Best Receipt Tracking Apps (2025)

Honest comparison of the top 8 receipt scanning and expense tracking apps. We include ourselves in this list and tell you when competitors are better.

Last updated: January 2025

Quick Decision Guide

Choose Receipt.help if...
  • You're a freelancer or solopreneur
  • You just need receipts + mileage for taxes
  • You want something dead simple (no learning curve)
  • You don't need invoicing or time tracking
Choose something else if...
  • You have employees submitting expenses → Expensify
  • You need full accounting (P&L, invoices) → QuickBooks
  • You invoice clients + track time → FreshBooks
  • You want something free (and basic) → Wave

Feature Comparison

FeatureReceipt.helpExpensifyQuickBooksFreshBooks
Receipt ScanningAdd-on
Mileage TrackingBasic
Team/Multi-User
Invoicing
Full AccountingLimited
Starting Price$9/mo$5-9/user$30/mo$19/mo
Learning CurveEasyMediumHardMedium

Detailed Reviews

Receipt.help
Simple expense tracking for solopreneurs
4.5/5
$9/month
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Pros

  • Simplest interface - no learning curve
  • Automatic mileage tracking
  • One flat price - no per-user fees
  • Export to Excel/CSV/PDF for any accountant
  • No contract - cancel anytime

Cons

  • No invoicing or time tracking
  • No multi-user team features
  • No accounting ledger (just expenses)

Best for: Freelancers, 1-person businesses

When to choose Receipt.help: You're a freelancer or solopreneur who just needs to track receipts and mileage for taxes. You don't need full accounting or team features.

Expensify
Corporate expense management
4/5
$5-$9/user/month
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Pros

  • Excellent receipt scanning (SmartScan)
  • Company card integration
  • Approval workflows for managers
  • Reimbursement automation
  • Strong mobile app

Cons

  • Overkill for solo users
  • Per-user pricing gets expensive
  • Complex setup and configuration
  • Requires understanding of approval policies

Best for: Teams of 5-500 employees

When to choose Expensify: You have employees who need to submit expenses for approval, or you have company credit cards to integrate.

QuickBooks
Full small business accounting
4.5/5
$30-$200/month

Pros

  • Complete accounting system (invoices, P&L, balance sheet)
  • Payroll integration
  • Bank account syncing
  • Tax preparation support
  • Industry standard - accountants love it

Cons

  • Steep learning curve
  • Expensive for just expense tracking
  • Requires bookkeeping knowledge
  • Receipt scanning is basic (add-on required)

Best for: Small businesses needing full books

When to choose QuickBooks: You need full accounting (invoices, P&L statements, payroll), not just expense tracking. You have revenue to manage, not just expenses.

Shoeboxed
Receipt scanning and digitization
3.5/5
$22-$52/month

Pros

  • Mail-in receipt scanning service
  • Human data entry (very accurate)
  • Business card scanning
  • Prepaid envelopes included

Cons

  • Expensive for what you get
  • Slow - mail takes days
  • Limited mileage tracking
  • No real-time scanning on mobile

Best for: People who want mail-in scanning

When to choose Shoeboxed: You have hundreds of old receipts to digitize and don't want to scan them yourself. Otherwise, mobile scanning is faster and cheaper.

Wave Receipts
Free receipt app (with Wave Accounting)
3/5
Free

Pros

  • Completely free
  • Integrates with Wave Accounting (also free)
  • Good for very small businesses
  • Receipt scanning works well

Cons

  • Limited features (no mileage tracking)
  • Wave Accounting has limitations
  • Fewer export options
  • Basic categorization

Best for: Budget-conscious micro businesses

When to choose Wave Receipts: You're okay with a basic tool and want something free. You don't need mileage tracking or advanced features.

Zoho Expense
Part of Zoho business suite
3.5/5
$5-$8/user/month

Pros

  • Integrates with Zoho Books, CRM, Projects
  • Good for international expenses (multi-currency)
  • Approval workflows
  • Corporate card feeds

Cons

  • Requires other Zoho products for full value
  • Interface feels dated
  • Per-user pricing
  • Better alternatives if not in Zoho ecosystem

Best for: Companies already using Zoho

When to choose Zoho Expense: You already use Zoho Books or Zoho CRM and want expense tracking integrated. Otherwise, there are better standalone options.

FreshBooks
Invoicing + expense tracking
4/5
$19-$60/month

Pros

  • Beautiful invoicing (best in class)
  • Time tracking included
  • Client portal for payments
  • Expense tracking and receipt capture
  • Good for consultants who bill hourly

Cons

  • Expensive if you just need expense tracking
  • Limited accounting (not full books)
  • Mileage tracking is basic
  • Best value is in invoicing, not expenses

Best for: Service businesses that invoice clients

When to choose FreshBooks: You invoice clients regularly and want time tracking + expenses + invoicing in one tool. If you don't invoice, it's overkill.

Dext (formerly Receipt Bank)
Accountant-focused receipt processing
3.5/5
$15-$45/month

Pros

  • Very accurate data extraction
  • Accountant collaboration features
  • Processes invoices, not just receipts
  • Integrates with Xero, QuickBooks, Sage

Cons

  • Expensive for individual use
  • Complex - designed for accountant handoff
  • Overkill for simple expense tracking
  • Best used with accounting software

Best for: Businesses working closely with accountants

When to choose Dext (formerly Receipt Bank): Your accountant uses Dext and wants you to submit expenses through it. Otherwise, it's more complex than necessary.

The Bottom Line

There's no single "best" receipt tracking app - it depends entirely on your situation:

  • Solo freelancers: Receipt.help or Wave (if you want free and don't need mileage)
  • Small teams (5-20 people): Expensify for approval workflows
  • Service businesses that invoice: FreshBooks (invoicing + expenses)
  • Growing businesses needing full books: QuickBooks (but budget for the learning curve)
  • Accountant-managed businesses: Dext if your accountant uses it, otherwise QuickBooks

We built Receipt.help because we were frustrated with the complexity of other tools. As freelancers ourselves, we didn't need invoicing, team features, or full accounting. We just wanted to scan receipts, track mileage, and export everything for our accountant at tax time.

If that sounds like you, try Receipt.help for 30 days free. If you need more features, the comparison above will help you find the right tool.

Try Receipt.help Free for 30 Days

No credit card required. No contracts. Cancel anytime. Built for freelancers and solopreneurs who want simple expense tracking.