Finding the right fractional CFO feels a bit like dating—everyone looks great on paper until you’re three months in and realize they only know how to cut costs, not help you grow. The difference between a good fractional CFO and the right one often comes down to whether they see themselves as a financial historian or a business navigator.
This guide breaks down how the top fractional CFO services compare across pricing, specialization, and approach, so you can identify which firm actually fits the way you want to build your company in 2026.
What a fractional CFO does
A fractional CFO is a part-time chief financial officer who works with your company on a contracted basis rather than as a full-time employee. Think of it like hiring a seasoned financial executive for 10 to 40 hours per month instead of 160. For businesses generating between $1M and $10M in revenue, this arrangement delivers strategic financial leadership at a price point that makes sense.
The distinction between a fractional CFO and your bookkeeper or accountant comes down to direction. While bookkeepers record what happened and accountants ensure compliance, a fractional CFO focuses on what’s coming next. They’re looking at where your business is heading and mapping out how to get there.
Builds financial forecasts and cash flow models
The first thing most fractional CFOs tackle is visibility. They build 13-week cash flow forecasts and rolling financial projections that show you exactly how much runway your business has. Without this view, you’re essentially driving at night with your headlights off.
With accurate forecasts in place, decisions about hiring, equipment purchases, and growth investments become clearer. Instead of wondering whether you can afford that new team member, you’ll have the numbers to know for certain.
Designs real-time dashboards and KPI tracking
A good fractional CFO creates live scorecards that track the metrics that actually matter to your specific business. For a SaaS company, that might mean monthly recurring revenue and churn rate. For a law firm, realization rate and average case value take priority.
These dashboards serve as an early warning system. When a metric starts drifting in the wrong direction, you can spot the problem and fix it before it shows up in your bank account three months later.
Leads tax strategy and planning
Strategic tax planning looks nothing like filing returns on time. A growth-focused fractional CFO treats tax savings as capital you can reinvest rather than just money you didn’t have to spend.
Here’s the difference in practice: reactive tax work might save you $30,000 on a $100,000 investment. Proactive tax strategy—where decisions are structured before they’re made—can save $200,000 on that same investment. The timing and structure of financial decisions often matter more than the decisions themselves.
Supports fundraising and capital strategy
When you’re raising capital or negotiating credit lines, a fractional CFO prepares the financial sections of investor decks and models different funding scenarios. They can walk you through debt versus equity decisions based on your specific cash position and growth trajectory.
Guides exit readiness and valuation
Even if selling your business feels years away, the financial decisions you make today affect your eventual valuation. A fractional CFO helps clean up your books, document your processes, and align your financials with what acquirers look for when evaluating a purchase.
Why growing companies choose fractional CFO services
The choice between hiring a full-time CFO and engaging a fractional one typically comes down to three factors: cost, expertise, and flexibility.
Lower cost than a full-time CFO
A full-time CFO commands a salary somewhere between $200,000 and $400,000 annually, plus benefits, bonuses, and often equity. Fractional CFO services typically range from $3,000 to $15,000 per month depending on scope. For companies that don’t yet require 40 hours per week of CFO attention, the math favors the fractional model.
Access to strategic expertise on demand
Fractional CFOs work across multiple companies and industries simultaneously. This cross-pollination means they’ve likely encountered and solved problems similar to yours at other businesses. You benefit from pattern recognition that a first-time CFO simply wouldn’t have.
Flexibility to scale with your business
Your financial needs will change as you grow. A fractional arrangement can scale up during intensive periods like fundraising or acquisition preparation, then scale back during steadier times. You’re not locked into a fixed salary regardless of what’s happening in the business.
How we evaluated the top fractional CFO firms
Not all fractional CFO services deliver the same value. We assessed firms across several dimensions:
- Industry specialization: Do they have demonstrated experience in your specific vertical?
- Service scope: Do they offer comprehensive CFO services including tax strategy, forecasting, and dashboards, or just a subset?
- Communication and responsiveness: What meeting cadence do they maintain, and how fast do they respond?
- Technology integration: Are they compatible with your accounting stack, or do they push migrations?
- Client satisfaction signals: What do retention, reviews, and referrals imply about performance?
Top fractional CFO services compared
| Firm | Best For | Core Strength | Industry Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bennett Financials | Growth-focused service businesses | Tax strategy + growth planning | Law, medical, SaaS, agencies |
| Pilot | Startups needing clean books first | Bookkeeping-first with CFO add-on | Tech startups |
| Kruze Consulting | VC-backed startups | Fundraising + investor reporting | Venture-backed tech |
| NOW CFO | Quick placement or interim needs | National bench + speed | Generalist SMB |
| Burkland Associates | SaaS and venture startups | Subscription metrics + startup finance | Technology |
| Preferred CFO | Owners wanting high-touch advisory | Relationship-heavy CFO support | Various SMB |
| FocusCFO | Regional founders wanting coaching | Hands-on mentorship model | SMB |
Bennett Financials
Bennett Financials positions itself as a business development CFO rather than a traditional numbers person. The firm uses a navigator analogy: when a business owner says they want to grow from $5M to $10M, Bennett takes the data and builds out exactly how to get there, including what obstacles might appear along the way.
Their approach integrates tax planning directly into growth strategy. Rather than treating tax savings as a separate line item, they use tax efficiency as fuel for reinvestment and expansion. The firm focuses primarily on service-based businesses including law firms, medical practices, SaaS companies, and marketing agencies.
Why they’re here: If you want a CFO who treats tax strategy as growth capital and thinks in enterprise-value terms, this is a strong fit.
Pilot
Pilot began as a modern bookkeeping platform and expanded into CFO services. Their public positioning emphasizes clean books first, strategy second, which makes them a solid option if your financial foundation needs tightening before high-leverage planning.
Best fit: early-stage startups with messy accounting who need a bookkeeping + “CFO layer” in one place.
Kruze Consulting
Kruze is widely known for specializing in venture-backed startups. Their brand and content are heavily oriented around fundraising support, board reporting, and VC-style financial modeling.
Best fit: companies actively raising or planning to raise venture capital, where investor expectations drive the finance function.
NOW CFO
NOW CFO operates as a large national firm with broad geographic coverage and a deep bench. Their value prop is speed and availability—useful when you need an interim CFO quickly and don’t want a long hiring cycle.
Best fit: businesses needing quick placement, interim coverage, or general CFO oversight without deep vertical specialization.
Burkland Associates
Burkland focuses on startups and SaaS companies. Their public materials emphasize subscription metrics, ARR/MRR modeling, and startup finance ops, making them especially relevant for recurring-revenue models.
Best fit: SaaS companies that want CFO support tightly aligned with subscription economics.
Preferred CFO
Preferred CFO positions itself as a high-touch, relationship-driven advisory firm. Client feedback and messaging highlight personalized access and long-term engagements, often appealing to owners who want a true second-in-command financially.
Best fit: founders who want a consistent, embedded advisor and value chemistry and continuity.
FocusCFO
FocusCFO is structured as a regional network of experienced CFOs. Their model tends to emphasize hands-on owner coaching and mentorship alongside typical CFO deliverables.
Best fit: SMB owners who want both financial leadership and founder mentorship in one role.
How much fractional CFO services cost
Pricing varies based on engagement model and scope of work. Understanding different structures helps explain what drives the cost.
Retained monthly engagement
Most relationships operate on a monthly retainer, typically $3,000 to $15,000 depending on complexity and hours required. This model works best for ongoing partnership when you want consistent access.
Project-based engagement
Some firms offer project pricing for specific initiatives like fundraising prep, system implementation, or exit readiness. These engagements have defined start/end points with clear deliverables.
Hourly consulting rates
Hourly rates typically run $200 to $500 per hour. This offers flexibility but is usually the most expensive approach for anything beyond occasional advisory needs.
What actually drives the price (important)
Two companies can both pay $8k/month and get very different value. The biggest price drivers are:
- Accounting cleanliness: cleanup and controls cost more early on.
- Entity/tax complexity: multi-state, multi-entity, or high-income tax strategies add scope.
- Revenue model complexity: subscriptions, trusts, or reimbursement cycles require deeper modeling.
- Fundraising or M&A: investor-grade models and diligence support are time intensive.
- Dashboard build + systems work: new KPI environments or tool migrations raise costs.
Fractional CFO vs full-time CFO
| Factor | Fractional CFO | Full-Time CFO |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Cost | $36,000–$180,000 | $200,000–$400,000+ |
| Time Commitment | 10–40 hours/month | 160+ hours/month |
| Experience Breadth | Multiple industries | Deep single-company focus |
| Scalability | Highly flexible | Fixed commitment |
| Best For | $1M–$10M revenue | $10M+ revenue |
The crossover point where a full-time CFO starts making sense usually falls somewhere around $10M in revenue. Below that threshold, most companies don’t generate enough financial complexity to keep a CFO fully utilized.
Which industries benefit most from fractional CFO services
Certain industries have complexities that make fractional CFO support especially valuable. The common thread is irregular cash flow, complex revenue recognition, or significant tax exposure.
Law firms
Law firms deal with trust accounting, unpredictable cash flow from case cycles, and large partner distributions. A CFO with legal-industry pattern recognition removes the learning curve.
Medical practices
Medical practices face reimbursement delays, high overhead, and complex ownership structures. Strategic CFO oversight protects margins while still funding growth.
SaaS and cybersecurity companies
Subscription businesses require ASC 606 mindset, MRR/ARR analysis, and churn dynamics. For cybersecurity firms, the mix of compliance expense and recurring revenue makes specialized CFO support unusually high-ROI.
Marketing and creative agencies
Agencies fight scope creep, contractor margin leakage, and client concentration risk. CFO dashboards reveal which accounts drive profit vs. just activity.
How to evaluate fractional CFO proposals
When comparing proposals, look beyond the monthly fee. The cheapest option often costs more long term if the fit isn’t right.
- Scope alignment: does the work match your real priorities?
- Communication expectations: response times, cadence, and escalation flow.
- Technology compatibility: will they meet you where you are, or push a stack change?
- Tax integration: is strategy included or an add-on?
- Industry experience: do they show results in your vertical?
When to expect ROI from your fractional CFO
Quick wins in the first ninety days
Early value usually includes sharper cash flow visibility, immediate tax savings opportunities, and bottlenecks that were hiding in plain sight.
What we see most often:
Companies come in thinking they need “better reports,” but within 30–60 days the real win becomes one avoided mistake—a bad hire, a cash-thin expansion, or an unprofitable pricing model corrected before it hurts.
Long-term value over twelve months
The compounding benefits emerge over time: cleaner books, better decisions, predictable cash flow, and measurable increases in enterprise value. Often the biggest ROI shows up in decisions you don’t make.
How to choose the right fractional CFO for your business
Start by identifying your primary need:
- growth strategy
- tax optimization
- exit readiness
- operational clarity
Different firms excel in different areas, and the best fit depends on the problem you’re trying to solve.
Next, match industry experience to your specific situation. A CFO who understands your revenue model, compliance needs, and margin traps will deliver value faster than a generalist learning your business on your dime.
Finally, evaluate chemistry. You’ll share sensitive information and make hard calls together. Trust and communication style matter as much as technical skill.
Talk to a fractional CFO at Bennett Financials
If you’re looking for a fractional CFO who focuses on growth rather than just cost-cutting, Bennett Financials takes a navigator approach to financial strategy. Their team combines strategic finance, tax planning, and real-time business intelligence to help service-based businesses scale with confidence.
Ready to explore how fractional CFO services can transform your business? Contact us today to discuss your goals.
FAQs about fractional CFO services
What is the typical cost range for a fractional CFO?
Monthly retainers generally range from $3,000 to $15,000 depending on scope and complexity. Hourly rates fall between $200 and $500 for ad-hoc consulting. The right structure depends on whether you want ongoing partnership or occasional advisory.
Is a fractional CFO worth it for businesses under $10M in revenue?
Yes—companies in the $1M to $10M range often benefit most because they need strategic guidance but can’t justify a full-time CFO salary. The fractional model provides senior expertise without the overhead.
How do I find a fractional CFO with experience in my industry?
Ask for case studies or references from companies in your vertical. Confirm they understand your revenue model, compliance risks, and margin dynamics before signing.
How long does fractional CFO onboarding typically take?
Most engagements reach full productivity within the first month. Initial insights and quick wins often emerge within the first few weeks after financial review and KPI mapping.
Can a fractional CFO help with growth strategy beyond cutting costs?
The best fractional CFOs focus on data-driven growth: pricing, unit economics, hiring plans, and capital allocation. They act as navigators, helping you reach $10M—not just spend less at $5M.
When should I hire a full-time CFO instead?
The full-time hire usually makes sense around $10M+ revenue, or when fundraising/M&A volume requires a daily executive presence.
