Best SplitReceipts for Small Business Owners (2026 Comparison)

Managing business expenses is one of the most time-consuming tasks for small business owners. Between tracking receipts, categorizing expenses, and preparing for tax season, it's easy to spend hours each month on bookkeeping alone.

SplitReceiptss promise to automate this process—but which one is actually worth your time and money? This guide compares the best options for small businesses in 2026, from budget-friendly tools to enterprise-grade platforms.

What to Look for in a SplitReceipts

Before diving into specific tools, here are the key features that matter for small businesses:

Essential Features

• Accurate OCR (optical character recognition): Extracts merchant, date, total, and line items correctly
• Automatic categorization: Assigns expenses to tax categories without manual input
• Accounting integration: Syncs with QuickBooks, Xero, or exports to spreadsheets
• Multi-receipt processing: Handles bulk uploads for busy periods
• Mobile app: Capture receipts on the go

Nice-to-Have Features

• Mileage tracking for vehicle expenses
• Team collaboration for multi-person businesses
• Invoice generation
• Real-time expense reports
• Receipt expiration dates and warranty tracking

Pricing Considerations

Small business budgets vary widely. Consider:

• Subscription vs. one-time: Monthly fees add up quickly
• Per-receipt pricing: Better if you have inconsistent volume
• Free tiers: Great for trying before committing
• Hidden costs: Storage fees, export charges, or user limits

The Best SplitReceiptss Compared

1. SplitReceipts (Our Tool)

Best for: Budget-conscious small businesses and solopreneurs

Pricing: One-time payment ($5-$20 for 50-400 receipts, never expires)

Pros:

• No subscription fees—buy credits once and use them whenever
• AI-powered categorization with custom categories
• Google Sheets integration for easy sharing with accountants
• Line-item breakdown (not just receipt totals)
• Generous free tier (5 receipts to try)

Cons:

• No built-in mileage tracking
• Limited team collaboration features
• Not a full accounting platform (exports to existing tools instead)

Best use case: You're a freelancer or small business owner who needs clean, organized expense data but doesn't want to pay monthly fees. Perfect if you already use spreadsheets or have an accountant who prefers CSV/Excel exports.

Try SplitReceipts Free →

2. Expensify

Best for: Businesses with employee reimbursements

Pricing: $5/user/month (Collect plan) to $9/user/month (Control plan)

Pros:

• Industry-standard for corporate expense reports
• Excellent reimbursement workflows
• SmartScan technology (very accurate OCR)
• Strong mobile app
• Integrates with major accounting software

Cons:

• Monthly per-user fees add up quickly
• Overkill for solopreneurs or small teams
• Complex interface with steep learning curve
• Requires annual commitment for best pricing

Best use case: You have employees submitting expense reports for reimbursement. The workflow automation justifies the monthly cost.

3. QuickBooks Online with Receipt Capture

Best for: Businesses already using QuickBooks for accounting

Pricing: $30-$200/month (included with QuickBooks subscription)

Pros:

• Built into your existing accounting platform
• Automatic matching with bank transactions
• Full bookkeeping features beyond receipts
• Strong tax report generation
• Accountant-friendly

Cons:

• Expensive if you only need receipt scanning
• Receipt capture is basic compared to dedicated tools
• Slower mobile app performance
• Requires QuickBooks knowledge to use effectively

Best use case: You're already committed to QuickBooks for accounting. Use the built-in receipt feature instead of adding another tool.

4. Shoeboxed

Best for: Businesses with large backlogs of paper receipts

Pricing: $22/month (Startup plan) to $60/month (Business plan)

Pros:

• Mail-in service—send boxes of receipts for human data entry
• Extremely accurate (human verification)
• Handles business cards, documents, and receipts
• Good for digitizing years of backlog
• Organized cloud storage

Cons:

• Most expensive option per receipt
• Turnaround time (days, not instant)
• Ongoing monthly fees
• Less useful if you're already mostly digital

Best use case: You have years of paper receipts to digitize and want guaranteed accuracy. The mail-in service is worth paying for if you value your time.

5. Dext (formerly Receipt Bank)

Best for: UK and international businesses

Pricing: $35/month to $99/month (billed annually)

Pros:

• Strong international currency support
• Accountant collaboration features
• Integrates with Xero, QuickBooks, Sage
• Automatic bank feed matching
• Purchase order tracking

Cons:

• Expensive for US-only businesses
• Features overlap with accounting software
• Annual billing only
• Better suited for established businesses with accountants

Best use case: You work with an accountant or bookkeeper and need seamless collaboration. The accountant-client workflow justifies the premium price.

6. FreshBooks with Receipt Capture

Best for: Service businesses that invoice clients

Pricing: $17-$55/month (receipt capture included)

Pros:

• Great invoicing and payment features
• Simple interface (easier than QuickBooks)
• Mobile receipt capture included
• Time tracking for billable hours
• Client portal for sharing invoices

Cons:

• Receipt scanning is basic (totals only, no line items)
• Better as invoicing software than expense tracker
• Monthly fees required
• Limited expense categorization

Best use case: You're a consultant, freelancer, or service provider who needs both invoicing and basic expense tracking. The receipt feature is a bonus on top of solid invoicing.

Free and Budget Options

Free Tools Worth Trying

Google Drive + Phone Camera

• Cost: $0
• Method: Photograph receipts, upload to Drive, organize in folders
• Pros: Completely free, works everywhere, simple
• Cons: No automatic data extraction, manual organization, time-consuming

Wave Accounting (Free Plan)

• Cost: $0 for accounting, receipts included
• Pros: Free accounting software with basic receipt scanning
• Cons: Limited features, makes money on payment processing fees

Zoho Expense (Free for 3 users)

• Cost: $0 up to 3 users
• Pros: Good mobile app, mileage tracking included
• Cons: Limited to small teams, fewer integrations

Budget-Friendly Paid Options

SplitReceipts (Our Tool)

• $5 one-time for 50 receipts (no expiration)
• Best value if you process 10-50 receipts per month

Expensify (Personal Plan)

• $4.99/month
• Good if you only need personal expense tracking

Feature Comparison Table

Tool	Monthly Cost	Per Receipt	Line Items	Accounting Integration	Team Features
SplitReceipts	One-time $5-$20	$0.05-$0.10	✅ Yes	Google Sheets	❌ No
Expensify	$5-$9/user	Included	❌ No	Strong	✅ Yes
QuickBooks	$30-$200	Included	❌ No	Native	✅ Yes
Shoeboxed	$22-$60	~$0.50	✅ Yes	Good	Limited
Dext	$35-$99	Included	✅ Yes	Strong	✅ Yes
FreshBooks	$17-$55	Included	❌ No	Moderate	Limited

How to Choose the Right Tool

Ask yourself these questions:

1. How many receipts do you process monthly?

• Under 50: SplitReceipts or free tools
• 50-200: Expensify Personal or SplitReceipts bulk pack
• 200+: Full accounting platform (QuickBooks, Xero)

2. Do you have employees submitting expenses?

• Yes: Expensify or full accounting software
• No: SplitReceipts or simpler tools

3. Do you already use accounting software?

• Yes: Use built-in receipt capture (QuickBooks, FreshBooks)
• No: Standalone tool (SplitReceipts, Expensify)

4. Do you need line-item details?

• Yes: SplitReceipts, Shoeboxed, Dext
• No: Any tool works (most capture totals only)

5. What's your monthly budget?

• $0-$10/month: SplitReceipts one-time purchase or free tools
• $10-$30/month: Expensify or Wave
• $30+/month: Full accounting platform

Our Recommendation by Business Type

Freelancers & Solopreneurs

Best choice: SplitReceipts

• No ongoing fees
• Simple enough to use without training
• Exports to accountant-friendly formats

Small Teams (2-5 people)

Best choice: Expensify

• Handles reimbursements well
• Affordable at small scale
• Professional reports

Established Small Businesses

Best choice: QuickBooks + built-in receipts

• Full accounting + receipt capture
• Professional tax reports
• Accountant-preferred platform

Service Businesses (Consultants, Designers)

Best choice: FreshBooks

• Strong invoicing
• Decent receipt tracking
• Client-facing features

Making the Switch

If you're moving from manual receipt entry to a scanner:

1. Choose a tool based on the criteria above
2. Start with free trial if available (test accuracy on your real receipts)
3. Set up categories matching your tax forms
4. Scan last month's receipts to learn the workflow
5. Go forward-only (don't try to digitize years of backlog immediately)
6. Review first month carefully to catch categorization errors
7. Adjust settings based on your most common expenses

Common Questions

Q: Do I need to keep paper receipts if I scan them? A: The IRS accepts digital copies as long as they're clear and legible. Many businesses discard paper after scanning, but consult your accountant for your specific situation.

Q: How accurate is OCR for receipts? A: Modern AI-powered OCR (like SplitReceipts uses) is 95%+ accurate for clearly printed receipts. Handwritten or faded receipts may require manual correction.

Q: Can I use my phone camera instead of a scanner? A: Yes! All modern receipt apps work with phone cameras. Take photos in good lighting for best results.

Q: What about mileage tracking? A: Some tools (Expensify, FreshBooks) include automatic mileage tracking. SplitReceipts focuses on receipt scanning only—use a dedicated mileage app like MileIQ if needed.

Try SplitReceipts Free

Small business owners love SplitReceipts because there's no monthly commitment. Buy 50 receipts for $5, use them over 6 months or 6 years—they never expire.

Start with 5 free receipts to test the AI categorization on your actual business expenses.

Get Started Free →

Final Thoughts

The "best" SplitReceipts depends entirely on your specific business needs and existing tools. If you're already paying for QuickBooks or FreshBooks, use their built-in receipt capture before adding another subscription. If you're budget-conscious and don't need team features, SplitReceipts's one-time pricing offers the best value.

The most important thing is to start somewhere. Even a simple system (phone camera + Google Drive) beats letting receipts pile up in a shoebox. Choose a tool, commit to scanning receipts weekly, and you'll save yourself hours when tax season arrives.

Your accountant will thank you—and so will your future self next April.