6 best accounts payable software platforms for small businesses

“Have I paid that vendor yet?” you ask yourself as you sort through the dozens of invoices you’ve received this month. Definitely not the way you wanted to spend your Friday afternoon. 

As your small business grows, manually managing accounts payable (AP) processes becomes more challenging, time-consuming and error-prone. 

Enter accounts payable software. These platforms can automate processes like invoice management and payment processing while syncing to your accounting software to ensure nothing slips through the cracks. 

This article offers an overview of the six best accounts payable software solutions for small businesses so you can find just the right platform for your needs. We’ll also give you a list of the features you should look for when choosing a platform, plus tips for how to make your decision.*

Get started with Juni today.

*The information about all the platforms discussed in this article was collected between 9 January 2024 and 11 January 2024. This article was written and approved by Juni and is intended as marketing material.

Accounts payable software comparison: The best solutions available

Table comparing Juni, Pleo, Spenddesk, Sage intacct, SAP concur, and Visma as the best solutions available for accounts payable softwares, based on automated invoicing, accounting and financial oftware integrations, flexible financing options, analytics and reporting features, and their mobile apps

6 features to look for in accounts payable software 

Whenever you’re researching software, whether that be an accounts payable solution or inventory management platform, you need to be clear on what functionalities your business needs. So before we get into our list, here are some features you should prioritise when selecting accounts payable software:

  1. Invoicing automation features: This includes payment scheduling and auto-fill for payment details so you can spend less time on AP processes.  
  2. Auto-pull and matching to transactions: You want the platform you use to pull in your invoices and automatically match them to payments to reduce your manual work. 
  3. Simple international transfers: If you work with international vendors, you want to make sure it’s easy to pay them (and that the transfer fees are low). 
  4. Integration capabilities: The platform you choose should integrate with whatever accounting tool you use, as well as your storefronts and other software. 
  5. Financing options: As a small business, cash can get tight, so look for AP software with financing options to ease your cash flow. 
  6. Mobile app: You may not be at your desk when you want to check the status of an invoice payment, so find a platform with a mobile app that gives you visibility wherever you are. 

6 top accounts payable software platforms

Let’s take an in-depth look at our list of software. For each platform, we’ll list its features (as well as its limitations), explain how pricing works and point out what kind of business it’s best fit for. 

1. Juni: Accounts payable (and much more) for ecommerce brands

Juni accounts payable software
Schedule invoice payments with Juni to make sure you never fall behind. Source

Juni’s platform for ecommerce entrepreneurs comes with automated accounts payable features that can help you run simpler, tighter and more accurate financial admin. With Juni, it takes just seconds to auto-collect, pay and even finance your invoices. 

By collecting and scanning your invoices automatically, then pre-filling all the important payment details, Juni saves you time and reduces the risk of human error. You can also automatically import your receipts and invoices with your dedicated Juni inbox for effortless spend management, plus match receipts to transactions. 

What’s more, if you need to reduce pressure on your cash flow cycles, Juni offers financing options for certain types of payments, giving you up to 120 days to pay.* 

The platform goes beyond accounts payable features, also offering business accounts and cards, features to optimise cash flow management, powerful accounting automations, fast transfers and storefront integrations. 

Most suitable for: Ecommerce entrepreneurs and small businesses

Juni customer review on TrustPilot
Our user reviews speak for themselves—we offer our customers quick and comprehensive support to help them make the most of Juni. Source

 Key features

  • Invoice automation to auto-collect and pay invoices, as well as schedule payments in advance. 
  • Dedicated receipt inbox for automatic imports and matching to transactions. 
  • International transfers with low, transparent FX fees (up to 0.5% for accounts payments and 1.5% for credit card payments) and multi-currency accounts.
  • Accounting software integrations with platforms like Xero, Netsuite and Fortnox, plus integrations with payment gateways, storefronts and other tools. 
  • Flexible financing options to ease your cash flow. 
  • ecommerce business solutions like expense management, business accounts and cards and data insights
  • Mobile app to give you access to the platform wherever you are. 
  • 24/7 live chat support. 

Limitations

  • Available to all industries, but built for ecommerce businesses primarily

Pricing 

See our pricing plans here

2. Pleo

Pleo accounting software integrations
Like Juni, Pleo also integrates with various accounting software platforms, meaning all your data is connected. Source

Based in Copenhagen, Pleo is a business spending solution with built-in AP automation software. Pleo’s invoice management features make it easy to capture, process, approve, pay and bookkeep invoices in a central location. With over 50 supported currencies, Pleo users can seamlessly pay vendors across the world. 

Most suitable for: Companies that need to pay invoices in several currencies

Key features

  • Automated invoice processing for less manual work and fewer errors.  
  • Real-time payment status updates for increased transparency. 
  • 50+ supported currencies for international payments. 
  • Instant data exports to simplify reporting. 
  • Mobile app to give you access to the platform wherever you are. 

Limitations

  • No financing options

Pricing 

Pleo has three plan options: 

  • Starter: Free for up to three users
  • Essential: 45€/month when billed monthly, 3 users included and up to 12.50€/month per additional user
  • Advanced: 89€/month when billed monthly, 3 users included and up to 14.50€/month per additional user

3. Spendesk

Spendesk accounting software integrations
Spendesk’s accounting software integrations means no more manual data entry. Source

Spendesk is a spend management platform with accounts payable features like invoice automation and approval workflows, giving you greater control over the invoicing lifecycle and your AP processes. By using Spendesk, you can minimise (or eliminate) manual data entry for your invoicing processes, plus get real-time insights into your spending patterns.

Most suitable for: SaaS, tech and fintech companies

Key features

  • Invoice automation for streamlined processes and time savings. 
  • Real-time spending insights for better budget control. 
  • Approval workflows to reduce risk and stay ahead of excess spending. 
  • Integrations with accounting systems for more efficiency and accuracy. 
  • Mobile app to give you access to the platform wherever you are. 

Limitations

  • No financing options

Pricing 

Spendesk doesn’t list its pricing options, so you’ll have to reach out to sales to get a quote.

4. Sage Intacct

Sage Intacct accounts payable software
Use Sage Intacct to automate invoice management, significantly reducing your AP processing time. Source

Sage Intacct’s cloud-based invoicing software helps small business owners and finance teams automate invoice management with the power of AI. For example, simply upload or email an invoice, and the software will automatically extract details and populate fields for your approval. The platform can also detect duplicate invoices, helping you stay in control of your expenses and avoid costly errors. 

Most suitable for: Businesses that need powerful analytics tools

Key features

  • AI-powered AP automation and duplicate invoice detection for increased accuracy. 
  • Real-time payment tracking for better cash flow management. 
  • Recurring invoices settings so you never miss a payment. 
  • Advanced reporting, metrics and analytics features for in-depth financial insights. 
  • Mobile app to give you access to the platform wherever you are. 

Limitations

  • Not available in all EU countries (for example, not available in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden)

Pricing 

Sage Intacct has three plans for its accounts payable software. All plans come with three months free:

  • Accounting Start: £14 +VAT/month for a single user
  • Accounting Standard: £28 +VAT/month for unlimited users
  • Accounting Plus: £36 +VAT/month for unlimited users

5. SAP Concur

SAP Concur accounts payable software
Automate supplier invoices and get more time back in the day with SAP Concur. Source

While SAP Concur isn’t specifically designed for small businesses, it’s still a good fit for solopreneurs and SMBs looking to automate their AP processes. The platform automates invoicing processes, meaning you can pay suppliers quickly without constantly having to double-check invoices and complete transactions yourself. 

Most suitable for: Businesses with immediate plans to scale

Key features

  • Automated matching functionality to pair invoices with purchase orders and goods received. 
  • Streamlined approval workflow to simplify the review process. 
  • Accounting software integrations to automatically sync data across your tech stack. 
  • Reporting dashboard with spend overviews for better financial insights. 
  • Mobile app to give you access to the platform wherever you are. 

Limitations

  • Not available in all EU countries (for example, not available in Austria, Iceland, or Portugal)
  • No financing options

Pricing 

SAP Concur doesn’t list its pricing options, so you’ll have to reach out to sales to get a quote.

6. Visma 

Visma eEkonomi accounting software
Pay invoices instantly with Visma eEkonomi. Source

Visma is the parent organisation for a number of accounting and invoicing solutions across Europe. It has designated products for 15 different EU countries, such as Visma eKonomi, its designated Swedish accounting platform. Visma eKonomi has basic AP features for paying vendors, but it has a range of other accounting features that can help you streamline your financial admin as a whole. 

Key features

  • Centralised supplier invoicing to streamline your AP processes. 
  • Recurring and automated customer billing for hands-off financial admin. 
  • Integrations with popular banks, payment gateways and storefronts. 
  • Access to Visma Spcs company card to sync all your payments to the platform. 
  • Mobile app to give you access to the platform wherever you are. 

Most suitable for: Small businesses in Sweden

Limitations

  • No financing options
  • Only available in Sweden (though other Visma products are available across a range of European markets)

Pricing 

Visma platform prices range depending on which country you operate in and the Visma product you select. Visma eEkonomi has three plans that come with supplier invoicing features: 

  • Accounting: 169 SEK/month
  • Smart: 249 SEK/month
  • Pro: 399 SEK/month

How to choose an accounts payable software platform in 4 steps

You can have all the software comparison guides in the world available to you, but if you aren’t intentional about your decision, you may end up choosing software that falls short for your needs. Here are a few steps you can take to help you make the right decision when selecting an accounts payable platform for your small business. 

  1. Identify your challenges. Do you often make mistakes when transferring invoice data into your accounting software? Find yourself forgetting to pay vendors? The first step in choosing the right AP automation solution is to identify where you need the most help. 
  1. List out what features are most important to you. Now it’s time to list out the must-have features you want in a platform. For example, if you know you need to make payments in various currencies, ensure that’s a feature the software you choose offers. 
  1. Set a budget. You want your AP automation solution to help you save money, not drain your profits. Set a realistic budget of how much you can spend per month and, whenever possible, try out a platform for free before signing up. 
  1. Consider scalability. You’re a small business now, but you might have plans for growth. So take time to investigate whether the software you choose will be able to scale with your business. 

Minimise financial admin and focus on growing your business with accounts payable software

By digitising the traditionally paper-intensive process of handling invoices and payments, AP software is not only more efficient than manual processes, but also minimises the possibility of errors, like a missed or incorrect payment. Having more visibility over invoices, due dates and your general spending patterns can help you maintain tighter control over your financial operations. 

But to get the most out of a platform, you need to make sure you’re choosing the right one for your needs. For example, if you run an online storefront, you’ll want to choose a solution like Juni that has the specific needs of ecommerce entrepreneurs in mind. 

By choosing a software solution that’s a good fit for you, you’ll make your business more agile, resilient and competitive. Meanwhile, you’ll get back more time in the day to focus on what you most love about running your company, whether that’s marketing your product, interacting with customers or finding ways to scale.

Get started with Juni today.

*Juni Invoices is available for EU-based companies only. Media financing is available for companies registered in NL, SE, DE, FR, ES, IT, FI and NO, upon eligibility. Fees and terms and conditions apply. Click here for more details.

Frequently asked questions about accounts payable software

What is accounts payable automation software?

Accounts payable automation software helps businesses manage and track the money they owe to suppliers, vendors and other parties. Essentially, this type of software helps business owners and finance departments handle their payment processes by recording invoices, tracking due dates and organising information. 

How do you keep track of accounts payable? 

While you can manually manage your accounts payable process, this approach can be time-consuming and error-prone. A better way to keep track of accounts payable is by using specialised accounts payable software that tracks and pays your invoices for you. 

Can you automate accounts payable?

You can automate accounts payable processes by using specialised software. These platforms handle a number of tasks, including: 

  • Invoice recording
  • Payments and transfers
  • Reporting and analytics
  • Data sharing with accounting platforms

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