Choosing accounts payable software sounds straightforward until you actually start comparing tools. Some platforms are better for basic bill pay. Others are stronger for approval workflows, inventory, AI-powered invoice capture, or higher vendor payment volumes. The right AP software depends on how your business actually handles bills.
We recently wrapped up our accounts payable software series with a side-by-side comparison of nine bill pay solutions for small businesses. You can watch the full breakdown here:
How the Ranking System Works
Each platform was rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the strongest overall score. The ratings consider ease of use, data extraction quality, approval workflows, payment options, accounting system integration, pricing structure, and how well the software handles more complex needs like inventory or detailed invoices.
A lower-rated option may work perfectly well for a simple business, while a higher-rated platform may be more than you need if you only pay a few bills each month. Use these ratings as a starting point, not a final answer.
Quick AP Software Ratings
| Software | Rating | Best Fit |
| Xero Native AP | 2.0/5 | Very basic AP needs inside Xero |
| BILL | 2.5/5 | Businesses needing more robust approvals |
| QuickBooks Online Basic Bill Pay | 3.0/5 | Simple businesses with low bill volume |
| Melio | 3.0/5 | Businesses focused mainly on payment flexibility |
| Relay | 3.0/5 | Businesses already using Relay for banking |
| Forwardly | 3.5/5 | Lower-volume businesses wanting simple setup |
| QuickBooks Online Bill Pay Elite | 4.0/5 | QuickBooks users needing more AP features |
| Ramp | 4.5/5 | Businesses wanting AP inside spend management |
| MakersHub | 4.6/5 | Businesses with complex invoices or inventory |
Xero Native AP: 2.0/5
Xero’s native AP tools may work if your needs are very simple and you already use Xero for accounting. The biggest benefit is that it is built directly into the system, so there is no separate platform to manage. It is also now powered by Melio for bill payment functionality following an acquisition.
That said, this was one of the least impressive options in the review. The functionality felt basic across the board, and data extraction was the weakest of all nine platforms tested.
Pros:
- Built into Xero with no third-party app needed
- Powered by Melio for bill payment functionality
Cons:
- Very basic AP features
- Weakest data extraction in the comparison
- Limited approvals and no meaningful workflows
- Not a strong fit for inventory-based businesses
Want the full Xero review? Watch the Xero walkthrough
Current Xero offer: Get 90% off for 6 months
BILL: 2.5/5
BILL has been in the accounts payable space for a long time, and its approval workflow functionality remains one of its stronger features. If your business needs multiple people involved in approving bills, it earns points there.
The tradeoff is a user experience that did not feel as efficient as expected. Data extraction took a lot of manual work. Also, per-user pricing can get costly when more approvers join the system.
Pros:
- Established platform with a long track record
- One of the more robust approval workflow options
- Can support complex, multi-step bill approvals
Cons:
- Data extraction felt too manual during testing
- User experience was not as smooth as expected
- Per-user pricing adds up quickly with multiple approvers
- Does not feel as modern as newer AP tools
Want the full BILL review? Watch the BILL walkthrough
Learn more about BILL: Explore BILL
QuickBooks Online Basic Bill Pay: 3.0/5
QuickBooks Online Basic Bill Pay is a decent option if you already use QuickBooks and only pay a small number of bills each month. It is simple, integrated, and includes a limited number of free ACH payments. Data extraction has improved, but it still pulls info into expense line items instead of inventory items. This adds extra manual work for product-based businesses.
The main limitation is the lack of approval workflows. This makes it less helpful for teams needing internal sign-off before payment.
Pros:
- Built into QuickBooks Online
- Free for a limited number of ACH payments
- Supports recurring bill payments
Cons:
- No approval workflows on the basic plan
- Limited inventory line-item handling
- Not built for complexity or high bill volume
Want the full QuickBooks Basic Bill Pay review? Watch the QuickBooks Online Basic Bill Pay walkthrough
Current QuickBooks Online offer: Start with a free 30-day trial and 30% off for 12 months
Melio: 3.0/5
Melio’s greatest strength is its payment flexibility, and that has been true for a while. It connects to many accounting systems. It supports ACH, check, wire, and faster payment options. Plus, it lets credit card fees be passed to the payer. It also makes requesting vendor W-9s easy, which simplifies 1099 preparation at year-end.
Where it falls short is data extraction. During testing, getting bill information into the accounting system wasn’t consistent. The account recognition and dropdown features creates unnecessary friction for users. A solid payment tool, but not a complete AP solution.
Pros:
- Works with many accounting platforms
- Strong payment flexibility and multiple payment speed options
- Can pass credit card fees to the payer
- Easy vendor W-9 requests
Cons:
- Data extraction was inconsistent during testing
- Account coding was frustrating to work through
- Inventory support may require a premium version
Want the full Melio review? Watch the Melio walkthrough
Current Melio offer: Start a free 30-day trial
Relay: 3.0/5
Relay’s bill pay feature makes the most sense if you are already using Relay for business banking. The integration between banking and bill pay is genuinely convenient, easy to use, and keeps your tech stack lean. It supports multiple payment methods and syncs with QuickBooks.
Outside of that context, it is not a strong standalone AP system. It is not designed for high transaction volumes, complex invoices, or detailed approval needs.
Pros:
- Convenient if you already bank with Relay
- Easy to use with multiple payment options
- Can request vendor details
Cons:
- Not a standalone AP solution
- Not ideal for high bill volume or complex invoices
- Limited organization for managing lots of bills
Want the full Relay review? Watch the Relay walkthrough
Current Relay offer: Get $100 free when you sign up and deposit $100
Forwardly: 3.5/5
Forwardly was a pleasant surprise. It is clean, easy to set up, and the interface made it approachable from the start. You could easily set up basic approval workflows. Plus, data extraction worked better than many lower-rated tools. The pay-per-use pricing model is a genuine advantage for businesses that do not process a high volume of bills each month.
The main limitations were slower document processing times and less flexibility in how approval rules can be structured.
Pros:
- Simple setup and user-friendly interface
- Basic approval functionality that is easy to configure
- Better-than-expected data extraction
- Pay-per-use pricing model
Cons:
- Slower document processing
- Approval logic is somewhat limited
- Not clearly built for inventory handling
Want the full Forwardly review? Watch the Forwardly walkthrough
Explore Forwardly: Try Forwardly here
QuickBooks Online Bill Pay Elite: 4.0/5
The paid version of QuickBooks bill pay is a meaningful step up from the basic plan. Unlimited ACH comes at a flat monthly fee, making it budget-friendly for high transaction volumes. Now, approval workflows are included, filling a key gap in the basic product.
Two limitations to keep in mind: inventory line-item handling is still not where it needs to be, and adding bill approvers requires QuickBooks user seats, which may mean upgrading your QuickBooks plan if you are close to your user limit.
Pros:
- Built into QuickBooks Online
- Unlimited ACH on the paid plan
- Includes bill approval workflows
- Monthly platform pricing instead of per-user AP pricing
Cons:
- Inventory line-item handling is still limited
- Additional approvers may require QuickBooks user seats
- Could increase overall QuickBooks costs depending on your plan
Want the full QuickBooks Bill Pay Elite review? Watch the QuickBooks Online Bill Pay Elite walkthrough
Current QuickBooks Bill Pay offer for accountants: Get 90% off QBO Elite and Premium through July 31, 2026
Ramp: 4.5/5
Ramp ranked near the top because its AP product works well as part of a broader spend management system. The interface is clean and modern, data extraction was strong, the item versus expense toggle worked correctly, and approval setup was easy to use. The base product is free, which is an attractive starting point for growing businesses.
The main drawbacks are that Ramp struggled with complex multi-page PDFs during testing, premium features move you into per-user pricing, and businesses must go through a qualification process to access the platform, which may be a barrier for leaner operations.
Pros:
- Clean, modern interface
- Strong bill data extraction and smart categorization
- Easy approval setup
- Part of a broader spend management platform
- Free base product
- Easy vendor W-9 requests
Cons:
- Struggled with complex multi-page PDFs
- Premium features trigger per-user pricing
- Businesses must qualify to use Ramp
- May not be accessible for businesses with limited cash reserves
Want the full Ramp review? Watch the Ramp walkthrough
Explore Ramp: Try out Ramp here
MakersHub: 4.6/5
MakersHub earned the top rating, and the gap between it and everything else came down to one thing: document complexity. It managed invoice situations that no other platform could handle well. This includes handwritten invoices, multi-page PDFs, and files with several invoices combined. The AI extraction is top-notch. You can query data directly, and the system helps with classification. No other tools provide this level of intelligence.
It’s great for businesses with lots of inventory, like construction and food service. It works well for any operation where invoices have many detailed line items. For businesses with simple bill pay needs, the monthly platform fee and depth of the tool may be more than necessary.
Pros:
- Best AI data extraction in the comparison
- Handles complex, multi-page, and handwritten invoices
- Can process multiple invoices in a single PDF file
- Strong fit for inventory-heavy businesses and detailed line-item invoices
- Interactive AI for data classification support
Cons:
- Monthly platform fee may not make sense for low bill volume
- Interface is less polished than some competitors
- More functionality than simple businesses may need
Want the full MakersHub review? Watch the MakersHub walkthrough
Explore MakersHub: Test out MakersHub with a free trial
Which AP Software Should You Choose?
The right tool comes down to your bill volume, invoice complexity, approval needs, and accounting setup.
For simple bill pay with low volume, QuickBooks Basic, Melio, or Relay may be enough. For a lower-volume business that wants straightforward setup and flexible pricing, Forwardly is worth a look. If you are already committed to QuickBooks and need more approval functionality, the Elite plan is a natural upgrade. For AP connected to a broader spend management platform, Ramp is one of the strongest options available. And if your business deals with complex invoices, inventory, handwritten bills, or high line-item detail, MakersHub is the standout choice from this group.
The key is matching the tool to how your business actually processes bills, not just choosing the highest-rated option.
Watch the Full AP Software Series
Want to see the walkthroughs before committing to a platform?
- Xero Native AP walkthrough
- BILL walkthrough
- QuickBooks Online Basic Bill Pay walkthrough
- Melio walkthrough
- Relay walkthrough
- Forwardly walkthrough
- QuickBooks Online Bill Pay Elite walkthrough
- Ramp walkthrough
- MakersHub walkthrough
Deals and Trials
- Get 90% off Xero for 6 months
- Explore BILL
- Start a QuickBooks Online free 30-day trial and get 30% off for 12 months
- Start a Melio free 30-day trial
- Get $100 free with Relay when you sign up and deposit $100
- Try Forwardly here
- Get 90% off QBO Elite and Premium through July 31, 2026
- Try out Ramp here
- Test out MakersHub with a free trial
Need Help Choosing the Right Financial Tools?
Financial Tech Lab reviews financial software to help business owners make better, more informed decisions before committing to a platform. Financial Tech Lab is powered by Clara CFO Group, a fractional CFO firm that helps growing businesses improve profitability, make smarter financial decisions, and put stronger systems in place.
If you are looking for strategic support beyond software selection, book a Discovery Call with Clara CFO Group to learn how fractional CFO support can help your business grow with more clarity and confidence.
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