Two different answers to the same staffing problem. This page lays out how each model works, where each one fits, and where we would point you to them instead of us.
TOA Global is one of the largest and best-known providers of offshore accounting talent to accounting firms. Their site describes a Philippines-based model built at scale, with outsourced accounting services and cost savings central to how they position the offering.
Ledgerhands is a smaller, deliberately narrower operation. We place one dedicated accounting professional per seat, based in Serbia, whom you interview and approve before they join, on one flat monthly fee that covers employment, equipment, management and a replacement guarantee.
If your priority is scale and a well-established provider with a long track record, TOA Global is a serious option and we would say so on a call. If your priority is choosing the individual, keeping the seat exclusive to your firm, and having one managed relationship with transparent pricing, that is what we built.
The TOA Global column reflects what their own website states about their model as of the date at the bottom of this page. Where they do not publish something, we say so rather than guess.
| Comparison point | Ledgerhands | TOA Global |
|---|---|---|
| Talent location | Serbia | Philippines, per their site; they also describe operations serving the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand |
| Engagement model | One dedicated, full-time professional per seat, embedded in your firm | TOA Global describes both dedicated offshore team members and broader outsourced accounting services |
| Who manages the person | Ledgerhands is the legal employer and handles HR, payroll, equipment, performance reviews and retention; you direct the day-to-day work | TOA Global describes providing recruitment, employment infrastructure and ongoing support for offshore team members |
| Candidate selection | You interview a shortlist of 2–3 screened finalists and approve the hire; nobody joins your firm without your yes | TOA Global describes a recruitment process for placing offshore accountants; check with them directly on how client interviews work in their process |
| Screening | Six gates — English, role-specific accounting exams, software assessments, references, panel interview, your interview; fewer than 5% of applicants clear all six | TOA Global describes recruitment and training programs, including their own training academy |
| Replacement terms | Free replacement under our replacement guarantee, including knowledge transfer to the new team member | Not published on their site as far as we can see; ask them directly |
| Pricing model | One flat monthly fee per seat, published on our site: dedicated bookkeeper from $5,000/month, staff accountant from $6,000/month, controller support custom | TOA Global does not publish rates on their site; they offer a savings calculator that returns an estimate after you provide contact details |
| Positioning | Premium accounting-talent partner; we compete on selection, continuity and control | TOA Global's site leads on outsourced accounting services and the cost savings a firm can achieve |
| Scale | Small and deliberately narrow: six roles, U.S. accounting firms only | Large and long-established, with an extensive content and events presence for the accounting profession |
There are real situations where we are not the right call. Being straight about them is cheaper for both of us than finding out on week three.
Placing ten or twenty seats in a compressed window is a different operational problem from placing one or two well. A provider operating at TOA Global's scale is built for that; we are not, and we would rather say so than overcommit.
If the number you are trying to move is cost per seat, and quality and continuity are constraints rather than goals, you should talk to providers who lead on savings — TOA Global's site does exactly that, and their savings calculator is aimed at that question. We do not compete on that axis and we will not pretend to.
TOA Global has been serving accounting firms for years and has published client stories and an extensive body of content. Ledgerhands is newer. If a long reference list is a hard requirement for your firm right now, that is a legitimate reason to choose an established provider, and it is not an argument we can win with copy.
Some firms genuinely want work to go out and come back finished, without managing anyone. That is a services relationship, and TOA Global's site describes outsourced accounting services alongside their dedicated staffing. Our model assumes you want a team member you direct — if you do not want to direct anyone, we are the wrong shape.
You interview a shortlist of 2–3 screened finalists and approve the hire. If none of them fit, we go back to the funnel at no cost. The final gate in our screening is deliberately yours.
No shared pools and no ticket queues. One named professional, working your hours, in your systems, attending your standups — a real member of your team, with all the continuity that implies for client history and workpaper knowledge.
Our professionals are based in Serbia — a deep pool of university-educated finance talent with strong English, European work culture and a working day that overlaps the U.S. business morning. It is a different overlap profile from Asia-based models, and for firms that want live conversation rather than overnight handoff, that difference matters.
We publish our pricing: dedicated bookkeeper from $5,000/month, staff accountant from $6,000/month, controller support custom. One flat monthly fee that covers recruiting, HR, payroll, equipment, training, performance management, quality assurance, account management and a replacement guarantee. No recruiting fee at the front and no long-term lock-in at the back.
NDAs before any access, MFA everywhere, company-issued managed workstations with no local data storage, least-privilege role-based access, an enterprise password vault and encryption in transit and at rest — with a SOC 2 roadmap as we scale. The full control set is on our security page, and we will complete your security questionnaire before the discovery call.
We cannot tell you, because TOA Global does not publish rates — their site offers a savings calculator that returns an estimate after you provide contact details. What we can tell you is our number: dedicated bookkeeper from $5,000/month, staff accountant from $6,000/month, controller support custom, as one flat monthly fee with everything included. If the lowest possible cost per seat is your deciding factor, we are unlikely to be your answer, and we would rather you know that before booking a call than after.
Both are real answers, and the Philippines has a much longer history in this category. We chose Serbia for a specific combination: university-educated finance professionals, strong written and spoken English, European business culture, and a working day that overlaps the U.S. business morning rather than requiring an overnight handoff. It is a fit argument, not a quality ranking — plenty of excellent accounting work is done in the Philippines every day.
Worth reading, with one clarification we think is only fair: the Glassdoor rating frequently cited for TOA Global is an employee rating from their own staff, not a client satisfaction score. Those measure different things. For client-side evidence about any provider, including us, ask for references from firms of your size and stage and speak to them directly.
Yes, and some firms will sensibly end up there. Nothing in our model requires exclusivity: we place individual seats on a flat monthly fee with no long-term lock-in, which makes us straightforward to run alongside an existing provider. The usual pattern would be a specific seat where selection and continuity matter most, while volume work stays where it is.
If the person is the problem, we replace them free of charge under our replacement guarantee, including knowledge transfer so your files keep continuity. If the model is the problem, there is no long-term lock-in holding you in place. We would rather lose a seat cleanly than keep one that is not working.
TOA Global is a trademark of its respective owner. Ledgerhands is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by TOA Global. Comparison information about TOA Global is drawn from publicly available statements on their own website and was accurate to the best of our knowledge as of 9 August 2026. Providers change their offerings; verify current details with each provider directly before making a decision.
Thirty minutes, no pitch. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you on the call and point you somewhere better.