Quick answer: Accounts payable (AP) software automates the bills you owe: capturing supplier invoices, routing them for approval, paying them and recording the payments in your books. As of October 2026, dedicated AP automation tools include AvidXchange, Tipalti and Plooto; accounting and ERP systems with AP built in include Sage Intacct, Oracle NetSuite, FreshBooks, FINSYNC, Deskera, Striven and AccountMate; and sector-specific options include Multiview (healthcare), Aplos (nonprofits and churches) and AccuFund (now part of i3 Verticals). Emburse Professional, formerly Certify, covers invoices alongside travel and expenses.
The original version of this article described accounts payable and accounts receivable (AR) software as one category. They are related but different. AP is money going out to suppliers; AR is money coming in from customers. Both are parts of accounting, and some tools do both, but this list focuses on AP. For the other side, see our guide to accounts receivable software linked at the end.
Manual AP is slow and error-prone: paper invoices get lost, approvals stall in inboxes, and duplicate or fraudulent invoices slip through. AP software reduces that with invoice capture, matching against purchase orders, approval workflows, scheduled payments and an audit trail. We first published this list as “Top 15 Accounts Payable Software for Small Business”. When we checked every product in October 2026, 14 still offered AP features; one had shifted to tax payment services.
How to choose accounts payable software
- Volume and complexity. A business paying a few dozen bills a month may only need the bill-pay feature in its accounting software. Hundreds of invoices, several approvers or multiple entities justify dedicated AP automation.
- Invoice capture and matching. Look for automatic data extraction from emailed or scanned invoices, and two-way or three-way matching against purchase orders and receipts.
- Approval rules. Check that you can route invoices by amount, department or supplier, and approve from a phone.
- Payment methods and countries. Confirm the tool can pay suppliers the way they want to be paid (bank transfer, card, cheque or international wire) in the countries you use. Several tools here are built for the US or Canada.
- Accounting integration. AP software must sync bills and payments with your general ledger (for example QuickBooks, Xero, Sage or NetSuite) without double entry.
- Controls and fraud prevention. Supplier bank-detail verification, duplicate-invoice checks and segregation of duties matter as much as speed. In India, also check how the tool handles GST invoices and TDS on supplier payments.
Accounts payable software compared
| Software | Type | Best for | Pricing model (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deskera | All-in-one ERP | Manufacturers and growing businesses wanting one system | Check vendor |
| Multiview ERP | Healthcare ERP | Hospitals and healthcare organisations | Quote-based |
| Oracle NetSuite | Cloud ERP | Fast-growing mid-sized companies | Quote-based |
| FINSYNC | Small business financial platform | US small businesses managing bills, payroll and cash flow together | Free profile; paid tools |
| AccuFund (i3 Verticals) | Public sector and nonprofit accounting | Government agencies and nonprofits | Check vendor |
| Sage Intacct | Cloud financials with AP automation | Mid-sized finance teams | Quote-based |
| AvidXchange | Dedicated AP automation | Mid-market companies with high invoice volumes | Quote / demo |
| FreshBooks | Small business accounting | Freelancers and small service businesses | Subscription; free trial |
| Striven | All-in-one business management | Small and mid-sized firms wanting accounting, CRM and projects together | Check vendor |
| Plooto | Payables and receivables automation | Small businesses using Xero | Check vendor |
| Aplos | Nonprofit fund accounting | Nonprofits and churches | Subscription; 15-day free trial |
| Tipalti | Dedicated AP and global payments | Companies paying many suppliers, often internationally | Quote / demo |
| Emburse Professional (formerly Certify) | Invoice, travel and expense management | Companies wanting AP and expenses in one tool | Quote / demo |
| AccountMate | Modifiable accounting software | Small and mid-sized firms needing customisation | Licence or subscription via partners |
The 14 accounts payable tools in detail
1. Deskera
Deskera sells all-in-one business software covering accounting, inventory, CRM, payroll and HR, with ERP and manufacturing (MRP) editions. Its procurement module manages vendor scorecards, purchase orders and supplier invoices with rule-based approval flows and reporting, which is where its AP features sit. The original article’s claim of 25,000 companies in 15 countries is not on Deskera’s current site, so we have removed it.
2. Multiview ERP
Multiview now presents itself as “the ERP that puts healthcare first”, aimed at hospitals and healthcare organisations. Its accounts payable module takes invoices “from invoice received to invoice paid”, alongside a general ledger, receivables for non-patient revenue, budgeting and integrations with healthcare systems such as Oracle Health and PointClickCare. If you are not in healthcare, other options on this list will fit better.
3. Oracle NetSuite
NetSuite, owned by Oracle, is a cloud ERP whose financials include accounts payable, along with general ledger, receivables, order management and CRM in one suite. As the original article said, it suits companies that want AP integrated with their back office, sales and service processes. It is usually more than a small business needs on day one, and pricing is quote-based.
4. FINSYNC
FINSYNC is a US platform that connects banking, invoicing and payments, bill pay, cash flow, accounting and payroll for small businesses. Its bill pay feature lets you pay bills and vendors from the same place you manage cash flow. FINSYNC also offers guidance, funding information and access to experts. You can create a free FINSYNC profile; check its site for which tools are paid.
5. AccuFund (now i3 Verticals)
AccuFund was accounting software for nonprofits and government agencies, including fund accounting and AP. Its website now states that AccuFund is now i3 Verticals and points visitors to i3 Verticals’ public sector ERP, with resellers still listed. If you run a nonprofit or public body, ask i3 Verticals which product and deployment options (hosted or on-premise) are available today.
6. Sage Intacct
Sage Intacct is cloud financial management software for mid-sized organisations; Sage says more than 30,000 finance teams use it. Its AP automation uses an AI agent that reads emailed bills, creates pre-filled draft bills with the vendor, amount, dates and line items, matches them to purchase orders and routes them for approval. That fits the original article’s point about automating complex financial processes.
7. AvidXchange
AvidXchange is a dedicated AP automation company. Its products cover AP automation, purchase order automation, invoice automation and payment automation, an “AP as a service” offering for software platforms, and a supplier hub through which suppliers in its AvidPay Network receive payments. The original article’s customer numbers and “fastest-growing” ranking are not on its current site, so we have removed them.
8. FreshBooks
FreshBooks is best known for invoicing customers, which is receivables. On the payables side, FreshBooks now lists Bill Pay as a new feature, alongside expense and receipt tracking. That makes it a reasonable all-in-one choice for freelancers and small service businesses with few bills to pay, but not a dedicated AP automation tool.
9. Striven
Striven is all-in-one business management software with accounting, CRM and sales, project and task management, inventory, HR, portals and workflows. Keeping accounting, including bills, in the same system as sales and projects suits small and mid-sized firms that want fewer separate tools. The original article’s “20 years of experience” claim is not on the current homepage.
10. Plooto
Plooto automates payables and receivables for small businesses. Its listing on the Xero App Store describes a two-way sync with Xero, recurring payables, collecting payments through pre-authorised debit agreements and accepting credit cards. The original article also mentioned a QuickBooks integration. Plooto’s own website blocked our automated checks, so confirm current countries, integrations and payment options there.
11. Aplos
Aplos is fund accounting software for nonprofits and churches, with transaction tracking, reporting, donation management and payroll. For payables it offers Bill Approval (approval workflows for accounts payable) and AI Bill Entry for automated invoice entry and coding. Aplos offered a 15-day free trial in October 2026.
12. Tipalti
Tipalti automates end-to-end payables: self-service supplier onboarding in several languages, AI invoice capture, two-way and three-way purchase order matching, approvals, payment scheduling, global payments, tax compliance and automatic payment reconciliation across currencies and subsidiaries. It suits companies that pay many suppliers or partners, especially across borders.
13. Emburse Professional (formerly Certify)
Certify is now Emburse Professional. Emburse describes it as configurable travel, invoice and expense management software, so AP invoices and employee expenses can be handled in one system. The original article’s claim that Certify was “the only” expense tool with automated expense reporting is not supported, so we have removed it.
14. AccountMate
AccountMate Software Corporation sells modifiable accounting software for small and mid-sized businesses, including AccountMate Enterprise and AccountMate SQL, mainly through solution providers. Its products can be extended with a software development kit and their source code modified, so businesses can tailor modules such as payables to their own processes.
Removed since our earlier version
- Anybill: the original article described it as general AP software. Anybill’s website now presents it as a provider of tax payment services for businesses, with more than 20 years in payment automation. Because it no longer markets general AP software, we have removed it from this list.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between accounts payable and accounts receivable?
Accounts payable is money your business owes to suppliers. Accounts receivable is money customers owe to you. AP software manages bills and payments out; AR software manages invoices and collections in.
Do small businesses need separate AP software?
Often not. Most accounting software, including FreshBooks, QuickBooks, Xero and Zoho Books, handles bills. Dedicated AP automation pays off when invoice volume, approvers or international suppliers grow.
What is three-way matching?
Three-way matching checks that a supplier’s invoice agrees with the purchase order and with the goods-received record before payment, which helps catch overcharges and duplicate bills.
Can AP software prevent invoice fraud?
It can reduce the risk through supplier verification, duplicate checks, approval rules and audit trails, but staff should still confirm any change to a supplier’s bank details through a known contact.
For the money coming in, see our guide to accounts receivable software. To choose your main ledger, compare accounting software for small business and bookkeeping software.
Product details were checked in October 2026 against each vendor’s official website and, for Plooto, its Xero App Store listing. Features, ownership and prices change often, so confirm details with the vendor before you buy.
