The 5 best accounting automation software systems in August 2025

Choosing the right accounting automation platform can determine your finance team's efficiency. Growing companies with lean teams need software that adapts quickly to changing requirements while delivering accurate financial data when decisions matter most.

AI-powered transaction categorization

AI in accounting automation software can learn from your company's transaction history to automatically assign general ledger codes and expense categories. This feature eliminates hours of manual data entry while reducing human error, which is particularly valuable for startups managing rapid growth with limited finance staff.

The best AI-powered categorization improves accuracy over time, adapting to your company's specific coding rules and patterns. For example, if your team consistently codes Uber rides as ground transportation rather than general travel expenses, the AI will learn from this preference and apply it to future transactions.

Real-time sync with accounting systems

Accounting automation software should integrate seamlessly with popular ERP and accounting platforms like QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite. Real-time synchronization means your financial data updates instantly across all platforms, eliminating manual data transfers and reducing the risk of discrepancies. This connectivity is especially valuable during month-end close when finance teams need immediate access to current numbers. Robust integrations also improve financial visibility for leadership teams who require real-time metrics for strategic decisions.

Automated receipt collection and matching

Receipt management can become a major pain point as companies scale. As more expenses occur, there are an increasing number of receipts to manage and expenses to process, which can be difficult if your team is doing this manually. Quality automation software scans each receipt and extracts the data using optical character recognition (OCR) technology, ensuring the receipt is properly categorized and stored. Since the software can require a receipt with every transaction, you can be sure that every expense has the documentation it needs.

Employees can simply forward receipt photos via email or text, or upload the receipt through an app, and the software matches them to corresponding transactions without manual intervention. This automation ensures your business stays in compliance for potential audits and prevents finance teams from chasing down missing documentation.

Custom approval workflows

Growing businesses need automation that enforces expense policies without constant oversight. Your software can allow you to create custom approval flows based on transaction amounts, departments, or expense categories.

For instance, you may set up your software to automatically approve purchases for office supplies under $100 while routing marketing expenses over $500 to department heads for review. These expense approval workflows allow founders to maintain oversight without micromanaging every transaction.

Multi-entity support and accrual automation

As startups expand into new markets or establish subsidiaries, accounting automation software needs to handle complex organizational structures. Multi-entity support allows finance teams to manage separate legal entities from a single platform while maintaining proper segregation for reporting and compliance.

Rules-based accrual automation becomes particularly important for companies with subscription revenue, deferred income, or complex timing differences. SaaS companies, fintech startups, and businesses operating across multiple markets can benefit significantly from automated accounting calculations that maintain consistency and speed across different P&L structures.

Choosing the right accounting automation platform depends on your company's size, complexity, and specific workflow requirements. While many solutions promise to streamline financial processes, the most effective platforms combine powerful automation capabilities with intuitive user experiences that actually get adopted by your team.

1. Brex

Overview

Brex is accounting automation software that uses artificial intelligence to handle routine financial tasks for companies ranging from early-stage startups to large enterprises. The software automates expense categorization, transaction reconciliation, and payment processing, reducing the manual work typically required in corporate accounting departments. It connects directly with existing accounting systems like QuickBooks and NetSuite to synchronize financial data in real time.

The platform also manages corporate spending through integrated expense tracking and bill payment features. Companies can set spending rules that are enforced automatically when employees make purchases, while the software handles receipt collection and matches them to transactions without human intervention. This combination of accounting automation and spend control helps businesses maintain financial accuracy while reducing the time finance teams spend on repetitive tasks.

Key features

• AI-powered expense categorization: Brex's machine learning algorithms automatically categorize transactions based on your company's historical patterns, assigning appropriate GL codes and department tags without manual intervention. The platform becomes more accurate over time as it learns your specific coding preferences.
• Seamless accounting integration: Real-time synchronization with platforms like QuickBooks and NetSuite ensures your financial data stays current across all systems. Transactions, receipts, and categorizations flow automatically into your general ledger, eliminating manual data entry and reducing reconciliation time.
• Intelligent receipt management: Employees can submit receipts via email, text, or mobile app, and Brex handles receipt management from there. OCR technology scans each receipt, and Brex AI automatically matches them to corresponding transactions. The system handles various receipt formats and quality levels, streamlining documentation for audit purposes.
• Custom approval workflows: With Brex, you can build flexible approval rules based on transaction amounts, categories, departments, or nearly any other parameter, to ensure appropriate oversight while not slowing down necessary spending. Managers receive notifications only when their approval is required, reducing administrative burden
• Automated bill pay: Vendor invoices can be processed automatically through Brex's bill pay platform, with the software matching invoices to purchase orders and routing approvals according to your established workflows. Payments are automatically generated using your preferred payment method, including corporate virtual cards, ACH, or wire, streamlining the AP process from invoice to payment.
• Multi-entity management: Growing companies can manage multiple subsidiaries or legal entities within the Brex platform, with transactions automatically coded to the appropriate entity's books and consolidated reporting available across all entities.
• Embedded policy enforcement: Company spending policies are built directly into the platform, automatically flagging policy violations and approving compliant transactions. Brex corporate cards enforce these policies at the point of purchase, preventing non-compliant spending before it occurs rather than catching violations after the fact. This reduces compliance workload while maintaining financial controls.

Pros

• Robust automation tools for accounting processes
• Designed to scale with businesses
• Strong controls and compliance
• Seamless integration with ERP software

Pricing

Brex provides three pricing tiers, including Essentials, Premium, and Enterprise. The Essentials plan is available for $0 per user, per month and provides businesses with comprehensive spend management software capabilities including business credit cards, expense tracking, and accounting integrations. Essentials users receive automated accounting field mapping, real-time reporting, and bill pay functionality at no charge.

The Premium tier is priced at $12 per user, per month and enables businesses to create customizable expense policies. Additionally, businesses can access custom mapping with AI-powered rule suggestions and custom field management features for enhanced automation capabilities. The Enterprise plan features custom pricing and delivers fully customizable implementation services along with unlimited U.S. and global entities. Enterprise subscribers benefit from dedicated support and can tailor their deployment to address specific organizational requirements and compliance standards.

2. QuickBooks

Overview

QuickBooks is a cloud-based accounting platform for small to medium-sized businesses, offering general ledger functionality with built-in automation features. QuickBooks includes invoicing, bill payment, expense tracking, and reporting capabilities within a user-friendly interface.

Key features

• Automated invoice and payment reminders
• AI-powered categorization
• Receipt capture via mobile app
• Real-time reporting and analytics

Pros

• Full-service accounting too
• Flexible pricing tiers that grow with your small business
• Automation capabilities for accounting processes

Pricing

QuickBooks offers four main pricing plans starting at $38 per month. This plan, known as Simple Start, allows one user and covers basic bookkeeping including invoicing, banking, and Intuit Assist for automatic transaction categorization, making it suitable for solo entrepreneurs and new startups. Essentials costs $75 per month, supports three users, and adds bill management along with additional automations appropriate for small teams.

The next plan, Plus, costs $115 per month, accommodates five users, and includes inventory tracking and project profitability tools often chosen by growing startups. Advanced pricing is $275 per month, supports up to 25 users, and provides enhanced automation workflows and analytics for midsize startups approaching enterprise needs.

3. Xero

Overview

Xero is a cloud-based accounting platform with an intuitive design and automation-friendly architecture intended for small businesses. Xero offers general ledger, invoicing, bill pay, and bank reconciliation functionality to non-accountant founders.

Key features

• Bank reconciliation using machine learning
• Automated financial reporting
• Automatic receipt scanning and processing
• Extensive integrations available with other tools

Pros

• User-friendly interface
• Comprehensive accounting features
• Affordable for small businesses

Pricing

Xero structures its pricing across three main tiers based on transaction volume and features. The Early plan costs $20 per month and allows for sending 20 invoices each month while providing bank transaction reconciliation and 30-day cash flow forecasting. The Growing plan, priced at $47 monthly, is intended for small businesses as it provides unlimited invoices and bills along with all Early plan features. The Established plan costs $80 per month and includes everything in Growing plus advanced features like multi-currency support, project tracking, 180-day cash flow forecasting, and cash flow predictions.

4. Sage Intacct

Overview

Sage Intacct is a financial management platform designed for startups and expanding companies with sophisticated accounting requirements. Unlike basic accounting software, Sage Intacct functions as an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution offering modules for core accounting, revenue recognition, multi-entity consolidation, budgeting, and advanced reporting.

Key features

• AI-assisted general ledger
• Track and report financial performance across dimensions
• Multi-entity financial statement consolidation
• Custom approval workflows

Pros

• Built for startups with complex accounting needs
• Automations for large volumes and multi-entity setups
• Modular architecture

Pricing

Sage Intacct’s pricing is custom and quote-based, since it’s tailored to each company’s needs.

5. FreshBooks

Overview

FreshBooks is an accounting and invoicing platform designed for solopreneurs, founders, and freelancers typically in service-based industries. The platform emphasizes simplicity and automation through a user-friendly interface designed for non-accountants, and offers a small-business accounting solution that includes expense tracking, time tracking, and basic financial reporting.

Key features

• OCR receipt scanning and automated categorization
• Automated recurring invoices and payment reminders
• Project profitability projections
• Integrated time tracking feature

Pros

• Intuitive interface
• Designed for service-based startups and freelancers
• Automations intended for small businesses

Pricing

FreshBooks offers three main plans, with tiers that differ primarily by the number of billable clients and advanced features. The Lite plan costs $21 per month and allows billing up to 5 clients while including core invoicing, expense tracking, and time tracking. The Plus plan, priced at $38 per month, accommodates up to 50 billable clients and adds features like expense tracking and bank reconciliation.

The Premium plan costs $65 per month, supports unlimited clients, and includes advanced features such as automatic bill receipt capture and project profitability tracking. FreshBooks also offers a Select plan available through custom quotes, which includes advanced bill line item capture and customized onboarding for businesses with specific requirements or higher transaction volumes.

The accounting profession is evolving quickly. As manual tasks are automated, new opportunities are arising for finance professionals who adapt. Rather than simply processing transactions, accountants can focus on strategic analysis and business partnership roles that complement automated processes.

This change starts with developing analytical and strategic thinking capabilities that go beyond traditional bookkeeping. As automation handles routine transactions, accountants need to identify trends and provide insights that drive business decisions. This shift from reporting to interpretation of data requires strong communication and advisory skills to translate complex financial concepts into actionable business insights for stakeholders who lack a financial background.

Accountants may also need to develop a technical foundation for this evolution, including digital literacy and tool proficiency across multiple platforms. Accountants need a strong understanding of accounting automation software, how different platforms integrate, and how to troubleshoot technical issues as they arise. This technical competency extends to data analysis abilities that help extract maximum value from automated processes, including working with large datasets and creating meaningful visualizations.

Perhaps most importantly, adaptability and continuous learning separate advanced accountants from those left behind by technological change. The most successful professionals view automation tools like accounts payable automation as enablers rather than threats, actively seeking ways to improve processes while staying current with new tools, changing regulations, and evolving best practices.

Finally, project management abilities become more valuable as accountants lead automation implementations and process improvements. Knowing how to evaluate software options, manage integrations, and train team members positions finance professionals as strategic leaders rather than just number processors. The combination of deep financial knowledge with digital proficiency creates accountants who can guide their companies through financial complexity while maximizing automation benefits.

While accounting automations excel at processing routine transactions, there are limitations when dealing with complex, unique, or irregular scenarios that fall outside standard patterns. These boundaries can help finance teams set realistic expectations and maintain oversight of automated processes.

Automation tools can struggle with one-off transactions that don't fit established categorization rules. For example, if your company receives an unusual refund from a vendor three years after the original purchase, or processes a complex asset exchange involving multiple parties, automated systems may require that these items receive human review rather than attempting to process them independently.

Similarly, complex compliance scenarios often require human judgment that automation can’t replicate. Related-party transactions, stock-based compensation adjustments, or revenue recognition for non-standard contracts demand understanding of requirements and policies that go beyond pattern recognition. The most effective accounting automation platforms consider these limitations by incorporating intelligent exception handling workflows. When the software encounters transactions it can’t confidently categorize, it automatically routes them for manual review which prevents errors.

Industry-specific irregularities can present another challenge for automated processes. A software company handling a large enterprise contract with complex milestone payments requires different treatment than a manufacturing business processing equipment leases. While automation handles standard transactions efficiently, these specialized scenarios need accountants who understand both the technology and industry nuances.

Finance teams can handle these exceptions by developing hybrid approaches that combine automation's efficiency with human expertise for complex situations. They establish clear escalation procedures, maintain documentation standards for unusual transactions, and regularly review accounting errors to improve their automation rules over time.

It’s important to recognize that automation amplifies human capabilities rather than replacing professional judgment entirely. Companies that maintain this balance benefit from increased efficiency while preserving the analytical thinking needed for complex financial decisions and internal accounting controls that protect against errors and fraud.

Automations can handle repetitive, rule-based processes that traditionally consumed hours of manual work. As your accounting department considers automating processes, knowing which tasks benefit the most from automation can help teams prioritize software investments and workflow redesigns.

The most successful implementations focus on high-volume, repetitive tasks where standardized rules apply consistently. Tasks requiring judgment, interpretation, or complex analysis still need human oversight, but automation handles the heavy lifting of data processing and routine decision-making that previously consumed valuable accounting resources.

Invoice processing and accounts payable

Invoice processing and accounts payable are prime automation opportunities, with software capable of extracting data from vendor bills, matching them to purchase orders, and routing approvals based on predefined rules. Automated invoice processing platforms can handle processes from receipt capture to payment scheduling, reducing processing time from days to minutes while improving accuracy.

Expense reporting and reimbursement

Expense reporting and reimbursement workflows can become dramatically more efficient through automation. With automated expense reporting, employees can photograph receipts that get automatically categorized and matched to transactions, and the platform can then enforce company policies and route unusual expenses for approval without manual intervention.

Bank reconciliation

Bank statement reconciliation can be automated through matching algorithms that compare transaction records across multiple accounts and flag discrepancies for review. This process, which traditionally required hours of manual comparison, can run continuously in the background while accountants focus on investigating exceptions.

Financial reporting and month-end close

Financial reporting and month-end close can happen faster through automation that pulls data from multiple sources, applies formatting rules, and generates standardized reports. Brex customers reported that using automations accelerated their month-end accounting close processing by up to three times.

Purchase order management

Purchase order management and similar workflows benefit from automated platforms that create, approve, and track purchase orders while maintaining proper approval hierarchies and budget controls. These solutions streamline procurement processes from request to payment.

The time savings from accounting automation vary based on company size, transaction volume, and implementation scope, but there are significant efficiency gains possible that justify the up-front investment for most organizations. Using these time and financial savings as a benchmark, finance teams can build business cases for adding accounting automation to their financial stack and establish expectations for their software.

Businesses saved up to 250 hours per year using accounting automations on the Brex platform, which is the equivalent of roughly $24,000 in salary costs. The time savings came from automating processes including eliminating manual data entry, reducing reconciliation time, and streamlining month-end processes. Organizations using Brex’s integrated automations reported reducing their close processes from weeks to days, with some teams cutting their timeline by up to 90% through real-time data synchronization and automated reconciliations.

The most significant savings often occur outside the finance department itself. Compliance and approval workflow automation delivered time savings of up to 4,250 hours each year for Brex customers. These improvements extend to managers, employees, and other stakeholders involved in expense and procurement processes, creating organization-wide efficiency gains that compound over time.

Beyond Brex customers, a recent Stanford Graduate School of Business study found that AI-powered accounting platforms help accountants shift nearly 8.5% of their working hours away from manual data processing toward strategic activities like client communication and quality oversight. The research also showed that accounting firms using AI-enhanced accounting tools accelerated their monthly close procedures by over 7.5 days while achieving more detailed financial reporting through enhanced general ledger categorization.

The timeline for realizing these benefits varies, with many organizations being able to see time savings within the first month of deployment. Keep in mind that full benefits won’t materialize until three to six months after implementation as processes optimize and team members become proficient with new workflows.

Implementing accounting automations require an approach that balances immediate efficiency improvements with long-term scalability. The key lies in starting with high-impact processes while building the foundation for broader automation across your finance operations.

1. Assess your current accounting processes

Begin by documenting your existing workflows to understand where manual tasks consume the most time and create the highest risk of errors. Focus on repetitive, high-volume processes like expense reconciliation and invoice processing that follow consistent rules. Map out your current month-end close timeline, approval hierarchies, and reporting requirements to identify bottlenecks that automation can address and improve.

Calculate the time your team spends on different activities, paying special attention to tasks that require multiple people or create delays in financial reporting. This baseline assessment helps prioritize which processes will deliver the greatest return on automation investment.

2. Find the right solutions for your business

Investigate accounting software that integrates with your existing financial stack and general ledger while offering the specific features your team needs most. Compare pricing models, user limits, and scalability options to ensure the solution can grow with your business. While accounting software for startups often prioritizes flexibility and rapid deployment, accounting software for midsized businesses typically requires more robust controls and multi-entity capabilities. Request demonstrations from multiple vendors and ask detailed questions about data security, compliance capabilities, and customer support. Pay particular attention to how each platform handles exceptions and unusual transactions, as this often determines long-term success.

3. Conduct pilot projects

Start with a limited pilot program that focuses on one or two processes rather than attempting a full-scale implementation immediately. This allows your team to learn the software's capabilities while allowing you to test integrations with your existing tools, evaluate user adoption, and measure actual time savings against your projections. Document any issues or limitations you discover, as these insights will inform your broader implementation strategy.

4. Train staff on new processes

Develop training sessions that cover both technical skills and new process workflows. Focus on helping team members understand how automation changes their roles rather than simply replacing their existing tasks. Create clear documentation for new procedures, including escalation paths for exceptions and troubleshooting common issues. Establish internal controls that maintain proper oversight while taking advantage of automation efficiencies.

5. Expand automation across processes

Roll out additional automated processes incrementally, using lessons learned from your initial implementation. This phased approach allows you to refine workflows and address any integration challenges before they affect critical operations.

As a part of this process, monitor key metrics like processing time, error rates, and accounts payable KPIs to ensure each new automated process delivers expected benefits. Continue to gather feedback from your team and adjust implementations based on real-world usage patterns.

The shift toward accounting automation is a transformation in how finance teams operate and deliver value to their organizations. Companies implementing automation solutions can report dramatic time savings, improved accuracy, and the ability to focus on strategic analysis rather than manual data processing.

From reducing month-end close cycles to reallocating hours toward high-value activities, the best accounting automation platform transforms accounting from a cost center into a strategic advantage. The question isn't whether to automate, but how quickly you can implement the right solution for your specific needs.

For companies ready to take the next step, Brex offers an automation platform designed for scaling and established businesses. Brex’s integrated approach combines corporate credit cards, spend management, and AI-powered automations in a single solution that eliminates the inefficiencies of managing multiple solutions. Brex provides the seamless integration and policy enforcement capabilities that growing companies need to scale efficiently.

Human-I-T, a business that promotes equitable access to technology, had disjointed accounting processes before switching to Brex, including manually tracking down expense receipts and manual data entry. “It was very disjointed,” says Aaron Wilkins, Executive Vice President at Human-I-T. “The budgets were not very easy to manage at that point and there wasn't a lot of visibility and transparency into why something was booked, where they were going, and what we were spending.”

Switching to Brex meant that Human-I-T’s accounting team no longer had to focus on manual processes and allowed employees to receive reimbursements faster. “They’re not going to be focusing on document ingestion anymore,” Aaron said. “We can shift gears to communication and to being a group that is focused on a more advisory role.”

“One of our sayings at Human-I-T is ‘make it easy to do good,’” Aaron added. “I think Brex does that really well — and that’s made it easier for our AP team to do good, which in turn makes it easier for them to interact with our internal customers.”

Schedule a demo to see how Brex's accounting automation can streamline your processes and accelerate your business growth.