Receipts in shoeboxes. Expense reports that take a week to submit. Reimbursements that take a month to process. If this sounds like your business, expense tracking software fixes it. The right tool captures receipts, categorizes expenses, and syncs with your accounting — so you stop losing money to untracked spending and missed deductions.

We compared the top expense tracking tools on receipt capture, categorization, accounting integration, and price.

Quick Comparison

1. Expensify — Best Overall Expense Management

Expensify is the most widely used expense tracking tool for small businesses, and for good reason. Snap a photo of a receipt, Expensify reads it (amount, date, vendor, category), and you’re done. SmartScan captures 95%+ of receipt data automatically.

Pros:

• SmartScan reads receipts automatically (amount, date, vendor, category)
• Snap a photo and you’re done — no manual entry
• Corporate card integration (auto-match transactions to receipts)
• Mileage tracking with GPS
• Per diem support
• Multi-currency expenses
• Expense reports submitted and approved digitally
• Integrates with QuickBooks, Xero, Sage, and Netsuite
• Reimbursement via direct deposit (Expensify Card or ACH)
• Good mobile app (most users never touch the desktop)
• Per-user pricing that scales with team size

Cons:

• Corporate card features require Collect plan ($5/user/mo)
• Free plan is very limited (5 smart scans/month)
• Receipt scanning accuracy isn’t 100% (handwritten receipts struggle)
• Pricing adds up for larger teams
• Some features require annual commitment for best rates
• Customer support can be slow
• Advanced approval workflows require higher-tier plans

Pricing: Free (5 smart scans); Collect $5/user/mo; Control $9/user/mo

Best for: Small businesses that want the easiest receipt capture and expense reporting for their team.

Get Expensify →

2. Shoeboxed — Best Receipt Scanning and Digitization

Shoeboxed takes a different approach: mail them your receipts in a prepaid envelope, and they scan and digitize everything. If you’re drowning in paper receipts and want someone else to handle the data entry, Shoeboxed is the answer.

Pros:

• Mail-in receipt scanning (they do the data entry)
• Prepaid envelopes for bulk receipt submission
• High-accuracy human-verified scanning
• Organizes receipts by category and date
• Good for businesses with lots of paper receipts
• IRS-accepted digital receipts
• Mileage tracking included
• Integrates with QuickBooks, Xero, Wave, and more
• Export to spreadsheets and PDFs
• Audit-ready organization

Cons:

• Most expensive option ($18+/month)
• No corporate card integration
• Limited expense report workflows
• No per diem or travel booking
• Not designed for team expense management
• Processing time (mail-in takes days, not instant)
• Fewer real-time features than Expensify
• Overkill if you mostly have digital receipts

Pricing: Starter $18/mo (300 docs); Business $36/mo (600 docs); Enterprise $72/mo (unlimited)

Best for: Businesses with large volumes of paper receipts that want someone else to handle the scanning and data entry.

Get Shoeboxed →

3. FreshBooks — Best for Freelancers Tracking Expenses

FreshBooks includes expense tracking as part of its accounting platform. Snap receipts, categorize expenses, and they automatically link to your invoices and tax reports. If you’re a freelancer or solopreneur already using FreshBooks, the expense tracking is built in.

Pros:

• Expense tracking built into accounting (no separate tool)
• Receipt scanning with automatic categorization
• Expenses link to invoices and projects
• Tax-ready expense categories
• Good for freelancers tracking billable vs. non-billable expenses
• Mileage tracking included
• Recurring expenses tracked automatically
• Good reporting for tax prep
• No per-user cost for the account owner

Cons:

• Limited team expense management
• Not designed for corporate card programs
• Fewer approval workflows than Expensify
• Per diem and travel management not supported
• Client count limits on lower plans
• Expense features are secondary to invoicing
• Not ideal for businesses with complex expense policies

Pricing: Lite $19/mo (5 clients); Plus $33/mo (50 clients); Premium $55/mo (unlimited)

Best for: Freelancers and solopreneurs who want expense tracking integrated with their accounting and invoicing.

Get FreshBooks →

How to Choose

1. How many people submit expenses?

Just you → FreshBooks or Expensify (free plan). 2-10 people → Expensify. 10+ people → Expensify or Rydoo.

2. Paper or digital receipts?

Mostly paper → Shoeboxed (mail-in scanning). Mostly digital → Expensify or FreshBooks. Mixed → Expensify + occasional Shoeboxed.

3. Do you need expense approval workflows?

Yes → Expensify (Collect or Control plan). No (just tracking) → FreshBooks or Expensify (free).

4. What accounting software do you use?

QuickBooks → Expensify or QuickBooks Time + Expense. Xero → Expensify. FreshBooks → FreshBooks (built in). Wave → Shoeboxed or Expensify.

5. What’s your budget?

Free → Expensify (5 scans/month) or built-in with your accounting tool. Under $10/user/mo → Expensify Collect. Under $20/mo → Shoeboxed Starter.

Our Top Pick

For most small businesses with a team, Expensify is the best choice — easy receipt capture, good integrations, and reasonable pricing. For freelancers, FreshBooks includes expense tracking in your accounting platform. And if you’re drowning in paper receipts, Shoeboxed literally does the work for you.

SoftDecide helps churches, nonprofits, and small organizations find the right software. Our comparisons are independently researched. We may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page — at no extra cost to you.