Compare Your Options
Honest comparison. Every option has tradeoffs. Here's how Operational CFO fits — and where it doesn't.
| DIY / Bookkeeper | Fractional CFO | Full-Time CFO | Operational CFO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | $500–2K | $3K–10K | $20K–35K | $149 |
| Annual Cost | $6K–24K | $36K–120K | $250K–400K+ | $1,788 |
| Available | When you call | 10-20 hrs/mo | Full-time | 24/7 AI + tools |
| Cash Forecasting | No | Monthly | Weekly | On-demand |
| Margin Analysis | No | Quarterly | Monthly | On-demand |
| Strategic Advice | No | Limited | Yes | AI + playbooks |
| QuickBooks Integration | Manual | Manual review | Delegated | Auto-connected |
| Knows YOUR Business | Sort of | Takes months | Takes months | Learns from your data |
| Scales With You | No | Limited | One person | Unlimited |
| Board-Ready Reports | No | Yes | Yes | AI-generated |
| Best For | < $1M revenue | $2M–20M | $20M+ | Any size |
When Operational CFO Is the Right Fit
- • You need financial clarity but can't justify $5K+/month for a fractional CFO
- • You want tools that work 24/7, not just when your advisor is available
- • You want to understand your finances yourself, not just outsource understanding
- • You're growing and need to make cash, pricing, and hiring decisions with confidence
- • You want AI-powered insights from your actual QuickBooks data
When You Need More Than Us
- • You're doing a major acquisition — you need a human CFO or advisor in the room
- • You need someone to manage banking relationships and lender calls
- • You have complex tax situations requiring a CPA
- • You need someone to manage a finance team day-to-day
- • You need legal or compliance advice — we'll always tell you to call a professional
The Best Combination
Many of our users combine Operational CFO with a part-time bookkeeper or an annual CPA relationship. The AI tools handle the weekly/monthly visibility and decision support. The human handles the close, tax planning, and relationship-based work. You get 80% of a CFO's value at 1% of the cost — and you actually understand your own numbers.