Why Your Business Needs Accounting Automation in 2025 (Top 2 Picks)

Manual accounting may have survived the past decade, but it’s showing its limits fast. As finance teams scale, compliance rules tighten, and reporting demands grow, traditional processes simply can’t keep up. The result? Slower closes, scattered data, and an endless chase for missing numbers.

Recent findings reveal that 50% of finance departments still take over a week to close their books each cycle — a delay that directly impacts accuracy, insight, and strategic decision-making. In an era of AI-driven business tools, this kind of lag is no longer sustainable.

This is where accounting automation is changing the landscape. In this article, we’ll explore what accounting automation really means in 2025 and review our top two platform picks that are helping finance teams close faster, reduce errors, and focus on strategy — including which one clearly leads the pack.

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The finance world is moving faster than ever, but many accounting teams are still stuck chasing receipts and balancing spreadsheets. The pressure to close books faster, report in real time, and stay compliant across global operations has never been higher. Yet for countless organizations, accounting still runs on outdated, manual systems that slow everything down.

According to CFO.com, around half of finance teams take more than a week to close their books each month. That delay doesn’t just waste hours — it delays insights, creates audit risks, and limits how quickly leadership can react to new data.

That’s where accounting automation has stepped in as the next big evolution in financial operations. In this article, we review the top two platforms transforming how businesses handle accounting automation in 2025 — and highlight which one delivers the most complete, reliable solution.

What Is Accounting Automation

Accounting automation is the use of AI-powered software that takes over repetitive accounting tasks — from GL coding and transaction categorization to reconciliations and ERP data syncing. Instead of accountants manually entering figures or mapping merchants, the system learns from past activity, applies preset rules, and processes entries automatically.

In simple terms, it helps finance teams close faster, avoid manual errors, and maintain real-time accuracy. Modern platforms connect directly with ERPs like NetSuite and QuickBooks, turning scattered tasks into one streamlined workflow.

Top Challenges Manual Accounting Still Creates for Businesses

Manual accounting systems introduce friction in multiple ways:

• Slow Close Cycles & Bottlenecks: When every transaction needs review, categorization, and reconciliation, month-end takes days or weeks. Reporting delays disrupt planning and decision-making.
• Data Entry Errors & Reconciliation Mismatch: Mistakes in typing numbers, duplications, or mis-mapping categories can cascade into wrong financials or require tedious backtracking.
• Fragmented Systems & Export Overhead: Many organizations juggle multiple tools: expense management, vendor payments, ERP, spreadsheets. Data must be exported, reformatted, and merged manually—inviting inconsistencies.
• Recurring Entries & Compliance Drift: Accruals, amortizations, reversing entries, and policy enforcement all demand manual oversight. When rules change or new entities are added, coordination becomes error-prone.
• Global Scale Complexity: For companies with operations in multiple jurisdictions or entities, local tax compliance, currency differences, and internal policies introduce layers of complexity that manual systems struggle to keep up with.

These challenges have pushed many finance teams to look for smarter, automated ways to manage their books. Among the new generation of solutions, Brex has emerged as one of the most complete options — combining AI-driven accounting, policy automation, and deep ERP integrations into a single platform.

Here’s how Brex redefines accounting automation in 2025.

Top Pick #1 — How Brex Redefines Accounting Automation in 2025

Brex has become one of the most trusted names in finance automation — built around a simple vision: to let finance teams focus on strategy instead of spreadsheets. Its accounting automation platform replaces manual processes with intelligent, AI-driven workflows that manage everything from transaction mapping to compliance oversight and multi-entity reporting.

By combining AI accuracy, ERP connectivity, and real-time visibility, Brex transforms the way modern finance teams handle their month-end close. What used to take days of manual work now happens automatically — with data syncing across systems and compliance checks running in the background.

Why Finance Teams Choose Brex

What truly sets Brex apart is its all-in-one design — every layer of accounting automation working together to save time and reduce risk.

• AI-Suggested GL Codes and Merchant Mapping: Brex’s intelligent rules engine automatically assigns each transaction to the right general ledger account, department, or class. Its merchant mapping ensures vendor details remain consistent across entries, eliminating the need for post-close corrections.
• Automated Compliance and Anomaly Detection: Built-in logic handles recurring entries like accruals and amortizations, while AI continuously scans for irregular transactions. This early-warning system strengthens compliance and reduces audit pressure.
• Deep ERP Integration and Bidirectional Sync: Seamless connectivity with NetSuite, QuickBooks, and Sage Intacct enables real-time data flow between Brex and core accounting systems — removing repetitive reconciliation work.
• Multi-Entity Control and Localized Tax Compliance: For global or multi-subsidiary organizations, Brex offers rule customization per region, currency, or tax requirement. Finance leaders can enforce consistency while maintaining flexibility across markets.
• Closed-Loop Workflow and Speed: From card swipe to ledger posting, Brex automates the entire process within one continuous system. Its AI-driven engine learns from previous transactions and improves accuracy over time, allowing finance teams to complete reconciliations faster and close with fewer manual checks.

What Users Are Saying

Brex’s automation tools receive high marks for usability and reliability. On G2, the platform holds an impressive 4.8 out of 5 rating, with reviewers highlighting its clean interface and reliable automation:

“Everything feels quick and clean — no messy forms or confusing steps.”

“Brex makes it easy to manage expenses with corporate cards, real-time tracking, and automated accounting, so I don’t have to waste time on manual reconciliation.”

From Brex’s official Customer Stories, founders and finance teams consistently note faster closes and better transparency. One user shared,

“It’s hands down the best service experience I’ve had as a startup founder… every interaction feels helpful, not pushy.”

Why It Matters for Finance in 2025

Brex represents what next-generation accounting automation should look like — intelligent, global, and completely integrated. By bridging spend management, compliance, and accounting into one ecosystem, it helps growing businesses achieve real-time financial control and decision-ready insights.

👉 Explore Brex’s accounting automation platform here.

Top Pick #2 Tipalti

Tipalti is a finance automation platform that helps organizations streamline accounts payable, invoice processing, and supplier payments. Founded in California, it’s built around the goal of reducing manual effort in payables and improving visibility across company spend.

The platform combines invoice management, compliance checks, and ERP connectivity to help businesses manage operational finance tasks more efficiently. It’s most often used by mid-to-large companies that handle high payment volumes or work with international vendors.

Why Businesses Use Tipalti

• Simplifies invoice capture and approvals through automated routing and matching.
• Offers built-in tax compliance tools that handle form collection and validation for suppliers.
• Supports multi-entity operations for companies managing several subsidiaries under one umbrella.

Tipalti remains a reliable choice for organizations that need a structured approach to payables automation, though its focus is narrower — centered more on AP workflows than full accounting close.

Brex vs Tipalti — Which Accounting Automation Platform Wins in 2025

Here’s a side-by-side comparison based on features and user reviews:

• AI-Suggested GL Coding / Merchant Mapping:
  Brex: ✅ Yes, with mapping rules and custom logic.
  Tipalti: ⚪ Limited or indirect; focused more on expense workflow than full GL automation.
• Custom Rules & Compliance / Anomaly Detection:
  Brex: ✅ Yes — custom rules, anomaly flagging.
  Tipalti: ⚪ Some compliance controls in payables but less breadth across spend.
• ERP Integration / Bidirectional Sync:
  Brex: ✅ Full integration with NetSuite, QuickBooks, Sage Intacct.
  Tipalti: ✅ Integrates with ERP systems, but strength focuses more on AP connectivity. Learn more.
• Multi-Entity Support / Policy Customization / Tax Compliance:
  Brex: ✅ Built-in support for multi-entity and localized policies.
  Tipalti: ⚪ Some multi-currency / global payments support, but less emphasis on consolidated multi-entity accounting rules.
• Speed of Close / Workflow Automation:
  Brex: ✅ Marketed to reduce close time from days to minutes.
  Tipalti: ⚪ Efficient in handling AP payment workflows, but not necessarily built for full automated close cycles.
• User Experience / Ease / Support (G2):
  Brex: ✅ Brex scores higher in ease of use, quality of support, smart categorization, bank/card integration.
  Tipalti: ✔ Strong in workflows and compliance, but appears behind Brex in user satisfaction metrics.

When comparing the two, Brex emerges as the more complete accounting automation platform in 2025. While Tipalti focuses mainly on payables and invoice workflows, Brex goes further — connecting spend management, AI-driven GL coding, real-time ERP sync, and multi-entity reporting in one ecosystem. For finance leaders searching for the best accounting automation software or AI accounting solution that supports a full close process, Brex stands out as the more future-ready option — built to help global teams close faster, stay compliant, and make smarter financial decisions.

Conclusion

In 2025, accounting automation has become essential for finance teams that want faster closes, cleaner data, and stronger compliance. Between the platforms reviewed, each brings its own strengths — but the difference lies in scope and depth.

Brex stands out as the best accounting automation platform for modern finance teams, offering end-to-end automation that goes beyond payables to cover GL coding, reconciliation, and real-time ERP sync. With AI at its core and scalability built in, Brex continues to define what true accounting automation looks like for global businesses.