Last updated: 1 October 2026. Written by the FreeMyCloud team.
Outsourced bookkeeping in Australia comes in three shapes, and the price and the fit depend on which one you buy: a packaged service with an Australian-based team (Visory, Scale Suite, CleanSlate), a dedicated offshore accountant or bookkeeper who works inside your own software (FreeMyCloud, hammerjack, Beepo), or an offshore processing centre that takes a firm’s workflow (Outbooks, BlueCrest, TOA Global). Published prices run from $225 a month for a small-business package to $2,500 to $6,000 a month for a full outsourced finance function, and most dedicated-staff providers quote per person rather than publish a price. This comparison sets out what each provider says about its own model, where the staff sit, what it publishes about price, and who it suits, as at 1 October 2026. FreeMyCloud is one of the rows and is held to the same standard as the others.
The ten providers are the ones that rank on page one of Google Australia for “outsourced bookkeeping” and related searches on 1 October 2026, plus FreeMyCloud. Every fact in the table comes from the provider’s own website on that date and is linked. Where a provider does not publish a price, the table says so rather than guessing. We have not tested the services and make no claim about quality.
What are the three models of outsourced bookkeeping in Australia?
Packaged service, Australian-based team. You buy a monthly package and a small team shares the work. The team sits in Australia (or New Zealand). Prices are published, onboarding is quick, and the provider usually holds BAS agent or tax agent registration so it can lodge for you. Visory, Scale Suite and CleanSlate work this way.
Dedicated offshore staff. You get one named person, employed by the provider and based offshore (most often the Philippines), who works inside your accounting file during Australian hours. You direct the work. Price is per person and usually quoted, not published. The provider is normally not a registered agent, so your own BAS or tax agent lodges. FreeMyCloud, hammerjack and Beepo work this way; Outsourced Staff recruits the person and leaves the management to you.
Offshore processing for firms. The customer is an accounting or bookkeeping practice, not a business owner. Work is processed in a delivery centre (India for Outbooks and BlueCrest, the Philippines for TOA Global) to the firm’s own procedures. Outbooks also serves businesses directly.
Outsourced bookkeeping services in Australia compared
| Provider | Model | Where the staff sit | What it publishes about price | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visory | Packaged service, team of 2 to 4+ per client | Australia or New Zealand (its pricing page says so) | “Starting at $545 a month” for businesses with monthly expenses up to $75,000; larger tiers “contact for pricing”; monthly direct debit in advance | Small businesses that want a fixed monthly fee and an online team |
| Scale Suite | Outsourced finance department, bookkeeping to fractional CFO | Australia (Sydney office; Australian-based Chartered Accountants and registered BAS agents, per its about page) | “Most clients invest $2,500 to $6,000 a month” for the full function; fractional CFO from $3,000 a month; HR from $500 a month; no setup fees, no lock-in, 30-day money-back guarantee | Growing businesses that want bookkeeping, BAS, payroll and CFO oversight from one team |
| CleanSlate | Fixed-price packages, bookkeeping to tax returns | Describes itself as an Australian-based accounting firm; registered tax agent | Bookkeeping and BAS packages from $225 a month ex GST; payroll $5 a week per employee; tax-only from $750 a year | Very small businesses that want bookkeeping, BAS and the tax return from one low fixed fee |
| FreeMyCloud | Dedicated graduate accountant, one per client, working in your software | Philippines (Manila office), Australian business hours; Australian owned, Melbourne office | No published price; quoted per person after a 30-minute call; says “typically 50 to 70% less than a local equivalent”; no setup fee, no lock-in | Businesses with steady weekly volume that want one named person; accounting firms adding staff |
| hammerjack | Dedicated offshore teams across finance, admin, IT and marketing | Philippines delivery, Australian headquarters (its own description) | No published service price; publishes Philippines salary benchmarks and a cost calculator | Businesses building a multi-role offshore team, not only bookkeeping |
| Beepo | Outsourced staff by role, including bookkeepers | Philippines (Clark Freeport Zone address on its site) | No published price | Businesses and plan managers that want offshore roles filled and managed |
| Outsourced Staff | Recruits and screens offshore bookkeepers; you manage the team | Offshore (“global talent pool”, per its page) | Its FAQ says “between $20 to $60 per hour” for outsourced bookkeeping | Businesses that want to run their own remote team and only need the hiring done |
| Outbooks | Offshore processing for firms and businesses | India (ISO 27001 delivery centre, Outbooks Outsourcing Pvt Ltd, per its about page); Australian entity | No published service price; publishes market ranges in its cost articles | Accounting firms and businesses wanting volume processing to a set procedure |
| BlueCrest | Offshore processing for accounting firms, bookkeeping practices and planner groups only | India (its team credentials cite the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India) | No published price; per-client or dedicated part-time and full-time resource models | Firms, not business owners: its page says it does not serve individual taxpayers |
| TOA Global | Dedicated outsourced accounting teams for firms | Philippines teams; Australian office in Southport, Queensland | No published price | Accounting and bookkeeping firms adding capacity |
Every cell is what the provider’s own website said on 1 October 2026, linked in the first column. Prices are ex GST where the provider says so. If a provider’s page changes, this table is out of date; check the link.
How much do outsourced bookkeeping services cost in Australia?
Outsourced bookkeeping services are priced by model, and the published numbers above are the only reliable guide. For a packaged Australian-based team, the published floors are $225 a month (CleanSlate, bookkeeping and BAS) and $545 a month (Visory, businesses with up to $75,000 of monthly expenses), rising to $2,500 to $6,000 a month for a full finance function (Scale Suite). For dedicated offshore staff the price is per person and depends on hours, so providers quote rather than publish; Outsourced Staff’s $20 to $60 an hour is the one published range, and FreeMyCloud’s “50 to 70% less than a local equivalent” is a comparison rather than a figure. For firm-focused processing the price is per client file or per resource and is quoted.
Two things move the number more than the provider does: how many transactions a month your business generates, and whether you want BAS lodged by the provider. A registered agent’s fee is part of a packaged price; with a dedicated-staff provider your own agent lodges and charges separately.
Only a registered BAS agent or tax agent can provide BAS services for a fee in Australia (Tax Practitioners Board, BAS services). Scale Suite and CleanSlate state their registration on their sites. Dedicated-staff providers, FreeMyCloud included, prepare the figures for your registered agent to review and lodge.
Which outsourced bookkeeping services suit which business?
| Your situation | Model that usually fits | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Under about 100 transactions a month, want BAS and the tax return done by one firm | Packaged Australian-based service | Published fixed fee, registered agent included, little to manage |
| Steady weekly volume, payroll, payables and receivables, you already have a tax agent | Dedicated offshore accountant | One person who learns your business, at a lower cost per hour than a local hire or a package |
| Want cashflow forecasts, board reports and CFO judgement as well as the books | Outsourced finance department | The senior layer is the point; expect $2,500 a month and up on the published range |
| Paper records, cash counted on site, or someone needed at the front desk | A local bookkeeper | None of the remote models can do the physical work |
| You are an accounting or bookkeeping practice | Firm-focused processing or dedicated offshore staff | Capacity under your own brand and procedures; clients must be told, under the Tax Practitioners Board’s confidentiality rules |
What should you ask any outsourced bookkeeping provider before signing?
Seven questions sort the models quickly, and every provider in the table will answer them on a call.
- Where does the person doing my books sit, and what hours do they work? Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines or India changes the price, the hours and what you must tell your clients if you are a firm.
- Is it one named person or a shared team? A named person learns your business; a team covers leave. Ask how leave is covered either way.
- Who lodges the BAS, and are they registered? If the provider is not a registered agent, your own agent lodges and charges.
- Whose software, and whose login? Working inside your own file, with a user you control, means you keep the data if you leave.
- What is the minimum term and the notice period? “No lock-in” is a published claim for some providers in the table; ask the rest.
- What is the price for my volume, in writing? Published floors are starting points; your transaction count sets the real figure.
- What is in the engagement letter about confidentiality? A signed non-disclosure agreement and, for firms, the disclosure the Tax Practitioners Board requires when work goes offshore.
Want the dedicated-accountant model priced for your business?
A 30-minute call is enough to tell you whether one named accountant in your own software suits you, and what it would cost.
Book a free consultationOr call 1300 66 88 14, or try the savings calculator. No lock-in contracts.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest outsourced bookkeeping service in Australia?
On published prices as at 1 October 2026, CleanSlate’s bookkeeping and BAS packages start at $225 a month ex GST and Visory’s packages start at $545 a month. Dedicated offshore staff can cost less per hour for a business with real weekly volume, but those providers quote per person rather than publish, so the comparison has to be made on your own numbers.
Is outsourced bookkeeping the same as offshore bookkeeping?
No. Outsourced means someone outside your business does the work. Offshore means they sit in another country. Visory, Scale Suite and CleanSlate are outsourced with Australian or New Zealand based teams; FreeMyCloud, hammerjack and Beepo are outsourced and offshore in the Philippines; Outbooks and BlueCrest process in India.
Can an outsourced bookkeeper lodge my BAS?
Only if the provider is a registered BAS agent or tax agent. Scale Suite and CleanSlate state their registration on their sites. Dedicated-staff providers such as FreeMyCloud prepare the BAS figures and workpapers for your own registered agent to review and lodge.
Is it legal to send bookkeeping offshore?
Yes. For a business owner, the main rule is the Privacy Act’s requirements on overseas disclosure of personal information. For an accounting or bookkeeping firm, the Tax Practitioners Board requires the client to be told where their information will go and to give permission, usually in the engagement letter, and APES 305 requires the provider, the location and the scope to be documented.
How do I compare a package price with a per-person price?
Work out the hours. A package covers a defined scope for a set fee; a dedicated person covers whatever fits in the hours you buy. Count your monthly transactions, pay runs and invoices, ask each provider for a written figure on that volume, and add your own agent’s lodgement fee to any dedicated-staff quote.
What does FreeMyCloud cost?
FreeMyCloud does not publish a price. It quotes per dedicated accountant after a 30-minute call, describes the cost as typically 50 to 70% less than a local equivalent, and states no setup fee and no lock-in contract. The savings calculator on its site gives an estimate.
This article is general information about outsourced bookkeeping services in Australia, current as at 1 October 2026. Provider details are taken from each provider’s own website on that date and are linked; they may change. It is not tax, financial or legal advice. FreeMyCloud is not a registered tax agent and does not prepare or lodge tax returns. Confirm your own position with your registered tax or BAS agent.
