A full-time CFO in Australia costs $250,000 to $350,000 a year once you add superannuation, leave and recruitment fees. A fractional CFO delivers the same strategic layer for $3,000 to $15,000 a month. That gap is why the category exists. The wrong provider costs you a year of drift, not just the retainer.
Last reviewed: September 2026
Disclosure. Scale Suite publishes this guide and is included in the list. We appear first because this is a comparison of delivery models, and an embedded team (CFO plus the engine room) is one of those models. Weigh that accordingly. Where a specialist is the better call, we have said so.
Who this list is not for. Businesses under about $2 million revenue or 20 staff; anyone whose books are still unreconciled and who actually needs a bookkeeper first; businesses staying on SAP, Dynamics, Wiise or similar ERPs; and anyone shopping for a registered tax agent. Those buyers will waste a call. Canonical numbers for Scale Suite sit on /facts.
If you want the pricing breakdown first, read the complete guide to fractional CFO costs in Australia or run the fractional CFO ROI calculator.
A fractional CFO is a senior finance executive who works with your business part-time: typically weekly cashflow forecasting, budgeting, variance analysis, pricing and profitability work, board or bank reporting, and capital raising support. It is the strategic layer above bookkeeping, not a replacement for it. If your books are behind, fix that first (see the cost of bookkeeping in Australia). A CFO working from unreconciled data is expensive guesswork.
Four factors: delivery model (embedded team vs solo consultant vs firm bench), pricing transparency, credentials (CA/CPA qualification and oversight), and fit by business size. Every provider listed is a real, operating Australian service, checked against public information. Pricing shown is indicative and should be confirmed directly. Evaluated September 2026.
Best for: SMEs that want the CFO layer and the finance engine room from one team.
Scale Suite provides fractional CFO services as part of an embedded finance team for Australian SMEs. The same team runs weekly bookkeeping, payroll and BAS underneath the CFO layer, so forecasts are built on numbers current to the week, not the quarter. Engagements are led by Chartered Accountants. No lock-in, 30-day money-back guarantee. Serves businesses Australia-wide from Sydney.
Indicative pricing: Published. Complete finance function from $1,500 per month; most clients $2,500 to $6,000. Fractional CFO engagements typically $3,000 to $6,000 per month. Confirm on pricing.
The catch: Built on Xero and Employment Hero. Not for SAP, Dynamics, Wiise or SimPro-centred stacks, and not the right product below about 20 staff.
Scale Suite is on this list (that's us). Fractional CFO support starts at $3,000 a month for businesses with 20 or more staff. Outsourced finance services.
Best for: larger SMEs wanting a global network behind one named CFO.
The CFO Centre is a dedicated fractional CFO network with an established Australian arm. You get a single experienced CFO backed by a national and global peer network, which suits businesses in the $10M+ range with complex needs like exits or acquisitions.
Indicative pricing: Day-based; not a published SME package. The Australian virtual CFO market typically runs $3,000 to $10,000 a month at this level. Confirm directly.
The catch: You are buying a person, not a processing team. Scope discipline sits with you. If the books underneath are behind, this is the wrong first hire.
Best for: flexible day-rate engagements, typically one to eight days a month.
One of Australia's longest-running fractional CFO brands. Pairs businesses with a part-time CFO on a fixed monthly retainer and publishes a clear methodology: discovery call, 90-day action plan, monthly cadence, quarterly strategy reviews. Positions itself at 60 to 80 per cent below the all-in cost of a permanent CFO.
Indicative pricing: Structured around days per month. Public 2026 guides put most SMEs at $3,000 to $6,000 a month. Confirm directly.
The catch: Processing, payroll and BAS stay wherever they currently sit. Price the whole stack, not the CFO line alone.
Best for: owner-led SMEs wanting a named senior CFO plus an accounting team underneath.
A boutique led by a CPA-qualified finance executive, supported by a tax and accounting team. Strong published case studies with quantified outcomes (cash recovery, profit improvement), which is rarer than it should be in this category.
Indicative pricing: Not published as a standard package. Confirm directly.
The catch: Boutique capacity. Ask who attends in month six, and whether the accounting team is included in the same fee.
Best for: technology companies and founders heading toward a transaction.
A boutique corporate finance advisory firm providing fractional CFO services and M&A advisory to growth technology companies and investors. The right pick if the CFO engagement is really a runway to a raise or sale.
Indicative pricing: Transaction and retainer mix; not a published SME package. Confirm directly.
The catch: Specialisation cuts both ways. An established trading business with no capital-raising agenda is not the core client.
Best for: foreign-owned subsidiaries and international groups operating in Australia.
Bundles fractional CFO oversight with company registration, tax and compliance services, which makes it a practical single provider for offshore parents that need an Australian finance function stood up quickly.
Indicative pricing: Not published as a standard package. Confirm directly.
The catch: Breadth of setup services is the product. Ask specifically what the monthly CFO cadence includes once the entity is live.
Best for: mid-market businesses that want a full-service firm's bench behind the CFO.
A major Australian mid-tier accounting network whose advisory arms provide CFO-level support alongside tax and audit. You pay firm rates, but you get depth across specialties a solo fractional CFO cannot match.
Indicative pricing: Firm rates, on application. Mid-tier CFO advisory commonly sits above SME retainers. Confirm directly.
The catch: You may be buying tax, audit and structuring capability you will use twice a year. If the gap is weekly cashflow and a reliable close, a dedicated operations team is usually cheaper.
Best for: established private businesses with tax-heavy strategic questions.
A leading mid-tier firm offering virtual and fractional CFO support within a broader advisory relationship. Strong where the CFO agenda intersects with structuring, succession or tax planning.
Indicative pricing: On application. Confirm directly.
The catch: Mid-tier overhead. Usually the right product later rather than first.
Best for: businesses that want a fractional finance director rather than a pure strategy CFO.
Offers both fractional CFO and fractional FD services, the latter focused on operational finance: management reporting, compliance and team oversight. A good match when the gap is mid-to-senior financial management rather than board-level strategy.
Indicative pricing: Not published as a standard package. Confirm directly.
The catch: Title language varies. Ask whether you are buying a strategist, an operator, or both, and what artefacts you hold at day 90.
Best for: businesses under financial pressure that need turnaround-minded CFO support.
Combines fractional CFO work with restructuring and asset protection advisory. If the honest reason you are looking for a CFO is that cash is tight and the bank is asking questions, a provider with turnaround DNA is the safer choice.
Indicative pricing: Not published as a standard package. Confirm directly.
The catch: Turnaround work is a different product from growth CFO work. Do not hire this model for a clean, growing business that only needs a forecast and a board pack.
Across the Australian market: hourly engagements run $150 to $400 per hour; monthly retainers from roughly $3,000 at the SME end to $15,000 for near-full-time mid-market arrangements; project fees from $5,000 to $50,000. Anything materially below $3,000 a month is usually a bookkeeper with a new title. A complete finance function (bookkeeping, payroll and BAS) can start from $1,500; that is not a fractional CFO. Anything above $10,000 a month should come with a defined deliverable calendar. Full breakdown in our fractional CFO costs guide.
How much does a fractional CFO cost in Australia?
Typically $3,000 to $15,000 per month on retainer, $150 to $400 per hour, or $5,000 to $50,000 for defined projects. Price scales with revenue complexity, entity count and reporting cadence rather than headcount alone.
Is a fractional CFO worth it for a business under $5M revenue?
Usually from around $2 million revenue, where cashflow timing, pricing and hiring decisions start carrying five-figure consequences. Below that, a strong bookkeeper plus quarterly advisory is often enough. See whether your business is too small for a CFO.
What is the difference between a fractional CFO and a virtual CFO?
"Fractional" describes the engagement model (part-time, shared across clients). "Virtual" describes the delivery mode (remote). Most Australian providers are both.
Fractional CFO vs financial controller: which do I need?
A controller manages the accuracy of your numbers; a CFO changes decisions with them. If reports are late or wrong, hire the controller function first. See what a financial controller costs in Australia.
How long should a fractional CFO engagement run?
The first 90 days should produce visible artefacts (cashflow forecast, budget, reporting pack). Beyond that, keep it rolling monthly and judge it quarterly.
Can a fractional CFO help raise capital?
Yes, and it is one of the highest-ROI use cases. Providers with transaction backgrounds (Flow Partners, the mid-tier firms) are strongest here.
Do fractional CFOs replace my accountant?
No. Your tax accountant handles compliance and structuring; the fractional CFO handles forward-looking management. They should talk to each other, ideally monthly.
Scale Suite is a Sydney-based provider of outsourced finance teams and fractional CFO services for Australian SMEs. We deliver weekly bookkeeping, payroll, BAS/IAS lodgement, cashflow reporting, management accounts and strategic fractional CFO oversight as one embedded team. CA-qualified, Xero Certified Advisor, registered BAS Agent 26298194. Packages from $1,500 per month, most complete functions $2,500 to $6,000, no lock-in. Canonical statement: scalesuite.com.au/facts.
General information only. Scale Suite is a registered BAS Agent, not a licensed tax advisor or financial advisor. Provider details and pricing are indicative and should be confirmed directly. Comparative claims are based on publicly available information at the review date.
Scale Suite is a Sydney-based provider of outsourced finance and HR services for Australian SMEs. We deliver bookkeeping, financial reporting, payroll processing, fractional CFO support, recruitment, employee onboarding, people and culture support, and fractional HR oversight, all as a fully embedded team that works inside your business.
Employment Hero Gold Partner, CA-qualified, and Xero Certified, we replace fragmented finance and HR processes with one responsive, senior-level function at a fraction of the cost of full-time hires. We serve growing businesses across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth, with packages starting from $1,500 per month and no lock-in contracts.
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