Burkland vs Kruze vs Graphite Financial: which fractional CFO firm is best in 2026?

Q: Which is best for lowest published price for a fractional cfo?

Burkland Associates. Its Starter CFO tier begins at $1,600 a month. Graphite's finance service starts at $2,000 a month, and Kruze does not publish a CFO price.

Q: Which is best for vc-backed delaware c-corp that wants everything in one team?

Kruze Consulting. Kruze serves only VC-backed Delaware C-corps and covers bookkeeping, tax, payroll, 409A valuations, R&D credits and CFO work under one roof.

Q: Which is best for companies outside classic saas?

Graphite Financial. Graphite lists SaaS, AI, eCommerce and consumer brands, HealthTech, fintech and agencies among the companies it serves, and prices accounting, tax, payroll and HR separately.

Q: Which is best for startups heading for m&a or an exit?

Burkland Associates. Burkland lists diligence-ready M&A and exit support as its own service, alongside CFO, tax and HR.

Every price and fact below was checked on each company's own website on October 9, 2026. Sources are listed at the bottom. No company pays to appear.

The short answer

Burkland Associates is the best pick for most venture-backed startups: it is the only one of the three that publishes fractional CFO tiers, starting at $1,600 a month. Choose Kruze Consulting if you are a VC-backed Delaware C-corp that wants bookkeeping, tax, payroll and 409A valuations from one team. Choose Graphite Financial if you are outside classic SaaS, for example an eCommerce brand, HealthTech company or agency, and want each service priced separately.

Side by side

	Burkland Associates	Kruze Consulting	Graphite Financial
Top 11 rank	#1	#2	#3
Best for	Venture-backed startups, pre-seed to growth stage	VC-backed Delaware C-corps, pre-seed to Series C or D	Venture-backed companies, early stage to pre-IPO, across SaaS, AI, eCommerce, HealthTech, fintech and agencies
Fractional CFO price	From $1,600, $2,500 or $4,200 a month by tier. Burkland says a typical CFO engagement runs about $19K to $50K a year	Not published. Ask for a quote	Finance (FP&A and fractional CFO) from $2,000 a month
Bookkeeping price	From $495, $665 or $1,025 a month by tier	$650 to $850 a month (Basic) or $850 to $1,500 a month (Founder Timesaver), based on complexity	Accounting from $1,500 a month
Other published prices	Payroll $500 to $1,750 a month. Tax $3,000 for federal plus home state, $650 per extra state. R&D credit typically $4,000 to $7,000	None beyond bookkeeping	Tax from $400, payroll from $500, HR from $700 a month. Graphite says listed prices are starting points
Services	CFO, accounting, tax, R&D credits, HR and payroll, M&A and exit support	Bookkeeping, tax filings, payroll, 409A valuations, R&D credits, fractional CFO	Accounting, FP&A and fractional CFO, tax incl. R&D credits, payroll, HR, bill pay
Clients served	800+ venture-backed startups	800+ startups	"Hundreds" (no exact count published)
Funding raised by clients	$25B+	$15B+	Not published
On their site since	2004	Not stated	2016

The winner, by what you need

Lowest published price for a fractional CFO

Burkland Associates

Its Starter CFO tier begins at $1,600 a month. Graphite's finance service starts at $2,000 a month, and Kruze does not publish a CFO price.

VC-backed Delaware C-corp that wants everything in one team

Kruze Consulting

Kruze serves only VC-backed Delaware C-corps and covers bookkeeping, tax, payroll, 409A valuations, R&D credits and CFO work under one roof.

Companies outside classic SaaS

Graphite Financial

Graphite lists SaaS, AI, eCommerce and consumer brands, HealthTech, fintech and agencies among the companies it serves, and prices accounting, tax, payroll and HR separately.

Startups heading for M&A or an exit

Burkland Associates

Burkland lists diligence-ready M&A and exit support as its own service, alongside CFO, tax and HR.

Worth knowing

Burkland and Graphite publish starting prices; the final fee depends on scope. Graphite says its listed prices are starting points.
Kruze's published prices cover bookkeeping only. Its pricing page lists CFO support as available, without a price.

See all eleven in the full ranking: Burkland Associates vs Kruze Consulting vs Graphite Financial: 11 Best Fractional CFO Companies 2026.

Sources

Burkland prices (CFO, accounting, payroll, tax, R&D) and services: https://burklandassociates.com/pricing/
Burkland since 2004, venture-backed pre-seed to growth stage: https://burklandassociates.com/about/
Burkland 800+ clients, $25B+ raised by clients: https://burklandassociates.com/
Kruze bookkeeping prices and CFO support listed without a price: https://kruzeconsulting.com/pricing/
Kruze services, VC-backed Delaware C-corps only, 800+ startups, $15B+ raised: https://kruzeconsulting.com/about/
Graphite starting prices, services and industries served: https://www.graphitefinancial.com/pricing
Graphite since 2016, hundreds of companies, early stage to pre-IPO: https://www.graphitefinancial.com/about