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As finance teams in the UK scale, legacy or basic accounts payable tools often fail to keep up with increased invoice volume, cross-entity operations, and compliance requirements. This guide compares the top 10 accounts payable (AP) software solutions built to streamline invoice processing, automate approvals, and support local UK compliance (e.g., Making Tax Digital) and global payments.
What is Accounts Payable Software?
Accounts payable software automates and centralises invoice processing, approval workflows, and supplier payments. Using OCR, AI-powered data capture, and ERP integrations, modern AP platforms eliminate up to 80% of manual tasks, improve cash flow visibility, and reduce errors.
Why UK Businesses are Switching AP Tools in 2025
UK finance leaders face growing pressure to drive efficiency and cost savings. Common triggers for upgrading AP tools include:
- Manual processing costs up to approximately £15 per invoice
- Delays in invoice approvals and vendor payments
- Poor visibility across entities and currencies
- VAT compliance risks under HMRC’s Making Tax Digital
- Global payment complexities and reconciliation delays
How to Choose the Right UK AP Software
1. Map Your Current AP Process: Identify friction points like manual invoice entry, lack of approval workflows, or poor supplier communication.
2. Ensure UK Tax Compliance: Look for VAT validation, support for BACS/Faster Payments, and Making Tax Digital capabilities.
3. Look for Global Readiness: If paying overseas vendors, choose platforms with multi-currency support, FX capabilities, and compliance screening.
4. Prioritise Integration and Reporting: Strong ERP connectors (e.g., Sage, NetSuite) and real-time reporting tools accelerate financial close.
5. Opt for Cloud-Based Solutions: These scale faster and provide remote access, robust analytics, and data security.
Top 10 Accounts Payable Software Platforms for UK Businesses
- Tipalti
- Yooz
- Quadient AP (by Beanworks)
- Payhawk
- Coupa
- Medius
- Stampli
- Zone & Co for NetSuite
- Dokka
- Lightyear
Quick Comparison: Top 10 AP Tools for UK Businesses
| Software | Primary Product Focus | Best For | UK Features | Global Payments | AP Automation | Pricing Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tipalti | End-to-end finance automation | Mid-market to enterprise companies with high-volume, complex, or global payments | Supports UK-specific methods like BACS & Faster Payments; validates UK VAT numbers | Payouts to 200+ countries in 120+ currencies; global wire transfers | AI-powered invoice processing, purchase order matching, and automated workflows | Starter plans around £99/month, with custom pricing |
| Yooz | Cloud-based purchase-to-pay (P2P) automation | Mid-market companies processing at least 100 invoices per month | Strong UK and European presence | Handled via 250+ financial system integrations | Uses AI and RPA for customisable P2P features | Based on document volume, not users |
| Quadient AP | Cloud-based AP automation | Small to medium UK businesses wanting personalised AP automation | Focus on the UK market | Integrated payments module available | Purchase order matching, invoice and expense management | Quote-based, custom pricing |
| Payhawk | Integrated spend management (Cards, Expenses, AP) | Fast-growing UK and European businesses wanting a unified spend solution | UK-issued Visa cards | Multi-currency transactions enabled | OCR data extraction, invoice processing/payment | Tiered plans: Premium from £149/month, Enterprise is custom |
| Coupa | Business Spend Management | Large UK enterprises with complex global operations | Manages complex UK and global regulatory needs | Designed for complex global operations | End-to-end visibility and control over all corporate spending | Custom subscription for enterprise |
| Medius | Source-to-pay (S2P) automation | Companies with large, complex invoice volumes and procurement needs | Global platform with a strong UK presence | Global AP automation and spend management | Uses AI/machine learning to capture, process, and pay invoices | Mid-range to high pricing; quote-based |
| Stampli | Unified AP communications and workflows | Businesses of all sizes with complex, communication-heavy approval needs | Integrates with over 70 ERPs, including UK systems | Managed via ERP integration | AI-assisted coding and approvals (“Billy the Bot”), PO matching | Quote-based, custom pricing |
| Zone & Co | Native automation within NetSuite | UK businesses that use Oracle NetSuite as their ERP | Built for NetSuite, enhances UK financial processes within the ERP | Enhances AP without leaving NetSuite | OCR invoice data capture and configurable approval workflows in NetSuite | Subscription-based, tailored to chosen apps |
| Dokka | AI-powered accounts payable automation | UK accounting firms and their clients | Integrates with major UK accounting software (Xero, Sage) | Prepares data; does not execute payments itself | Extracts documents and captures line-item data via AI | Custom pricing for partners and businesses |
| Lightyear | Purchasing and accounts payable automation | Small and midsize businesses with multiple team members in purchasing | Integrates with UK accounting software | Supports international payments | Automates workflows, reconciles statements, and performs 3-way matching | Tiered plans from £125/month |
A Deeper Look at the 10 Best Accounts Payable Software Platforms
1) Tipalti: Built for High-Growth AP Teams
The platform automates the entire accounts payable process for UK businesses, from onboarding suppliers to global payments. The platform offers features like AI-powered invoice processing, purchase order matching, and automated workflows. The system supports payouts to over 200+ countries and territories in 120+ currencies, utilising UK-specific methods like BACS and Faster Payments alongside global wire transfers and more.
Importantly, it validates UK VAT numbers and supports Making Tax Digital compliance. Tipalti integrates with major ERP/accounting software and supports BACS, Faster Payments, and global wire transfers
Tipalti integrates with major ERP/accounting software and is suited for mid-market to enterprise companies with high-volume, complex, or global payments. Starter plans are around £99/month with custom pricing.
Best For
Mid-market to enterprise companies that are scaling quickly, have complex payables processes, or manage global payments.
Pricing
Starter plans begin around £99 per month, with quote-based pricing for more complex needs.
Customer Rating
G2: 4.5/5
Capterra: 4.6/5
Trustpilot: 3.6/5
Trusted by Finance Leaders. Backed by Industry Awards.
Tipalti has received recognition from industry research firms G2, GetApp, Software Advice and many more. It has also been featured on the Capterra Shortlist for 2025 and is top-rated on TrustRadius.
Cut 80% of manual AP work without sacrificing control
Tipalti enables growing UK businesses to automate up to 80% of manual AP processes—streamlining global payouts, strengthening supplier relationships, and maintaining full tax compliance.
2) Yooz
Yooz is a cloud-based purchase-to-pay automation solution with a strong UK and European presence. It serves over 5,000 customers globally using AI and RPA to deliver customisable P2P features. Yooz integrates with over 250 financial systems and claims to reduce processing costs by up to 80%. Its pricing is based on document volume, not users, making it scalable for growing teams. Yooz is best suited for mid-market companies processing at least 100 invoices per month, with pricing in the mid-range.
Best For
Mid-market companies that process a minimum of 100 invoices per month and want a scalable, user-friendly platform.
Pricing
Yooz does not disclose its pricing publicly. Pricing is custom-quoted based on each client’s unique document volumes and feature requirements.
Customer Rating
G2: 4.4/5
Capterra: 4.4/5
Trustpilot: n/a
3) Quadient AP (by Beanworks)
Quadient (formerly Beanworks) is a cloud-based AP automation platform focused on the UK market. It offers features like purchase order matching, invoice and expense management, and integrated payments. Quadient integrates with ERPs like NetSuite, Sage, and QuickBooks to eliminate manual tasks and accelerate cash cycles. It provides a customisable, user-friendly experience designed for UK SMBs seeking to streamline their workflow. Quadient is best suited for small to medium UK businesses wanting personalised AP automation. Its pricing falls in the low to medium range.
Best For
Small to medium UK businesses wanting a personalised and user-friendly AP automation solution.
Pricing
Pricing for Quadient AP is quote-based and not openly available on their website. Businesses need to contact their sales team for a custom price that reflects their specific module requirements and invoice volume.
Customer Rating
G2: 4.5/5
Capterra: 4.4/5
Trustpilot: 3.7/5
4) Payhawk
Payhawk offers UK businesses an integrated platform to manage company card spending, expenses, and accounts payable. Key features include UK-issued Visa cards with custom controls, mobile expense reporting, invoice processing/payment, and OCR data extraction. It integrates with accounting software, enables multi-currency transactions, and streamlines the entire outbound spend process. Payhawk suits companies seeking automation and control across cards, expenses, and payables in one unified system.
Best For
Fast-growing UK and European businesses that want a unified solution to control employee expenses, card spending, and supplier payments.
Pricing
Payhawk has tiered subscription plans. The “Premium” plan starts at £149 monthly for up to 20 users and covers cards and expenses. The “Enterprise” plan adds AP automation and is priced by custom quote.
Customer Rating
G2: 4.5/5
Capterra: 4.6/5
Trustpilot: 4.2/5
5) Coupa
Coupa offers large UK enterprises an extensive Business Spend Management platform unifying procurement, invoicing, expenses, and supply chain management. Its accounts payable module handles complex global operations and regulatory needs. Coupa provides end-to-end visibility and control over all corporate spending, beyond just invoices. For sizable UK organisations seeking deep optimisation of every pound spent, it’s a strategic, enterprise-grade solution.
Best For
Large UK enterprises with complex global operations seeking to unify and control all business spend—from procurement and invoicing to expenses—on a single platform.
Pricing
As an enterprise-grade platform, Coupa’s pricing is entirely bespoke. The company provides quotes directly through their sales team based on the modules, scale, and volume unique to each organisation.
Customer Rating
G2: 4.2/5
Capterra: 4/5
Trustpilot: 1.2/5
6) Medius
Medius provides global AP automation and spend management solutions to handle the entire source-to-pay process. It uses AI and machine learning to capture, process, and pay invoices, getting smarter with each document. This enables organisations to automate source-to-pay and gain visibility into cash flow. Medius is suited for companies with large, complex invoice volumes and procurement needs across industries like manufacturing and retail. It replaces manual workflows so finance can focus on value-added tasks. Medius is best for enterprises, with mid-range to high pricing.
Best For
Companies with large or complex annual invoice volumes and procurement programmes, particularly in sectors like manufacturing and retail.
Pricing
Medius provides custom pricing based on a company’s invoice volume, the specific solutions required (e.g., AP Automation, Procurement), and integration needs. A direct consultation is required to obtain a quote.
Customer Rating
G2: 4.4/5
Capterra: 4.3/5
Trustpilot: n/a
7) Stampli
Stampli consolidates all accounts payable communications, documents, and workflows into a unified platform for visibility and control. Its strength is managing communication-heavy invoice processes. Stampli integrates native support for over 70 ERPs. It uses AI like “Billy the Bot” to learn and streamline coding and approvals. Features include purchase order matching, invoice capture, and vendor management. Stampli is suited for businesses of all sizes with complex communications and fast approval needs.
Best For
Businesses of all sizes with complex internal communications and a need for fast, collaborative approval cycles.
Pricing
Stampli’s pricing is quote-based and depends on the business’s specific needs, including the number of users and required features. They do not publicly list pricing tiers.
Customer Rating
G2: 4.7/5
Capterra: 4.8/5
Trustpilot: 3.2/5
8) Zone & Co. for NetSuite
Zone & Co is not a standalone AP platform but offers applications that automate accounts payable within Oracle NetSuite. Designed for UK businesses already using NetSuite, its tools, like ZoneCapture (for OCR invoice data capture) and ZoneApprovals (configurable approval workflows), enhance AP without leaving NetSuite. For NetSuite users seeking AP automation, Zone & Co provides seamless and powerful capabilities built specifically for that ecosystem.
Best For
Any UK business that uses NetSuite as its ERP and wants to add advanced, native AP automation capabilities.
Pricing
Pricing for Zone & Co.’s apps is subscription-based and tailored to the specific applications chosen and the company’s NetSuite configuration. A quote must be requested directly from their sales team.
Customer Rating
G2: 4.5/5
Capterra: n/a
Trustpilot: n/a
9) Dokka
Dokka offers AI-powered accounts payable automation, with a fanbase particularly amongst UK accounting firms and their clients. It extracts documents from emails and portals and captures line-item data via AI. Dokka enables easy collaboration through its visual interface, allowing businesses and accountants to communicate and resolve queries. Integrating with major UK accounting software, it creates a unified hub for AP documents and drives efficiency. Dokka suits accounting-led businesses seeking a streamlined AP process and seamless teamwork.
Best For
Accounting practices and small to medium businesses looking for a smart, collaborative, and document-centric approach to AP automation.
Pricing
Dokka has customised pricing plans for accounting and bookkeeping partners based on the number of clients they manage. For businesses, pricing requires a demo and consultation before a quote is provided.
Customer Rating
G2: 4.8/5
Capterra: 5/5
Trustpilot: n/a
10) Lightyear
Lightyear streamlines UK business purchasing and accounts payable to save up to 80% of time on manual tasks and cut costs. It focuses on automating workflows, reconciling statements, and 3-way matching. Lightyear provides simple pricing for unlimited users and smart accounting integrations and is best suited for SMBs with multiple team members involved in purchasing and approvals.
Best For
Small and midsize businesses with multiple team members involved in the purchasing and approvals process.
Pricing
Prices start at £125 per month for simpler needs, offering features like purchase orders and expense management. The Business plan starts at £279 per month for larger teams and more complex needs, adding inventory, 3-way purchase order matching, and more credit. Enterprise starts at £499 per month for complex organisations.
Customer Rating
G2: 5/5
Capterra: 4.9/5
Trustpilot: 4.7/5
UK Customer Spotlight: Outset Global
Facing growth limits from manual invoice processing, UK-based trading solutions firm Outset Global turned to Tipalti to automate its AP workflows. By integrating seamlessly with their QuickBooks ERP, they eliminated bottlenecks and drove efficiency.
The result was a 50% reduction in their accounts payable closing time, enabling the company to scale efficiently without a corresponding increase in finance headcount.
Just do it. Don’t wait to implement this solution until you have to and then you’re firefighting. If you do a simple cost analysis, it’s a no-brainer.
— Cristina Escalante, Global COO, Outset Global
See what our customers are saying
Final Thoughts: Invest in AP Software That Scales with You
Each of the market’s top accounts payable software solutions offers specific strengths that can help you increase your productivity and ROI. Some are better at improving your B2B supplier payment efficiency, while others excel at helping companies manage their expenses.
Tipalti’s SaaS solution helps realise the full benefits of automated payables by streamlining, simplifying, and scaling processes for end-to-end control. It optimises the entire AP workflow to enable efficient scaling with strong financial controls. Tipalti provides a comprehensive approach to transforming finance operations.
See how end-to-end AP automation can transform your financial processes
Tipalti helps small UK businesses eliminate manual AP tasks, reduce payment errors, and automate multi-currency payouts—while staying fully HMRC compliant.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the best accounts payable software for UK small businesses?
For UK small businesses, accounting software like Xero and QuickBooks Online provides affordable, user-friendly basic AP functionality with Making Tax Digital compliance. However, they are not fully-fledged AP automation solutions. As a business grows, integrating these with a platform like Tipalti can add advanced capabilities.
Why should a business automate its accounts payable process?
Businesses automate accounts payable to cut manual processing costs, which can reach £15 per invoice. Automation also minimises errors, enhances financial visibility and control, ensures timely supplier payments, and enables efficient scaling without adding headcount.
Does Tipalti support UK-specific payment and tax requirements?
Yes, Tipalti is well-suited for UK businesses. It supports common UK payment methods, VAT number validation thus aiding Making Tax Digital compliance. Tipalti is designed for global operations with a strong UK focus.
Ready to see how AP automation can transform your finance operations? Book a demo.
