees to fix later.