Finance and admin
Invoicing, bookkeeping and paperwork.
What AI finance tools do
Finance and admin tools handle the paperwork side of running a business: sending invoices, reminding clients who pay late, recording expenses and receipts, and categorizing transactions so your books are ready for tax time. AI features increasingly suggest categories, match transactions to receipts and flag items that look unusual.
Wave's free Starter plan covers simple invoicing and bookkeeping. FreshBooks is polished invoicing and time tracking for freelancers and service businesses. QuickBooks Online is the standard many accountants expect, so it is often the easiest choice if you already work with a bookkeeper.
How to choose
If you mainly send invoices and want to spend nothing, start with Wave. If you bill for time or projects, FreshBooks is built around that. If your accountant already uses QuickBooks, choosing it saves friction at tax time. Ask your accountant before switching systems mid-year.
Promotional prices are common in this category, so compare the regular monthly price, not just the first-months discount, on each vendor's pricing page.
Watch out for
AI categorization makes mistakes. Review categorized transactions regularly and always before you file taxes. Connect bank feeds read-only where possible, and keep a person in charge of approving payments and refunds.