DIY QuickBooks vs Cleared
When DIY bookkeeping makes sense — and when it actually costs you more.
Most service-business owners price DIY bookkeeping at zero because the software is cheap and the hours feel free. Once you put a real number on your time, the math often flips. Here's the honest breakdown.
Short answer
DIY in QuickBooks is a reasonable choice under ~$80K net profit with simple books and an opportunity cost under $75/hour. Above that, professional bookkeeping at $449/month usually saves money once you value your time honestly — and adds tax planning and IRS representation DIY can't.
Calculate your true DIY cost
Your hours × your hourly rate. The honest number.
Hours/month on bookkeeping
8 hrsYour hourly rate (or billable equivalent)
$200/hrWhat an hour of your time is worth — your billable rate, or what you'd earn doing client work instead.
Result
Annual savings with Cleared
$13,812
Plus 96 hours per year reclaimed for client work or your life.
DIY in QuickBooks
What you get
- ✓Lower software cost (~$30–$200/mo) than a professional service
- ✓Full visibility into every transaction as it happens
- ✓Defensible choice under ~$80K net profit with simple books
- ✓No onboarding handoff — you already know your business
What it costs you
- −4–12 hours/month of your time, every month
- −No tax preparation, IRS representation, or planning advice
- −S-corp election timing, quarterly estimates, retirement deadlines often missed
- −Cleanup costs at tax time when books are inconsistent
- −Software change, plan upgrade, or error and you absorb the disruption
Cleared at $449/month
What you get
- ✓Monthly reconciliation, P&L, and balance sheet — delivered on time
- ✓Year-end tax-ready financial package
- ✓Advisor access via email (48-hour response)
- ✓Productized add-ons: Tax Prep $2,000/yr, Tax Planning $5,000
- ✓EA + CFP® credentials — tax authority and financial planning in one place
- ✓Month-to-month, no annual lock-in
Decision logic
Which one fits your situation?
DIY makes sense when…
- ✓Net business profit under ~$80K
- ✓Hourly opportunity cost under ~$75/hour
- ✓Simple revenue model (one income source, no payroll, no S-corp)
- ✓You enjoy the work and have ~5 hours/month consistently
- ✓You file a Schedule C and have no plans to elect S-corp soon
Cleared makes sense when…
- ✓Net business profit over $100K
- ✓Hourly billable rate over $150
- ✓Multiple revenue streams, payroll, or insurance reimbursement
- ✓S-corp election active or being considered
- ✓You'd rather spend the hours on client work, family, or rest
What DIY can't do
The cost isn't just hours.
The hours-times-rate calculation is only half the picture. The other half is what a software-only approach structurallycan't deliver: tax authority, planning, and timing advice that depend on a credentialed advisor watching your books in real time.
A 1099 consultant netting $180K pays roughly $11,000/year in self-employment tax without an S-corp election. QuickBooks won't flag the moment the math tips in their favor — only a professional reading the books will. A $200K project payment lands in November; an integrated team adjusts Q4 estimates, accelerates a Solo 401(k) contribution, and times a Section 179 purchase. DIY learns about the tax bill in April.
That's the gap Cleared is built to close — for a price most service-business owners discover is materially below their own opportunity cost.
Ready to stop bookkeeping yourself?
Apply for a spot and we'll reach out within one business day.