Institution vs Graphite Financial: finance scope compared

Compare Institution and Graphite Financial by mapping the finance work you need over the next year. Graphite describes an integrated startup team covering accounting, finance, tax, payroll, and HR. Institution connects managed accounting with tax coordination, compliance, company records, and other finance services. The overlap is substantial enough that a service list alone will not settle the choice.

A company seeking a recurring accounting engagement should ask a different set of questions from one replacing several operational roles. Describe the actual gap before requesting either proposal: a late close, an unreliable forecast, unowned payroll administration, or a financing deadline.

Ask who reconciles the ledger, who approves adjustments, and who turns approved actuals into a forecast. Those responsibilities may sit with different people even within one provider. Request an example showing how a change in actual revenue reaches the runway forecast and management commentary.

For a subscription company, use a contract amendment as the test. The accounting work should address the approved revenue treatment; the planning work should consider its effect on cash and future assumptions. One task does not prove the other is included.

If HR and payroll administration are part of your requirement, list onboarding, employee changes, approvals, payroll submission, and ledger posting separately. Ask which activities the proposed team performs and which remain with management or another platform.

Institution's company records and service coordination should also be assessed as specific workflows. Ask who maintains the filing calendar and what completion evidence is available. A shared interface does not transfer legal responsibility for every obligation to the provider.

Give both teams the same entity count, accounting basis, billing systems, reporting deadline, and staff footprint. Separate onboarding, historical cleanup, recurring accounting, FP&A, tax work, and people operations. Confirm software charges and the cost of requests outside the agreed scope.

Use the next scheduled management meeting as a delivery scenario. Specify the reports and explanations needed, the source-data deadline, and the person available to answer questions. Choose the proposal that supports that operating rhythm with clear ownership and usable records if you later change providers.