The Best Small Business Expense Tracker Apps

‍Are you tired of the month-end close feeling like a chaotic scramble? 

Drowning in a sea of spreadsheets, chasing down missing receipts, and manually reconciling credit card statements is not just frustrating—it’s a significant drain on your finance team’s productivity. 

You know there has to be a better way, but the market is crowded with solutions that often promise simplicity but deliver complexity, sometimes even forcing you to switch the corporate cards your business already knows and trusts.

This guide is designed to cut through the noise. We'll provide a clear, controller-focused review of the best business expense tracking software for 2025. We will compare leading platforms, dive into the features that actually solve your biggest pain points—from real-time spend visibility to seamless accounting integration—and help you find a tool that empowers your team.

This guide will help you answer common questions like:

• What is the easiest way to manage corporate card expenses without switching providers?
• How can I automate credit card reconciliation and eliminate manual data entry?
• Which expense management tools integrate best with QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, or NetSuite?
• What are the key features a financial controller should look for to ensure compliance and control?

A Note About Our Review: Putting Finance Leaders First

This review is crafted with the specific needs of Financial Controllers, Finance Managers, and CFOs in Small to Mid-sized Businesses (SMBs) and Mid-Market organizations in mind. We understand the unique pressures you face, from ensuring data accuracy and compliance to driving efficiency within your teams, especially in industries like Construction, Non-Profits, and Professional/IT Services.

Our insights are drawn from extensive research, hands-on experience, and analysis of recent user reviews (from 2022 onwards on sites like G2 and Capterra) and real-world Reddit discussions. Most importantly, we've incorporated feedback from hundreds of direct conversations with finance professionals to understand their core challenges—the "hot mess" of manual processes, the pain of an audit, and the constant chase for documentation. 

Why Using Your Existing Business Credit Cards Matters

Before diving into the tools, it's crucial to address a key decision point: should you switch to a software that requires its own proprietary card, or choose one that works with your existing cards? For most established businesses, the answer is clear. Sticking with your current cards isn't just about convenience; it's a strategic financial decision.

• Maintaining Established Banking Relationships & Rewards: Your company has likely spent years building a relationship with its bank, resulting in trust, favorable terms, and a rewards program tailored to your spending habits. A forced card switch severs that history and resets your benefits. Many controllers are rightly married to their existing cards and the points they bring. 
• Avoiding Disruption: Introducing a new credit card program is a significant operational hassle. It means new applications, new underwriting processes, re-educating employees, and updating payment information for countless vendors. This disruption can stall productivity and create unnecessary work for your finance and AP teams.
• Preserving Credit Lines & Terms: Your existing corporate cards have established credit lines and payment terms that your business relies on for cash flow management. Many new fintech "credit cards" are actually charge cards, which require the balance to be paid in full each month, offering no flexibility. This can be a major issue for businesses with fluctuating expenses.
• Flexibility and Control: Using a card-agnostic expense management platform means you are not locked into a single provider's ecosystem. You retain the freedom to choose the best cards for your business, now and in the future, without being held hostage by your software.
• The Risk of Fintech Card Issuers: The new-age, card-first model can be volatile. Some platforms tie credit limits to your real-time cash balance, leading to unexpected card declines that can strand employees on the road. Others have been known to abruptly change their business models, dropping support for entire segments of their customer base with little notice, as seen with Brex.

Best Small Business Expense Trackers of 2025

• Fyle: Best for real-time credit card and expense tracking
• Expensify: Best for dedicated charge cards
• Concur: Best for large enterprises managing complex global travel
• Ramp: Best for VC-backed startups. 
• Spendesk: Best for spend management
• Bill Spend and Expense: Best for budget controls
• QuickBooks: Best for basic expense logging. 

The Best Tools for Small Business Expense Tracking

Fyle

Fyle is a modern expense management software built for finance teams that want automation without overhauling their existing systems. It helps you collect receipts in real time, reconcile corporate credit card expenses, and export reports directly to your accounting software — without needing to issue new cards or force your team to switch tools.

With features like text-based receipt capture, real-time visibility on transactions with your existing cards, and deep integrations with QuickBooks, Sage, NetSuite, and Xero, Fyle simplifies expense tracking from swipe to close.

Whether your team is submitting expenses from the field or managing approvals remotely, Fyle ensures everything gets captured, coded, and synced without manual effort.

Pros

• Real-time transaction visibility with your existing business credit cards
• Easy receipt capture via text message, email or mobile app
• Works with your existing credit cards — no need to switch
• Flexible approval workflows and custom policy enforcement
• Direct integrations with all major ERP Systems
• Supports reimbursements and mileage tracking
• Excellent customer support and fast onboarding

Cons

• Currently available in English only
• ACH reimbursements are available only in the US

Pricing

Fyle offers two plans:

• Growth – $11.99/user/month
  Includes real-time card feeds, text-based receipt capture, automated reconciliations, single-stage approvals, and integrations with QuickBooks and Xero.
  
  
• Business – $14.99/user/month
  Adds multi-level approvals, ACH reimbursements, project tracking, custom exports, NetSuite/Sage integrations, and premium support.
  

You can view full pricing details here.

Who is Fyle For?

Fyle is ideal for finance and accounting teams in small and mid-sized businesses across industries like construction, nonprofits, professional services, real estate, and healthcare, seeking to:

• Use their existing corporate credit cards.
• Automate manual reconciliation and stop chasing receipts. 
• Achieve real-time (or near real-time) visibility into card spend. 
• Seamlessly integrate with QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, Sage 300, Xero, or NetSuite. 
• Provide an easy-to-use system for all employees, regardless of their technical skills.
• Have access to reliable and responsive customer support.
  

FAQs About Fyle

1. Can I Use Fyle With My Existing Credit Cards?

Yes! Fyle works with all major business credit card networks, so there is no need to issue new ones or change your credit cards.

2. Does Fyle Integrate With QuickBooks or NetSuite?

Yes, Fyle offers direct two-way integrations with QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Xero, and more.

3. How Do Employees Submit Receipts?

They can simply reply to a text, forward an email, or upload via Gmail, Outlook, mobile, or web app. Fyle’s AI matches the receipt to the transaction automatically.

4. Does Fyle Support Approval Workflows?

Yes. You can set up multi-level approval workflows based on roles, departments, amounts, or projects.

5. How Long Does It Take To Get Started?

Most teams are up and running in under 30 days, with help from Fyle’s onboarding and customer success team.

6. How Does Fyle Handle Expenses On Existing Amex Cards?

Fyle supports both physical and virtual Amex cards. Once your corporate Amex account is connected, transactions sync automatically, and users can start submitting receipts right away. You also get access to unlimited virtual Amex cards with custom limits and expiry.

7. Can Fyle Automate The Matching Of Receipts To Card Transactions?

Yes. Fyle auto-matches receipts to card transactions using AI. After a swipe, users get a text, they reply with a photo, and Fyle codes and matches it instantly, even handling tips or minor delays.

8. What Details Can Fyle Sync To QuickBooks Desktop Or Sage Intacct?

Fyle syncs transactions, receipts, Chart of Accounts, vendors, projects, and custom fields. You can export expenses as bills, journal entries, or card transactions—fully mapped to your accounting setup.

9. Is Fyle Easy For Non-Tech-Savvy Employees?

Very. Users can submit receipts via text, email, mobile app, or web—no training needed. Fyle handles the rest with auto-coding and reminders, making it easy for anyone to stay compliant.

Expensify

Expensify is an expense management software built for small to mid-sized teams looking for simple receipt capture, reimbursements, and card-based spend control. It allows employees to snap receipts, submit reports, and get reimbursed quickly—all from their phone or laptop.

With built-in features like SmartScan (OCR for receipts), automatic approvals, and the Expensify Card, the platform helps businesses automate tedious finance tasks and maintain visibility over employee spending. It also integrates with major accounting tools like QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite.

Pros

• Easy-to-use mobile app for receipt capture and approvals
• SmartScan automatically reads and codes receipt details
• Real-time spend tracking(for Expensify Cards)
• Integrates with accounting and payroll systems
• Supports multi-level approvals and policy enforcement
  

Cons

• Customer support can be hard to reach during billing issues
• Discounted pricing depends on using the Expensify Card
• Some users report sync errors or app glitches occasionally
• ​​App UX issues: duplicate transactions or sync hiccups occasionally frustrate users
• Billing confusion: pricing can change, and overage/billing cycles may catch teams off guard

Pricing

Expensify offers two plans:

• Collect – $5/user/month, month-to-month‍
• Control – $9/user/month with annual subscription or $18/user/month without the Expensify Card

Who is it for?

• Small teams needing easy receipt capture and basic reimbursements‍
• SMBs that want multi-stage approvals, expense controls, and card integration‍
• Teams that prefer using the Expensify Card for spend control and cashback

FAQs About Expensify

Q: Why is Expensify customer service so hard to reach?

Support operates via in-app Concierge chat, email, and online help—no phone lines. While intended to be fast, some users report slow or repetitive responses, especially during billing or cancellation issues.

Q: What are the hidden costs with Expensify?

Pricing may increase if you don’t use the Expensify Card (higher rates on Control plan), and pay-per-use fees apply for extra users over agreed limits. Sudden billing switches (e.g. annual vs monthly cycles) have caught some teams off-guard. Some users have also reported being billed without clear in-app warnings.

Q: Do I have to use the Expensify Card?

No, you can use other credit cards—especially if you’re on the Collect plan. If you use a non-Expensify card, you'll be charged a higher monthly rate and won’t get real-time transaction visibility, which means expense data may be delayed or require more manual reconciliation.

What Users Say About Expensify

“Avoid using Expensify. There's no customer support — users are left dealing with issues on their own. The only help offered is repetitive advice to uninstall and reinstall the app.” ‍

“One of the worst decisions I’ve made this year. I regret choosing this tool — it’s caused major disruptions. My receipts are all stored in the system, but despite their claims, it doesn’t actually integrate with Xero. On top of that, their support is practically nonexistent.”

‍As a small business, we turned to Expensify to help categorize expenses by store, but the experience has been a nightmare. The onboarding was messy, customer support was unhelpful, and the software was confusing and not intuitive. After finally setting things up and adding our users, we somehow ended up locked into a 12-year contract that we can’t get out of. Expensify refuses to cancel our subscription.

Concur

SAP Concur is an enterprise-grade expense and travel management platform designed to help large organizations automate spend tracking, enforce compliance, and manage global operations at scale. Known for its integration with the SAP ecosystem, Concur offers tools for expense reporting, invoice processing, travel bookings, and reimbursement—along with deep controls for multi-level approvals and policy enforcement.

With mobile receipt capture, AI-assisted workflows, and support for multiple currencies, tax rules, and business units, Concur is built for companies with complex travel and finance structures. It’s widely adopted by enterprises, government agencies, and global teams that need high levels of customization and control.

Pros

• All-in-one travel, expense, and invoice management platform
• Enterprise-level customization with approval workflows and policy checks
• Strong integrations with SAP, NetSuite, AmEx, and travel booking tools
• AI assistant (Joule) for smart suggestions and automation
• Mobile receipt capture and e-receipt support
  

Cons

• UI feels outdated and can be hard to navigate
• Setup and admin configuration can be time-consuming
• No transparent pricing; must contact sales
• Customer support and response times vary
• Steep learning curve for non-finance users
  

Pricing

SAP Concur does not list pricing publicly. Based on user reviews, plans typically start around $8–$9 per report submitted, with additional costs for modules like travel, invoice, and audit services.

Enterprise contracts often include setup fees and custom pricing based on the size and complexity of your organization.

​​Who is it for?

Concur is ideal for:

• Companies already using SAP or enterprise ERPs
• Large enterprises and multinational companies with complex approval structures
• Organizations that need deep travel-expense integration and global compliance
• Finance teams managing high volumes of reimbursements and vendor payments
  

FAQs 

Q: Is Concur Too Complicated For A Small Or Mid-Sized Business?

 For many smaller teams, yes. Concur is built for enterprise use, and its interface and setup can feel overwhelming. While it offers SMB packages, simpler tools may be a better fit for ease of use and faster adoption.

Q: How Long Does It Take To Implement Concur?

Implementation can take several months, and for larger setups, even up to a year. Most companies require help from consultants or Concur’s onboarding team to configure workflows, integrations, and policies.

Q: What Are The Real Costs Of Using Concur?

Pricing typically starts at $8–$9 per report, but real costs rise with add-ons like travel, invoice, audit services, and premium support. Many users report hidden costs and limited pricing transparency.

What Users Say About Concur

“Terrible experience from the start. I had to sign a contract just to see the software — no demo, just fine print and pushy terms. The tool didn’t meet our needs, but canceling was made unnecessarily difficult. I’ve dealt with over a dozen reps, none helpful — just constant deflection to “the contract.” They even stopped responding for 8 months and suddenly came back chasing an $85 payment from 2022. The whole process felt slimy and robotic, with zero regard for the customer.”

“Our experience with SAP Concur was extremely frustrating. Concur promised a 4–6 week setup for our new company by 1/1/24, but implementation didn’t even start until December, and the setup never happened. We were billed over $4,400 for services we never received, including third-party costs. Every attempt to get help was met with delays, new reps, and excuses. Even refunds were denied after paying in good faith.”‍

“SAP Concur is impressively consistent – if you're looking for a masterclass in inefficiency, constant page reloads, and software that never works as intended. It's like they took the simplest task, expense reporting, and thought, "How can we make this as slow and painful as possible?" Truly, they've outdone themselves. I wish we’d gone with anyone else because watching paint dry is a smoother, faster process than using this system.”

Ramp

Ramp is a corporate card and spend management platform designed to help businesses control expenses, automate accounting, and optimize costs. Unlike traditional expense tools, Ramp issues its own corporate cards and offers built-in expense tracking, approvals, and real-time analytics—all in one platform.

Ramp is best known for its free pricing model, automation-first approach, and strong integrations with tools like NetSuite, QuickBooks, Xero, and Sage Intacct. It also includes features like receipt matching, travel booking (via integrations), vendor management, and subscription monitoring.

Pros

• Real-time spend tracking with Ramp-issued corporate cards
• Powerful automation for receipt capture, approvals, and GL coding
• Integrates with top ERPs and accounting systems
• Includes spend insights and savings recommendations
  

Cons

• Requires switching to Ramp’s corporate card to unlock full features
• Not ideal for teams that want to keep their existing credit cards
• Limited customization compared to enterprise-grade platforms
• ACH reimbursements and travel tools rely on third-party integrations
• Some users have complained about poor customer support — with delays in getting refunds and no direct access to a real representative.
  

Pricing

Ramp is completely free to use, with no licensing or per-user fees. The company generates revenue through interchange fees on Ramp-issued corporate cards.

However, keep in mind:

• You must use Ramp’s cards to access most features
• Some advanced use cases (multi-entity setups, ERP workflows) may require setup effort
  

Who is it for?

Ramp is ideal for:

• Teams open to using Ramp’s corporate cards instead of their existing bank cards
• Finance teams looking for automation and cost-saving insights‍
• Companies using QuickBooks, Xero, or NetSuite and want a direct integration with them

FAQs about Ramp

Q: Will Ramp Block My Card If My Cash Balance Drops?

Yes, it can happen. Ramp’s risk team may temporarily lock cards or funds if your account balance falls below the required threshold, especially for large or unusual transactions. 

Q: Is Ramp A True Credit Card Or A Charge Card?

Ramp issues charge cards, not credit cards. This means you must pay your balance in full each billing cycle—no minimum payments or interest, and no preset spending limit. It's designed for disciplined, full-cycle repayment.

Q: How Reliable Is Ramp's Quickbooks Integration For Detailed Accounting?

Generally very reliable, especially with QuickBooks Online: users appreciate accurate transaction syncing, GL coding, and easy reconciliation. However, some challenges exist, such as the need for manual syncs and limited class or project fields in QBD—which require extra steps to reconcile accurately.

What Users Say About Ramp

“The most frustrating part about Ramp is the fluctuating spending limit. They set an initial limit, but it shrinks as your bank balance drops, which is tough for a small business like ours, where cash flow varies. We chose Ramp, hoping it would help smooth out the gap between income and expenses, but it hasn’t. Another downside is that, unlike a regular credit card, Ramp pulls the full amount from your account each month, leaving little flexibility. We would've been better off with a traditional credit card.”

“We had our Ramp credit line suddenly reduced to zero without any notice, leaving our team unable to make essential purchases like fuel. Despite having more than enough funds in our connected accounts, they cut the limit and then placed a 5-day hold on our payment after we cleared the balance. Multiple follow-ups got us nowhere, and we were left with disabled cards and failed recurring payments. For a company with six figures in the bank, being restricted like this was incredibly frustrating.”

“The way they calculate your credit limit. It is based on your cash balance in your bank account, so if your bank account drops one day, it could mean your credit cards are blocked, leaving your team stranded on their trip.”

Spendesk

Spendesk is an spend management platform built to help finance teams gain visibility and control over company spending. It combines corporate cards, expense reimbursements, invoice management, approval workflows, and real-time reporting into one centralized system.

The platform offers both physical and virtual debit cards with customizable controls, making it easy for employees to spend within policy while finance teams track every dollar. Spendesk also integrates with accounting tools like QuickBooks, Xero, and DATEV to simplify month-end closing.

Pros

• All-in-one solution for cards, invoices, reimbursements, and approvals
• Real-time spend tracking with virtual & physical debit cards
• Automates receipt capture, coding, and expense reconciliation
• Clean, intuitive interface with strong customer support
• Integrates with leading accounting platforms
  

Cons

• Limited flexibility for complex approval workflows
• Prepaid card model may cause acceptance issues in some cases
• Some advanced reporting features may require manual exports
• US support hours may be limited compared to EU coverage
  

Pricing

Spendesk does not list pricing publicly. Plans are typically custom-quoted based on company size and needs.

Based on user reviews, pricing may vary depending on number of users, cards issued, and modules activated (invoices, reimbursements, etc.).

Who is it for?

Spendesk is a strong fit for:

• Startups and mid-sized businesses looking for full spend control in one tool
• Finance teams that want built-in cards, reimbursements, and invoice approvals
• European companies or globally expanding teams needing multi-entity support
• Companies using accounting tools like QuickBooks, Xero, or DATEV

FAQs about Spendesk

Q: Can I Use My Existing Company Credit Cards With Spendesk Easily?

Spendesk is designed around its own Visa debit cards—virtual and physical. You cannot connect existing corporate credit cards for real-time spend tracking. However, you can still manually submit receipts for out-of-pocket purchases using the app.

Q: How Does Spendesk's Pricing Compare With Other Expense Management Tools?

Spendesk uses custom pricing, typically quoted per company rather than per user. While higher than some competitors, users rate it highly for value and ease of use .

Q: Is Spendesk Well-Suited For Us-Based Businesses With Us-Specific Accounting Needs?

Yes—but with caveats. Spendesk supports US accounting integrations (QuickBooks, Xero), and issues US-issued Visa cards via Sutton Bank . However, its support hours are centered on European time zones, which may limit real-time assistance for US teams

What Users Say About Spendesk

“When we left as a customer, they stole the £3k in our account and have still not returned it months later.”

“Our account manager was unresponsive and failed to address any urgent issues. The so-called “native” NetSuite integration was a disaster; it broke our setup, took months to undo, and we had to return to manual processes. Even after escalation, Spendesk took over a week to respond and offered no real solution. The integration lacks proper documentation and support, making the product unusable and unscalable for NetSuite users.”

“Spendesk’s customer support has been extremely disappointing. We've been emailing them for over three months, and when they do respond, they still don’t resolve the issue or return our funds.”

Bill.com (Formerly Divvy)

Bill is a financial operations platform that helps small and mid-sized businesses manage accounts payable, accounts receivable, and spend management, all from one place. It offers automation for invoice processing, approvals, payments, reimbursements, and expense tracking.

Bill is known for its strong accounting integrations (QuickBooks, NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Xero), customizable workflows, and built-in audit trails. It also includes virtual cards and spend management features through Divvy, allowing businesses to track and control employee spend alongside vendor payments.

Pros

• End-to-end AP and AR automation in one platform
• Supports ACH, wires, checks, virtual cards, and international payments
• Customizable approval workflows and bill routing
• Deep integrations with major accounting systems
• Offers Divvy-powered spend management with budgets and cards
  

Cons

• Interface can feel dated or slow during high-volume activity
• Customer support is inconsistent, especially during peak hours
• Expense features are more basic compared to standalone tools
• Steeper learning curve for non-finance users

Pricing

Bill uses separate pricing for each module:

• Accounts Payable: Starts at $45/user/month‍
• Accounts Receivable: Starts at $45/user/month‍
• Spend & Expense (via Divvy): Free, but requires using Bill-issued cards
  

Bundle pricing is available, but custom quotes are common for growing businesses.

Who is it for?

Bill is ideal for:

• Small to mid-sized businesses with a mix of vendor payments and employee expenses
• Accounting and finance teams looking to automate bill pay and approval workflows
• Companies using QuickBooks, NetSuite, or Xero and wanting clean data sync
• Teams needing a single tool for AP, AR, and spend under one roof

FAQs about Bill

Q: Do I Have to Use Bill’s corporate cards to manage expenses?

Yes. Bill’s Spend & Expense feature works best with Bill-issued cards (Divvy Cards), but you can still track out-of-pocket expenses manually without using their card.

Q: How Does Bill’s budgeting work with virtual cards?

Bill allows creation of unique virtual cards per vendor or purpose, each capped with a budget limit. This provides real-time spend monitoring and helps prevent overspending, ideal for subscription and vendor control.

Q: Is it Easy to Integrate Bill with ERPs beyond QuickBooks or NetSuite?

Yes. Bill offers two-way sync with major ERPs and includes CSV export templates for any other system.

What Users Say About Bill.com

“Absolutely dumpster fire in my experience.  Terrible customer service. You will go in circles and it is painfully difficult to resolve the simplest of issues.” 

“Bill.com reviews your spending limit daily, but only seems to adjust it downward. If your linked bank account shows a dip in balance, your credit limit gets reduced, but when your balance goes back up, the limit doesn’t automatically increase. Since our business cash flow varies, this one-sided adjustment has been frustrating and limits our flexibility.”

“Be cautious with Bill.com. They lure you in with a decent credit line, only to slash it later — likely to reduce their rewards liability. We’re a large, financially stable nonprofit, and still had our limit cut by 60% just a month after switching from our bank card. No payment issues, no red flags — just a generic email suggesting a possible credit profile change. “

FreshBooks

FreshBooks is a cloud-based accounting and expense tracking platform designed for freelancers, solopreneurs, and small business owners. It offers simple tools to manage invoices, track time, capture expenses, and generate basic financial reports, all from an intuitive interface.

FreshBooks combines accounting and expense features into one platform, allowing users to connect bank accounts and cards, automate expense categorization, and upload receipts via mobile or desktop. It’s especially popular among service-based businesses for its ease of use and mobile-friendly design.

Pros

• Clean, beginner-friendly interface with quick setup
• Mobile app supports receipt scanning, invoicing, and time tracking
• Automatically imports and categorizes expenses from bank/credit accounts
• Supports project-based billing and time tracking
• Strong customer support and educational resources
  

Cons

• Limited expense reporting and approval workflows
• Advanced accounting features (like double-entry bookkeeping) can feel basic
• Mobile app lacks full feature parity with the desktop version
• May not scale well for larger finance teams or complex needs

Pricing

FreshBooks offers four pricing tiers:

• Lite – $8.40 /month‍
• Plus – $15.20 /month‍
• Premium – $26 /month‍
• Select – Custom pricing for larger needs
  

Prices are based on number of billable clients, not users. Add-ons like advanced payments or payroll come at extra cost.

Who is it for?

FreshBooks is a great fit for:

• Freelancers, consultants, and service-based small businesses
• Business owners who want simple accounting and expense tools in one place
• Teams that prioritize ease of use over advanced finance features
• Users who need mobile-first functionality for expense capture and invoicing on the go

FAQs about FreshBooks

Q: Can FreshBooks handle multiple corporate card feeds automatically?

No—FreshBooks links bank and credit card accounts to automatically import and categorize transactions. However, only one card per account is supported, and multiple feeds require separate connections.

Q: Does FreshBooks offer advanced approval workflows for expenses?

Not natively. FreshBooks supports basic approval steps (e.g., marking expenses for review), but lacks built-in multi-tier or complex approval workflows. You’d need third-party integrations or manual workarounds for sophisticated processes.

Q: How does FreshBooks compare to dedicated expense tools for a growing business?

FreshBooks shines for solo entrepreneurs and small teams—it combines invoicing, time tracking, and expenses in an intuitive interface. But as organizations grow and demand detailed expense workflows, multi-user approval, and spend controls, dedicated expense tools may be a better fit.

What Users Say about Freshbooks

“I had a nightmare experience with FreshBooks. What should’ve been simple accounting software turned into a mess. Bank transaction imports kept failing, and support’s solution was to manually recreate entries or delete everything and start over. When I pressed for help, they told me to edit the bank connection twice a day for five days. Eventually, they admitted it was a known bug with no ETA for a fix”.

“I have been on FreshBooks for three years now, and the lack of software maintenance, broken search functions, and slow loading times are killing me.”

“My biggest frustration with FreshBooks has been the customer service. I needed to add a team member but couldn’t do it online — it required going through an account manager I never had in the first place. After days of no response, I finally heard back, only to be met with rude and unhelpful replies. It took a week, multiple follow-ups, and reaching out through three different channels just to get one seat added. I get that bugs happen, but the lack of communication and basic courtesy made the whole experience unnecessarily painful.”

QuickBooks

QuickBooks is one of the most widely used accounting platforms for small and mid-sized businesses. Known for its comprehensive financial features, QuickBooks also includes built-in expense tracking, receipt capture, mileage logging, and strong reporting—all synced directly with your bank and credit card accounts.

With cloud and desktop versions available, QuickBooks gives business owners and accountants the flexibility to manage books, run payroll, send invoices, and track expenses in one place. It integrates with hundreds of apps and is often the go-to foundation for finance operations.

Pros

• Mobile app supports receipt capture and mileage tracking
• Robust financial reporting, budgeting, and cash flow tools
• Widely supported by accountants and third-party integrations
• Scales well from freelancers to mid-sized companies

Cons

• Not a dedicated expense management tool—expense features are basic and secondary to accounting
• Lacks advanced workflows like multi-level approvals or real-time policy checks
• Limited controls for corporate card usage and spend tracking by role/team
• Desktop version requires manual work for syncing and categorizing expenses
• Non-finance users may find the interface overwhelming
  

FAQs about QuickBooks

Q: Can QuickBooks Automate Expense Report Approvals?

Only with higher-tier plans that to you can only set up a basic bill approval workflows, but true multi-step expense report approvals requires integration with third-party tools.

Q: How Do I Manage Corporate Card Receipts Efficiently In QuickBooks?

QuickBooks Online allows you to snap receipt photos via its mobile app and automatically match them to imported transactions. You can also connect multiple bank or card feeds and use categorization rules for streamlined reconciliation.

Q: When Should I Move From Quickbooks’ Basic Expense Tracking To A Dedicated Tool?

If your business needs multi-level approvals, real-time policy checks, detailed spend controls, or corporate card automation, it’s time to upgrade. QuickBooks’ native tools work well for freelancers and small teams, but fast-growing businesses often benefit from specialized expense management platforms.

What Users Say about Quickbooks

“They do not incorporate customer feedback. The interface looks like it was designed by Boomers. It has terrible automation scripting. It overcomplicates every single task.”

“The software is slow and buggy. The subscription pricing is way overpriced. The customer service is absolutely horrific! And there are no ways to express your grievances”

“QuickBooks is painfully slow, even on high-speed internet and powerful hardware. Basic tasks take far too many steps, and useful features have been removed. It’s buggy, overly complex, and requires excessive training to use—far from ideal for small businesses.”

Rippling

Rippling is a workforce management platform that combines HR, IT, and Finance tools under a single roof. While it's best known for HR and payroll, Rippling also offers powerful spend management and expense tracking features—especially for teams that want everything centralized.

With Rippling Spend Management, businesses can issue corporate cards, create smart approval flows, and track employee spending in real time. The biggest advantage? All expense data connects back to employee records, payroll, departments, and budgets—automatically.

Pros

• Centralized platform for HR, IT, Payroll, and Finance
• Corporate cards with real-time transaction tracking
• Automated policy enforcement and multi-level approval workflows
• Pre-built integrations with accounting tools like QuickBooks and NetSuite
• Strong controls over who can spend, on what, and how much
  

Cons

• Expense management is an add-on, not a standalone product
• You must use Rippling’s HR core to access finance modules
• Setup can be complex if you don’t need the full platform
• Pricing is quote-based and can scale quickly with modules

Pricing

Rippling uses modular, quote-based pricing. You must purchase its HR Core platform to access finance tools like Spend Management.

• HR Core starts at $8 per user/month
• Spend Management is an add-on (pricing not publicly disclosed)
• Final pricing varies depending on team size and selected modules
  

Who is it for?

Rippling is a great fit for:

• Mid-sized and growing businesses looking for centralized workforce and finance management
• Teams that want tight controls across HR, IT, and expenses in one place
• Finance leaders who need real-time visibility into spend by team, location, or individual
• Businesses already using Rippling HR and want to streamline finance too
  
  

FAQs About Rippling

Q: Do I Have To Use Rippling’s HR Platform To Access Its Expense Tools?

Yes. Rippling’s Spend Management is only available if you’re already using its HR Core product. For teams only looking for finance tools, this can lead to higher costs or unused modules.

Q: How Customizable Is Rippling For Complex Finance Workflows?

Rippling offers workflow automation, but it’s optimized for standard use cases. Companies with complex approval chains, layered policy rules, or custom reporting may need workarounds or added setup time.

Q: How Flexible Is Rippling For Companies That Don’t Need An All-In-One Platform?

Rippling is designed to be modular, but many core features—like expense management—are locked behind its broader platform. If you're only looking for expense software, Rippling may feel like overkill.

What Users Say About Rippling

“They are the WORST. … Every issue is ‘please wait while I reach out to our engineering team, it will take 4–5 business days’. 4–5 business WEEKS later, they say ‘sorry there's no fix,’ hope this helps.”

“Rippling pulled a bait-and-switch on us just three months in. Our monthly bill suddenly increased by over $800, with no prior warning. They claimed it was because we briefly had 25 employees—even though we started with 9 and currently have 15. Now, they’re charging us for 25 employees for the next 12 months, unless we agree to a new 2–3 year contract—despite already being in a 15-month agreement.”

“If you value transparency, reliable billing, and honest business practices — look elsewhere. My experience has been riddled with unexplained charges, evasive support, and tactics I’d never expect from a company of this size. This isn’t just a “bad experience” — it’s a warning.” 

Navan (formerly TripActions)

Navan is a platform for managing corporate travel, expenses, and spend. It combines a user-friendly booking system for flights, hotels, and rentals with a modern expense management tool—making it a strong fit for travel-heavy teams.

With Navan, employees can book trips, use company cards, and submit receipts in one place. It also offers AI-powered features like real-time policy enforcement, automated categorization, and instant card issuance. However, many of its expense features are tightly coupled with Navan’s travel platform and corporate cards.

Pros

• Unified travel + expense platform with a consumer-like UI
• Real-time spend visibility and automated policy enforcement
• Smart virtual and physical card issuance
• AI tools for fraud detection and receipt capture
• Smooth travel booking flow for employees and admins
  

Cons

• Expense features are deeply tied to Navan travel and cards
• Limited flexibility if you want to use other travel platforms or cards
• Setup complexity for teams not focused on corporate travel
• Pricing not transparent or publicly listed

Pricing

Navan does not publicly list pricing. It uses custom quotes based on company size and selected modules (Travel, Expense, Cards, and Insights).

Pricing is typically higher for companies not using the full suite or choosing to use outside card providers.

Who is it for?

Navan is best suited for:

• Mid-sized to large companies with frequent employee travel
• Finance teams looking to combine travel and expense in one platform
• Businesses comfortable adopting Navan’s full suite (travel, card, and expense)
• Teams that want real-time visibility into travel-related spending

FAQs about Navan

Q: Do I Have To Book Travel Through Navan To Use Its Expense Tools?

While you can use Navan’s expense product separately, many features—like automated receipt capture and policy enforcement—are optimized when you book travel through the platform. Using other travel tools may limit automation.

Q: Can I Use My Existing Corporate Cards With Navan?

Navan allows external card connections, but key features like real-time transaction controls and AI-powered spend policies work best with Navan-issued cards. Without them, you may miss out on these perks.

Q: How Flexible Is Navan For Companies That Don’t Travel Frequently?

Navan is built for travel-heavy teams. If your business doesn’t book frequent flights or hotels, its bundled pricing and travel-first workflows may not be ideal compared to standalone expense tools.

What Users Say About Navan

“Terrible app and even worse customer service. The only thing Navan does consistently is apologize. I spent 2 hours at Enterprise trying to fix a car booking the app wrongly marked as personal travel. Support made multiple promises—calling the counter, updating the reservation—none of which happened. In the end, they offered to help me rebook it as personal travel. Why would I need a middleman for that, especially one charging fees?”

“Navan’s support is terrible, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone because of that. I booked a flight with a checked bag, but the system failed to process it. I only found out at the airport and had to pay out of pocket. It's been over 8 weeks, and despite raising five support tickets, I’ve received no follow-up—just the same repeated responses with zero action.”

“There are a million different services that solve this problem. Navan has zero authority with airlines, is subjected to the same wait times as individuals, refuses to process refunds, and has awful customer service. If you're looking to speak with a real person, good luck. Introduces on necessary complexity into company travel with minimal benefits. Do not reccomend.”

Our Review Methodology

To review the best business expense tracking software, our team followed a procedure designed to provide clear, actionable insights for financial leaders.

Objective 

Our primary goal is to provide financial controllers with a clear, unbiased comparison of leading business expense tracking software, focusing on the specific needs of Small to Mid-sized Businesses (SMBs) and Mid-Market organizations (5-500+ employees).

App Selection Criteria

Our selection process included a mix of popular choices, industry leaders, and innovative solutions that specifically address the common pain points we've identified through our research. We prioritized tools with robust corporate card management capabilities, as this is a critical area of inefficiency for many finance teams.

Information Gathering

This review is built on a foundation of comprehensive, multi-channel research:

• Hands-on Experience: Our team has direct, hands-on experience with many of these platforms, giving us a real-world perspective on their functionality and user interface.
• Verified User Reviews (2022 Onwards): We aggregated and analyzed thousands of recent user reviews from G2 and Capterra, alongside candid discussions on forums like Reddit, to understand authentic user sentiment, focusing on feedback posted since 2022.
• Direct Controller Insights: We leveraged anonymized feedback and common themes from hundreds of conversations with financial controllers. This unique insight allows us to address the specific challenges you face daily—from the "hot mess" of manual reconciliation to the complexities of multi-entity accounting and job costing. 
• Publicly Available Information: We thoroughly reviewed product documentation, websites, and industry reports from each software provider.

Key Evaluation Criteria for Business Expense Tracker Apps

We evaluated each software against a set of core criteria that matter most to financial controllers looking for efficiency, accuracy, and control.

• No Credit Card Shuffle (BYOC Focus): A top criterion was whether the software works seamlessly with your existing corporate credit cards. We believe businesses shouldn't be forced to abandon established banking relationships, credit lines, and valuable rewards programs just to use an expense tool.
• Ease of Use (Employee & Admin): We assessed the user experience for both the finance team and the employees submitting expenses. A system must be intuitive for everyone, including non-tech-savvy field employees who benefit greatly from simple submission methods like SMS/texting. 
• Core Expense Management Features: We looked for essential features like real-time (or near real-time) card feeds, automated receipt-to-transaction matching, configurable policy enforcement, detailed coding capabilities (GL, project, department, class), and flexible approval workflows.
• Integration Quality & Depth: We evaluated the reliability and depth of integrations with key accounting systems like QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, Sage Intacct, and NetSuite. A seamless, bi-directional sync is crucial to eliminate the manual data entry that controllers despise.
• Data Accuracy & Reporting: The reliability of data capture via OCR and the ability to generate accurate, customizable financial reports are critical for informed decision-making and easy audits. 
• Customer Support: We considered the availability, responsiveness, and expertise of the support team. Access to a dedicated, human account manager is a significant value-add that can make or break the implementation experience.
• Pricing & Transparency: We analyzed pricing models for clarity and predictability. The ideal solution avoids complex contracts, hidden fees, or punitive clauses for not using a proprietary card.
• Scalability & Multi-Entity Handling: The software must be able to support a company's growth and handle the complexities of multiple subsidiaries or locations without becoming cumbersome.
• Security & Compliance: We verified that the platforms adhere to high security standards (like SOC 2 and GDPR compliance) and provide features, such as clear audit trails, that help maintain IRS compliance. 

What Is the Best Expense Tracking App?

The "best" expense tracking app ultimately depends on your company's specific size, industry, and operational needs.

However, for most financial controllers in growing SMB and mid-market companies, the best solution is one that eliminates manual work, provides real-time control, and works with the systems and cards you already have. An ideal app should offer automated reconciliation through direct card feeds, provide an effortless receipt submission experience for employees (like texting a photo), and integrate deeply with your accounting software to ensure data accuracy.

How Do You Keep Track of Business Expenses?

As a financial leader, you're likely all too familiar with the traditional, often painful, methods of tracking business expenses. Many businesses still rely on:

• Manual Spreadsheets: Downloading credit card statements and sending them to employees, who then manually fill in a spreadsheet with GL codes and descriptions.
• Physical Receipt Collection: Requiring employees to save, scan, and email stacks of paper receipts, which are often lost, illegible, or submitted weeks late. 
• Endless Email Chains: A constant back-and-forth between the finance team and employees to clarify charges, get approvals, and chase down missing documentation.

The modern, efficient way to track business expenses is with automated expense tracking software. 

These platforms connect directly to your corporate cards, use AI to automatically extract data from receipts submitted via mobile app or text, and sync everything directly into your accounting software. This shifts the finance team's role from manual data entry and policing to strategic oversight and analysis.

What is an Expense Tracking Software?

An expense tracking software is a tool businesses can use to manage their expenses. It simplifies the process of tracking, recording, categorizing, and analyzing business expenses.

Here’s a short breakdown of some of its key functions:

• Recording business expenses: Users can manually create expenses or link to their credit card providers for automatic expense creation each time their business credit card is swiped. 
• Expense categorization: Expenses are automatically classified into pre-defined business expense categories, such as travel, meals, rent, or office supplies. 
• Reporting: The software generates reports that provide insights into your organization’s spending habits and trends over time. This enables users to identify areas where they can cut back or optimize spending. 

How to Choose an Expense Tracking Software For Your Small Business

Integration with Existing Accounting/ERP Systems (The Non-Negotiable)

• Does it offer deep, reliable, and bi-directional integration with your specific system (QuickBooks Desktop, Online, Sage Intacct, NetSuite, etc.)?
• Can it accurately sync custom fields, departments, classes, projects, and GL codes without extensive manual rework?
• What is the process if a direct API integration isn't available? Does it offer robust, customizable CSV export/import functionality?

Business Credit Card Management (Especially with Your Existing Cards)

• Does the software force you onto their proprietary card, or can you leverage your existing banking relationships, credit lines, and reward programs?
• How are transactions from different card types (Amex, Visa, Mastercard) handled? Is the feed reliable and timely?
• Can it manage multiple cards under a single corporate account and assign them to individual users?

Automated Reconciliation & Time Savings

• How effectively does it automate the matching of receipts to card transactions?
• Does it offer true real-time (or near real-time) feeds to minimize the delay between spend and visibility? This is crucial for reducing month-end close times.

Ease of Use (for Employees and Finance Teams)

• Is the receipt submission process simple for all employees, including those in the field or less tech-savvy individuals (e.g., SMS/text submission, email forwarding)?
• Is the admin interface intuitive for configuring policies, managing approvals, and generating reports?

Approval Workflow Flexibility & Policy Enforcement

• Can you create multi-step approval workflows based on amount, department, project, or other criteria?
• Does it allow for automated policy checking and flagging of out-of-policy expenses?

Scalability and Multi-Entity Support

• Can the system grow with your company, handling increasing transaction volumes and users without performance degradation?
• If you operate with multiple legal entities, how does the software manage these? Can you segregate data and workflows effectively?

Reporting and Analytics Capabilities

• Can you generate custom reports to analyze spending by category, department, project, or employee?
• Does it provide actionable insights for budget control and strategic decision-making?   

Customer Support and Implementation

• What level of customer support is offered? Is it responsive, knowledgeable, and easily accessible (e.g., dedicated account manager, quick chat/phone response)?
• How long and complex is the implementation process?

Pricing Transparency and Total Cost of Ownership

• Is the pricing model clear and predictable? Are there hidden fees, or penalties for not using their card?
• Does it require long-term contracts, or offer flexibility?

Security and Compliance

• What security measures (encryption, access controls) are in place to protect sensitive financial data?
• Does the platform help maintain compliance with IRS regulations and provide clear audit trails? 

What Business Expenses Should I Track?

You should track all your business expenses for better financial management. Some key categories include rent, inventory, travel, and office supplies. Don’t forget COGS, home office expenses, and taxes. Good expense tracking helps with budgeting, tax deductions, and informed business decisions. 

Does the IRS Require Receipts as Proof of Purchase?

The IRS doesn’t always require receipts, but recommends them for substantiating deductions. For business expenses, detailed records might suffice. However, it’s best to keep receipts for larger purchases or in case of an audit.