AI is the new kid in town and every industry is coming up with How Firms are using it: to use the technology and speed up the work. Accounting industry is no different. There are over 100 AI-powered accounting tools but not every tool deserves your attention. In the blog, we are going to cover bookkeeping automations that bookkeeping forms should implement in 2025.
Bookkeeping Firms in 2025 don’t need to waste hours on manual entry, chasing receipts, or fixing messy reconciliations. Bookkeeping automations are here to do the heavy lifting and free up time for real client work.
We put more than 50 automation tools to the test. After a lot of demos (and a few headaches), five stood out: Novat, Amalgam, Uncat, FinOptimal, and QuickBooks AI Agents.
This blog breaks them down covering features, pricing, integrations, and why they matter.
Let’s begin.
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Novat, also known as Penny, is built to handle transaction-heavy workflows by automating data extraction, categorisation, and preparation. It processes bank files in formats like PDF, CSV, or Excel and uses AI to detect vendors and assign default categories.Â
Users can create custom import rules that help Penny apply the correct Chart of Accounts and even mark expenses as billable or personal. Over time, Penny learns from user inputs and reduces the need for edits, improving efficiency. Once transactions are reviewed, Novat exports clean files ready for import into accounting systems such as QuickBooks, Xero, or Zoho.
Starts at $5 per month per organisation.
Plans scale by transaction volume (Starter, Growth, Professional, Enterprise).
No direct sync with accounting platforms.
Cleaned files can be uploaded manually to QuickBooks, Xero, or Zoho.
Amalgam focuses on automating accounting workflows by turning spreadsheets into a powerful extension of the general ledger. Accountants can upload large volumes of invoices or journal entries directly from Excel or Google Sheets, removing the need for manual entry. The platform automatically maps spreadsheet headers to QuickBooks fields, validates data, and flags errors with suggestions for quick fixes.Â
Amalgam also supports bulk uploads of hundreds or thousands of transactions in minutes and allows two-way sync, so users can download, create, edit, or delete data in bulk. It integrates with QuickBooks, Shopify, Intacct, and works seamlessly with Excel.
Free trial for two weeks.
No detailed pricing tiers available.
Works with QuickBooks (including Online), Shopify, and Intacct.
Sources data directly from Excel and Google Sheets.
Uncat was created to eliminate the frustration accountants face when cleaning up uncategorised transactions. It securely integrates with QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, and Xero to automatically detect all uncategorised transactions and bring them into a central dashboard. Clients can submit receipts via text, email, or file upload, which Uncat then matches to corresponding entries.Â
The tool allows vendors, classes, and categories to be assigned easily, speeding up month-end close. Once completed, transactions automatically sync back into the accounting system. At an affordable per-client price, Uncat is designed for bookkeeping automations that simplify cleanup.
$9 per month per client.
7-day free trial available without credit card.
Connects to QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, and Xero.
FinOptimal began in 2015 as a bookkeeping side hustle and has grown into a full automation platform for accounting firms. Built by former CFOs and controllers, it focuses on enabling continuous book closing. FinOptimal provides three main apps: Accruer, Booker, and Wrangler. Accruer automates accrual accounting, instantly posting journal entries with backup documentation.Â
Booker connects Google Sheets to QuickBooks for smart journal entry management, while Wrangler streams live QuickBooks Online data into Google Sheets for reporting. Together, these tools create a system where data is updated instantly, reporting is seamless, and books remain reliable every day.
Automates accruals for payroll, deferred revenue, and fixed assets.
Creates audit-ready backup files for entries.
Syncs journal entries between Google Sheets and QuickBooks.
Prevents duplicates and validates data.
Provides real-time reporting with live QuickBooks data.
Allows unlimited users and report building.
Enables continuous book closing with instant updates.
Light tier: $15 per month per client (10 accruals).
Pro tier: $49 per month per client (50 accruals).
Unlimited tier: $99 per month per client.
Accounting firms receive up to 50% discount by client count.
Managed Accounting services offered as flat-fee custom scope.
Exclusively supports QuickBooks Online.
Booker connects Google Sheets to QuickBooks.
Wrangler streams QuickBooks Online data into Google Sheets.
QuickBooks has expanded its platform with AI-powered agents that extend bookkeeping automations into both compliance and strategy. The Accounting Agent automates transaction categorisation, reconciliation, and anomaly detection. It posts recurring transactions like payroll or invoices and analyses financial reports for errors such as duplicates or misclassifications. The Finance Agent focuses on financial analysis and planning.Â
It monitors KPIs, benchmarks performance against industry standards, and runs scenario simulations to help firms forecast. Together, these agents provide powerful automation inside the QuickBooks ecosystem, offering firms not just cleaner books but also actionable insights to guide client decisions.
Automation Features:
Automatically categorises bank and credit card transactions.
Suggests and posts recurring payments.
Provides reconciliation assistance by explaining discrepancies.
Flags anomalies to reduce fraud and errors.
Reviews reports and identifies accounting issues.
Monitors KPIs automatically.
Provides scenario planning and forecasting.
Benchmarks performance against industry peers.
Offers real-time financial insights and recommendations.
Automates repetitive analysis and reporting tasks.
Bookkeeping automations are shaping the way firms deliver client service. From Penny’s AI-powered categorisation to FinOptimal’s continuous book closing, automation is helping firms cut costs, reduce errors, and gain time for higher-value work. With QuickBooks AI Agents now extending automation into forecasting and analysis, the benefits are greater than ever.
Firms that adopt bookkeeping automations in 2025 will not only increase efficiency but also build stronger relationships with clients by providing timely, accurate, and actionable insights.
Book a call and let’s turn AI into real growth for your firm
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