Thinking about how to handle your business money? It can be a real headache!
Many business owners struggle with keeping track of every dollar.
Two big names often come up when you’re looking for help: Expensify and QuickBooks.
But which one is the right fit for your business?
This guide will break down what Expensify vs QuickBooks offers so that you can pick the best one.
Overview
We’ve spent a good amount of time with both Expensify and QuickBooks.
Putting them through their paces to see how they handle real-world business accounting.
This hands-on testing has given us a clear picture of their strengths and weaknesses, leading us to this detailed comparison.
Used by over 7 million businesses, QuickBooks can save you an average of 42 hours per month.
Pricing: It has a free trial. Paid plan starts at $9.50/month.
Key Features:
- Expense Tracking
- Invoicing and Payments
- Comprehensive Reporting
Streamline expenses with Expensify. Join the 10+ million users who’ve automated their reports.
Pricing: It has a free trial. The premium plan starts at $5/month.
Key Features:
- SmartScan Receipt Capture
- Corporate Card Reconciliation
- Advanced Approval Workflows
What is QuickBooks?
QuickBooks is a super popular accounting tool.
It helps businesses, especially small ones, keep track of their money.
Think of it like your financial organizer.
Also, explore our favorite QuickBooks alternatives…
Ready to take control of your business money like a pro? QuickBooks helps millions track their income and expenses easily.
Key Benefits
QuickBooks really shines with its broad set of tools for everyday tasks. It offers:
- Manages over $1 trillion in invoices annually for its users.
- Connects to over 700 different apps for smoother workflows.
- Helps businesses save up to 42% of their time on bookkeeping tasks.
- Provides over 50 standard reports to understand your business better.
Pricing
- Simple Start: $9.50
- Essential: $14
- Plus: $20
- Advanced: $38
Pros
Cons
What is Expensify?
Expensify is all about making expense tracking easy.
It’s especially good for businesses where people spend money often, like for travel or project costs.
You just snap a picture of a receipt, and Expensify does the rest.
Also, explore our favorite Expensify alternatives…
Ready to ditch the paper clutter and simplify your expense tracking in 2025? Expensify users report saving an average of 2 hours per week on expense reports and experience faster reimbursement cycles.
Key Benefits
- SmartScan accurately captures 95% of receipts.
- Automate corporate card reconciliation, saving 10+ hours monthly.
- Streamline approval workflows for faster reimbursements.
- Integrate with over 7,000 accounting software options.
Pricing
- Free: $0
- Collect: $5
- Control: $9
Pros
Cons
Feature Comparison
We’ll compare Expensify and QuickBooks side-by-side.
Looking at key features that matter most for your financial management and how each platform handles them.
This will help you decide which expense management tool fits your small business best.
1. Expense Tracking & Receipt Management
Both platforms help you track spending, but their approaches differ. This is a core part of the expense management process.
- Expensify: Expensify excels with its SmartScan technology. You snap a picture, and it uses optical character recognition to extract details. This means less manual data entry for your receipts, and Expensify allows for quick categorization of expense data.
- QuickBooks: QuickBooks also offers receipt capture through its mobile app. It helps you attach receipts to credit card transactions and other expenses. While it has this feature, it’s generally part of its broader accounting tasks.
2. Invoicing & Bill Pay
Managing who owes you and who you owe is crucial.
- Expensify: Expensify also offers invoicing and bill pay features. You can create expense reports and send invoices directly from the platform. It helps streamline payments.
- QuickBooks: QuickBooks is a comprehensive accounting solution. It’s a popular accounting software known for its robust invoicing capabilities, allowing you to create custom invoices, track payments, and manage bills efficiently. You can set up recurring invoices too.
3. Reporting & Analytics
Understanding your money means looking at reports.
- Expensify: Expensify is designed to give you detailed expense management features. It provides reports focused on spending patterns, helping you see where your money goes. You can analyze expense data easily.
- QuickBooks: QuickBooks is a comprehensive accounting platform. It offers a much wider range of financial reports, including profit and loss, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. This gives you a full financial picture for your small business.
4. Integrations
How well do these tools play with others?
- Expensify: Expensify allows for strong integration with accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero. This means your expense data can flow smoothly into your main accounting system.
- QuickBooks: QuickBooks also integrates with hundreds of other business apps. This makes it a central hub for many of your operations, from payroll to CRM.
5. Reimbursement Management
Getting employees paid back quickly is important.
- Expensify: Expensify is ideal for reimbursement management. It offers fast, often next-day, reimbursement management features. Employees can submit, and managers can approve with just a few clicks.
- QuickBooks: QuickBooks also handles reimbursements, but it’s typically part of its broader payroll or bill pay functions. It might require more steps compared to Expensify’s specialized approach.
6. Mobile App Functionality
Can you manage your money on the go?
- Expensify: Expensify excels with its mobile-first design. The app is very user-friendly for real-time expense tracking and receipt scanning. It’s built for people on the move.
- QuickBooks: QuickBooks also has a strong mobile app. It lets you manage many accounting tasks, like sending invoices and checking bank balances, from your phone.
7. Overall Accounting vs. Expense Focus
What’s their main purpose?
- Expensify: Expensify is a popular expense management software. It’s primarily an expense management tool designed to simplify expense management, especially corporate credit card management and employee reimbursements. Expensify may be the better choice if this is your main need.
- QuickBooks: QuickBooks is a comprehensive accounting solution. It helps businesses of all sizes track all your business expenses, manage income, payroll, and more. If you need a full accounting system, use QuickBooks.
What to Look for When Choosing Accounting Software?
Here are key insights to consider when making your choice:
- Ease of Use: Is it simple to learn and navigate?
- Scalability: Can it grow with your business?
- Integration: Does it connect with other tools you use?
- Reporting: Does it offer the financial insights you need?
- Mobile Access: Can you manage finances on the go?
- Customer Support: Is help readily available if you get stuck?
- Security: How does it protect your financial data?
- Pricing Structure: Is it transparent and budget-friendly for your needs?
- Specific Features: Does it have unique features important to your industry?
- Automation: How much can it automate to save time and reduce errors?
Final Verdict
After looking closely at both, our pick between QuickBooks and Expensify truly depends on your main need.
If you require full accounting, like invoicing and payroll.
QuickBooks is a comprehensive accounting system and often the best choice.
It simplifies the entire expense management process.
We’ve used both extensively, so trust our insights to help you pick the right tool for your money.
QuickBooks may be more robust, but Expensify excels in its specific area.
More of QuickBooks
We’ve also compared QuickBooks vs many other top accounting software. Here are their standout features:
- QuickBooks vs Puzzle IO: Leverages strong AI automation for proactive analytics and financial forecasting.
- QuickBooks vs Dext: Excellent for automated document processing and receipt capture, reducing manual entry.
- QuickBooks vs Xero: Offers unlimited users and robust multi-currency support, great for global teams.
- QuickBooks vs Synder: Specializes in automated bookkeeping, multi-currency, and payment processor integration.
- QuickBooks vs Easy Month End: Focuses on streamlining month-end close processes and team task management.
- QuickBooks vs Docyt: Provides end-to-end AI-driven bookkeeping automation and financial variance analysis.
- QuickBooks vs RefreshMe: Primarily a personal finance tool focusing on budgeting and investment tracking.
- QuickBooks vs Sage: Offers extensive customization and strong features for manufacturing/construction.
- QuickBooks vs Zoho Books: Free plan available, strong automation, and an all-in-one business software ecosystem.
- QuickBooks vs Wave: Free accounting software is best for freelancers and very small businesses, with basic features.
- QuickBooks vs Quicken: Mainly for personal finance and basic home business tracking, less robust for full accounting.
- QuickBooks vs Hubdoc: Specializes in automated data extraction from documents and bank statements.
- QuickBooks vs AutoEntry: Focuses on automating data capture from bills and invoices to reduce manual input.
- QuickBooks vs FreshBooks: Strong for invoicing and time tracking, popular with freelancers and project-based businesses.
- QuickBooks vs NetSuite: A full-fledged ERP solution for larger businesses, offering deeper scalability.
More of Expensify
We’ve also compared Expensify vs many other popular expense management solutions.
Here are their standout features:
- Expensify vs Puzzle IO: Focuses on advanced AI for proactive financial insights and forecasting.
- Expensify vs Dext: Excels in automated data extraction from receipts and various documents.
- Expensify vs Xero: A comprehensive accounting platform that integrates well for overall financial management.
- Expensify vs Synder: Specializes in automated bookkeeping, syncing sales data from various platforms.
- Expensify vs Easy Month End: Streamlines month-end closing processes and team accounting tasks.
- Expensify vs Docyt: Offers AI-driven back-office automation, including deep expense categorization.
- Expensify vs RefreshMe: Primarily a personal finance and budgeting app, not for business expense management.
- Expensify vs Sage: Offers broader accounting functionality with strong payroll and reporting tools.
- Expensify vs Zoho Books: Provides a full accounting suite, with good integration across Zoho’s ecosystem.
- Expensify vs Wave: A free accounting solution for basic invoicing and expense tracking, good for freelancers.
- Expensify vs Quicken: Primarily a personal finance tool for budgeting, less suited for business expenses.
- Expensify vs Hubdoc: Excellent for automated document collection and syncing to accounting software.
- Expensify vs AutoEntry: Focuses on automating data entry from various financial documents.
- Expensify vs FreshBooks: Strong for invoicing and time tracking, popular with service-based businesses.
- Expensify vs NetSuite: A powerful ERP system for large businesses, offering comprehensive financial management.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Expensify and QuickBooks together?
Yes, Expensify and QuickBooks offer seamless integration. This allows expense data to flow directly into your accounting system, helping you save time and reduce errors in your financial management.
Which is better for a small business: Expensify or QuickBooks?
It depends on your business needs. Expensify excels as a dedicated expense management solution for tracking spending and reimbursements. QuickBooks is a comprehensive accounting software covering broader financial tasks.
Does Expensify track billable and non-billable expenses?
Yes, Expensify allows you to categorize both billable and non-billable expenses. This feature helps you accurately assign costs to clients or projects.
What expense tracking features does QuickBooks also offer?
QuickBooks also offers robust expense tracking features including receipt capture, categorization, and the ability to link credit card transactions. It’s integrated within its broader financial management tools.
When should I use QuickBooks Online versus use Expensify?
Use QuickBooks Online for complete accounting, invoicing, and payroll needs. If your primary focus is streamlining expense management process and employee reimbursements, Expensify is ideal.
