What fractional CFO support actually costs — in three lines

For B2B SaaS companies processing payments, Bridges’ starting rates, checked October 13, 2026 are $5,000/month for cash visibility, $10,000/month for operating planning, and $15,000/month for board accountability. The scope determines the monthly cost.

• A full-time CFO’s projected 2026 U.S. starting salary runs about $195K–$322K annually, before benefits, supporting staff, and tools.
• A one-off operating model or fundraising project starts at $10,000 over 2–4 weeks, without ongoing ownership.
• Accounting costs extra, starting at $1,750/month for cash books or $2,750/month for accrual books.

Why scope, not title, sets the price

Bridges prices three different levels of responsibility. As of October 13, 2026, Cash Management starts at $5,000 per month and covers cash and runway forecasts, accounts receivable and payable visibility, and a monthly session. Strategic Finance starts at $10,000 per month. It adds operating plans, rolling forecasts, sales capacity planning, and unit economics, with a biweekly cadence. Fractional CFO starts at $15,000 per month. It includes Strategic Finance plus board and investor reporting, meeting preparation, and weekly sessions.

None of those monthly prices includes bookkeeping. Bridges prices cash-basis books from $1,750 per month and accrual books from $2,750 per month, and you can keep an outside accountant. Accrual books account for revenue timing, which matters when usage-based billing or upfront annual contracts separate cash receipts from earned revenue.

What Stripe billing complexity and board duties add to the bill

B2B SaaS companies processing payments through Stripe often need more finance work than flat-subscription peers when licenses and transaction-based fees share a customer bill. Stripe payouts, invoices, and a separate billing system can record different amounts or dates, so you need reconciliation before you can trust cash and revenue figures. Usage volatility, seasonality, customer mix, and transaction timing also complicate cash forecasts, revenue unit economics, and sales efficiency analysis.

As of October 13, 2026, Bridges’ Strategic Finance starts at $10,000 per month and covers operating plans, rolling forecasts, and unit economics. Usage-based or hybrid contracts may also call for accrual accounting and revenue-recognition work. Accrual books start at $2,750 per month separately, and a quote may be higher when multiple billing systems add reconciliation work.

Board duties create a separate cost driver. Bridges’ Fractional CFO starts at $15,000 per month, includes Strategic Finance, and adds investor reporting, board preparation, and participation. Cash visibility alone does not account for the difference between those tier starting prices.

The real monthly totals once books are included

As of October 13, 2026, Bridges’ documentation lists these monthly totals as sums of two separately priced services.

• Cash Management at $5,000/month plus cash-basis books at $1,750/month starts at $6,750/month for cash planning and accounting, excluding accrual books and strategic planning.
• Strategic Finance at $10,000/month plus accrual books at $2,750/month starts at $12,750/month for operating planning and accounting, excluding board reporting.
• Fractional CFO at $15,000/month plus accrual books at $2,750/month starts at $17,750/month for operating planning, board work, and accounting, excluding separately scoped projects.

These totals are arithmetic combinations, not bundled plans. A scoped quote may be higher, and you can keep an outside accountant instead of buying books from the same provider.

How this compares to a full-time CFO hire

A full-time CFO hire costs more than the salary figure on a job posting. Robert Half’s 2026 Salary Guide projects U.S. starting CFO salaries of about $195K to $322K, rounded to the nearest thousand, depending on skills and experience. That national range excludes bonus, equity, benefits, finance staff, and tools. It is not a B2B SaaS-specific estimate or a total employer cost.

A full-time salary pays for one CFO. By comparison, Bridges’ Fractional CFO tier starts at $15,000 per month as of October 13, 2026 and prices support from a team under one CFO lead. Bookkeeping costs extra. Compare the work and people included in each option before comparing annual totals.

How Pilot's published CFO tiers compare

As of October 13, 2026, Pilot lists three CFO tiers with monthly starting prices billed annually. CFO Basic starts at $1,750/month and includes a financial model, variance analysis, scenarios, a KPI dashboard, and a monthly CFO call. CFO Essentials starts at $3,150/month and adds cash and runway work, investor and board reporting support, basic fundraising and M&A support, and biweekly calls. CFO Custom starts at $5,250/month with custom scope, board presentations, and weekly calls.

Pilot prices bookkeeping separately. Its AI-based, cash-basis Essentials plan lists $99/month for businesses with up to $100,000 in monthly expenses. Core starts at $299/month billed annually at the displayed $9,000 monthly expense band. That Core price does not provide a representative bookkeeping quote for a $3M–$30M ARR company, while Custom bookkeeping requires a sales quote. Before comparing CFO prices, confirm whether your quote covers board presentations and meeting participation or only reporting support. For a side-by-side with Bridges, see Bridges vs Pilot.

One-off projects versus ongoing engagements

A fixed-scope project makes sense when you need a model or fundraising preparation delivered, but do not need ongoing cash planning or board reporting. Bridges lists an operating model build and a fundraising sprint for data-room readiness from $10,000 each, one time, over 2–4 weeks, as of October 13, 2026. The project ends at delivery, with no ongoing ownership or monthly commitment.

Monthly engagements cover continuing work and carry different terms. As of October 13, 2026, they require an initial three-month commitment, then continue month to month with 30 days’ notice to cancel.

Scope-and-cost checklist before you sign anything

• Confirm whether accounting is included or priced separately. If you bill for usage or collect annual prepayments, ask whether the quote covers accrual books and deferred revenue.
• Check the minimum term, billing schedule, and cancellation notice. Bridges’ published terms, checked October 13, 2026, specify an initial three-month commitment followed by month-to-month billing and 30 days’ notice.
• Ask whether a quoted total is a bundle or the sum of separate starting rates. A scoped fee may be higher than the published arithmetic combinations.
• Confirm that board and investor reporting, meeting preparation, and participation are included if you need them. An operating plan alone does not establish who owns those duties.
• Ask every provider to itemize each service, its price, its billing unit, and its exclusions in the same format before you compare quotes.

Before you shortlist providers, read how to hire a fractional CFO for a B2B SaaS company.