The Best Expense Reporting Software List
Here’s a shortlist of the best expense management software tools I’ll cover in this article:
- 5. QuickBooks Online — Best accounting software for small business owners or self-employed professionals
Tracking and managing business expenses is a chore. Receipts pile up in shoeboxes, get lost in your email, or are forgotten altogether. Employees aren’t sure how much they're owed or how much of a particular stipend they have left.
Expense reporting software can help you avoid common problems and speed up your expense reporting process. They include time-saving features like automatic expense categorization and credit card reconciliations. Many systems are also mobile friendly, making it easy to submit travel expenses on the go too.
This article is my summary of the top options in the world of expense reporting software. Keep reading to find the best expense tracking tool for your situation, so you can manage your expenses without tearing your hair out.
Comparison Criteria
Wondering what I look for when I selecting the best expense reporting software for this article? Here’s a summary of my evaluation criteria:
- User Interface (UI): I've chosen software with a straightforward expense reporting process built-in to save time and improve productivity for busy executives and other frequent users.
- Usability: I've selected expense reporting software that all levels of users - from employees to accounts payable staff and other finance team members - will find intuitive and easy to use.
- Integrations: I look for easy integration with everyday business tools such as email, accounting software, and project management tools.
- Value for Cost: My priority here is finding expense reporting software that packs in a wealth of features at an affordable price.
Expense Reporting Software Key Features
- Receipt capture: 48% of finance professionals note that this is one of the most compelling features for expense management software.
- Direct deposit capabilities: 36% of finance professionals note that this is one of the most compelling features for expense management software.
- Mobile expense reporting: An easy way for employees to report business expenses and upload receipts from their mobile devices while on the go.
- Compliance management: Helps companies stay compliant with the latest rules from local, state, and federal tax agencies.
- Automated tax calculation: Features for including taxes such as GST or VAT where required.
- Integrated corporate credit card management: Built-in control of credit cards issued to employees.
- Multi-currency capability: Useful for dealing with travel expenses from overseas business trips or billing from foreign suppliers.
- Categorization of expenses: The ability to allocate receipts into a designated expense category in accordance with your company's expense policy.
Overviews of the 10 Best Expense Reporting Software
Here’s a brief description of each of the expense reporting software on my list, showing what it does best, plus screenshots to showcase some of the features.
Freshbooks
Best expense reporting software for small business and individuals
FreshBooks is a cloud-based accounting software that businesses can use to report their expenses. This software is designed to help small businesses and self-employed individuals manage their expenses through its dashboards and reports. FreshBooks is primarily known for its time-tracking and invoicing features, but it also offers expense reporting features that can help track a business’s billing and expense information and view them through a dashboard or reports.
The platform tracks expenses automatically when users connect their bank accounts or credit cards to FreshBooks and scan receipts using a mobile device. Scanning receipts ensures that businesses won’t lose a single receipt if they scan all the paper receipts they get when they don’t pay using a debit or credit card that’s connected to FreshBooks. Using the software, businesses can have an easy time with tax time, mark expenses as billable, keep track of overall spending, and monitor the company’s budget.
FreshBooks also has other features useful for expense tracking, including multi-currency expenses, auto-categorization, tax-friendly categories, easy recurring expenses assignment, automatic imports, a mobile application for snapping pictures of receipts, and secure receipt storage in the cloud. Using FreshBooks allows users to track their expenses on the go since users can use the FreshBooks mobile app to snap a picture of the receipt and access the receipts through the cloud or the dashboard.
Zoho Expense
Best expense management software for end-to-end travel management
Zoho Expense offers a full range of customizable expense reporting features. These include conversion of receipts to expenses claims, report submission approval, and corporate card reconciliation. In addition, this SaaS software also supports multi-level approval, spending rules, budgeting, and analytics.
You can also manage all stages of employees’ business trips and make bookings for flights and accommodation. Other features include setting pre-travel approvals, reimbursing on time, and facilitating the reporting of expenses anywhere.
Zoho Expense costs from $45/user/month. A free plan for up to three users is also available, as well as a free demo.
ITILITE
Best expense software for encouraging cost-conscious booking decisions
ITILITE is a SaaS-based integrated travel and expense management platform. Employees can scan paper receipts and file expenses wherever they are using the mobile expense tracker app. The automated receipt reading using OCR scanning also ensures accurate expense filing.
Expense policy violations and duplicate bills are easily identified, while customized dashboards give managers access to over 100 spend management reports. They also offer over 50 easily configurable multi-level approval flows and complex policy checks so you can stay on top of your employee spending.
ITILITE uses a rewards-based approach that incentivizes employees to choose lower-cost travel options. The software gives employees access to affordable rates through integrated supplier relationships.
ITILITE costs from $4.99/user/month and offers a free 7-day trial. A free demo is also available.
Happay
Best expense management software for spend management
Happay is a cloud-based expense management system designed for larger businesses. This expense tracking software uses AI and machine learning to automate expense claims management, employee reimbursement, and compliance monitoring.
Their expense management software also includes several useful features for tracking travel expenses. Employees can capture and submit expenses, plus track fuel purchases and toll payments automatically. The system also supports mileage tracking using a Google Maps-based route tracker.
Happay's expense management system helps with workforce management by highlighting errors or inaccuracies to facilitate better spend management. This means no more unauthorized travel bookings, late submission of expense reports, or deviation from expense policies. As a result, management gains greater control over costs, and team members are reimbursed faster, creating a better employee experience.
Happay offers customized pricing upon request. A free demo is also available.
QuickBooks Online
Best accounting software for small business owners or self-employed professionals
QuickBooks is a proven accounting solution that does a lot of the hard work of tracking expenses. The software helps you enter bills and purchases, then match them to transactions. You can then view how much you're spending in each expense category from your dashboard.
For small businesses, QuickBooks offers a simple, low-cost expense reporting solution. Receipts are sorted automatically and you can reclassify transactions in bulk. You can keep tabs on your cash flow easily through their dashboard.
QuickBooks online costs from $11/user/month and offers a free 30-day trial. Solo entrepreneurs can also take advantage of a special self-employed plan which costs $7.50/user/month.
Nexonia
Best expense software for flexible approval workflows
Nexonia is a configurable expense management platform that helps with ensuring compliance and controlling expenses. The software integrates with popular ERPs and accounting systems and can handle complex expense approval workflows in real-time.
Approval processes are linked to the user's role and can be single step or multi-step. Multiple approval processes can be defined to cater for the needs of different departments.
Employees can submit expenses quickly through an easy-to-use Android/iOS mobile app, while credit card reporting is handled through automation. Nexonia simplifies the reporting and approval process, enhances human resource management, and improves operational efficiency.
This tool costs from $12/user/month. There is no free trial, but a free demo is available.
ABUKAI Expenses
Best for automatic expense categorization
ABUKAI Expenses is a business productivity software with expense reporting capabilities to help you quickly create expense reports from transaction receipts. You can use ABUKAI to scan invoices which the software then transforms into digital data for more accurate record-keeping. ABUKAI also automatically posts expenses into your company’s accounting or ERP software to ensure that all expenses get accounted for. The software helps you separate reimbursable from company-paid expenses so you can mark out-of-pocket expenses and request for reimbursement later on.
ABUKAI Expenses is an If you want to make expense tracking more efficient using automatic categorization, then ABUKAI Expenses is an excellent choice for you. ABUKAI automates expense tracking to help you save time so you can attend to other aspects of your business. With the help of ABUKAI, there’s no need to manually type the details of receipts because the software handles it for you. Aside from saving time, this automation feature also reduces the likelihood of clerical errors that will affect the accuracy of your expense records. ABUKAI also automatically categorizes expenses making it easy for you to determine where your funds are going to create action plans that will help you save money.
ABUKAI has a free version, but the paid version's pricing starts at $99/user/year.
Gorilla Expense
Best expense software for automatic expense report creation
Gorilla Expense is a 100% online PCI compliant solution for managing all business expenses.
The receipt box feature means employees don't have to clutter their phone gallery with receipt images. The credit card feature allows travelers to import transactions from credit card purchases to complete their expense report quickly.
Gorilla Expense is designed with simplicity of use in mind. Images in the receipt box can be merged with the related credit card transaction, with both then attached to an expense report. The report dates are automatically set to match the dates of the credit card statement.
Gorilla Express costs from $12/user/month. There is no free trial, but a free demo is available.
Bx
Best free productivity platform for mobile expense reporting and accounting
Bx is a billing and invoicing software solution that includes a module dedicated to employee expense reporting. Available on mobile devices, tablets, and desktop computers, it supports multi-currency transactions and tax calculations.
Employees can upload expenses using the mobile app. These can then be analyzed by accounts payable or management using Bx Analytics to get granular data on purchase trends, payment status, and expenses by category.
The modular approach allows companies to select only the tools they need to support their business operations. A business may get started with the expenses module, then expand to include sales, quotes & estimates, project management, inventory management, reporting, and other modules.
The tool is currently available to use free of charge.
Expensify
Best for synching expense reports to accounting software
Expensify is an expense reporting software ideal for businesses that deal with a large volume of receipts because it allows the scanning of an unlimited number of receipts. What’s great about Expensify is how easy it is to use because you just have to take a picture of a receipt and the software automatically captures the details and compiles them into an expense report. You can also use Expensify to customize your company’s expense policies through Expensify’s multi-level approval workflows. Expensify also allows delegated access so you can enable a select number of employees to create, submit, and approve reports on your behalf to ensure business continuance in case you need to attend to other critical business matters.
Expensify is an excellent software if you want an expense reporting software that automatically syncs with your accounting software. You can sync tax rates from your accounting software or customize tax rates, codes and names to ensure uniform tax data and compliance with local, state, and federal tax laws. Expensify also allows you to import general ledger codes from your accounting software to enable you to tag expenses in complete detail. On top of these, Expensify automatically detects duplicate receipts, ensures accurate exchange rates and confirms the validity of transactions to make auditing easier.
Expensify is a free software but the pricing for additional modules start at $5/user/month.
Need Expert Help Selecting The Right Purchasing & Expenses Software?
People Managing People has joined forces with the software comparison platform Crozdesk.com to assist you in finding the best tool for your needs. Crozdesk’s Purchasing & Expenses Software advisors can create a personalized shortlist of software solutions with unbiased recommendations to help you identify the solutions that best suit your business's needs. Through our partnership you get free access to their bespoke software selection advice, removing both time and hassle from the research process.
It only takes a minute to submit your requirements and they will give you a quick call at no cost or commitment. Based on your needs you’ll receive customized software shortlists listing the best-fitting solutions from their team of software advisors (via phone or email). They can even connect you with your selected vendor choices along with community negotiated discounts. To get started, please complete the form below:
The 10 Best Expense Reporting Software Summary
Tool | Free Option | Price | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Freshbooks Best expense reporting software for small business and individuals | 30-day free trial | From $15/month | Visit Website |
2 | Zoho Expense Best expense management software for end-to-end travel management | Free demo available | From $45/user/month | Visit Website |
3 | ITILITE Best expense software for encouraging cost-conscious booking decisions | 7 days free trial | From $4.99/user/month | Visit Website |
4 | Happay Best expense management software for spend management | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
5 | QuickBooks Online Best accounting software for small business owners or self-employed professionals | Not available | From $100/month | Visit Website |
6 | Nexonia Best expense software for flexible approval workflows | Free demo | From $12/user/month | Visit Website |
7 | ABUKAI Expenses Best for automatic expense categorization | Not available | From $99/user/year | Visit Website |
8 | Gorilla Expense Best expense software for automatic expense report creation | Free demo available | From $12/user/month | Visit Website |
9 | Bx Best free productivity platform for mobile expense reporting and accounting | Not available | Free of charge | Visit Website |
10 | Expensify Best for synching expense reports to accounting software | Not available | From $5/user/month | Visit Website |
Other Expense Reporting Software Options
Here are a few more expense management software options that didn’t make the top list:
- ProjectCompanion
Best Windows-based expense management solution
- AutoEntry
Best accounting tool for automated expense data entry
- NetSuite
Best employee expense tracking software for billable service organizations
- Acumatica
Best expense management software for automatically generating expense receipts using smart matching technology
- Projectworks
Best expense reporting within a resource management platform
- Xero
Best for managing expenses on the go
- SutiExpense
Best for detecting fraud with AI
- FreshBooks
Best for managing billable expenses
- Avaza
Best for a unified work management solution
- Timesheets.com
Best for an easy-to-use system
What Is Expense Reporting Software?
Expense reporting software provides an easy way for employees to submit expense receipts and certify expenses claims. These tools also help finance teams administer expense reports, check for fraud, and reduce inaccuracies.
It’s becoming increasingly common for US organizations to offer additional compensation, like well-being programs and additional financial incentives to their employees. Expense reporting software helps you track, manage, and reimburse all your complex expenses.
What Is The Best Accounting Software For Small Business?
The best accounting and expense reporting software for a small business is one that fits the size, nature, and requirements of the company. There are many tools on the market, all with different features and capabilities. Many of these offer free plans or free trials, so you can easily experiment to find out which is the best match for your specific needs.
What Do You Think About These Expense Reporting Software?
What’s hot and what’s not in the world of expenses reporting software? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. And if you’d like to hear our thoughts, be sure to sign up for our newsletter. You’ll get illuminating insights from the biggest brains in the business. Don’t miss out!