Simply Wise
SimplyWise isn't a full accounting suite for big companies. It’s a dedicated receipt scanner and expense tracker for solopreneurs who hate data entry. It digitizes paper receipts instantly, syncs with your bank, and tracks mileage. If you just need to organize your expenses for tax time without learning complex software, this is it.
SimplyWise Review: The Expense Tracker That Finally Killed My Shoebox
TLDR: SimplyWise isn't a full accounting suite for big companies. It’s a dedicated receipt scanner and expense tracker for solopreneurs who hate data entry. It digitizes paper receipts instantly, syncs with your bank, and tracks mileage. If you just need to organize your expenses for tax time without learning complex software, this is it.
You know the shoebox?
The one under your desk. Or maybe it’s a plastic bag in your glove box. It’s stuffed with crinkled thermal paper receipts that are slowly fading into white nothingness.
Every year, tax season rolls around, and you panic. You dump them out. You spend a weekend squinting at faded ink, typing numbers into a spreadsheet, praying you don't get audited.
Stop doing that.
It is 2026. You have a supercomputer in your pocket. You should be using it.
I found SimplyWise a while back, and it fits a very specific hole in the market. It’s not trying to be everything. It doesn't want to run a Fortune 500 payroll. It just wants to make sure you never lose a tax deduction again.
What Is SimplyWise?
SimplyWise is a mobile-first tool designed to digitize your financial life.
Most "accounting" software is overkill. If you are a freelancer, a driver, or a contractor, you don't need double-entry bookkeeping. You need to know:
- How much did I spend?
- What was it for?
- Do I have proof for the IRS?
SimplyWise answers those three questions. You snap a picture of a receipt, and the app uses OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to read the date, merchant, and total. It files it away in the cloud with 256-bit encryption.
Then, you can toss the paper.
Practical Benefits: Why It Works
I have tested a dozen scanning apps. Most of them are clunky. They miss the total. They get the date wrong.
SimplyWise is aggressive about accuracy. It grabs the data fast. But the real power is in the reconciliation.
You can connect your bank accounts and credit cards directly to the app. SimplyWise pulls in your transaction feed. Then, it plays a game of "match the receipt."
It looks at a $45.12 charge from Home Depot on your card. It looks for a $45.12 receipt you scanned. When it finds a match, it links them.
If you miss a receipt, it flags the transaction. It nags you. It forces you to stay honest with your own books.
Key Specs:
- Bank Connections: Links to thousands of institutions to pull transactions automatically.
- Unlimited Storage: No caps on how many documents you store in the cloud.
- Mileage Tracking: Uses your phone's GPS to log drives. You can swipe to categorize them as "Personal" or "Business."
- Export: Generates PDF or Excel reports for your accountant.
Implementation: Is It Actually Easy?
Yes. That’s the whole point.
You download the app. You sign up. You point your camera at a receipt.
That’s the learning curve.
There is no "chart of accounts" to set up. You don't need to understand debits and credits. You just create folders like "Gas," "Meals," or "Supplies."
I tried it with a wrinkled gas station receipt I found in my jacket. It read the text fine. I tried it with a long grocery receipt. It took a second longer, but it got the total right.
SimplyWise vs. The Big Guys
This is where people get stuck. They ask, "Why not just use QuickBooks?"
SimplyWise vs. QuickBooks: QuickBooks is a beast. It is powerful, but it is heavy. It creates friction. If you just want to log a $12 lunch, opening the QuickBooks app feels like filing a tax return. SimplyWise is faster. It’s built for capture, not complex reporting. If you have employees and inventory, get QuickBooks. If you are a solo operator, SimplyWise is less headache.
SimplyWise vs. Excel: Excel is free, but it is dumb. It doesn't talk to your bank. It doesn't store photos of your receipts. If you get audited, a spreadsheet won't save you. You need the original receipts. SimplyWise keeps the digital copy valid and safe.
What Real Users Say
Don't just take my word for it. The internet is full of opinions.
I dug through Reddit and the App Store to see how it holds up for others.
One user on Reddit, starbootceruleanrock, explained why they stuck with it for two years:
"It imports all of my posted transactions so I can reconcile them fast... I can see all of my transactions in one place for all of my banks and cards... What used to take me many hours throughout a month of stress now only takes me small fraction of the time."
Another user, Manfred, praised the scanner specifically on the App Store:
"This app's receipt scanner feature flawlessly scans business receipts no matter how torn, wrinkled, or messed up they are."
But it's not perfect. Some users mentioned that the "Pro" features are where the real value is, and the free/base versions feel limited. As one user noted:
"The free version is limited so you won't be able to run a report but when you upgrade to the business plan, you can run reports for mileage and expenses at anytime."
Pricing: What Does It Cost?
SimplyWise uses a subscription model. It has changed a few times, so check the site for the live number, but generally, you are looking at two tiers.
The Base Plan (~$29.99/year): This gets you the scanning. It’s good if you just want a digital shoebox. But honestly, it’s not enough for a business.
The Business (Pro) Plan (~$89.99/year): This is the one you want. It includes:
- Unlimited scans.
- Bank reconciliation (critical).
- Mileage tracking.
- Tax reports.
Is it worth $90? Think about your hourly rate. If this saves you three hours of admin work a year, it paid for itself. If it finds one $100 deduction you would have forgotten, it paid for itself.
Check out the current pricing here.
FAQ
Is the digital receipt actually legal for the IRS? Yes. The IRS has accepted digital copies of receipts for years. You do not need to keep the paper if the digital copy is legible.
Does it handle multiple currencies? It captures what is on the receipt. However, for complex currency conversion reports, you might need a more robust tool. It’s primarily US-focused for bank connections.
Can I share this with my accountant? Yes. You can export your data to a spreadsheet or PDF and email it to them. They will love you for not handing them a shoebox.
Summary
SimplyWise is a tool for people who do the work, not just the accounting.
If you are a contractor, a freelancer, or a gig worker, your time is money. You waste money every time you sit down to tape receipts to a piece of paper.
This software automates the boring stuff. It captures the data, matches it to your bank, and keeps you audit-proof. It is simple, affordable, and effective.
Get your financial house in order.
