4 of the best cash flow management software and alternatives

Managing a business can bring many challenges with it and any business owner will know that cash flow is one of them. In fact, a 2019 study by Xero and PayPal found that 43% of small business owners¹ have been awake at night worrying about their business’ cash flow.

Cash flow is the money that comes in and out of your business and, when managed well, helps you plan ahead for future expenses and investment. The best cash flow management software helps you create a cash flow forecast and gives you access to the data you need to act with confidence.

By integrating your Wise Business transaction feed into your cash flow forecasting software, you’ll be able to see every currency at a glance.

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Comparison of the top cash flow management solutions, a summary

Software	Trustpilot score	Features	Pricing	Best for
QuickBooks	4.1 from +16k reviews³	View cash flow up to 90 days Non-destructive scenario testing Visualisation tools Report integration	Starts at £10 a month⁴	Small businesses who need short to medium term forecasts
Xero	4 from +9k reviews⁵	7-day and 30-day forecasts Integrates with accounting apps Different visualisation options Integrate more powerful forecasting apps	Starts at £ 7 a month⁶	Small to medium businesses already using Xero who only need short term forecasts
Float	3.3 from +30 reviews⁷	13-week and 6-month forecasts Integrates with accounting software Robust scenario testing Early warning alerts	Starts at £40 a month⁸	Fractional CFOs, accountants with multiple clients, and businesses wanting more in-depth forecasting
Sage	4 from +19k reviews⁹	Built-in tool in some Sage products Distinguishes between regular payments and forecast payments Built-in automations Cloud software	Starts at £103 a month¹⁰	Companies already using Sage who need forecasts across multiple entities and currencies

Choosing a cash flow management tool, considerations

A combination of cash flow management strategies and technologies can help keep your business finances healthy. When looking at the top cash flow management solutions, there are some key features to pay attention to. These will help you plan for future events, invest in your business growth, and give you a safety net so that you can operate with confidence.

Real-time and automated cash flow data

One of the most helpful features of a cash flow analysis software is the ability to know what’s happening in your business at any given moment. With all your bank feeds in one place, updated automatically, you can see the cash inflows and outflows as they happen. This lets you see everything at a glance, instead of manually going through multiple apps, invoicing software, and bills and having to upload this information.

Cash flow forecasting

Cash flow forecasting allows you to predict what money you’ll need available and when, based on your historical data, invoices, and planned expenses. This data also lets you look at different scenarios and to check whether they’re viable or not. Research from the Federation of Small Businesses estimates that 50,000 small and medium businesses go out of business in the UK each year and cite cashflow as a cause², so having this ability to look ahead can make all the difference.

Accounts payable and receivable management

This feature lets you track your invoices in and out, payment dates, and flags overdue amounts. You can automatically send reminders for overdue invoices and schedule outgoing payments to maximise your cash flow. This helps you get paid faster and schedule outgoing payments for a date which is convenient for you.

Dashboards and visual reports

As a business owner, managing your finances can be a challenge. The best cash flow management software tools use graphs, charts and key performance indicators to help you understand the data and make smarter decisions. These also tend to be customisable, allowing you to focus on the data that matters most to you, without being overwhelmed.

Alerts and notifications

Things can change quickly in business. Some of the top cash flow management solutions allow you to set up notifications and alerts for low balance, overdue invoices or potential shortfalls. This means you can take decisive action and act before the situation becomes critical.

Multi-currency support

If you have international customers or invoice in different currencies, it’s essential that your software can handle multiple currencies. This allows you to reconcile invoices and payments in different currencies easily and automatically adjusts the amount based on the exchange rate.

Collaboration

If you employ staff or hire an account, you can give them access to this tool.. This lets your team work together securely, avoiding downloading and sharing sensitive information. However, the roles feature also lets you determine who can see what information, meaning you don’t have to share any data unnecessarily.

Best cash flow management software providers

Now that we’ve established some of the features to look out for, we’ll examine each option in more detail.

QuickBooks

Features¹¹

QuickBooks’ cash forecasting tool allows you to see how your cash flow might look over the next 24 months¹², with the ability to add in potential future purchases, investments, and income without actually editing your data. The cash flow planner also lets you see the cash going in and out of your account visually, telling you if your cash flow is positive or negative at a glance. QuickBooks also allows you to combine their in-built reports with your cash flow, including unpaid bills and invoices to give you a more accurate forecast.

Pros

• Integrates with your current accounting system, so everything is in one place
• User friendly and designed to be accessible, including visual overviews
• Non-destructive scenario testing: you can test out different scenarios without impacting your real data
• Good for short to medium term forecasting

Cons

• Unable to do longer term forecasting
• Quite simplistic forecasting
• May not be appropriate for businesses with multiple subsidiaries or several currencies
• Some advanced features may come at an additional cost

Pricing

All of Quickbooks’ plans include their cash forecasting tool. The pricing starts from £10 a month⁴ for sole traders, £16 a month⁴ for limited companies.

Best for: small businesses who need short to medium term forecasts.

Xero

Features¹³

Xero has a built-in short term cash flow forecast, giving you the ability to see 7-day and 30-day forecasts¹⁴ with some plans allowing you to see up to 90 days. Like QuickBooks, it integrates seamlessly with your accounting tools, so your cash flow is based on your real invoices and bills. You can test some scenarios, but this feature may be more limited than what QuickBooks offer. However, Xero offers many different visualisation options and has a marketplace, allowing you to integrate other forecasting and cash flow apps into your accounts process.

Pros

• Integrates with your current accounting system
• Simple and easy to use
• Ability to manually tweak forecasts based on expected dates for invoices or bills
• Integrate more powerful cash flow apps

Cons

• Limited forecasting in Xero’s native cash flow forecasting software
• Lack of advanced scenario modelling
• Native tool isn’t suitable for multiple currencies
• Some transactions may not be included and need to be added manually

Pricing

All of Xero’s plans include their native cash forecasting features. The pricing starts from £7 a month⁶ for sole traders, £16 a month⁶ for limited companies.

Best for: small to medium businesses already using Xero who only need short term forecasts.

Float

Features¹⁵

Float allows you to see 13-week and 6-month long cash flow forecasts and to run a number of what if scenarios. This feature allows you to test the impact of a decision before you commit to it. Float integrates with a number of other accounting software tools, allowing you to get access to top quality software without having to change all your current accounting practices. You can also plan with confidence with the ability to see your company’s cash runway with the option to set alerts if your cash threshold drops below a certain level.

Pros

• Purpose built cash flow management software
• Integrates with other accounting tools
• Robust scenario testing
• Early warning alerts can help you act quickly
• Can handle multiple entities
• Medium to longer term forecasts

Cons

• Additional cost on top of accounting software fees
• Learning curve when setting up Float
• Not a full suite of tools
• Less accurate forecasting the further into the future it goes

Pricing

Plans start from £40 a month⁸, excluding VAT.

Best for: fractional CFOs, accountants with multiple clients, and businesses wanting more in-depth forecasting

Sage

Features¹⁶

Sage products have an in-built cash flow management software for short term forecasts and pulls in data from your accounting software, allowing you to include or exclude certain dates. It also distinguishes between regular, recurring payments and forecast payments (expected one-off payments), giving you greater clarity. Sage also has a number of automations included, saving time and minimising the potential for human error. With cloud software, you can also manage your cash flow at any time, anywhere.

Pros

• Excellent integration with accounting data
• Flexible and can manually adjust forecasts
• Multi-entity and currency options
• Scalable forecasting

Cons

• Manual intervention often needed with the built-in tool
• Add-ons come at an additional cost
• Steep learning curve
• Depth and availability of features is based on which Sage products you purchase

Pricing

Cash flow analysis software is included with Sage 50 Accounts and Sage Intacct. Sage50 Accounts start at £103 a month plus VAT¹⁰ while Sage Intacct prices are available upon request¹⁷.

Best for: companies already using Sage who need forecasts across multiple entities and currencies

Integrate accounting software with Wise Business

While Wise Business isn’t a cash flow management software tool, it does have a role to play in effective cash flow management by integrating seamlessly with your favourite accounting tools, such as Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, and Zoho Books. The Wise Business account is designed with international business in mind, and makes it easy to send, hold, and manage business funds in 40+ currencies.

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Tips for effective cash flow management beyond software

While using one of these tools can help you manage your cash flow effectively, there are other aspects beyond technology to consider.

Forecasting and budgeting

Without understanding forecasting and budgeting, even the best cash flow management software will only take you so far. Your software will use your entries to forecast what will happen to your revenue, profit and expenses, based on the current data. On the other hand, budgeting is your financial map for the year. It helps you plan how you want to spend the money you have available to you.

Managing accounts receivable & payable

This is how you work out how much money is owed to you and how much you owe to other people. It’s important to keep these up to date by keeping your invoices and expenses up to date. Your cash flow forecasting tool draws from this data so if it’s not accurate, your cash flow forecast won’t be accurate either.

Building a cash reserve

A cash reserve is the business equivalent of an emergency fund. It’s there as a financial shock absorber for unexpected events like a drop in sales, an unplanned bill, late payments, and equipment breaking. By building a cash reserve, you give yourself flexibility to respond to emerging situations without adding extra stress.

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To sum, investing in the best cash flow management software for small businesses can give you greater visibility and understanding of your finances, allowing you to make decisions more confidently and strategically plan your spending. However, software alone isn’t a fully comprehensive solution with cash reserves, budgeting, and keeping your accounts up to date still being essential.

Optimise cash flow management with Wise Business

A Wise Business account can help you optimise your business finances and cash flow management by integrating with your accounting tools including Xero and Quickbooks. You can send international payments at the mid-market rate and hold 40+ currencies.

See more on how to integrate your accounting tools into Wise Business.

Disclaimer: The UK Wise Business pricing structure is changing with effect from 26/11/2025 date. Receiving money, direct debits and getting paid features are not available with the Essential Plan which you can open for free. Pay a one-time set up fee of £50 to unlock Advanced features including account details to receive payments in 22+ currencies or 8+ currencies for non-swift payments. You’ll also get access to our invoice generating tool, payment links, QuickPay QR codes and the ability to set up direct debits all within one account. Please check our website for the latest pricing information.

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Sources used:

1. Xero & PayPal report, state of late payments
2. UK Government report, payment and cash flow review report, Nov 2023, p12
3. Quickbooks Trustpilot page
4. Quickbooks pricing
5. Xero Trustpilot page
6. Xero pricing
7. Float Trustpilot page
8. Float pricing
9. Sage Trustpilot page
10. Sage 50 Accounts pricing
11. Quickbooks, Manage cash flow
12. Quickbooks, Easy cash flow management
13. Xero, Analytics: short-term cashflow
14. Xero, Cash flow forecasting for small businesses
15. Float, Features
16. Sage, Cash flow forecasting and management software
17. Sage Intacct pricing

Sources last checked on 16-Oct 2025