I Examined G2’s 7 Greatest Accounts Payable Automation Software program

Are you able to consider that for some time, I used to be really in company procurement, coping with meals elements? And if there’s one factor I bear in mind clearly, it’s how painful the accounts payable course of was. Invoices piled up, approvals acquired misplaced in e mail chains, and last-minute discrepancies turned easy funds into full-blown crises.

That have gave me an enormous appreciation for finance groups that cope with this at scale. Even right now, many are caught with handbook bill processing, sluggish approvals, and cost errors, points that one of the best accounts payable automation software program may simply clear up.

Considering again to these days, I needed to see simply how a lot AP automation has advanced. So, I examined over 25 instruments to search out those that actually simplify bill processing, automate approvals, and enhance money circulation visibility. In case your group is bored with chasing approvals and fixing errors, these handpicked seven instruments are value contemplating.

7 finest AP automation software program I like to recommend

Again after I labored in procurement, I spent method an excessive amount of time coping with sluggish approvals, lacking buy orders, and cost delays. Belief me, I do know the struggles!

The most effective accounts payable automation software program doesn’t simply make issues quicker. It eliminates inefficiencies, reduces errors, and retains your complete AP course of working easily. However not each software will get it proper. Some make life simpler, whereas others create as many complications as they clear up.

I needed to chop by means of the noise and discover out which of them really assist with bill processing and approvals and provides finance groups higher management over funds. Right here’s how I went about it.

What I prioritized when testing AP automation instruments

I thought of the next elements when evaluating one of the best accounts payable automation software program.

• Bill processing and knowledge seize: Manually getting into bill particulars wastes time and is liable to errors. I seemed for platforms that routinely seize knowledge from invoices utilizing AI and optical character recognition (OCR). The most effective AP automation instruments go additional by matching invoices to buy orders and receipts, stopping duplicate funds, and decreasing handbook reconciliation.
• Approval workflows that cut back bottlenecks: One of many greatest complaints I’ve seen from finance groups is how lengthy it takes to approve invoices. To hurry up the method, I centered on software program that lets customers customise approval workflows, arrange automated routing, and set off real-time notifications.
• Seamless integrations with different enterprise instruments: AP automation software program isn’t useful if it doesn’t sync with current accounting and enterprise useful resource planning methods. I prioritized instruments that combine easily with widespread ERPs and different main monetary platforms, decreasing the necessity for handbook knowledge entry and making certain up-to-date monetary information.
• Fraud detection and compliance controls: Monetary fraud and compliance violations are main dangers in accounts payable. I checked whether or not every platform had built-in fraud detection, computerized duplicate bill flagging, audit trails, and compliance monitoring.
• Automated vendor funds: AP groups cope with a number of distributors, currencies, and cost strategies. I seemed for software program that helps ACH transfers, wire funds, digital playing cards, and worldwide funds whereas offering options like early cost reductions and computerized reconciliation.
• Actual-time reporting and money circulation visibility: Finance groups want clear, real-time insights into excellent invoices, cost schedules, and total money circulation. I centered on platforms that provide customizable dashboards, spend analytics, and predictive reporting so companies can keep forward of their monetary obligations.
• Person expertise and buyer help: I worth environment friendly, quick, and user-friendly software program. I assessed every platform’s intuitiveness and reviewed the standard of buyer help, making certain finance groups may obtain immediate help when points come up.

The record under incorporates real consumer opinions from the accounts payable automation software program web page. To be included on this class, an answer should:

• Ship customizable workflows to streamline repetitive accounts payable duties corresponding to knowledge entry
• Embody doc seize and imaging options to transform paper invoices into digital paperwork
• Course of massive volumes of provider paperwork corresponding to invoices or credit score memos
• Present a single repository for customers to go looking and retrieve AP paperwork
• Match provider invoices with corresponding buy orders to precisely monitor the quantities owed
• Provide approval processes for funds, debits, or any modifications to AP transactions
• Adjust to accounting requirements and laws for AP processing
• Combine with accounting software program, ERP, or superior monetary methods corresponding to company efficiency administration (CPM)

*This knowledge was pulled from G2 in 2025. Some opinions might have been edited for readability.

BILL AP/AR brings invoicing, approvals, and vendor funds into one simplified area for finance groups trying to ditch handbook spreadsheet work and follow-ups.

Considered one of BILL’s greatest strengths is its user-friendliness. The format is clear, and actions like importing invoices, including distributors, or scheduling funds take just some clicks. Even I, with restricted AP expertise, was capable of get snug shortly. That ease of use may help shave hours off the month-to-month workflow and eradicate confusion.

Vendor administration additionally felt smoother than I anticipated. BILL shops detailed vendor profiles and allows you to automate cost reminders. I may maintain monitor of cost historical past, tax paperwork, and even communication logs in a single place. The method makes vendor relationships extra clear and fewer reactive.

The approval workflow choices are one other main win. You possibly can assign customized roles, route approvals throughout departments, and monitor each determination with full visibility. It’s an important match for groups that need inside controls with out pointless bottlenecks. I appreciated how straightforward it was to arrange multi-step approvals.

Fee processing velocity is one space that might be higher. I seen the transfers can take a number of days, which isn’t very best when a vendor wants a fast turnaround. That delay provides a bit friction to an in any other case easy course of.

Primarily based on my analysis and chatting with my colleagues in operations, I additionally realized that buyer help didn’t at all times come by means of when wanted. Some questions took days to reply, and reside chat wasn’t constantly out there. Whereas there’s an honest assist middle, I discovered myself counting on trial and error greater than I’d like. Fairly a couple of G2 customers additionally resonate with this sentiment.

The sync with different accounting instruments largely works; there have been a couple of bumps early on. I bumped into duplicate transactions and a few lacking entries when syncing payments. It took additional time to reconcile these points manually. With common checks, it is manageable, however I wouldn’t name the combination 100% dependable out of the field.

What I dislike about BILL AP/AR:

• Funds don’t undergo immediately, so I needed to consider a delay when scheduling vendor payouts. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it surely does require extra ahead planning.
• There have been a couple of hiccups in knowledge syncing, and I spent a while double-checking entries. I additionally seen occasional mismatches that took additional time to scrub up.

What G2 customers dislike about BILL AP/AR:

“Downloading stories from invoice.com is a really tedious course of. There are lots of sycnc errors whereas syncing with different software program like Sage Intact and so on.”

– BILL AP/AR Assessment, Manoj B.

Sage Intacct is a cloud-based monetary administration answer for rising companies and organizations with complicated accounting wants. It covers core modules like normal ledger, accounts payable and receivable, reporting, and multi-entity consolidation.

I appreciated how user-friendly the core navigation was. The format is clear, menus are logically grouped, and customary actions are straightforward to search out. I didn’t have to depend on guesswork to find options or settings. As soon as I acquired the hold of the workflow, duties like bill approvals and journal entries flowed shortly.

The reporting engine is one in all Sage Intacct’s standout options. I may slice knowledge by division, location, or mission and customise stories with filters and dimensions. It gave me the pliability to see financials from a number of angles, which is one thing many different methods wrestle with. For data-driven groups, it is a large win.

I used to be additionally impressed by how simply Sage Intacct dealt with a number of entities. Managing inter-company transactions, consolidations, and entity-specific permissions was easy. It made overseeing parent-child relationships a lot simpler and rolling all the pieces into unified stories when wanted.

That mentioned, not all the pieces got here simply—particularly the superior options. It took time (and a few exterior assist) to discover ways to absolutely use dimensions, automate workflows, or optimize reporting layouts. This can be a little bit of a ramp-up for groups with no devoted administrator.

There have been additionally a couple of persistent bugs that interrupted sure workflows. Challenge monitoring didn’t at all times behave as anticipated, and my colleagues who’ve labored with Sage reported minor glitches when switching between entities. These weren’t dealbreakers, however they did require follow-up.

The reporting instruments, whereas highly effective, may’ve been extra intuitive. Among the setup choices felt buried, and I needed to experiment fairly a bit to get stories to look the best way I needed. As soon as issues had been configured, they labored properly, however the path to get there wasn’t at all times easy.

What I dislike about Sage Intacct:

• It took some time to wrap my head round extra superior options, and I wanted some exterior assist to get essentially the most from it.
• Sure modules typically really feel barely unstable, particularly when juggling entities.

What G2 customers dislike about Sage Intacct:

“I dislike how lengthy it initially takes to get to the wanted pages. Having to open a number of tabs makes looking simpler and cuts down on the period of time I spend ready for the web page to load. It could be simpler for me if all the pieces I wanted to do with one bill might be carried out from the identical web page. I steadily need to refund invoices, and this cannot be carried out from Intacct. I’ve to go to Intacct to search out the data and take it to Braintree (each EFT and CC variations). There’s a few week’s ready interval for all the pieces to course of and sync; then I’ve to make use of Intacct to verse on one web page and reprocess on one other. It is not very straightforward to be taught at first, both. Since there are such a lot of back-and-forth steps, loads of handbook fixes, and one factor at a time, it takes loads of endurance and asking questions. The phrases are extra geared in direction of accountants and never a billing help group”

– Sage Intacct Assessment, Amber J.

Stampli simplifies bill administration and approvals and works alongside your current accounting system to assist route invoices quicker and cut back handbook knowledge entry. The software is particularly widespread amongst finance groups that want extra visibility and collaboration of their AP workflows.

Bill processing in Stampli is easy and quick. I used to be capable of add, route, and monitor invoices with minimal effort, and the system does an important job of auto-filling key fields. I favored how approvers had been looped in routinely, which sped up turnaround time. Even with excessive volumes, all the pieces feels straightforward to handle.

Buyer help stood out in a great way. Anytime I had questions, whether or not it was setup-related or about particular workflows, I acquired useful responses shortly. I by no means felt caught ready for a repair, which gave me extra confidence within the software total. The help group clearly is aware of the platform in and out.

The interface is easy, trendy, and straightforward to be taught. I didn’t want a lot coaching to get began. The navigation is intuitive, and customary duties are only a click on or two away. For a finance software, it’s refreshingly easy.

One limitation I bumped into was round funds. Stampli doesn’t deal with all cost eventualities, and relying in your trade, there could also be restrictions. This meant I nonetheless needed to depend on different methods for the ultimate cost step, which broke the circulation a bit. 

Exporting processed invoices got here with its personal set of challenges. As soon as one thing is exported or marked full, modifying turns into tough. That rigidity led to a couple do-overs after I caught small errors too late. A bit extra flexibility right here would go a good distance.

What I dislike about Stampli:

• Funds aren’t absolutely supported for each trade. I seen that this disconnect provides a bit of additional coordination when closing the loop on vendor payouts.
• As soon as invoices are exported, making corrections isn’t straightforward, which brought about me a couple of duplicate efforts.

What G2 customers dislike about Stampli:

“There are some options that my group is ready for Stampli to implement, and a few issues aren’t as easy as I would like. For instance, I would like to see cost data instantly on the bill web page or, on the very least, have a hyperlink from the bill web page to the cost web page, much like how invoice.com does it. This is able to make issues a lot smoother when checking on the standing of invoices and offering remittance data for distributors. Moreover, ACH funds take longer than different methods like invoice.com. A brand new expedited cost choice has been launched just lately, but it surely prices cash and has a cap on the cost quantities allowed to be expedited. Would like to see quicker funds total and finally no cap on expedited funds.”

– Stampli Assessment, Laura B.

Airbase is a spend administration platform that mixes expense monitoring, approvals, reimbursements, and digital playing cards into one centralized system. It’s designed to assist finance groups acquire extra management over firm spending whereas enhancing visibility throughout departments.

Airbase’s spend administration options gave me extra real-time management than I anticipated. The digital playing cards make assigning budgets and monitoring utilization straightforward and cut back last-minute surprises throughout reconciliations. I additionally favored how spending limits and insurance policies might be set upfront, serving to forestall overspending earlier than it occurs.

The cellular app provides loads of flexibility. I may add receipts, submit reimbursements, and approve bills whereas on the go. It got here in helpful throughout journey, and the fast picture add function meant I didn’t have to save lots of piles of paper receipts. It made holding issues updated really feel much less like a chore.

General, the interface is clear and intuitive. The format makes it straightforward to search out key options without having a walkthrough, and most actions, like creating a brand new request or submitting a report, take just some clicks. It seems like a platform constructed to take away friction from on a regular basis duties.

That mentioned, the cellular app expertise wasn’t at all times constant. Often, receipt uploads stalled or didn’t undergo the primary time. I double-checked submissions way more than I would like when counting on cellular.

There have been additionally some hiccups with how receipts had been matched to transactions. In a couple of circumstances, the auto-matching didn’t work, and I needed to re-attach information manually. It wasn’t tough to repair, however I may see it slowing issues down for customers dealing with massive volumes of bills.

The approval course of labored properly total however lacked some flexibility in additional complicated workflows. If a request wanted rerouting or needed to undergo a number of layers, it wasn’t at all times clear find out how to alter the circulation. It acquired the job carried out, but it surely felt a bit inflexible in edge circumstances.

What I dislike about Airbase:

• The cellular app typically struggles with receipt uploads, so in the course of the testing section, I acquired into the behavior of double-checking all the pieces.
• Approval routing normally works properly, however making modifications mid-flow takes a couple of extra steps than I anticipated.

What G2 customers dislike about Airbase:

“Whereas Airbase is unbelievable, there are a few minor issues I would wish to see improved. Often, the automated categorization of bills is not good, and I’ve to manually alter it. It is not an enormous deal, however it might be even higher if the AI was a bit extra correct. Additionally, whereas the cellular app is nice, I’ve seen that typically it may be a bit sluggish to load, particularly when I’ve loads of receipts to add. These are simply minor inconveniences, although, they usually actually do not outweigh the various advantages of utilizing Airbase.”

– Airbase Assessment, Kyle C.

Whereas SAP Concur is finest recognized for expense and journey administration, it additionally performs an essential position in automating components of the accounts payable course of—particularly on the subject of worker reimbursements and non-PO spending. For corporations with excessive volumes of journey bills or decentralized spending, Concur helps construction approval workflows and retains reimbursement cycles shifting. It’s not your typical AP answer however fills a crucial hole in broader spend management.

The cellular app is one in all Concur’s most useful options. I may snap an image of a receipt, assign it to an expense, and submit it without having to open my laptop computer. It is useful throughout work journeys when you should maintain issues shifting. For groups on the go, the app actually helps cut back delays in reimbursement.

Expense administration feels structured and scalable. I may get away classes, monitor spending by division, and fix documentation with just some clicks. The automated reminders helped me keep away from lacking receipts or leaving stories in draft. It will probably make month-to-month closeouts far much less chaotic.

The approval workflow was one other robust level. Requests transfer easily by means of the chain, and notifications make it straightforward for managers to assessment and log off. I favored that you can customise roles and arrange multi-layer approvals. That flexibility is a plus for finance groups attempting to take care of management.

That mentioned, the cellular expertise wasn’t at all times flawless. Often, receipts wouldn’t sync with the precise expense, or I needed to re-upload pictures that didn’t course of correctly. It wasn’t frequent, however sufficient to make me double-check submissions.

The desktop interface may use a refresh. Some menus really feel buried, and I needed to click on round to search out historic stories or view pending duties. It is positive as soon as you understand the place issues reside, however the preliminary studying curve is steeper than anticipated.

There have been additionally moments when the system felt sluggish or unresponsive, particularly when submitting stories with many attachments. Nothing crashed, however load instances added up when managing a number of entries. It’s not a dealbreaker, simply one thing that requires endurance.

What I dislike about SAP Concur:

• Some options within the cellular app really feel inconsistent, particularly when receipts don’t connect correctly the primary time.
• The interface takes some getting used to, and I discovered myself clicking round greater than I anticipated early on.

What G2 customers dislike about SAP Concur:

“Person interface! It’s actually dangerous. Issues are too descriptive, nothing icon-based. If the GUI is made extra graphical, the dashboard would look cool and would keep away from us to maintain looking for issues, and it helps us to discover issues simply reasonably than somebody instructing us to navigate.”

– SAP Concur Assessment, Adarsh S.

Ramp automates expense workflows for companies, enhancing management over spending. Whereas it isn’t a complete accounts payable system, Ramp manages a good portion of the every day bills that finance groups oversee.

Ramp’s card administration system is likely one of the most effective I’ve tried. With just some clicks, I may problem digital playing cards immediately, set spending limits, and assign playing cards to departments or tasks. It helps present real-time visibility and forestall unauthorized purchases, making managing recurring or one-off bills a lot simpler.

Receipt administration can also be a main energy. I can textual content or e mail receipts, and Ramp auto-matches them to the proper transaction. This easy course of reduces the standard follow-up emails and retains groups forward in the course of the month-to-month shut.

I used to be impressed by how environment friendly the entire platform felt. From approvals to categorization to syncing with accounting instruments, all the pieces moved shortly and with out friction.

The one actual limitation I seen was worldwide utilization. Ramp works nice for U.S.-based groups, however utilizing playing cards overseas or with worldwide distributors launched a couple of hiccups. It’s one thing world groups will need to plan round in the event that they’re hoping for seamless protection.

Exporting knowledge for accounting was typically trickier. Whereas a lot of the stories had been out there, formatting them for extra complicated use circumstances took additional effort. I sometimes needed to alter columns or manually set up fields earlier than importing elsewhere.

What I dislike about Ramp:

• I seen that Ramp doesn’t supply a lot help for worldwide funds or utilization, so some spending needs to be dealt with individually.
• Customizing exports for particular accounting wants wasn’t at all times intuitive, and I spent additional time cleansing up stories.

What G2 customers dislike about Ramp:

“Downsides for me are usually not with the ability to pay worldwide wires in international transactions, and a few higher dashboards for spend over time would assist.”

– Ramp Assessment, Gabriel F.

Tipalti is a worldwide payables automation platform that handles all the pieces from bill consumption and approvals to vendor onboarding and cross-border funds. The platform integrates with widespread ERPs and likewise contains built-in fraud prevention.

Tipalti actually shines within the bill processing workflow. It routinely routes approvals, flags duplicate invoices, and helps standardize formatting throughout distributors. I can simply monitor progress at every step, which helps keep away from bottlenecks afterward. The time saved right here is instantly noticeable.

Vendor onboarding is quick and structured. I discovered it straightforward to gather tax types, banking particulars, and compliance paperwork multi functional portal, so distributors don’t need to e mail data forwards and backwards. As soon as they’re within the system, all the pieces runs extra easily. It reduces handbook errors and saves loads of follow-up time.

Buyer help was additionally constantly useful. Whether or not it was strolling by means of an integration problem or answering particular reporting questions, the Tipalti help group felt accessible and responsive. I did not have to attend lengthy for a reply, which made the educational curve simpler to handle.

That mentioned, the reporting instruments are useful however restricted. I discovered it difficult to create customized stories or export knowledge in exactly the specified format. It labored properly for primary overviews, however deeper evaluation usually required handbook cleanup in spreadsheets.

Search performance may be improved. When in search of particular funds or vendor information, the outcomes weren’t at all times intuitive or full. It slowed me down when answering fast inside questions or pulling up previous actions.

What I dislike about Tipalti:

• I usually needed to export uncooked knowledge and reformat it manually to get the breakdowns I wanted for reporting.
• Search outcomes weren’t at all times related, so I usually needed to dig round to search out the document I wanted.

What G2 customers dislike about Tipalti:

“There are some extra complicated payout guidelines I would like to include into our payout routine, but it surely’s not but potential. In an ideal world, Tipalti may do pay-ins and payouts, so I would not want one other PSP for this, however possibly at some point.”

– Tipalti Assessment, Kristi H.

Looking for an invoicing software as a substitute? Take a look at this record of the 8 finest free invoicing software program for 2025, ranked and reviewed by my colleague.