Top 5 accounts payable software and tools in the UK (2025)

Key takeaways:

• Prioritise finding an AP solution that integrates into your current tech stack to make data flow seamless and valuable.

• Make sure you ask the right questions when weighing up your AP software options. Take advantage of trials and product demos to make sure the solution fits your business needs perfectly. 

• By choosing Airwallex for accounts payable management, businesses can benefit from a scalable, all-in-one platform that simplifies cross-border financial operations, reduces costs, and provides the tools necessary for efficient global growth.

If you’re looking for a solution that helps you cut costs while streamlining AP processes you’ve probably already noticed there are a lot of options available. But there can be more to an AP software than ridding you of manual processes, paper invoices, and drawn-out approval processes.

If you want software offering advanced automation and integrated payment capabilities, we compare five of the best solutions on the market in 2025 to make that decision a little bit easier. 

What is accounts payable software?

Accounts payable (AP) software is a digital solution designed to automate and streamline the process of managing and paying a company’s bills and invoices. It helps businesses track expenses, process invoices, and manage vendor and supplier payments more efficiently than traditional manual methods.

The global accounts payable automation market is growing significantly, standing at $5.4 billion in 2025, and is set to grow to a staggering $11.81 billion in just four short years. Why is market growth so fast? Because customers are looking for cloud-based solutions that pair AI and machine learning with automation to improve processes and level up efficiency.

How does accounts payable software work?

AP automation software works by digitising and automating various aspects of the accounts payable process. It typically captures invoice data through optical character recognition (OCR) technology, which automatically scans and extracts key information from paper and digital invoices. Once captured, the software routes invoices through predefined approval workflows based on digital company policies.

When an invoice arrives, the system matches it with purchase orders and receipts for verification (also known as three-way matching), then schedules payments according to terms. Throughout this process, the software integrates with accounting systems, enabling seamless reconciliation and maintaining accurate financial records in real time.

What are the top 5 accounts payable software solutions in 2025?

We know you’re short on time, so here are our top accounts payable picks. Read more about each further below.

• Airwallex. A comprehensive financial platform offering robust AP automation alongside multi-currency accounts and competitive FX rates.

• Pleo. An all-in-one spend management solution that combines expense management with AP automation.

• Expensify. A user-friendly interface with powerful expense management capabilities, including AP automation.

• Tipalti. A global payables automation platform that excels in handling complex AP processes for mid-market and enterprise-level businesses.

• Payhawk. An innovative spend management solution that combines company cards with AP automation and more. 

What are the top features to look for in an AP automation software?

There’s a lot of choices out there in the marketplace, so how do you know which features are worth your time and will get to work streamlining financial operations while improving efficiency? Here are five features you might want to consider:

• Invoice processing automation: Automate data capture (using OCR technology) and validation to reduce manual entry and errors.

• Approval workflows. Build custom, multi-layer approval processes to ensure proper authorisation of expenses, no matter how complex your organisational structure.

• Payment scheduling and execution. Manage cash flow effectively and ensure funds are available when you need them by scheduling and automating payments across various methods and currencies.

• Integration capabilities. You want to say a firm goodbye to fragmented and inconsistent data, so seamless integrations are essential. From ERP and accounting system integrations to other financial tools, ensure the solution you choose either plugs into your financial tech stack with native integrations or offers the chance to build custom APIs.

• Reporting and analytics. You need quick and clear insights into spending patterns, cash flow and financial performance to drive sustainable growth. Look for real-time unified dashboards and automated expense reports functionality.

Compare the top accounts payable software in 2025

See how different accounts payable software solutions compare across key features, helping you make an informed choice for your business.

*£0/month if you deposit at least £10k per month or hold a minimum balance of £10k. For more information, see here.

A deeper look at the top 5 accounts payable software solutions

Which solution is right for you? Hopefully, our short roundup can help you sift through and find the best fit. 

Airwallex

What is it: AP solution built specifically for finance teams to reduce manual finance tasks and make good use of automation throughout the entire accounts payable process. 

Key features:

• Supports multi-currency wallets and payments in more than 150 countries

• Integrates with market-leading accounting systems, including NetSuite, QuickBooks and Xero.

• AI and OCR technology to reduce manual data entry. 

• Real-time visibility and control for finance teams.

Best for: Companies with complex international payment needs, access competitive FX rates, fast international payments, and ensure efficient AP processes across the entire organisation. 

Pleo 

What is it: An end-to-end accounts payable platform to help transform your invoice workflow by digitising and streamlining all associated processes.

Key features:

• OCR technology automatically extracts key invoice data

• Granular approval workflows

• Avoid double payments with the system flagging duplicate invoices before processing

• Supports free local and international wire transfers in more than 50 currencies

Best for: Finance teams that want to remove unnecessary manual admin tasks from within the accounts payable process and replace them with smart automation. 

Expensify 

What is it: Expensify AP automation helps automate the entire business expense process, from capturing the initial invoice or receipt to reporting, approval, and reimbursement.

Key features:

• AI-driven expense categorisation that learns tagging patterns, making invoice management more efficient and accurate.

• Multi-currency support with automatic currency conversion.

• Seamless data flow with market-leading accounting system integrations, including QuickBooks and Xero.

• Automatic receipt scanning with SmartScan extracts all important information from invoices so employees don’t have to.

Best for: Companies looking for a cohesive accounts payable management solution that integrates with leading accounting systems seamlessly. 

Tipalti

What is it: An accounts payable solution that helps you automate the entire AP process, from onboarding suppliers to reconciling payments, and everything in between.

Key features: 

• Multi-currency support with more than 50 payment methods available and the ability to handle payments in more than 120 currencies.

• Customisable, multi-level approval processes.

• Three-way matching helps combat fraud and non-compliant spending.

• Suppliers can onboard themselves with the Tipalti self-serve portal.

Best for: A great fit for companies with complex invoice workflows, high payment volumes and a need for a global AP solution. 

Payhawk

What is it: A comprehensive spend management platform that gives finance teams spending control with approval workflows, corporate cards, and AP automation. 

Key features:

• Automatic data extraction with OCR in more than 60 languages.

• Monitor transactions, budgets, and spend controls in real-time.

• Multi-entity and multi-currency support helps standardise your AP processes across the organisation while enabling payments across multiple countries in many currencies.

• The platform combines spend management in one place - accounts payable, corporate cards, and expenses. 

Best for: Organisations spread across multiple countries already, or perfect for mid-level companies looking to effortlessly scale financial processes.

How can you reduce fees with accounts payable software?

• Automate invoice processing: By implementing AI-powered invoice scanning and matching, businesses can significantly reduce manual processing costs, with some users reporting a 60-70% reduction in invoice processing expenses.

• Leverage multi-currency accounts: For example, Airwallex’s ability to hold and manage multiple currencies in one account eliminates unnecessary conversion fees, which is particularly beneficial for businesses operating internationally.

• Utilise competitive FX rates: Airwallex offers 0.5%-1% above the interbank rate, helping businesses reduce fees when reimbursing overseas employees or suppliers.

• Implement bulk payments: Free batch payment capabilities can drastically reduce transaction costs, especially for businesses making frequent international transfers.

• All-in-one: Many of these providers offer point solutions and specialise in Accounts Payable software. Some, like Airwallex, roll up accounts payable, receivable, and treasury into one platform.

What questions should you ask when integrating accounts payable software?

• Does the solution integrate with our current technology? This can often be overlooked. Always ensure seamless integration with your existing ERP and accounting systems to avoid disruptions.

• How will the software address our specific needs? Discuss your unique challenges and verify that the solution can handle your particular use cases.

• What are the implementation timelines and milestones? Establish clear, measurable goals for the first 30, 60, and 90 days to track progress and return on investment (ROI).

• How does the solution handle invoice exceptions and approvals? Verify that the software can automate complex approval workflows and handle non-standard invoices, i.e. proforma invoices.

• What security measures are in place to protect financial data? Inquire about encryption, access controls, and compliance with relevant financial regulations. You need to know your data is safe. 

Why should you manage your business expenses with Airwallex?

• Comprehensive, all-in-one global solution: Airwallex offers a full suite of financial tools, including multi-currency accounts, international transfers, and payment processing, ideal for businesses operating globally or thinking about expansion.

• Real-time visibility and control: Track and control domestic and international employee expenses in real-time with Airwallex Borderless Cards, enabling better spend management across multiple entities.

• Automated expense submission: Employees can easily upload receipts and submit expenses on the go, while finance teams can review and approve in real-time, streamlining the entire process.

• Seamless integrations: Airwallex seamlessly integrates with popular accounting software, including Xero and QuickBooks, enabling automatic reconciliation and simplifying financial management.

• Cost-effective international operations: With competitive FX rates and the ability to hold multiple currencies, Airwallex helps businesses minimise conversion fees and optimise their global financial operations.

By choosing Airwallex for expense management, businesses can benefit from a scalable, all-in-one platform that simplifies cross-border financial operations, reduces costs, and provides the tools necessary for efficient global growth.

FAQs

What is AP automation software?

AP automation software streamlines invoice and payment processing by replacing manual tasks with a fully digital, automated workflow.

What are the best accounts payable software solutions?

• Airwallex: AP automation, multi-currency accounts, and competitive FX—ideal for global businesses.

• Pleo: Expense management + AP automation with real-time insights and accounting integration.

• Expensify: User-friendly expense management with AI receipt scanning and AP automation.

• Tipalti: Advanced AP automation for mid to large businesses, with tax and fraud tools.

• Payhawk: Spend management with company cards, AP automation, and custom approval workflows.

What is a 3-way match in accounts payable?

Three-way matching in accounts payable is the process of cross-checking three key documents—the purchase order, goods receipt, and supplier invoice—to verify consistency before authorising payment.

Sources

• https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/accounts-payable-automation-global-market-report 

• https://www.recommendrecruitment.co.uk/trends-in-ap-automation-saas-and-ar-automation-saas/ 

• https://www.airwallex.com/uk/pricing

• https://www.pleo.io/en/pricing

• https://www.expensify.com/ 

• https://www.expensify.com/pricing

• https://tipalti.com/en-uk/pricing/

• https://tipalti.com/en-uk/ap-automation/

• https://payhawk.com/pricing-and-plans

• https://payhawk.com/accounts-payable 

Disclaimer: We updated this article in Q3 2025. The information was based on our own online research and we were not able to manually test each tool or provider. The information is provided for educational purposes only and a reader should consider the specific requirements of their business when evaluating providers. This research is reviewed every six months. If you would like to request an update, feel free to contact us at [email protected].