Best expense management mobile apps for business

If you're trying to run an expense management process without a supporting mobile app, it's
going to be riddled with inefficiencies. There's no on-the-go spending option; you'll be sifting through cards, creating barriers to easily recording receipt information, and the list goes on.

And it's not just you. If you struggle to manage global spend efficiently, you're in good company. Recent research shows that only 35% of CFOs feel confident that their current tech stack meets their needs.

A dedicated app is part of the tech stack puzzle. It can help cut through the chaos by simplifying and unifying your expense processes, replacing clunky, outdated systems with something built for the way teams work today.

So, what should you look for in an expense management app? This short guide unpacks why these apps matter, how they streamline finance operations, and which must-have features will set your business up for success.

What are expense management apps?

Expense management apps help companies manage, track, process and report on business expenses. These apps improve the expense management processes by dragging them into the tech era (and making it easy for everyone to record and track spend in seconds).

Whether snapping a receipt and having the details auto-extracted, logging mileage with a few taps, or submitting expenses without the usual back-and-forth — the best apps make the experience seamless for employees and efficient for finance teams.

How expense management apps streamline financial processes

An expense management app essentially smooths over any manual data entry bumps in your expense journey. By cutting out all the time-intensive tasks like collecting receipts, inputting expense data, correcting sloppy errors, and chasing team members for approval — you gain time, efficiency and accuracy — the golden trifecta.

Facing expense management without a mobile app is exhausting and, frankly, unsustainable in a scaling business.

• Expense management apps mean:
• Faster reimbursements
• Accurate and synchronised expense data
• Simplified expense reporting
• Automatic spending policy compliance
• And more

At Payhawk, G2 reviewers say the following about our app (offering just a glimpse into how key a robust expense management app is to spend management overall):

"The mobile app is a hit with employees, and their responsive customer support is excellent!"

"The app's clean design makes navigating a breeze, and submitting expenses, especially via the mobile app, is incredibly fast. I appreciate not having to wrestle with complicated interfaces anymore. It's user-friendly, efficient, and has freed up valuable time!"

"The mobile app and real-time visibility are big wins, especially for teams on the go."

A powerfully designed app doesn’t just look good either — it changes behaviour. The easier it is to use, the more likely your teams are to actually use it. That means receipts are captured in real time, expenses are submitted promptly, and managers always have an up-to-date view of company spend. With high adoption, every expense is visible and traceable, and in-built policies guide behaviour by default. Instead of chasing compliance, you get it automatically because the app is the easiest path to take.

Features to look for in an expense management app

With many choices in the marketplace, what business expense tracking app features should you compare? Here are ten to consider.

• User-friendly interface and experience. This goes without saying: you need an app that’s intuitive and designed for users of all levels. You need an interface that the CFO can navigate with ease, generating essential reports at the touch of a button, but you also need cardholders to be able to submit expenses flawlessly.
• Real-time notifications. To remain competitive, you need the ability to make informed spending decisions instantly. With real-time notifications, you’re kept in the spending loop. Get notifications as soon as someone spends money, and approvers also receive real-time notifications to approve or reject fund requests. Keeping you firmly in the driving seat with company spending.
• Mobile receipt and invoice scanning with OCR. Leveraging optical character recognition (OCR) in your expense management process makes light work of what would otherwise be tedious data input. Let's say your employees spend on the go, and you expect them to keep the receipt safe and transfer the critical details to a report when they get a chance. OCR scans and automatically populates expense reports from receipts or invoices.
• Automated expense matching and categorisation. Categorising your expenses in detail helps you understand the budget in granular detail. That means financial planning becomes easier and more accurate, and identifying cost-saving opportunities becomes much simpler.
• Automatic mileage calculations. Noting down mileage at the beginning and end of every journey is unnecessary if your app has automatic mileage calculations. This feature saves employee time, reduces the risk of mileage fraud, and ensures prompt reimbursement.
• Integration with ERP, Accounting and HR Software. You need an app that seamlessly integrates into your existing tech stack, so look out for an expense management app you can integrate with market-leading ERP and accounting systems or has functionality to build custom APIs for advanced integrations.
• Automated expense reporting and analytics. Look for real-time reporting features to keep your organisation agile and financially informed. Instant expense reconciliation unlocks accurate analytics to make up-to-the-minute decisions on growth, resource allocation, budgeting, forecasting and more.
• Team collaboration. Finding a system that promotes team collaboration is a must. Without financial and process transparency and accountability, your processes start to fall apart. Team-focused features can include team cards where you can share budgets, the facility to add comments and tag relevant people, keeping comms centralised and visible, and the ability to add substitute approvers should the designator approver become unavailable.
• Available for Android, iPhone, and Huawei. You need an app accessible to every team member, regardless of their smartphone type. That means finding an app you can download to most phones.
• Customisation options for the whole solution. Remember, you’re not just buying the app, so look at the solution holistically. The system might come with an intuitive app, but what value is the product behind the app delivering, too? Can you customise expense fields? Or build a complex approval workflow to suit your specific needs? Can you customise spend controls to manage every penny spent closely?

Without an app, people fall back on what’s convenient, and that’s rarely policy-compliant. A quick card tap here, a forgotten receipt there, and suddenly your finance team is piecing together a puzzle with missing parts.

But when your expense app is faster, smoother, and more intuitive than any manual workaround, it becomes the default. Employees follow the rules not because they have to, but because it’s the easiest option. That means fewer policy breaches, fewer grey areas, and a finance team that can focus on strategic work (instead of chasing receipts and info).

Top expense management mobile apps for business

If you're spoilt for choice, our list below can help you make an informed decision.

Payhawk

Payhawk is the obvious choice for scaling and international businesses looking for a customisable and comprehensive expense management solution. We offer all the features mentioned above — here’s what the Payhawk app can do for you in a nutshell:

• Set spending limits and view expenses in real time with Payhawk’s corporate cards
• Create and submit expenses within the Payhawk mobile app
• Remove manual data entry with OCR technology
• Split expenses into line items
• Filter expenses by date, category or status
• Automatically categorise expense data from receipts and invoices
• Seamless ERP and accounting integrations
• Reimburse employees directly into their bank accounts
• Process invoices and receipts in more than 60 languages
• Access real-time spend reports

Luxembourg airline Luxair loves the way our app improves expense claims management:

VP of Finance, Tineke Van Maerken says,

The Payhawk app helps keep us agile, as even employees without company cards can submit out-of-pocket business expenses in seconds. And those with cards? The employee simply sends a request through the Payhawk App for additional funds, including an explanation, and I can approve it instantly.

Expensify

Particularly good for small businesses such as freelancers or sole traders, as they have a free plan available.

• Integrate with ERP and accounting systems
• Automate approvals
• Mobile accessibility for iOS and Android devices
• Receipt capture
• Business expense tracking and reporting features

QuickBooks Online

The expense management solution from QuickBooks Online aims to attract small to mid-sized service-based businesses. Payhawk integrates with QuickBooks online accounting software to give customers a seamless accounting and expense management solution.

• Mobile app to capture receipt photos
• Automatic receipt categorisation
• Customisable expense reports
• Expense submission and approval process
• Bank and credit card integration

Zoho Expense

Zoho expense is an expense management solution for small, medium, and large enterprises. It’s particularly useful for businesses looking for a standalone expense management solution without vast integration capabilities.

• Can scan receipts in 15 different languages
• Bulk add expenses
• Add expenses in multiple currencies
• Itemise expenses
• Forward receipts automatically

Rydoo

Rydoo is a good solution if you have multiple employees who travel internationally for work and incur regular expenses with complex travel needs.

• Real-time expense submission and approval
• Per diem and mileage management features
• AI-powered receipt scanning
• Helps organisations manage expenses, travel booking and track mileage
• User-friendly mobile app

Xero

Xero is perfect for both small and growing businesses to manage their expenses. And although it offers expense management features, it’s not an all-encompassing expense management solution. Payhawk integrates with Xero accounting software to give customers a seamless accounting and expense management solution.

• Take pictures of receipts in the Xero Me mobile app
• Create and submit expense claims directly through the app
• GPS mileage tracking
• Approval workflows for managers
• Detailed expense reports

FreshBooks

FreshBooks is a great expense management solution for self-employed or small business owners. And with tiered pricing plans (and a free trial), it suits any budget.

• Bank account and corporate card integration
• Automatic expense categorisation
• Receipt capture through a mobile app
• Track expenses in multiple currencies
• GPS mileage tracking

Concur

Geared towards larger enterprises with complex expense needs, Concur offers companies an integrated and complex expense management solution.

• Submit expense claims on the go with the mobile app
• Currency conversion for international expenses
• Complex approval workflow capabilities
• Smart data analytics for spend visibility
• Travel itinerary management

How expense management mobile apps can benefit your business

Every business wants financial accuracy. Without it, confident decision-making goes out the window.

That's where a powerful expense management mobile app makes all the difference — it delivers consistent, accurate, and real-time financial data right at your fingertips.

Want tighter control over spend and empowered employees? An app helps you do both. When employees can spend independently but within clear guardrails, every penny is accounted for, and every budget decision becomes more strategic.

You see what's being spent, by whom, and why—so you can reallocate funds where they'll have the biggest impact.

The result? Total visibility, faster decisions, and financial agility that fuel sustainable growth. Take a quick product tour to learn more.