Accounts payable software helps you keep track of the debts your company owes, such as unpaid bills, and when payments are due — a key component of successfully managing accounts payable and your business in general. The best accounts payable software options automate the otherwise manual process and include timesaving features, like invoice scanning and accounting software integration.
Top picks from our list include:
- Best for most small businesses: QuickBooks Online.
- Best for accounts payable automation: Stampli.
- Best value for your money: Bill.com.
Below is our full list of the best accounts payable software, including pros and cons and why we selected each option.
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Best Accounts Payable Software Solutions
Best Accounts Payable Software Solutions
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Starting at
$35/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $65, $99, $235.
Promotion
90% off
for first three months or free 30-day trial.
Learn more
on QuickBooks' website
Pros
- Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
- More than 750 app integrations.
- Robust feature set includes record-keeping, reporting, invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
- Chat and phone support available Monday through Saturday in all plans.
Cons
- Expensive compared with the competition.
- Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
- Limited account users with each plan.
QuickBooks Online
Best for Most small businesses
Starting at
$35/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $65, $99, $235.
Promotion
90% off
for first three months or free 30-day trial.
Learn more
on QuickBooks' website
Pros
- Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
- More than 750 app integrations.
- Robust feature set includes record-keeping, reporting, invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
- Chat and phone support available Monday through Saturday in all plans.
Cons
- Expensive compared with the competition.
- Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
- Limited account users with each plan.
Starting at
$20/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $47, $80.
Promotion
90% off
for 6 months.
Learn more
on Xero's website
Pros
- Unlimited users in all pricing plans.
- Integrates with more than 1,000 third-party apps.
- Feature set includes an excellent mobile app and suite of reports, capable invoicing features, plus automated bill and receipt capture through Hubdoc.
- Simple layout and easy to use.
Cons
- No inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
- Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
- Must subscribe to the highest-tier Established plan to claim expenses.
Xero
Best for Built-in document organization
Starting at
$20/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $47, $80.
Promotion
90% off
for 6 months.
Learn more
on Xero's website
Pros
- Unlimited users in all pricing plans.
- Integrates with more than 1,000 third-party apps.
- Feature set includes an excellent mobile app and suite of reports, capable invoicing features, plus automated bill and receipt capture through Hubdoc.
- Simple layout and easy to use.
Cons
- No inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
- Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
- Must subscribe to the highest-tier Established plan to claim expenses.
Starting at
$21/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $38, $65, custom.
Promotion
50% off
for 6 months. 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.
Learn more
on FreshBooks' website
Pros
- Stay in touch with clients through the FreshBooks mobile app and get notified when invoices have been viewed or become overdue.
- Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
- Track time and add billable hours to invoices in all plans.
- Weekday phone support in all plans.
Cons
- Highest-tier Select plan only comes with two users (additional users add $11 per month) and lower-tier plans put limits on billable clients.
- Least expensive plan lacks double-entry accounting reports, bank reconciliation and accountant access.
FreshBooks
Best for Freelancers with bills to pay
Starting at
$21/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $38, $65, custom.
Promotion
50% off
for 6 months. 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.
Learn more
on FreshBooks' website
Pros
- Stay in touch with clients through the FreshBooks mobile app and get notified when invoices have been viewed or become overdue.
- Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
- Track time and add billable hours to invoices in all plans.
- Weekday phone support in all plans.
Cons
- Highest-tier Select plan only comes with two users (additional users add $11 per month) and lower-tier plans put limits on billable clients.
- Least expensive plan lacks double-entry accounting reports, bank reconciliation and accountant access.
Sage Intacct
Best for Growing businesses with complex accounts payable needs
Promotion
N/A
Learn more
on Sage's website
Pros
- Automation features streamline financial processes.
- Customizable reports and dashboard enhance business insights.
- Consolidates many functions, like billing, invoicing, cash flow management payroll and HR, within a single product.
Cons
- Quote-based pricing makes it difficult to compare with competitors.
- Not suitable for small businesses that don’t plan to grow.
Sage Intacct
Best for Growing businesses with complex accounts payable needs
Promotion
N/A
Learn more
on Sage's website
Pros
- Automation features streamline financial processes.
- Customizable reports and dashboard enhance business insights.
- Consolidates many functions, like billing, invoicing, cash flow management payroll and HR, within a single product.
Cons
- Quote-based pricing makes it difficult to compare with competitors.
- Not suitable for small businesses that don’t plan to grow.
Stampli
Best for Automated accounts payable workflows
Promotion
N/A
Pros
- Dedicated communication channel for invoices consolidates all activity related to each invoice for easy record-keeping.
- Bot alerts you to duplicate invoices.
- Audit and reporting tools.
- Mobile app available.
Cons
- Lack of pricing transparency.
Stampli
Best for Automated accounts payable workflows
Promotion
N/A
Pros
- Dedicated communication channel for invoices consolidates all activity related to each invoice for easy record-keeping.
- Bot alerts you to duplicate invoices.
- Audit and reporting tools.
- Mobile app available.
Cons
- Lack of pricing transparency.
Lightyear
Best for Businesses with high bill and purchase order volume
Starting at
$189/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $449, $799.
Promotion
30-day free trial
Pros
- Unlimited number of users.
- Live support.
- Mobile app, available for iOS and Android.
- Free trial.
Cons
- Price can be a deterrent for smaller businesses.
- Requires upgrade to handle purchase orders.
- Least expensive package only processes 125 bills or statements per month.
Lightyear
Best for Businesses with high bill and purchase order volume
Starting at
$189/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $449, $799.
Promotion
30-day free trial
Pros
- Unlimited number of users.
- Live support.
- Mobile app, available for iOS and Android.
- Free trial.
Cons
- Price can be a deterrent for smaller businesses.
- Requires upgrade to handle purchase orders.
- Least expensive package only processes 125 bills or statements per month.
Bill.com
Best for Low-cost, high-value accounts payable software
Starting at
$45/month
Per user. Additional pricing tiers (per user, per month): $55, $79, custom.
Promotion
N/A
Pros
- Plan options available that bundle receivable and payable software.
- Customize approval workflows for paying bills.
- Accept multiple payment methods from customers (ACH, card, check); sync received payments directly with your accounting software.
- Customer support available via live chat or call-back request.
- Mobile app available.
Cons
- Least-expensive plan includes manual integration only with accounting software.
Bill.com
Best for Low-cost, high-value accounts payable software
Starting at
$45/month
Per user. Additional pricing tiers (per user, per month): $55, $79, custom.
Promotion
N/A
Pros
- Plan options available that bundle receivable and payable software.
- Customize approval workflows for paying bills.
- Accept multiple payment methods from customers (ACH, card, check); sync received payments directly with your accounting software.
- Customer support available via live chat or call-back request.
- Mobile app available.
Cons
- Least-expensive plan includes manual integration only with accounting software.
AvidXchange
Best for Industry-specific accounts payable software features
Promotion
N/A
Pros
- Integrates with many accounting software packages.
- Live support.
- Offers tool for advanced analytics and business insights.
Cons
- Lack of pricing transparency.
- No mobile app.
- No free trial.
AvidXchange
Best for Industry-specific accounts payable software features
Promotion
N/A
Pros
- Integrates with many accounting software packages.
- Live support.
- Offers tool for advanced analytics and business insights.
Cons
- Lack of pricing transparency.
- No mobile app.
- No free trial.
Tipalti
Best for Customer support
Starting at
$99/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): custom.
Promotion
N/A
Pros
- Automated purchase order matching.
- Live support by phone, email and chat.
- Includes machine learning technology for assigning accounting codes and approval routes.
Cons
- No mobile app for accounts payable.
- No free trial.
Tipalti
Best for Customer support
Starting at
$99/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): custom.
Promotion
N/A
Pros
- Automated purchase order matching.
- Live support by phone, email and chat.
- Includes machine learning technology for assigning accounting codes and approval routes.
Cons
- No mobile app for accounts payable.
- No free trial.
Airbase
Best for Multicurrency bill pay
Promotion
N/A
Pros
- Self-service vendor portal.
- Automated purchase order matching.
- Mobile app.
Cons
- Email and ticket support only.
- Lack of pricing transparency.
Airbase
Best for Multicurrency bill pay
Promotion
N/A
Pros
- Self-service vendor portal.
- Automated purchase order matching.
- Mobile app.
Cons
- Email and ticket support only.
- Lack of pricing transparency.
Accounts payable (AP) software helps your business manage the debts it owes and will pay at a later date. The software also streamlines the AP process, which typically includes the following steps:
- Receive bills from vendors and/or creditors.
- Transfer important data from each bill to your accounting system.
- Confirm the bill amount is correct and whether it requires specific approval before payment is sent.
- Generate and send a payment for each bill.
- Record that each bill is paid.
Until they’re paid, AP transactions will show up as liabilities on your balance sheet, a document that conveys your business’s financial health at a particular point in time. In addition to helping ensure your bills are paid on time and that all important details are shared with your accounting software, AP software can also run reports that show how much your business owes and when. Other features may include the ability to create purchase orders, build approval workflows and schedule payments.
Benefits of using accounts payable software
AP software, whether it’s a standalone product or built into your larger accounting system, enables your business to better manage cash flow and keep tabs on its debts. Here are some of the major advantages:
Ask yourself these questions to help determine what AP software is right for you.
How much does it cost?
AP software providers often have multiple plans at varying price points. While the cheapest base plan may work for your business now, consider how you want to grow in the future. Increasing your purchasing base or staffing levels might place you into a more expensive plan in the future. Plus, some important features might actually be add-ons with additional fees.
You’ll also want to consider how AP software factors into your overall business software costs, which can include separate programs for accounting, payroll, inventory and more. Make sure you’re not unnecessarily paying for features you may already be receiving from another software program.
Is it scalable?
Remember to think about the future, not just the present. Some AP packages set prices based on how many users or bills you have; business growth could mean rising costs. Look for AP software that supports the business you plan to run in a year without requiring you to leap up to a much higher pricing tier.
Is it easy for you and your clients to use?
Some AP software providers offer free trials to potential customers. Take advantage of these to make sure you understand how to use the features you need. Choose AP software that accommodates your vendors, especially if you have international business and need to support multiple currencies. If the vendors will interact with your AP software (perhaps when they remit invoices, for example), take time to test the software from the vendor’s end, too.
Does it integrate with your accounting software?
Your existing accounting software may have all the AP firepower you want. But if it doesn’t, look for an option that offers a built-in integration with your existing accounting software.
Last updated on October 21, 2024