This article is for finance leaders, operators, and business owners who use Stripe to process payments and are deciding which accounting or ERP system to pair it with.
We’ll cover the most popular accounting platforms and how each one connects to Stripe. We'll discuss each connection type in detail in the "Integration Methods" section of this article, but here is a quick summary of each:
- Point to point: Your accounting software connects directly to Stripe. This is the simplest and easiest way to get started.
- Integration platform as a service (iPaaS): These third party tools allow non technical users to create flexible data pipelines, and are extremely useful in midsize to enterprise setups.
- Message bus: High performance software that can support advanced integration use cases, but requires IT expertise to build and maintain.
While all of the accounting tools mentioned below are mainstream, popular, and proven options, we generally recommend choosing a system that integrates natively with Stripe, especially if it's your only payment processor. Native integrations reduce friction, lower costs, and ensure smoother day-to-day financial operations.
Accounting Software With A Native Stripe Connector
Small Business & Startups - Xero
Xero is a popular entry level accounting platform that offers strong collaboration features for distributed teams. Accountants, founders, employees, and finance managers can all log in simultaneously, making it easier to stay aligned on cash flow, expenses, and forecasting. Its cloud-first design also ensures accessibility from anywhere, which is vital for growing companies with flexible teams.
Xero offers a free connector directly in Stripe's Marketplace. This makes it one of the easiest solutions for small businesses to adopt. With direct syncing between Stripe and Xero, you can automatically reconcile invoices, track payment status, and maintain a clean set of books without endless manual adjustments.
Xero’s dashboard and reporting tools are designed to be intuitive and visually engaging, which helps non-finance users better understand the numbers. For businesses that want simplicity paired with efficiency, Xero strikes a balance between usability and depth.
Who uses it most: Particularly popular with startups and SMEs in tech, e-commerce, and professional services. Xero is popular worldwide, but has especially high adoption rates in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
Best for: SMEs that want a cloud-first, collaborative accounting tool.
Midsize to Enterprise - NetSuite
NetSuite is a modern, modular ERP, and offers a wide scope of features including revenue recognition, advanced reporting, and automation across multiple business functions. For finance leaders, this means Stripe transactions don’t just reconcile, they feed into a larger ecosystem of operational data that powers decision-making. In terms of functionality, it is a big step above entry level accounting software like Xero or Quickbooks.
Stripe offers a first party connector for NetSuite through its marketplace. This means businesses can bring together Stripe’s payment data directly into their financial workflows without additional middleware. The result is reduced integration complexity and faster setup compared to ERPs without native support.
Because it scales well across mid-market to enterprise organizations, NetSuite is often chosen by companies that expect rapid growth. Its ability to handle multi-entity and multi-currency operations also makes it appealing for businesses with international reach.
In my opinion, NetSuite is an ideal option for any company that has scaled past the capabilities of Xero/Quickbooks. While SAP S/4Hana and Oracle Fusion (discussed below) may offer more capabilities on paper, I honestly question how many organizations actually use all of those features. NetSuite strikes a great balance between providing enough functionality to fit almost all use cases, but also not overwhelming you with endless confusing screens. This is reflected in its growing popularity.
That popularity is another factor for adopting it - it's likely that you'll be able to hire people with NetSuite experience fairly easily.
If you're considering NetSuite, you should also consider Microsoft Dynamics 365. It's just as capable, and integrating via iPaaS isn't that difficult. You may have to use iPaaS anyway if Stripe isn't your only payment processor.
Who uses it most: Very popular with mid-market to enterprise businesses in North America and Europe, as well as growing global firms that need strong international functionality.
Best for: Mid-market to enterprise businesses wanting ERP depth with built-in Stripe support.
Enterprise Only - SAP S/4Hana
S/4Hana is a leading ERP, or Enterprise Resource Planning software. It provides a centralized platform for managing finance, supply chain, manufacturing, procurement, and compliance at global scale, designed for organizations with highly complex operations and regulatory needs.
Stripe offers a native connector to SAPs Digital Payments Add-On, making it stand out in the enterprise ERP landscape. This direct link allows very large organizations to process Stripe transactions alongside complex operational data in real time. Instead of relying on heavy customization, enterprises can benefit from a smoother deployment.
Stripe’s connector is technically to SAP’s Digital Payments Add-On rather than directly into S/4Hana itself (see SAP Digital Payments Add-On and Stripe’s documentation). That add-on acts as a kind of payments hub within SAP, pulling in payment data from multiple sources (such as Stripe) and then passing it through to the core ERP. Conceptually, this makes it somewhat similar to a message bus, but one designed specifically for payments data across providers. It is also important to note that the Digital Payments Add-On is a premium product and can be quite pricey, which adds to the overall cost of deploying S/4Hana with Stripe.
Of course, with its power comes complexity. Implementation of S/4Hana and the Digital Payments Add-On is resource-intensive, but the payoff can be huge for businesses that need robust, enterprise-grade ERP functionality combined with a variety of payment processors.
Who uses it most: Widely adopted by multinational corporations in manufacturing, logistics, and heavily regulated industries across Europe, North America, and Asia.
Best for: Large enterprises that want the robustness of SAP with direct Stripe integration.
Accounting Software Without A Native Stripe Connector
Small Business & Startups - QuickBooks
QuickBooks remains one of the most popular accounting platforms for small businesses. Stripe itself has not built a first party connector, but they do promote a third party solution by a team called Acodei. Of course, Quickbooks can also connect to Stripe through third-party tools such as Zapier or Workato.
Quickbooks' popularity comes from its user-friendly design and strong ecosystem of accountants and bookkeepers familiar with the platform. Many small businesses find that despite the lack of a direct connector, QuickBooks remains practical because so many professionals know how to work with it.
Who uses it most: Extremely popular with small businesses and sole proprietors in North America, especially in service industries, retail, and trades.
Best for: Small businesses needing fast, simple integrations that are OK using iPaaS.
Midsize to Enterprise - Sage and Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft Dynamics 365
For my money, Microsoft Dynamics 365 is the top competitor to Oracle NetSuite. However, it doesn't offer a native Stripe connector, and I don't find any of the third party options on Stripe's Marketplace particularly compelling. Businesses using it will most likely rely on iPaaS platforms to integrate Stripe data. While this adds complexity, the platform’s breadth of functionality makes it worthwhile for many larger organizations, especially if you're deep in the Microsoft ecosystem.
If Stripe isn't your only payment processor, Dynamics may be worth a look.
Dynamics is strong in areas like automation, business intelligence, and customizable workflows. Once Stripe data flows into Dynamics, finance leaders can create powerful dashboards that combine payment insights with operational performance metrics. This enables better planning and forecasting.
The flexibility of Dynamics also appeals to companies already within the Microsoft ecosystem, as it integrates naturally with tools like Power BI and Office 365. While it requires more effort to link with Stripe, the reward is a highly adaptable ERP environment.
Who uses it most: Common among mid-market to large enterprises in manufacturing, distribution, and professional services, particularly in North America and Europe.
Best for: Mid-market to enterprise businesses needing a full ERP with Stripe support via iPaaS.
Sage Intacct
Sage Intacct is a bit unique on this list. It is the only one that offers more advanced accounting functionality than Quickbooks or Xero, but doesn't really offer ERP features. If your company has advanced accounting needs, but doesn't want to get confused by ERP features, it may be worth a look.
Unfortunately, it does not include a native Stripe connector. However, integration is possible via iPaaS platforms like Zapier, Boomi, or Workato.
The benefit of Intacct is its strength in multi-entity accounting, advanced reporting, and scalability. For organizations juggling multiple subsidiaries or revenue streams, this can be invaluable. Stripe data brought in through an iPaaS solution can be harnessed for consolidated reporting, deeper analytics, and compliance management.
Who uses it most: Popular among mid-sized companies in the United States, especially nonprofits, healthcare, and SaaS firms.
Best for: Scaling businesses that need multi-entity accounting and more robust reporting.
Enterprise Only - Oracle Fusion
Oracle Fusion does not provide a native Stripe connector, so organizations must connect the two systems using a message bus or iPaaS. This means integration can be resource-intensive, requiring both technical expertise and potentially higher costs. For enterprises with high transaction volumes, however, it is still a strong option.
Fusion’s key strength is its ability to bring together financial, HR, and operational data in one system. When Stripe data is integrated, enterprises can use it to gain holistic insights across their organization. The system is also robust when it comes to compliance and international operations, making it appealing to global businesses.
The trade-off is complexity. Without a native connector, integration timelines can be long and the setup may require specialized partners. But once operational, Fusion provides deep functionality for organizations that need a complete enterprise platform.
Who uses it most: Popular among multinational corporations and large enterprises in finance, telecom, and government sectors, especially in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Best for: Large enterprises with complex financial and operational systems, high transaction volumes, and advanced compliance requirements.
Integration Methods
Not all integration methods are created equal. Below we break down the three main approaches in depth.
Point-to-Point Integration
Point-to-point integrations connect Stripe directly to your accounting system, often but not always through a native connector. A good place to find point to point integrations is Stripe's Marketplace.
The main benefit is speed and cost efficiency: implementation usually takes just minutes to a few hours rather than days or weeks. Maintenance is also easier since you don’t have to monitor a complex integration layer. However, the downside is scalability. If your business uses more than a handful of systems, the number of connections grows rapidly, making it difficult to maintain consistency.
This is the simplest approach and generally the least resource-intensive. Because data flows directly between Stripe and your accounting tool, reconciliation is nearly seamless. As we covered above, Xero, NetSuite, and S/4Hana all have high quality first or second party connectors.
There is usually a third party connector available to link Stripe with almost any mainstream accounting platform, but these solutions typically come with additional licensing costs. Plus, long-term maintenance can sometimes become an issue if the vendor discontinues support or if updates break compatibility.
Point-to-point is best for companies where Stripe is the primary payment processor and the accounting environment is relatively simple. For startups or SMBs, this method is often the most cost-effective way to ensure real-time financial reporting without added complexity.
iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service)
iPaaS solutions such as Zapier, Boomi, Mulesoft, and Workato act as middle layers that allow you to connect Stripe with accounting tools like QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, or Dynamics. They provide a drag-and-drop interface for building data pipelines and include pre-built connectors, making it possible for even non-technical teams to configure integrations without writing code.
The biggest strength of iPaaS is flexibility. You can design automated workflows that move Stripe data into multiple systems beyond just accounting, such as CRM or data warehouses. This makes it ideal for mid-market businesses with growing tech stacks that need more than a single direct connection.
While iPaaS does introduce an additional platform into your stack, it is generally not especially expensive or difficult to manage. Subscriptions are often affordable for mid-sized businesses, and the configuration is straightforward enough that finance teams can handle many adjustments themselves.
In fact, one of the biggest advantages is that finance departments can maintain some independence, without having to lean on IT for every minor change. There can still be some latency in data sync depending on how workflows are set up, but overall iPaaS is a great option if point-to-point does not work for your use case. It provides agility and scalability without the heavy lift of a full enterprise integration strategy.
Zapier
Zapier is one of the most well-known iPaaS tools, popular for its ease of use and wide library of pre-built connectors. It is my personal favorite iPaaS tool, and the one that I use on my own websites (including this one).
It shines for small to midsize businesses that need quick wins without technical overhead. Zapier’s interface is designed to be as simple as possible, most integrations can be set up in minutes using plain-language triggers and actions. This makes it an appealing choice for marketing or finance teams that want to automate workflows without waiting for IT.
Zapier has a reputation for being more developer-focused than some of the other iPaaS tools. Its design and terminology often appeal to more technical users, and while it is accessible to non-technical teams, it tends to be seen as a tech‑savvy platform. Still, for connecting Stripe with common tools like QuickBooks, Google Sheets, or Slack, it is often the fastest and easiest solution.
Another advantage is Zapier’s large user community and extensive documentation, which makes troubleshooting much easier. It is also relatively inexpensive compared to enterprise iPaaS platforms, which helps smaller businesses stay agile.
Even if you're not a developer, I'd recommend putting Zapier on your shortlist - once you learn it, it is an incredibly powerful tool.
Who uses it most: Startups, midsize businesses, and marketing teams worldwide, particularly in e-commerce and SaaS.
Best for: Quick, low-cost integrations with Stripe when you need to move data between simple cloud apps.
Boomi
Boomi, owned by Dell, offers an enterprise-focused iPaaS platform. It provides robust tools for mapping, transforming, and orchestrating data. Unlike Zapier, Boomi is designed to handle very large data volumes, complex workflows, and strict compliance requirements.
A key feature of Boomi is its focus on governance and security. It has extensive monitoring and error-handling tools, making it well-suited to organizations that need mission-critical integrations to work reliably at scale. Boomi also offers strong support for hybrid IT environments, where some systems are on-premise and others are in the cloud.
For Stripe users, Boomi enables deep integrations with ERP and financial systems like NetSuite, Intacct, and Dynamics. While the platform can be more expensive than lightweight alternatives, the reliability and enterprise-grade capabilities often justify the cost.
Who uses it most: Mid-sized to enterprise organizations in healthcare, finance, and manufacturing, especially in North America.
Best for: Enterprises that want a trusted, mature iPaaS provider for mission-critical integrations with Stripe and other systems.
Mulesoft
Mulesoft, part of Salesforce, is another enterprise-grade iPaaS provider. It stands out for its API-first approach, giving companies fine-grained control over integrations. With Mulesoft, organizations can build reusable APIs for Stripe and other systems, ensuring flexibility and long-term scalability.
What makes Mulesoft unique is its developer-centric design. While business users may find it harder to configure than Zapier or Workato, engineering teams can build highly tailored solutions that serve as the foundation for enterprise integrations. This makes it particularly appealing to organizations with complex requirements and internal development capacity.
Mulesoft also benefits from being part of the Salesforce ecosystem, which means companies already using Salesforce products can achieve tighter integrations across their technology stack. The trade-off is that implementation can be time-consuming, and licensing is on the higher end of the spectrum.
Who uses it most: Large enterprises, especially those already within the Salesforce ecosystem or with complex API needs.
Best for: Organizations that want highly customizable integrations and API management with Stripe.
Workato
Workato is known for combining ease of use with powerful automation capabilities. It has a strong library of Stripe-related recipes and is designed to empower business users as well as IT. Workato balances user-friendly design with enterprise scalability.
A major selling point for Workato is its ability to support both simple automations and advanced workflows within the same platform. Finance teams can quickly build integrations to move Stripe transactions into their accounting systems, while IT can extend those workflows to cover compliance, analytics, and reporting.
Workato has also invested heavily in security and compliance, making it attractive for companies in regulated industries. It integrates well with collaboration tools, which helps distributed teams coordinate around financial operations.
Who uses it most: Fast-growing companies across industries, particularly in tech and SaaS, with distributed teams that want both flexibility and power.
Best for: Businesses looking for a balance of usability and depth, enabling finance and operations teams to build Stripe automations without waiting on IT.
Message Bus
Message bus architectures like Kafka or RabbitMQ provide an enterprise-grade backbone for data communication. Rather than connecting applications directly, you stream Stripe events into a central bus that then distributes them to accounting, ERP, BI, and other systems.
This approach is the most powerful and scalable. It can handle massive transaction volumes, complex transformations, and near real-time data distribution. It is often the only viable method for large enterprises that rely on Stripe for payments and also operate dozens of interconnected systems across geographies. In these cases, nothing else will work at the required scale or complexity.
The trade-off is that message buses demand significant investment. Standing up a bus requires engineering expertise, careful architecture, and ongoing monitoring. Costs are not just in the software itself but in the people required to operate it. It is rarely justified for small or mid-sized companies. But for enterprises that need industrial-strength reliability, high throughput, and the ability to integrate dozens of systems simultaneously, message buses are unmatched.
My recommendation is to use iPaaS wherever possible, and reserve message buses only for situations where you truly must. This ensures finance and operations teams keep agility and affordability when they can, while still having a path forward for extreme enterprise complexity.
Kafka
Kafka is the most widely used message bus in the enterprise world, adopted by around 80% of S&P 500 companies. It is built for very high throughput and distributed environments. With Kafka, Stripe events can be streamed reliably across multiple systems in real time.
Kafka’s architecture is designed for resilience. Data is replicated across multiple brokers, which ensures high availability and fault tolerance. This makes it ideal for enterprises that cannot afford downtime in financial data flows. In addition, Kafka’s ability to handle millions of events per second makes it the go-to solution for very large organizations.
However, Kafka is not easy to set up or manage. It requires a dedicated team of engineers to configure, monitor, and maintain. The learning curve can be steep, and implementation costs are significant. But for enterprises with high transaction volumes and global operations, the benefits in reliability and scale outweigh the challenges.
Who uses it most: Very large enterprises in finance, telecom, and e-commerce with global operations.
Best for: Enterprises that need maximum scalability and fault tolerance for Stripe payment data.
RabbitMQ
RabbitMQ is another leading message bus technology, popular for its maturity and flexibility. It is easier to set up than Kafka and is well-suited to organizations that want reliable messaging without the extreme scale requirements.
RabbitMQ supports multiple messaging protocols and can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud. It is often praised for its simplicity and extensive documentation, which makes it easier for IT teams to adopt compared to Kafka. While it does not match Kafka’s throughput, it is more than sufficient for most enterprise financial workloads.
For Stripe users, RabbitMQ can provide dependable delivery of payment events into accounting and ERP systems. Its plugin ecosystem also allows customization for specific needs, such as advanced monitoring or security features.
Who uses it most: Enterprises and mid-sized companies in industries such as logistics, SaaS, and government.
Best for: Organizations that want a robust, proven message bus to handle Stripe data flows without the overhead of Kafka.
Recommendations
Here are the systems that I recommend, based ease of integration, broken down by size or organization:
- Startups & Small Businesses
- Xero
- Maybe Quickbooks for North American companies (since it is so popular there).
- Midsize
- NetSuite
- Microsoft Dynamics is also worth a look, especially if you have other payment processors and are OK with using iPaaS.
- Enterprise Only
- S/4Hana + their digital payments add-on
The key takeaway: choose the simplest accounting software that fits your current stage, and favor those with native Stripe connectors. Over-engineering too early creates unnecessary complexity; under-investing as you scale creates bottlenecks.
Final Thoughts
Stripe is a powerful foundation for payment processing, but its true potential is unlocked when paired with the right accounting software. Whether you’re rightsizing your setup or preparing for rapid growth, aligning your financial systems with your business stage ensures accurate reporting, smoother operations, and better strategic insights.