Karrin Sehmbi is an editor and content strategist on the small-business team. She has more than fifteen years of editorial experience in the fields of educational publishing, content marketing and medical news. She has also held roles as a teacher and a tutor.
Sally Lauckner has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Before joining NerdWallet, Sally was the editorial director at Fundera, where she built and led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a master's in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's in English and history from Columbia University. Email: slauckner@nerdwallet.com.
Sally Lauckner has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Before joining NerdWallet, Sally was the editorial director at Fundera, where she built and led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a master's in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's in English and history from Columbia University. Email: slauckner@nerdwallet.com.
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Karrin Sehmbi is an editor and content strategist on the small-business team. She has more than fifteen years of editorial experience in the fields of educational publishing, content marketing and medical news. She has also held roles as a teacher and a tutor.
Sally Lauckner has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Before joining NerdWallet, Sally was the editorial director at Fundera, where she built and led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a master's in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's in English and history from Columbia University. Email: slauckner@nerdwallet.com.
Sally Lauckner has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Before joining NerdWallet, Sally was the editorial director at Fundera, where she built and led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a master's in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's in English and history from Columbia University. Email: slauckner@nerdwallet.com.
NerdWallet's content is
fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness, and relevance by humans.
It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure
the information is as clear and complete as possible. Learn more by checking
our
Editorial Guidelines.
Content was accurate at the time of publication.
Why trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
95+ years of combined
experience covering small-business and personal finance.
50+ categories of best
business loan selections.
Objective and comprehensive business loans ratings rubric
– learn more about our star ratings.
NerdWallet's small-business loans content, including ratings,
recommendations and reviews, is overseen by a team of writers and
editors who specialize in business lending. Their work has appeared in
The Associated Press, The Washington Post, MarketWatch, Nasdaq,
Entrepreneur, ABC News, MSN and other national and local media outlets.
Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity to ensure accuracy and fairness in our coverage.
Advertiser disclosure
You’re our first priority.
Every time.
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or
financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance
we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are
objective, independent, straightforward — and free.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence
which products we review and write about (and where those products
appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or
advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our
partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products
or services. Here is a list of our partners .
Accounts receivable software can help you track invoices and collect the money that customers owe your business. The best options will help you streamline and automate these processes, allowing you to get paid faster and better manage cash flow. Accounts receivable automation through software can make it easier to collect online payments for your invoices, remind customers to pay outstanding bills, keep accurate books and pull useful reports for business insights.
Some small-business accounting software solutions like QuickBooks Online and Xero include tools to help you manage accounts receivable in addition to your many other accounting needs. On the other hand, dedicated accounts receivable platforms can offer a greater level of control and automation — working in sync with accounting software — and hopefully, save you time and money.
Why trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
95+ years of combined experience covering small-business and personal finance.
75+ categories of best business software selections.
NerdWallet's small-business software content, including ratings, recommendations and reviews, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business software, including payroll, accounting and payment processing. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, Washington Post, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, Yahoo Finance and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity to ensure accuracy and fairness in our coverage.
Here are NerdWallet’s picks for the best accounts receivable (AR) software for small businesses.
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 is an industry leader in the accounting field, thanks to its strong feature set, scalability and ability to accommodate small businesses with more complex financial needs. With millions of users worldwide, your accountant will likely be familiar with it.
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 is an industry leader in the accounting field, thanks to its strong feature set, scalability and ability to accommodate small businesses with more complex financial needs. With millions of users worldwide, your accountant will likely be familiar with it.
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 allows unlimited users at every subscription tier, a valuable feature for businesses where several users may need at least limited access to the system to run reports or analyze performance. In terms of functionality and features, Xero is one of QuickBooks Online’s biggest competitors and has a more customizable dashboard that lets each user rearrange or hide panels.
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 allows unlimited users at every subscription tier, a valuable feature for businesses where several users may need at least limited access to the system to run reports or analyze performance. In terms of functionality and features, Xero is one of QuickBooks Online’s biggest competitors and has a more customizable dashboard that lets each user rearrange or hide panels.
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 is a simple and affordable option for freelancers and very small businesses that don’t require many users and prioritize being able to operate on the go via mobile app. It’s an especially inexpensive choice for those who can work within the billable client limits on lower-tier plans. All plans include time tracking.
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 is a simple and affordable option for freelancers and very small businesses that don’t require many users and prioritize being able to operate on the go via mobile app. It’s an especially inexpensive choice for those who can work within the billable client limits on lower-tier plans. All plans include time tracking.
Automation tools for retaining good customers, decreasing revenue leakage and chasing unpaid invoices.
More than 40 automated reports, including an accounts receivable aging report.
Direct integrations with big-name accounting software, like NetSuite and QuickBooks, as well as access to StaxBill’s API for integrations with additional third-party software.
Access to Stax’s payment gateway and 0% markup processing rates (for an added monthly cost).
Cons
Limited number of users allowed in Starter and Growth plans.
Pricing is higher than other standalone accounts receivable solutions.
Limited direct integrations with other software.
Stax Bill’s software automates more than invoicing. It helps you manage the full subscription lifecycle with a customer self-service portal and pricing flexibility, takes the manual work out of recurring billing, eases the burden of recurring revenue management, offers over 40 reports that update in real time and more.
Automation tools for retaining good customers, decreasing revenue leakage and chasing unpaid invoices.
More than 40 automated reports, including an accounts receivable aging report.
Direct integrations with big-name accounting software, like NetSuite and QuickBooks, as well as access to StaxBill’s API for integrations with additional third-party software.
Access to Stax’s payment gateway and 0% markup processing rates (for an added monthly cost).
Cons
Limited number of users allowed in Starter and Growth plans.
Pricing is higher than other standalone accounts receivable solutions.
Limited direct integrations with other software.
Stax Bill’s software automates more than invoicing. It helps you manage the full subscription lifecycle with a customer self-service portal and pricing flexibility, takes the manual work out of recurring billing, eases the burden of recurring revenue management, offers over 40 reports that update in real time and more.
Quadient AR by YayPay
Best for Reporting and analytics
Promotion
N/A
Pros
Integrates with several billing and enterprise resource planning solutions.
Includes advanced business intelligence analytics, providing financial insights to help manage cash flow and make informed business decisions.
Assesses customers’ creditworthiness in real time using partnerships with credit rating companies.
Includes customized onboarding process and account manager with the account.
Cons
Lacks pricing transparency.
No free trial.
Only email-based customer support.
Quadient AR by YayPay offers accounts receivable automation software that includes a detailed business intelligence dashboard with data and analytics that can be used to monitor your financial health and drive future decisions. It also provides a customer relationship management tool and works with credit rating partners to monitor your customers’ creditworthiness in real time.
Quadient AR by YayPay
Best for Reporting and analytics
Promotion
N/A
Pros
Integrates with several billing and enterprise resource planning solutions.
Includes advanced business intelligence analytics, providing financial insights to help manage cash flow and make informed business decisions.
Assesses customers’ creditworthiness in real time using partnerships with credit rating companies.
Includes customized onboarding process and account manager with the account.
Cons
Lacks pricing transparency.
No free trial.
Only email-based customer support.
Quadient AR by YayPay offers accounts receivable automation software that includes a detailed business intelligence dashboard with data and analytics that can be used to monitor your financial health and drive future decisions. It also provides a customer relationship management tool and works with credit rating partners to monitor your customers’ creditworthiness in real time.
Automated collections software to manage customers and track payments across channels.
Connects with a variety of payment gateways; offers internal payment processing as well.
Email, live chat and phone-based customer support for the midsize and enterprise tier plans.
Cons
Extremely limited features offered in the small business tier plan.
Invoiced includes a wide range of functionality within its platform. With this software, you receive advanced tools for collections, customer management, payment plans and even API access. Invoiced integrates with QuickBooks and Xero, as well as other business tools, and offers multiple channels for customer support at the higher plan levels. Pricing is quote-based, however, so you’ll need to contact Invoiced to determine which plan tier your business requires and the cost of that plan.
Automated collections software to manage customers and track payments across channels.
Connects with a variety of payment gateways; offers internal payment processing as well.
Email, live chat and phone-based customer support for the midsize and enterprise tier plans.
Cons
Extremely limited features offered in the small business tier plan.
Invoiced includes a wide range of functionality within its platform. With this software, you receive advanced tools for collections, customer management, payment plans and even API access. Invoiced integrates with QuickBooks and Xero, as well as other business tools, and offers multiple channels for customer support at the higher plan levels. Pricing is quote-based, however, so you’ll need to contact Invoiced to determine which plan tier your business requires and the cost of that plan.
Bill.com
Best for Bundling receivables and payables
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 is a user-friendly platform with competitive pricing, especially for small businesses that don’t need an enterprise-level solution. With Bill.com, you have access to the essential features you need to streamline accounts receivable: invoice tracking, automatic payment reminders and a customer payment portal.
Bill.com
Best for Bundling receivables and payables
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 is a user-friendly platform with competitive pricing, especially for small businesses that don’t need an enterprise-level solution. With Bill.com, you have access to the essential features you need to streamline accounts receivable: invoice tracking, automatic payment reminders and a customer payment portal.
Plooto
Best for Low-cost option
Starting at
$24/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): Custom.
Promotion
30-day free trial
Pros
Affordable monthly cost.
Unlimited users and accountants or bookkeepers.
Software includes capabilities for both accounts receivable and accounts payable.
30-day free trial with 10 free domestic transactions included.
Live chat and phone support.
Cons
Integrates with QuickBooks and Xero only.
Plooto is a low-cost choice for small businesses that want a dedicated solution to optimize the collection and payments process. Plooto is more affordable than some other options, especially considering the software includes unlimited users plus accounts payable features in addition to accounts receivable. Plooto also allows businesses to accept credit card payments from customers — an essential feature for many business owners.
Plooto
Best for Low-cost option
Starting at
$24/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): Custom.
Promotion
30-day free trial
Pros
Affordable monthly cost.
Unlimited users and accountants or bookkeepers.
Software includes capabilities for both accounts receivable and accounts payable.
30-day free trial with 10 free domestic transactions included.
Live chat and phone support.
Cons
Integrates with QuickBooks and Xero only.
Plooto is a low-cost choice for small businesses that want a dedicated solution to optimize the collection and payments process. Plooto is more affordable than some other options, especially considering the software includes unlimited users plus accounts payable features in addition to accounts receivable. Plooto also allows businesses to accept credit card payments from customers — an essential feature for many business owners.
Our top picks for all-in-one accounting and accounts receivable software
Integrations: More than 750 software integrations available for managing business, sales, data, workforce and more.
Why we like it: As one of the top accounting software brands, QuickBooks just about does it all with solutions for accounting, payments, time tracking, inventory management and more. And if the functionality you’re looking for isn’t included in the company’s suite of products, then its extensive library of third-party software integrations will likely meet your needs. The ability to send invoices and accept payments is included with all QuickBooks Online plan tiers. Read our full QuickBooks Online review.
Integrations: More than 1,000 applications in an easily searchable app store.
Why we like it: Like other full accounting solutions, Xero offers an invoicing tool that could serve your business's accounts receivable needs without introducing separate software. Xero allows you to automate some of the process with automatic payment reminders to customers and gives you the flexibility to send invoices and check payment status from the mobile app. The cheapest-tier plan limits the number of invoices you can send. Read our full Xero Accounting review.
Integrations: More than 140 apps to help you manage customers, projects, finances, staff and more.
Why we like it: FreshBooks is another accounting software solution that includes the ability to send and track invoices and accept payments, thereby potentially fulfilling your accounts receivable needs. The software, like most in the space, enables you to set up automatic payment reminders and communications to your clients so you can focus your efforts elsewhere on your business. Many of its plan tiers are oriented to those who are self-employed or to smaller establishments with contract workers. Invoices are unlimited across plan tiers, but the Lite and Plus plans limit the total number of clients you can invoice. Read our complete FreshBooks review.
Our top picks for standalone accounts receivable software
Quadient AR by YayPay: Best for reporting and analytics
Price: Quote-based.
Integrations: NetSuite, Sage Intacct, SAP Business One, QuickBooks Online, Salesforce and more.
Why we like it: Quadient AR by YayPay is an accounts receivable automation software that includes a detailed business intelligence dashboard with data and analytics that can be used to monitor your financial health and drive future decisions. It also provides a thorough communication history section to manage relationships with your customers in one place. In addition, the company works with credit rating partners to monitor your customers’ creditworthiness in real time, a useful feature to help set your payment terms and manage cash flow.
Invoiced: Best for robust features
Price: Quote-based.
Integrations: NetSuite, QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, Xero and several specialty integrations, including Salesforce, Zapier and more.
Why we like it: Invoiced includes a wide range of functionality within its platform. With this software, you receive advanced tools for collections, customer management, payment plans and even API access. Invoiced integrates with QuickBooks and Xero, as well as other business tools, and offers multiple channels for customer support at the more advanced plan levels. Pricing is quote-based, however, so you’ll need to contact Invoiced to determine which plan tier your business requires and the cost of that plan.
Bill.com: Best for bundling receivables and payables
Price
$45 per user per month for the Essentials plan.
$55 per user per month for the Team plan.
$79 per user per month for the Corporate plan, which bundles accounts payable and accounts receivable.
Integrations: QuickBooks, NetSuite, Xero, Sage and Microsoft.
Why we like it: Bill.com is a user-friendly platform with competitive pricing, especially for small businesses that don’t need an enterprise-level solution. With Bill.com, you have access to the essential features you need to streamline accounts receivable: invoice tracking, automatic payment reminders and a customer payment portal. Bill.com also allows you to communicate with customers directly through its system, set up auto-charge and auto-pay, as well as sync received payments directly with your accounting software to eliminate data entry errors and make reconciliation easier.
Additionally, Bill.com is a great option for businesses that want to bundle accounts receivable software and accounts payable software, offering a dual solution starting at $79 per user per month.
Plooto: Best for low-cost option
Price
$24 per month for the Grow plan.
Custom pricing available for the Pro plan.
Integrations: QuickBooks and Xero.
Why we like it: Plooto is a low-cost choice for small businesses that want a dedicated solution to optimize the collection and payments process. Plooto is more affordable than some other options, especially considering the software includes unlimited users plus accounts payable features in addition to accounts receivable. Plooto also allows businesses to accept credit card payments from customers — an essential feature for many business owners.
Like many accounts receivable platforms, you can connect your accounting software (QuickBooks and Xero only) to Plooto to import invoices and perform automatic reconciliation. In addition, Plooto allows you to set up automatic payment collection with your customers, handling the pre-authorized debit process on your behalf.
Integrations: QuickBooks, NetSuite, Salesforce, HubSpot and more.
Why we like it: Stax Bill’s software automates more than invoicing. It helps you manage the full subscription lifecycle with a customer self-service portal and pricing flexibility, takes the manual work out of recurring billing, eases the burden of recurring revenue management, offers over 40 reports that update in real time and more.
Stax Bill is part of the Stax suite of software, which also includes Stax Payments, a subscription-model payment processing solution. Stax also owns CardX, a compliant credit card surcharging solution that enables you to legally pass on credit card fees to your customers.
Benefits of accounts receivable software
Managing your accounts receivable is often a manual, time-consuming process that consists of:
Invoicing your customers.
Tracking outstanding payments.
Collecting payments.
Recording received payments in your general ledger.
Running reports and using data to analyze your business’s financial position.
Accounts receivable software automates this part of your business accounting to save you time and money. Here are some of the additional advantages of accounts receivable platforms:
Manage your cash flow. When your customers take too long to pay, it can cause cash-flow issues. Accounts receivable software can make it easier to ensure that you get paid faster, without you having to make phone calls or send individual emails to follow up on payments.
Prevent errors. Following up with customers and managing payments in multiple places can be difficult, and mistakes may happen. If you integrate AR software with accounting software, however, the data syncs so that you don’t have to worry about transferring payments or keeping track of different systems.
Improve customer relationships. AR software not only helps you get paid, but also helps facilitate your relationships with your customers. These platforms make it easier for your customers to make payments and communicate with you about their invoices.
Provide business insights. With all of your accounts receivable data in one place, you can analyze data — like revenue over time or customer activity — to get a better understanding of your financial position and how your business is performing.
Key considerations when choosing accounts receivable software
Consider the following factors when trying to determine which accounts receivable software is right for your business:
Level of automation. Think about how a platform fits the size of your business and your specific goals. Are you looking for an enterprise-level solution with advanced features for collections, payments and customer communications? If you’re a smaller business looking to optimize your accounts receivable, you may not need enterprise-level automation.
Invoicing features. Some platforms include the ability to create and send invoices, while others require that you integrate your software and sync existing invoices. If you already have invoicing software, you may not need a system that includes these features. On the other hand, you may prefer accounts receivable software that offers everything in one place.
Integrations. Does the software integrate with your accounting system? The platform will be more useful if you can sync systems. That way, you don’t have to manually transfer payments and you can streamline the reconciliation process. You may also consider what other integration opportunities the software offers. Some platforms allow you to connect with third-party payment gateways, customer relationship management software and project management tools.
Cost of accounts receivable software
Accounts receivable software can vary widely in cost. Standalone accounts receivable software can range anywhere from $30 to upwards of $200 per month, depending on the provider and plan you choose. Some accounts receivable software options are priced on a quote basis, which can make it difficult to estimate and compare costs. You can expect a higher price tag on accounts receivable software with more robust features. Here are a few factors that may affect the cost of accounts receivable software:
Annual revenueSome accounts receivable software providers will base your monthly software cost on the total annual revenue of your business.
IntegrationsMost standalone accounts receivable software products will sync or fully integrate with at least one or two popular accounting software solutions. Some will require upgrades to higher-priced plans to integrate with your accounting software, or to increase your integration options.
Number of usersMany providers will charge a monthly fee per user, so read pricing pages carefully when comparing your accounts receivable software options.
In the market for accounting software?
If you’re also in search of accounting software that best fits the needs of your business (perhaps an all-in-one solution that can handle both accounting and accounts receivable), check out our top picks.