# Back Office Guide > AI tools that run the back office of a small business, with the price each vendor publishes. An independent directory of 48 back-office software tools for small businesses (5 to 100 staff) and their bookkeepers, across 9 categories. Each tool has a short verdict and the price copied from the vendor's own pricing page, with that page and the date checked. Independent software reviews, not financial or accounting advice. No affiliate links. Last updated 2026-10-23. Machine-readable data: https://backofficeguide.com/tools.json ## Rankings by job - [Best bill pay software for small businesses](https://backofficeguide.com/best/bill-pay-for-small-business): 1. Melio, 2. BILL, 3. Plooto, 4. Ramp, 5. Tipalti - [Best tools to approve and process supplier invoices](https://backofficeguide.com/best/invoice-approval-software): 1. BILL, 2. Stampli, 3. Tipalti, 4. Plooto, 5. AvidXchange, 6. Routable - [Best free back-office tools for small businesses](https://backofficeguide.com/best/free-back-office-tools): 1. Ramp, 2. BILL Spend & Expense, 3. Wave, 4. Zoho Books, 5. Brex, 6. Mercury, 7. Zoho Expense, 8. Rho - [Best company cards with spending controls](https://backofficeguide.com/best/company-cards-with-spend-controls): 1. Ramp, 2. Brex, 3. BILL Spend & Expense, 4. Rho, 5. Relay - [Best receipt and bill capture apps](https://backofficeguide.com/best/receipt-capture): 1. Dext, 2. Hubdoc, 3. Expensify, 4. AutoEntry, 5. Zoho Expense - [Best expense report software for small teams](https://backofficeguide.com/best/expense-reports): 1. Expensify, 2. Zoho Expense, 3. Navan, 4. Ramp, 5. BILL Spend & Expense - [Best purchase order software for small businesses](https://backofficeguide.com/best/purchase-order-software): 1. Precoro, 2. ProcureDesk, 3. Procurify, 4. Order.co - [Best AI bookkeeping tools](https://backofficeguide.com/best/ai-bookkeeping): 1. Digits, 2. Booke AI, 3. Puzzle, 4. Pilot, 5. Zeni, 6. QuickBooks Online - [Best accounting software for small businesses](https://backofficeguide.com/best/accounting-software-for-small-business): 1. QuickBooks Online, 2. Xero, 3. Zoho Books, 4. FreshBooks, 5. Wave - [Best AI add-ons for QuickBooks Online](https://backofficeguide.com/best/quickbooks-add-ons): 1. Booke AI, 2. Ramp, 3. Plooto, 4. Hubdoc, 5. Precoro, 6. Gusto, 7. ProcureDesk - [Best AI add-ons for Xero](https://backofficeguide.com/best/xero-add-ons): 1. Hubdoc, 2. Booke AI, 3. Ramp, 4. Gusto, 5. Precoro, 6. ProcureDesk - [Best payroll software for small businesses](https://backofficeguide.com/best/payroll-for-small-business): 1. Gusto, 2. OnPay, 3. Patriot Software, 4. Justworks, 5. Rippling - [Best online business bank accounts with bill pay](https://backofficeguide.com/best/business-bank-accounts): 1. Mercury, 2. Relay, 3. Bluevine, 4. Found, 5. Novo - [Best practice management software for bookkeepers](https://backofficeguide.com/best/practice-management-for-bookkeepers): 1. Karbon, 2. Financial Cents, 3. TaxDome, 4. Canopy, 5. Jetpack Workflow, 6. Double, 7. Liscio - [Best automation tools for bookkeeping firms](https://backofficeguide.com/best/automation-for-bookkeeping-firms): 1. Booke AI, 2. Dext, 3. Double, 4. Hubdoc, 5. AutoEntry, 6. Plooto ## Comparisons - [BILL vs Melio](https://backofficeguide.com/compare/bill-vs-melio): Two bill pay tools for small businesses. Melio has a free plan for a few bills a month; BILL is priced per user and adds approvals, invoicing and purchase orders. - [Ramp vs Brex](https://backofficeguide.com/compare/ramp-vs-brex): Two company card and spend platforms, both with a $0 plan and paid upgrades priced per user. - [Expensify vs Zoho Expense](https://backofficeguide.com/compare/expensify-vs-zoho-expense): Two expense report tools with receipt scanning. Zoho Expense has a free plan; Expensify is priced per member. - [QuickBooks Online vs Xero](https://backofficeguide.com/compare/quickbooks-vs-xero): The two accounting apps named most often in the “works with” details across our directory. QuickBooks Online has a free one-user plan; Xero's US plans are all paid. - [Gusto vs OnPay vs Justworks vs Rippling](https://backofficeguide.com/compare/gusto-vs-onpay-vs-justworks-vs-rippling): Four payroll services we review. Each publishes a starting price made of a monthly base fee plus a fee per person. - [Mercury vs Relay](https://backofficeguide.com/compare/mercury-vs-relay): Two online business bank accounts, both with a $0 plan and paid plans above it. - [Dext vs Hubdoc vs AutoEntry](https://backofficeguide.com/compare/dext-vs-hubdoc-vs-autoentry): Three tools that take in bills and receipts and turn them into data for your books, so nobody has to type them in. All three are paid. - [Karbon vs TaxDome vs Financial Cents](https://backofficeguide.com/compare/karbon-vs-taxdome-vs-financial-cents): Three practice management tools for bookkeepers and accounting firms: workflows, client portals and billing. All three are paid. - [QuickBooks Online alternatives](https://backofficeguide.com/alternatives/quickbooks) - [Xero alternatives](https://backofficeguide.com/alternatives/xero) - [BILL alternatives](https://backofficeguide.com/alternatives/bill) - [Expensify alternatives](https://backofficeguide.com/alternatives/expensify) - [Gusto alternatives](https://backofficeguide.com/alternatives/gusto) - [Ramp alternatives](https://backofficeguide.com/alternatives/ramp) - [Mercury alternatives](https://backofficeguide.com/alternatives/mercury) - [Dext alternatives](https://backofficeguide.com/alternatives/dext) ## Launches and price changes - 2026-10-22 (launch): [Tipalti launches AP Agent and an MCP connection](https://tipalti.com/press/tipalti-ap-agent-agentic-ai/): An AI agent that runs invoice capture, coding, approvals, payments and reconciliation as one workflow, with teams choosing which steps it handles alone. New MCP access lets AI tools such as Claude Enterprise read live Tipalti invoice, vendor and payment data. - 2026-10-22 (launch): [Gusto connects payroll to Claude and ChatGPT](https://gusto.com/company-news/fall-showcase-2026): At its Fall Showcase, Gusto let owners connect Gusto to Claude, ChatGPT and other AI tools to ask payroll questions, prep payroll and build reports, approving every change. Also new: an MCP server and CLI, multi-location payroll, and contractor invoice ingestion that prefills the paysheet. - 2026-10-19 (launch): [Expensify adds DualEntry and Campfire sync and smarter duplicate checks](https://use.expensify.com/blog/expensify-october-2026-product-update): Expenses, reports and card transactions now sync to the AI-native ledgers DualEntry and Campfire. Duplicate receipt alerts compare more line-item detail, approvers can route reports by submitter, and admins can download receipts as one zip file. - 2026-10-20 (launch): [Mercury launches Mercury Payroll](https://mercury.com/blog/introducing-mercury-payroll): W-2 and 1099 payroll, benefits, 401(k) and payroll compliance in all 50 states, run from a Mercury account. Free for eligible customers through 2026, then $100/month plus $50 per person paid. - 2026-10-19 (launch): [BILL adds AI risk checks, an AI control hub and chat](https://www.bill.com/press-release/bill-launches-new-suite-of-ai-capabilities): BILL now flags invoices that don't match a vendor's billing history before payment, adds one place to turn AI features on or off, opens a chat beta, and lets you connect BILL to AI assistants through MCP. - 2026-10-14 (launch): [Xero connects to Google Gemini](https://www.xero.com/us/media-releases/xero-brings-real-time-financial-intelligence-to-google-gemini/): A Xero app for Gemini lets small businesses and advisors pull live Xero numbers into Gemini, ask questions and complete routine tasks. - 2026-10-13 (launch): [Ramp opens Glass, its AI workspace, in early access](https://ramp.com/blog/introducing-glass): Glass connects to tools like Slack, Notion and Google, shares workflows across a team, and shows what each AI project costs. - 2026-10-07 (launch): [Gusto rebuilds Gusto Pro for accountants](https://gusto.com/company-news/introducing-the-new-gusto-pro): AI-assisted payroll prep, automated reports, Gmail and Outlook connectors, and a multi-client MCP for firms. Early access now, general availability later this year. - 2026-09-16 (price): [Mercury Books launches: free in 2026, then $35/month](https://mercury.com/blog/introducing-mercury-books): Double-entry accounting built into Mercury that categorizes and reconciles banking, card, invoicing and bill pay activity. Free through Dec 31, 2026 for customers who subscribe by Dec 1, then $35/month. ## Bill pay & accounts payable Pay vendors by ACH, check or card, route bills for approval, and let AI read invoices for you. - [BILL](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/bill) (official site https://www.bill.com): Accounts payable and receivable for small businesses: bill approvals, vendor payments, invoicing and purchase orders, with AI agents that code invoices. Verdict: Best all-round bill pay for a small business that has outgrown paying bills by hand. Per-user pricing adds up for big teams. Price: Essentials $49/user/month, Team $65/user/month, Corporate $89/user/month, Enterprise custom. ACH payments $0.59 each. (source https://www.bill.com/product/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) - [Melio](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/melio) (official site https://melio.com): Simple bill pay: pay vendors and contractors by ACH, check, card or wire, with batch payments and accounting sync on paid plans. Verdict: Best for very small businesses that want to start free and pay a few bills a month. Price: Go: $0 for one user with 5 free ACH payments a month. Core $25/month, Boost $55/month (lower when billed annually). $0.50 per ACH payment after the free monthly allowance. (source https://melio.com/pricing/, checked 2026-10-22) - [Plooto](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/plooto) (official site https://www.plooto.com): Payables and receivables automation with approval workflows, invoice capture (OCR) and two-way sync with QuickBooks. Verdict: Best for small teams in the US and Canada that want approvals and a QuickBooks sync without enterprise pricing. Price: Grow $32/month. Go $9/month (only for clients of accounting firms). Pro price on request. ACH payments $1 each. (source https://www.plooto.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) - [Tipalti](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/tipalti) (official site https://tipalti.com): Accounts payable and global payouts with a self-service supplier portal, tax compliance checks and fraud detection. Verdict: Best for growing companies that pay many vendors or contractors in other countries. More than a 10-person shop needs. Price: Accounts payable plans start at $99/month; mass payments plans start at $249/month. No free tier. (source https://tipalti.com/pricing/, checked 2026-10-22) - [Routable](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/routable) (official site https://www.routable.com): Payables and mass payouts with unlimited user seats, accounting and ERP integrations, and domestic, international and instant payments. Verdict: Best for businesses that send lots of payouts. The entry price is high for a small office. Price: Growth $1,250/month. Scale and Enterprise are custom. (source https://www.routable.com/pricing/, checked 2026-10-22) - [Stampli](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/stampli) (official site https://www.stampli.com): Invoice processing and procure-to-pay built around an AI assistant called Billy, with procurement, vendor management, payments and cards. Verdict: Best for teams that need invoice approvals on top of an accounting system they already have. Price: Pricing on request (source https://www.stampli.com/pricing/, checked 2026-10-22) - [AvidXchange](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/avidxchange) (official site https://www.avidxchange.com): AI-powered accounts payable and payment automation, with industry versions for real estate, construction, community associations and more. Verdict: Best for mid-size businesses in real estate or construction with heavy invoice volume. Price: Pricing on request (source https://www.avidxchange.com/, checked 2026-10-22) ## Spend approval & company cards Company cards with built-in limits, approvals and receipt matching, so spending is controlled before it happens. - [Ramp](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/ramp) (official site https://ramp.com): Company cards, expenses, bill pay and travel in one place, with AI that reviews expenses, codes line items and extracts invoices. Verdict: Best free starting point for card spend, expenses and bill pay together. Price: Free $0/user/month. Plus $15/user/month plus a platform fee based on team size. Enterprise custom. (source https://ramp.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) - [Brex](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/brex) (official site https://www.brex.com): Corporate cards with AI-powered rules, bill pay, reimbursements, travel booking and accounting integrations. Verdict: Best for fast-growing companies that want cards and policies that scale across entities. Price: Essentials $0/user/month. Premium $12/user/month. (source https://www.brex.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) - [BILL Spend & Expense](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/bill-spend-expense) (official site https://www.bill.com/product/spend-and-expense): Company cards, budgets and expense tracking (formerly Divvy), with an AI agent that captures receipts and codes transactions. Verdict: Best free card-and-budget tool if you already use BILL for bills. Price: $0 per user per month. (source https://www.bill.com/product/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) - [Rho](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/rho) (official site https://www.rho.co): Business banking with cards, bill pay, expenses and accounting automation in one platform. Verdict: Best if you want cards, AP and banking from one provider with no subscription fee. Price: $0 subscription and per-user fees. Fees apply to some international wires and currency conversion. (source https://www.rho.co/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) ## Expenses & receipt capture Snap or forward receipts and bills, let AI pull out the details, and get expense reports approved fast. - [Expensify](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/expensify) (official site https://www.expensify.com): Expense reports with SmartScan receipt capture, approvals, reimbursements and company card reconciliation. Verdict: Best for teams whose main pain is collecting receipts and reimbursing people. Price: Collect $5 per member/month. Control $18 per member/month on an annual plan (as low as $9 with the Expensify Card). (source https://help.expensify.com/articles/new-expensify/billing-and-subscriptions/explore-plans-subscriptions-and-pricing/Understand-Expensify-Pricing.html, checked 2026-10-22) - [Zoho Expense](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/zoho-expense) (official site https://www.zoho.com/us/expense/): Expense reports with AI receipt scanning, card feeds, policies and approvals. Verdict: Best low-cost expense tool, especially if you already use Zoho apps. Price: Free plan. Standard $4/user/month and Premium $6/user/month billed monthly ($3 and $5 billed annually). (source https://www.zoho.com/us/expense/pricing/, checked 2026-10-22) - [Navan](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/navan) (official site https://navan.com): Business travel booking plus expense management with built-in virtual cards and reimbursements. Verdict: Best for teams that travel and want trips and expenses in one app. Price: Navan Business is free for companies up to 300 employees. Navan Expense is free for the first 5 monthly expensing users, then $15 per user per month. (source https://navan.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) - [Dext](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/dext) (official site https://dext.com/us): Receipt and invoice capture that pulls the data out of bills and receipts and sends it to your accounting software. Verdict: Best for businesses and bookkeepers drowning in paper bills and receipts. Price: From $25.21/month billed annually ($302.50/year) for 250 documents a month and 5 users. Price rises with document volume. (source https://dext.com/us/business/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) - [Hubdoc](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/hubdoc) (official site https://www.hubdoc.com): Captures bills and receipts by photo, upload, email or scan, extracts the key data and syncs it to Xero or QuickBooks Online. Owned by Xero. Verdict: Best simple document capture for Xero users. Price: $12 USD per month. (source https://www.hubdoc.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) - [AutoEntry](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/autoentry) (official site https://www.autoentry.com): Credit-based data entry for invoices, receipts and bank statements, with unlimited users on every plan. Verdict: Best pay-as-you-go option when document volume swings month to month. Price: Bronze $13/month for 50 credits. Silver $24/month for 100 credits (USD, excluding tax). (source https://www.autoentry.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) ## Purchasing & purchase orders Purchase requests, approvals, purchase orders and invoice matching for teams that buy a lot. - [Precoro](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/precoro) (official site https://precoro.com): Purchase requests, purchase orders, receipts, invoices with 2- and 3-way matching, approvals and budgets. Verdict: Best published-price purchasing tool for small teams moving off spreadsheets. Price: Core from $499/month billed annually. Automation from $999/month billed annually. Enterprise custom. (source https://precoro.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) - [ProcureDesk](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/procuredesk) (official site https://www.procuredesk.com): Requests, purchase orders, receiving, invoices, 3-way match with OCR, expense reports and budget alerts. Verdict: Best for companies under 100 people on QuickBooks or Xero that want POs and approvals. Price: Startup $830/month billed annually ($9,960/year) with 10 users. Growth $1,250/month billed annually with 20 users. Enterprise custom. (source https://www.procuredesk.com/pricing/, checked 2026-10-22) - [Procurify](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/procurify) (official site https://www.procurify.com): Procurement software that starts with purchasing (approvals, budgets, analytics) and adds AP, expense and cards as add-ons. Verdict: Best for teams that want to start with purchase approvals and add AP later. Price: Pricing on request (source https://www.procurify.com/pricing/, checked 2026-10-22) - [Order.co](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/orderco) (official site https://www.order.co): Purchasing platform with pre-approvals, virtual cards, accounts payable, automated GL coding and 3-way match. Verdict: Best for businesses that want purchasing, cards and AP connected in one system. Price: Pricing on request (source https://www.order.co/, checked 2026-10-22) ## Accounting software The books themselves: invoices, bills, bank feeds, reports, with AI that categorizes transactions. - [QuickBooks Online](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/quickbooks) (official site https://quickbooks.intuit.com): Widely used small-business accounting software, now with Intuit Intelligence AI features that categorize, reconcile and flag anomalies. Verdict: Best default for most US small businesses, and the one your bookkeeper probably knows. Price: Free $0 (1 user). Simple Start $38/month, Essentials $85/month, Plus $140/month, Advanced $340/month (intro discounts often shown). (source https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/, checked 2026-10-22) - [Xero](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/xero) (official site https://www.xero.com/us/): Cloud accounting with bank reconciliation, bills, invoices, Smart Document Capture and optional Xero Payroll powered by Gusto. Verdict: Best QuickBooks alternative, especially if your bookkeeper already works in Xero. Price: Early $27/month, Growing $59/month, Established $97/month (US). (source https://www.xero.com/us/pricing-plans/, checked 2026-10-22) - [Zoho Books](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/zoho-books) (official site https://www.zoho.com/us/books/): Accounting with invoices, bills, bank feeds, receipt autoscans and 1099 filing, with a free plan for micro businesses. Verdict: Best value accounting software, especially with other Zoho apps. Price: Free plan. Standard $20/org/month ($15 billed annually). Higher plans up to Ultimate $275/org/month ($240 billed annually). (source https://www.zoho.com/us/books/pricing/, checked 2026-10-22) - [FreshBooks](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/freshbooks) (official site https://www.freshbooks.com): Invoicing-first accounting for service businesses: estimates, invoices, expense tracking, receipt scanning and reports. Verdict: Best for service businesses whose day revolves around invoicing clients. Price: Lite $23/month, Plus $43/month, Premium $70/month (intro discounts often shown). (source https://www.freshbooks.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) - [Wave](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/wave) (official site https://www.waveapps.com): Free invoicing and bookkeeping for very small businesses, with a Pro plan that adds bank imports, auto-categorization and receipt capture. Verdict: Best free accounting for the smallest businesses. Price: Starter $0. Pro $19/month or $190/year (USD). (source https://www.waveapps.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) ## AI bookkeeping AI that categorizes, reconciles and closes your books, on its own or with a human reviewer. - [Digits](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/digits) (official site https://digits.com): AI-native accounting software with 24/7 AI bookkeeping and reconciliation, bill pay, invoicing and a developer API and MCP. Verdict: Best for owners who want books that keep themselves and a modern dashboard. Price: Essentials $65/month, Core $100/month, Pro $250/month (Pro marked coming soon). (source https://digits.com/pricing/, checked 2026-10-22) - [Puzzle](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/puzzle) (official site https://puzzle.io): AI accounting that categorizes transactions, reconciles and drafts statements, with optional bookkeeper review from a vetted partner. Verdict: Best for startups that want AI books with a human check available. Price: Starter $30/month, Core $72/month, Complete $120/month, Scale $360/month. Expert-reviewed bookkeeping from $171/month. (source https://puzzle.io/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) - [Booke AI](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/booke-ai) (official site https://booke.ai): An AI bookkeeper that works inside QuickBooks Online and Xero: daily bank-feed categorization, document matching, missing-document requests and OCR. Verdict: Best if you want to keep QuickBooks or Xero and add AI on top. Price: $129 per business per month. Accounting-firm pricing on request. (source https://booke.ai/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) - [Pilot](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/pilot) (official site https://pilot.com): Bookkeeping service where AI categorizes transactions, reconciles accounts and closes the books monthly, with a US-based bookkeeper on higher plans. Tax and CFO services are sold separately. Verdict: Best for small businesses that want books done for them at a published price, starting with AI-only books. Price: Essentials $99/month (AI, cash basis, up to $100,000 in monthly expenses). Core with a US-based bookkeeper starts at $299/month billed annually and rises with monthly expenses. Custom on request. (source https://pilot.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-23) - [Zeni](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/zeni) (official site https://www.zeni.ai): AI bookkeeping plus a dedicated finance team, with AI bill pay, reimbursements, tax and payroll services as add-ons. Verdict: Best for funded startups that want bookkeeping done for them, not software to run. Price: Starter from $549/month ($494 billed annually). Growth from $799/month ($719 billed annually). Enterprise custom. (source https://www.zeni.ai/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) ## Payroll Run payroll, file payroll taxes and handle year-end forms for a small team. - [Gusto](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/gusto) (official site https://gusto.com): Payroll, tax filings, benefits and HR for small businesses, with integrations for QuickBooks, Xero and FreshBooks. Verdict: Best all-round payroll for a small team, and a favorite of bookkeepers. Price: Simple $49/month + $6/person. Plus $80/month + $12/person. Premium $180/month + $22/person. (source https://gusto.com/product/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) - [OnPay](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/onpay) (official site https://onpay.com): Payroll with W-2s, 1099s and year-end filings included, unlimited pay runs and multi-state support, plus optional HR and time tracking. Verdict: Best simple, single-plan payroll at a low base price. Price: Payroll Essentials $49/month base + $6 per worker. (source https://onpay.com/payroll/software/accountants/pricing/, checked 2026-10-22) - [Justworks](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/justworks) (official site https://www.justworks.com): Payroll software or a full PEO that adds benefits, compliance and HR support. Verdict: Best if you want payroll plus big-company benefits through a PEO. Price: Payroll $8/employee/month + $50/month base. PEO Basic $79/employee/month. PEO Plus $124/employee/month. (source https://www.justworks.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) - [Rippling](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/rippling) (official site https://www.rippling.com): Modular HR and payroll platform priced per employee, where you add products as you need them. Verdict: Best for growing teams that want payroll and HR in one system they can add to later. Price: From $8 per employee per month plus a monthly base fee. Full quote on request. (source https://www.rippling.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) - [Patriot Software](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/patriot) (official site https://www.patriotsoftware.com): Low-cost payroll (and accounting) for small US businesses, with a full-service option that files payroll taxes for you. Verdict: Best budget payroll for a small, simple US team. Price: Basic Payroll $17/month + $4 per worker. Full Service Payroll $37/month + $5 per worker (intro discounts often shown). (source https://www.patriotsoftware.com/payroll/pricing/, checked 2026-10-22) ## Business banking Online business checking with built-in bill pay, cards and bookkeeping helpers. - [Mercury](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/mercury) (official site https://mercury.com): Business banking with cards, bill pay, invoicing and expense tools, plus Mercury Books (accounting) and Mercury Payroll add-ons. Verdict: Best online banking for startups and online businesses that want bill pay and books in the bank. Price: Mercury $0/month. Plus $29.90/month. Pro $299/month. Add-ons: Mercury Books $35/month and Mercury Payroll $100/month + $50 per person paid, both waived until Dec 31, 2026. (source https://mercury.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) - [Relay](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/relay) (official site https://relayfi.com): Business checking with multiple checking accounts, cards, bill pay, multi-step approval rules and bookkeeping automations. Verdict: Best for owners who like to split cash across several accounts with approvals on spending. Price: Starter $0/month. Grow $30/month. Scale $90/month (shown discounted from $120). (source https://relayfi.com/pricing/, checked 2026-10-22) - [Bluevine](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/bluevine) (official site https://www.bluevine.com): Business checking with no monthly or overdraft fees, free standard ACH, bill pay, invoicing and accounts payable tools. Verdict: Best no-fee checking for a traditional small business. Price: Standard checking has no monthly fees. Upgraded plans available. (source https://www.bluevine.com/business-checking, checked 2026-10-22) - [Found](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/found) (official site https://found.com): Banking for self-employed people and small businesses with built-in bookkeeping: automatic expense categorization, receipt scanning and write-off tagging. Verdict: Best for solo owners who want banking and basic books in one app. Price: Found Free. Found Plus $35/month ($315/year). Found Pro $80/month ($720/year). (source https://found.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) - [Novo](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/novo) (official site https://www.novo.co): Free business checking for independent businesses, with tools to get paid and manage cash flow. Verdict: Best free checking for freelancers and very small businesses. Price: Free business checking. (source https://www.novo.co/, checked 2026-10-22) ## For bookkeepers Practice management for outside bookkeepers and accounting firms: workflows, client portals, document requests and billing. - [Karbon](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/karbon) (official site https://karbonhq.com): Practice management for accounting firms: integrated email, workflows, time tracking, billing, client portal and AI. Verdict: Best for growing bookkeeping firms that live in email and need team workflows. Price: Team $59/user/month and Business $89/user/month paid annually ($79 and $99 paid monthly, teams of 4+). (source https://karbonhq.com/pricing/, checked 2026-10-22) - [TaxDome](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/taxdome) (official site https://taxdome.com): All-in-one firm platform: CRM, client portal and app, document storage, e-signatures, workflows, billing and a bookkeeping hub that connects to client ledgers. Verdict: Best all-in-one for firms that do both tax and bookkeeping. Price: Essentials $800/year per seat (solo). Pro $1,000/year per seat. Business $1,200/year per seat (1-year terms; less on 2- and 3-year terms). (source https://taxdome.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-22) - [Financial Cents](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/financial-cents) (official site https://financial-cents.com): Workflow and client management for accounting firms: checklists, client task requests, portal, billing and a month-end close add-on. Verdict: Best affordable workflow tool for small and solo bookkeeping firms. Price: Solo $19/month, Team $49/user/month, Scale $69/user/month, billed annually. Month-End Close add-on $5 per client/month. (source https://financial-cents.com/pricing/, checked 2026-10-22) - [Canopy](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/canopy) (official site https://www.getcanopy.com): Firm management with CRM, document management, e-sign, client portal, workflows, invoicing and an AI meeting notetaker. Verdict: Best for firms that want a polished client portal and billing in one. Price: Standard $74/user/month, Plus $109/user/month, Premium $149/user/month, billed annually. (source https://www.getcanopy.com/pricing/, checked 2026-10-22) - [Double](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/double) (official site https://doublehq.com): Client management for bookkeeping firms that connects to client QuickBooks files for faster file reviews, client questions and custom reports. Verdict: Best for bookkeeping firms with many QuickBooks clients. Price: Pricing on request (demo first). (source https://doublehq.com/pricing-plans/, checked 2026-10-22) - [Jetpack Workflow](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/jetpack-workflow) (official site https://jetpackworkflow.com): Recurring-work tracking for accounting firms with unlimited projects and clients, templates and automation. Verdict: Best simple tool to track recurring monthly client work. Price: Starter $49 per seat. Premium $59 per seat. Enterprise custom. (source https://jetpackworkflow.com/pricing/, checked 2026-10-22) - [Liscio](https://backofficeguide.com/tools/liscio) (official site https://www.liscio.me): Client communication and document collection for firms: secure file exchange, client tasks and requests, organizers, e-signature and email integration. Verdict: Best for firms whose bottleneck is getting documents out of clients. Price: Liscio Platform $49 per user/month billed annually. Tax Enterprise custom. (source https://www.liscio.me/pricing/, checked 2026-10-22) ## Optional - [Launches and price changes log](https://backofficeguide.com/updates) - [Sponsor a spot](https://backofficeguide.com/sponsor)