Aplos review

Aplos is fund accounting software for nonprofits and faith-based organizations. It tracks restricted and unrestricted balances and connects transactions to funds, so organizations can report on how money is designated rather than treating every dollar as interchangeable. It also handles core accounting work such as bank reconciliation, accounts payable and receivable, and importing bank transactions.

The product includes customizable financial reports that organizations can email or export, plus budget tracking by grant, program, or project. Compliance tools include workflows and Form 990 mapping. Aplos also offers bookkeeping services: its specialists can categorize transactions, prepare monthly statements, and handle tax documents.

The pricing page lists four plans, from Lite for smaller organizations to Custom for organizations with $1 million or more in annual revenue. The entry plan is aimed at basic accounting; fund accounting is central to the product, not an optional add-on.

Aplos’s clearest advantage is that fund tracking is built into its accounting workflow. The pricing page lists Balance Sheet and Income Statement by Fund on Lite, rather than reserving basic fund reporting for a higher tier. That matters for organizations that need to distinguish restricted grant money from unrestricted funds and explain balances to a board or funder.

Reporting and budgeting also have a nonprofit focus. Aplos says reports can be customized, emailed, or exported; Core adds basic budgeting, while Advanced lists budgeting by fund or grant and dimensional budgeting and reporting. The feature set also covers reconciliation, payables and receivables, and compliance workflows with Form 990 mapping.

One Reddit thread comparing software for a small nonprofit called out fund tracking and 990-style reporting as the main distinction between nonprofit-specific tools and QuickBooks Online, where commenters said those needs can require workarounds. That is not a full product comparison, but it points to the practical reason to consider Aplos: less adapting a general accounting setup to nonprofit reporting. Organizations that want help with the books can also ask about Aplos’s bookkeeping services, which cover transaction categorization, monthly statements, and tax documents.

The entry price is a real constraint. According to the pricing information, Lite costs $79 per month for two users, and Core costs $129 per month for two users. Lite and Core show a 50% discount for three months with code YEAREND26—$39.50 and $64.50 per month respectively—but those are temporary prices, not the ongoing rates. No annual rate is published, and there is no free plan; the listed free trial is 15 days.

Two users on both lower plans is a tight cap for an organization with staff, a treasurer, and outside bookkeeping help. Advanced raises the allowance to three users and costs $229 per month; it is listed for organizations with $250,000 or more in annual revenue. Custom is aimed at organizations with $1 million or more in annual revenue, but its price is not published.

Some capabilities are also gated by plan: Core is where basic budgeting and payables and receivables appear, while budgeting by fund or grant and dimensional budgeting and reporting are listed on Advanced. Custom-plan options such as fixed assets, allocations, extra dimensions, and additional users may be available, but prices are not published. Budget for the post-promotion rate and verify which plan covers your workflows before switching.

Aplos starts at $79 per month for Lite, billed monthly. The pricing page lists a 15-day free trial, but no annual rate. Lite includes two users, bank reconciliation, custom reports, and Balance Sheet and Income Statement by Fund. With code YEAREND26, the listed price is $39.50 per month for three months; after that, the standard monthly price applies.

Core costs $129 per month and also includes two users, plus basic budgeting and accounts payable and receivable. That is a $50 monthly jump from Lite. Advanced is $229 per month, a further $100 jump, and includes three users, budgeting by fund or grant, and dimensional budgeting and reporting. It is aimed at organizations with $250,000 or more in annual revenue.

Custom pricing is for organizations with $1 million or more in annual revenue. Some options, including extra users, fixed assets, and allocations, may be included, but prices are not published. The entry plans’ two-user cap is tight, and the promotional price does not appear to be a permanent discount.

Treat a move to Aplos as a finance-data project, not just a software signup. Before switching, list the funds, accounts, budgets, and reporting dimensions you rely on, then confirm how they will map into Aplos. The published product details describe bank transaction imports and reconciliation, but do not specify migration services, supported import formats, or which historical records can be brought across. Those details are worth confirming before you commit.

The same gap matters if you leave. The published information does not state what data export options Aplos provides, so ask for sample exports and clarify whether reports, transactions, and fund detail can be taken with you. Aplos’ pricing also makes seat needs worth checking early: Lite and Core include two users, while Advanced includes three; additional-user pricing is not published.

We were not given Reddit posts or comments about Aplos, so we can’t substantiate reasons users leave or claims about switching friction. Get the migration and exit terms in writing rather than assuming either will be straightforward.