A fractional CFO is a senior finance person you rent part-time: forecasting, fundraising, board reporting, cash management. Most firms will not tell you the price before a sales call. We scored 24 that offer the service, on the same five factors as our bookkeeping ranking.
Two questions matter more than the brand: who exactly will your CFO be, and do your models and reports stay in systems you own when the engagement ends.
How to check our working
Every customer rating links to the review page it came from, and every price links to the provider’s own pricing page. All of it was read on 5 October 2026. Every provider goes through the same formula. If something has moved, follow the link and tell us so we can update it.
The short version
- Highest score: Fusion CPA, which publishes CFO advisory from $3,000 a month with typical ranges, has no long-term contract, and holds 4.9 on Google.
- Clearest published prices: Burkland, with tiers starting at $1,600, $2,500 and $4,200 a month. Pilot charges $1,750 to $5,250+ a month, billed annually. Zeni charges from $1,599 a month plus $2,000–$6,000 in setup fees.
- 14 of 24 publish no price at all. Where prices are published they cluster at roughly $1,600–$5,000+ a month.
- Private equity is buying up this market: NOW CFO (CenterOak, 2025), CFO Hub (Carr, Riggs & Ingram, 2026), Embark (Parthenon, 2025) and Preferred CFO (Current, 2026) all changed hands recently.
- Not on the list: Propeller Industries says on its own site that it is not a fractional or part-time service.
What to know before you buy
- Where firms do publish fractional CFO prices, they cluster at roughly $1,600-$5,000+ per month. For example, Burkland lists $1,600-$4,200/mo and estimates $19K-$50K a year. Source: burklandassociates.com
- Watch for annual commitments and one-time fees. Pilot bills all three CFO tiers annually, and Zeni adds $2,000-$6,000 setup fees to its CFO tiers. Source: www.zeni.ai
- Many tech-enabled providers tie CFO work to their own bookkeeping or software. Fincent sells its CFO add-on only on its $389/mo Advanced plan or above, runs books on its proprietary ERP, and charges for a separate QuickBooks license if you want to keep QuickBooks. Source: www.fincent.com
- Private equity is consolidating the field. CenterOak bought NOW CFO (June 2025); Carr, Riggs & Ingram, which is backed by Centerbridge, bought CFO Hub (March 2026); Parthenon invested in Embark (September 2025); and Preferred CFO joined the Thrive Holdings-backed Current network (September 2026). CFO Brew reports PE has acquired about 24 of the top 100 US CPA firms since 2021. Source: www.cfobrew.com
- Keep your books and models on systems you own. When Bench Accounting, a bookkeeping provider rather than a CFO firm, shut down abruptly on 27 Dec 2024, customers were left in limbo until Employer.com bought it days later. Source: www.geekwire.com
- Several firms bill hourly and publish no rate (NOW CFO, CFO Selections, ScaleUp Financial Solutions). Ask for a monthly cap or estimate in writing. Source: www.cfoselections.com
How we scored them
The same five factors and weights as our bookkeeping ranking: review evidence 30%, pricing transparency 25%, data portability 20%, stability 15%, scope and honesty 10%.
- Customer rating is each platform’s rating multiplied by its review count, summed, and divided by the total count. Review evidence then scales it by volume (full strength at 150 reviews), subtracts points when platforms with 5+ reviews disagree by more than a star, and adjusts for BBB grade.
- Pricing transparency: 5 for a full public rate card including one-off costs, down to 1 for quote only.
- Data portability for fractional CFO work: 5 if models, reporting and books stay in your own systems (QuickBooks, Xero, Google Sheets or an FP&A tool you own); 3 if mixed; 1 if the deliverables live in the provider’s own platform.
- Stability: years trading, ownership changes, layoffs and shutdowns, each with a source.
- Scope and honesty: whether the provider says plainly what is included, who does the work, what any guarantee covers and how the contract ends.
- Where a provider does not disclose something we need to score a factor, it gets 2 for that factor.
Where this ranking is weak
- For firms that mainly sell bookkeeping (Pilot, Zeni, Bookkeeper360, Fincent and others), the customer rating mostly reflects their bookkeeping, not their CFO work.
- We do not count Toptal’s ratings, because they cover its whole talent marketplace (mostly software developers), not finance hires.
- Many CFO firms bill hourly and publish no rate. They score 1 on pricing, even though some are well regarded.
- Four of the five factors (70% of the weight) are our judgement against published definitions. The factor scores are all in the table, so you can disagree with a specific one.
- Ratings and prices are a snapshot from 5 October 2026. Prices in this market change often; the links take you to the current page.
The full score table
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| # | Provider | Total | Reviews 30% | Price 25% | Port. 20% | Stab. 15% | Scope 10% | Customer rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fusion CPA service firm | 4.36 | 4.7 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4.9 (188) |
| 2 | Burkland service firm | 3.84 | 3.3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4.7 (30) |
| 3 | Ignite Spot service firm | 3.38 | 3.9 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4.7 (84) |
| 4 | Kruze Consulting service firm | 3.33 | 3.8 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4.8 (40) |
| 5 | Bookkeeper360 software+service | 3.27 | 2.7 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4.6 (270) |
| 6 | Pilot (CFO Services) software+service | 3.21 | 2.7 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4.6 (213) |
| 7 | SmartBooks service firm | 3.21 | 3.7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5.0 (22) |
| 8 | Zeni software+service | 3.17 | 1.9 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4.5 (85) |
| 9 | Graphite Financial service firm | 3.09 | 3.1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4.7 (22) |
| 10 | indinero service firm | 2.63 | 1.9 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4.2 (55) |
| 11 | CFO Squad service firm | 2.52 | 2.9 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5.0 (5) |
| 12 | Ravix Group service firm | 2.51 | 2.9 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4.6 (14) |
| 13 | CRI CFO Hub (formerly CFO Hub) service firm | 2.48 | 3.8 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5.0 (25) |
| 14 | Fincent software+service | 2.47 | 2.7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4.5 (17) |
| 15 | Bennett Financials service firm | 2.45 | 0.0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | — |
| 16 | Preferred CFO service firm | 2.24 | 3.0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4.6 (20) |
| 17 | Toptal (Finance Experts) marketplace | 2.10 | 0.0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | — |
| 18 | Embark service firm | 2.01 | 2.2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5.0 (1) |
| 19 | Paro marketplace | 1.95 | 0.0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3.8 (281) |
| 20 | NOW CFO service firm | 1.91 | 1.5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3.8 (18) |
| 21 | B2B CFO service firm | 1.90 | 0.0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 | — |
| 22 | ScaleUp Financial Solutions service firm | 1.90 | 0.0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | — |
| 23 | CFO Selections service firm | 1.85 | 0.0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | — |
| 24 | Escalon service firm | 1.55 | 0.2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3.4 (39) |
The top 10, in detail
Fusion CPA
Growing companies on QuickBooks or NetSuite wanting CPA-led CFO advisory
- Price
- CFO Advisory from $3,000/mo (typical $3,000-$3,999) and from $5,000/mo (typical $5,000-$7,999); QuickBooks bookkeeping/controller from $399-$1,365/mo; NetSuite tiers from $2,500-$10,000/mo; bundles save 10-15%. (pricing page)
- Type
- service firm
- Headquarters
- San Juan, Puerto Rico (founded in Atlanta, GA; offices also in Park City UT, Tampa FL, Atlanta) · founded 2011
- Customer rating
- 4.9/5 from 188 reviews: Google 4.9/5 (159) · Yelp 4.8/5 (29) · BBB grade NR. Ratings cover the whole firm, not only this service.
- Fusion publishes both a 'starts at' price and a 'typical' range for each CFO tier, which is rare.
- No long-term contract; subscriptions cancel with 30 days' notice.
- Says it serves more than 2,000 businesses across 40+ states.
Portability. QuickBooks ProAdvisor and NetSuite-certified, working in mainstream client-owned ledgers; model tooling not stated.
Stability. Founded 2011 by Trevor McCandless, CPA, who still leads it; moved HQ to Puerto Rico in 2022; no outside ownership found.
Scope. Published typical price ranges, no long-term contracts, cancel with 30 days' notice, named leadership with CPA credentials. The CFO assigned to a client is not named.
Burkland
VC-backed startups wanting a published CFO price
- Price
- Fractional CFO tiers published at $1,600/mo (Starter), $2,500/mo (Core) and $4,200/mo (Advanced), about $19K-$50K a year; accounting from $495/mo, payroll from $500/mo, federal + home-state tax $3,000. (pricing page)
- Type
- service firm
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, CA · founded 2004
- Customer rating
- 4.7/5 from 30 reviews: G2 4.9/5 (18) · Google 4.3/5 (12) · BBB grade A+. Ratings cover the whole firm, not only this service.
- Burkland publishes three fractional CFO tiers from $1,600 to $4,200 a month and says a typical engagement runs about $19K-$50K a year.
- Says it serves 800+ startups whose clients have raised $25B+ in venture funding.
- Bookkeeping is a separate line starting at $495/mo rather than a bundled requirement.
Portability. Works across client-side platforms (QuickBooks, NetSuite, Rillet, Puzzle, Gusto, Rippling, Bill.com, Ramp); where the CFO's models live is not stated.
Stability. Founded 2004 by Jeff Burkland, who is still CEO; no acquisition, investor or layoff news found.
Scope. Tier prices and leadership team are published. Individual CFOs are not named, minimum term is not stated, and the site does not say whether Burkland bookkeeping is required for CFO work (it is sold separately).
Ignite Spot
$1M-$7M service businesses wanting bookkeeping plus CFO
- Price
- Not published (the pricing page only offers a custom estimate form). (pricing page)
- Type
- service firm
- Headquarters
- Salt Lake City, UT · founded 2008
- Customer rating
- 4.7/5 from 84 reviews: Google 4.7/5 (83) · Yelp 5/5 (1) · BBB grade A+. Ratings cover the whole firm, not only this service.
- Contracts are month-to-month and require 30 days' notice to cancel.
- Fractional CFO support is sold as a layer on top of Ignite Spot bookkeeping rather than as a standalone service.
- Targets service businesses with $1-7M in revenue, such as agencies, consultants, IT firms and childcare centers.
Portability. Partners with QuickBooks (ProAdvisor Elite) and Xero, so books stay in mainstream client-owned ledgers; its custom dashboards may be a separate tool.
Stability. Founded 2008 by Eddy Hood; owned by three partners; no ownership change found.
Scope. States that the finance team is US-based, contracts are month-to-month with 30 days' notice, and CFO support sits on top of bookkeeping. CFOs are not individually named.
Kruze Consulting
VC-backed Delaware C-corps, seed to Series C
- Price
- Not published for CFO work; bookkeeping packages published at $650-$850/mo (Basic) and $850-$1,500/mo (Founder Timesaver), plus an unspecified one-time onboarding fee. (pricing page)
- Type
- service firm
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, CA · founded 2012
- Customer rating
- 4.8/5 from 40 reviews: Google 5/5 (29) · Yelp 4.3/5 (11). Ratings cover the whole firm, not only this service.
- Kruze only takes VC-backed Delaware C-corporations, from pre-seed through Series C+.
- Fractional CFO work has no published price; bookkeeping tiers are published as ranges, plus a one-time onboarding fee whose amount is not given.
- Named CPAs on the CFO page include founder Vanessa Kruze and VP of Accounting Services Bill Hollowsky.
Portability. Describes cloud-native systems built on QuickBooks Online, Gusto and Ramp in the client's stack; tools for CFO models are not stated.
Stability. Founded 2012 (Accounting Today, 2017); founder-led by Vanessa Kruze, CPA; no outside ownership or layoffs found.
Scope. Named CPAs (founder, VP accounting, controllers) and a clear client niche (VC-backed Delaware C-corps only). CFO pricing, minimum term and whether Kruze bookkeeping is required are not stated.
Bookkeeper360
Small businesses on QuickBooks or Xero wanting a low-entry CFO
- Price
- Fractional CFO from $2,000/mo; 12-month budget from $2,000 per project; 3-year forecast from $10,000 per project; bookkeeping from $399/mo; onboarding/catch-up from $1,000. (pricing page)
- Type
- software+service
- Headquarters
- New York area (exact HQ not stated on site) · founded 2012
- Customer rating
- 4.6/5 from 270 reviews: Google 4.7/5 (234) · Yelp 4.5/5 (21) · Trustpilot 2.7/5 (6) · G2 3.8/5 (5) · Capterra 3.3/5 (3) · BBB customer reviews 1/5 (1) · BBB grade A+. Ratings cover the whole firm, not only this service.
- One of the few firms that prices one-off CFO deliverables: a 12-month budget from $2,000 and a 3-year forecast from $10,000.
- Monthly fractional CFO support starts at $2,000/mo.
- Supports both QuickBooks Online and Xero.
Portability. Works on the client's QuickBooks Online or Xero; also provides its own Bookkeeper360 app and dashboard.
Stability. Says it has operated 'since 2012'; no acquisition or layoff news found.
Scope. Starting prices are given for CFO and for one-off forecast projects. CFO identity is not disclosed, and terms are only in a subscription agreement.
Pilot (CFO Services)
Startups already on Pilot bookkeeping
- Price
- CFO tiers published at $1,750/mo (Basic), $3,150/mo (Essentials) and from $5,250/mo (Custom), all billed annually; bookkeeping from $99/mo, tax $750-$2,450+/yr. (pricing page)
- Type
- software+service
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, CA (second HQ in Nashville, TN) · founded 2017
- Customer rating
- 4.6/5 from 213 reviews: G2 4.7/5 (143) · Capterra 4.9/5 (29) · Trustpilot 3.3/5 (19) · Google 4.3/5 (12) · Clutch 4.8/5 (10). Ratings cover the whole firm, not only this service.
- All three CFO tiers are billed annually, which means a 12-month commitment at $21K-$63K+ a year.
- The Basic tier includes a custom financial model and monthly CFO calls; Essentials adds investor reporting and basic fundraising support with calls every two weeks.
- Keeping your books in QuickBooks requires the Custom (contact-sales) bookkeeping tier.
Portability. 'QuickBooks retention' is listed only as a Custom bookkeeping option, which suggests that by default the books sit on Pilot's own platform; the CFO page does not say what tool the model is built in.
Stability. Founded early 2017; has raised $150M+ (Sequoia, Index, Stripe, Bezos Expeditions) per its about page. No layoffs or acquisitions confirmed from a credible source.
Scope. Tier contents and annual billing are published. CFOs are described only as coming from 'operating finance roles', with no names or CPA status given. Pilot bookkeeping is recommended but not stated as required for CFO work.
SmartBooks
New England small businesses on QuickBooks
- Price
- Not published (only $250 introductory assessments, which are credited toward services). (pricing page)
- Type
- service firm
- Headquarters
- Acton, MA · founded 2009
- Customer rating
- 5.0/5 from 22 reviews: Google 5/5 (21) · G2 4/5 (1) · BBB grade A+. Ratings cover the whole firm, not only this service.
- SmartBooks sells fractional CFO as one module alongside bookkeeping and accounting, and clients pick the modules they need.
- Offers a $250 QuickBooks assessment and a $250 financial-metrics analysis, both credited toward later services.
- Industry focus includes marketing agencies, professional services, software and youth sports programs.
Portability. Stack is QuickBooks, Bill.com, Gusto, Expensify and Divvy, all client-owned SaaS tools.
Stability. Founded 2009 (homepage); no ownership change found.
Scope. The modular service menu and tools are listed. CFO names, pricing and terms are not disclosed.
Zeni
Startups wanting AI bookkeeping plus a priced CFO tier
- Price
- CFO Lite $1,599/mo + $2,000 setup; CFO Premium $2,990/mo + $6,000 setup; Enterprise CFO $4,990+/mo + $6,000 setup; AI bookkeeping $494-$719/mo billed annually; tax $2,499-$3,899/yr. (pricing page)
- Type
- software+service
- Headquarters
- Palo Alto, CA · founded 2019
- Customer rating
- 4.5/5 from 85 reviews: G2 4.5/5 (83) · Google 3/5 (2) · BBB grade D+, 1 complaint. Ratings cover the whole firm, not only this service.
- CFO tiers carry setup fees of $2,000-$6,000 on top of the monthly price.
- Clients must use QuickBooks Online Plus.
- Bookkeeping is included in all plans.
Portability. Requires the client to use QuickBooks Online Plus, which the client owns, but reporting is delivered through Zeni's own dashboard. Mixed.
Stability. Founded 2019; raised a $13.5M Series A (Mar 2021) and a $34M Series B (Aug 2021). No later funding, layoffs or acquisition found.
Scope. Prices and setup fees are clear. The team is described as 'Accountants, Chartered Accountants (CA), CPAs… and CFOs' without saying where they are based; contract length is not stated in the FAQ.
Graphite Financial
VC-backed startups wanting accounting, FP&A and tax in one team
- Price
- Starting prices only: Finance (includes fractional CFO support) from $2,000/mo, Accounting from $1,500/mo, Tax from $400/mo, Payroll from $500/mo, HR from $700/mo; final price set after scoping. (pricing page)
- Type
- service firm
- Headquarters
- Miami, FL · founded 2016
- Customer rating
- 4.7/5 from 22 reviews: Google 4.6/5 (11) · Clutch 5/5 (8) · Trustpilot 4/5 (3). Ratings cover the whole firm, not only this service.
- Graphite's 'Finance' package, which includes fractional CFO support, starts at $2,000/mo; Graphite says final pricing depends on reporting cadence, fundraising and planning needs.
- Positions itself as an embedded team covering accounting, finance, tax, payroll and HR for VC-backed startups.
- Clutch reviewers most often report project sizes of $10,000-$49,999.
Portability. Neither the site nor the FP&A page names the tools or ledger used, so portability is unverified.
Stability. Founded 2016 (about page); no investor, acquisition or layoff news found.
Scope. Not disclosed: who the CFOs are, where staff are located, minimum term, and whether bookkeeping is required.
indinero
Startups and SMBs wanting controller-led accounting with CFO add-ons
- Price
- Accounting plans from $750/mo (Essential) and $1,250/mo (Growth); Executive is custom. CFO-level work (board reports, models, capital raises) is not separately priced. (pricing page)
- Type
- service firm
- Headquarters
- Walnut, CA (per Clutch) · founded 2010
- Customer rating
- 4.2/5 from 55 reviews: G2 3.9/5 (33) · Clutch 4.9/5 (20) · Google 3/5 (2) · BBB grade A+. Ratings cover the whole firm, not only this service.
- Every plan includes a dedicated controller; CFO work (board reports, cash-flow projections, capital raises) is extra.
- Bought outsourced-CFO firm tempCFO in May 2018.
- Supports QuickBooks Online and NetSuite.
Portability. Plans run on QuickBooks Online or NetSuite.
Stability. Founded 2010 (YC). TechCrunch reported in 2015 that it had laid off all its employees before pivoting to full-service accounting. Acquired tempCFO (May 2018) and mAccounting.
Scope. Accounting tiers are clear. CFO services appear to be add-ons without published scope or price.
Ranks 11 to 24
| # | Provider | Score | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | CFO Squad | 2.52 | CFO Squad offers outsourced CFO advisory together with SEC reporting support, technical accounting, audit preparation and bookkeeping. Price: Not published 5.0/5 from 5 reviews: Google 5/5 (5). |
| 12 | Ravix Group | 2.51 | Ravix is owned by NYSE-listed Kingsway Financial Services, which bought it in October 2021. Price: Not published 4.6/5 from 14 reviews: Clutch 4.9/5 (12) · Google 3/5 (2). |
| 13 | CRI CFO Hub (formerly CFO Hub) | 2.48 | Now operates as 'a division of Carr, Riggs & Ingram Capital, LLC'; old cfohub.com links redirect to cricfohub.com. Price: Not published 5.0/5 from 25 reviews: Google 5/5 (20) · Clutch 4.8/5 (5). |
| 14 | Fincent | 2.47 | The CFO add-on starts at $549/mo but needs the $389/mo Advanced plan or above, so the minimum is about $938/mo. Price: Bookkeeping plans at $55/mo (Basic, billed annually), $189/mo (Pro) and $389/mo (Advanced); CFO services add-on starts at $549/mo, available only on Advanced and Custom plans. 4.5/5 from 17 reviews: Capterra 4.4/5 (14) · G2 5/5 (3). Ratings cover the whole firm, not only this service. |
| 15 | Bennett Financials | 2.45 | Bennett charges one flat $5,000/mo retainer with no tiers; bookkeeping and tax returns are bundled in. Price: One flat package at $5,000/mo covering bookkeeping, tax returns, tax planning, CFO strategy and exit planning. No verified ratings found. |
| 16 | Preferred CFO | 2.24 | Joined Current, a Thrive Holdings-backed network of accounting firms, on 1 September 2026; the site now reads 'Powered by Current'. Price: Not published 4.6/5 from 20 reviews: Google 4.6/5 (20). |
| 17 | Toptal (Finance Experts) | 2.10 | Offers a 'no-risk trial' of up to two weeks: no bill if you are not satisfied, and you can request another candidate. Price: Not published No verified ratings found. |
| 18 | Embark | 2.01 | Embark is a financial consulting firm (advisory, deal, transformation, outsourcing) rather than a pure fractional-CFO shop. Price: Not published 5.0/5 from 1 reviews: Google 5/5 (1). |
| 19 | Paro | 1.95 | Paro says it accepts fewer than 2% of applicant finance professionals and can match a client in as little as 72 hours. Price: Not published 3.8/5 from 281 reviews: Trustpilot 3.9/5 (243) · Google 3.8/5 (20) · G2 3.7/5 (13) · Clutch 0.6/5 (5) · BBB grade C+, 1 complaint. Ratings cover the whole firm, not only this service. |
| 20 | NOW CFO | 1.91 | PE-owned since June 2025 (CenterOak Partners); added a venture-startup practice by buying Formation Financial in September 2026. Price: Not published (hourly rates, 'no long-term requirements'). 3.8/5 from 18 reviews: Google 3.8/5 (17) · Clutch 4.5/5 (1). |
| 21 | B2B CFO | 1.90 | B2B CFO's CFOs are independent-contractor partners rather than employees, so quality depends on the individual partner. Price: Not published No verified ratings found. |
| 22 | ScaleUp Financial Solutions | 1.90 | ScaleUp bills by the hour instead of a fixed retainer. Price: Not published (billed hourly; rates not disclosed). No verified ratings found. |
| 23 | CFO Selections | 1.85 | Engagements are hourly and month-to-month, and can be ended with 15 days' notice. Price: Not published (hourly, 'you pay for time worked'; rates not disclosed). No verified ratings found. |
| 24 | Escalon | 1.55 | Escalon is a rollup: it absorbed outsourced-CFO firm Early Growth Financial Services and Full Stack Finance, and is backed by New Harbor Capital. Price: Not published for CFO work (sold within the custom 'Pro' plan); Financial Operations Starter around $695/mo, HR from $395/mo, tax around $3,400/yr. 3.4/5 from 39 reviews: Google 3.7/5 (29) · Trustpilot 2.3/5 (7) · Clutch 3/5 (2) · G2 5/5 (1) · BBB grade A+, 1 complaint. Ratings cover the whole firm, not only this service. |
Scored on 5 October 2026. Found a price or rating that has moved? Tell us and we will check it and show the change.