Aplos

Aplos is a cloud-based fund accounting platform designed for nonprofits and churches — providing fund accounting, donation management, and reporting that meet nonprofit accounting standards without requiring a general-purpose accounting background.

What Makes Aplos Stand Out

Purpose-built for nonprofit fund accounting — not adapted from for-profit software. Donation tracking and donor management built into accounting

Form 990 reporting support for nonprofit tax compliance

Pricing and Plans

Aplos is a paid product, reflecting its position as a professional tool. Pricing is structured to match the scale and needs of the organizations that use it.

Who Should Use Aplos

Aplos is best for teams and individuals who need nonprofit accounting capabilities and where purpose-built for nonprofit fund accounting — not adapted from for-profit software. It may not be the right fit when less powerful than general-purpose accounting for complex organizations.

Verdict

Aplos delivers on its core promise as a nonprofit accounting tool. Aplos is a cloud-based fund accounting platform designed for nonprofits and churches — providing fun... For teams evaluating nonprofit accounting options, Aplos is worth considering based on its specific strengths and how they align with your requirements.

Giving and Donor Portal

Aplos includes an online giving portal where supporters can donate directly — embedding the giving form on the organization's website and tracking donations automatically to the appropriate accounting fund without manual entry.

Aplos for Churches

Aplos specifically addresses church accounting needs: tracking designated giving funds (building fund, missions fund, benevolence fund), managing split-check payments, and producing the financial reports that church governance requires. These church-specific workflows distinguish Aplos from generic nonprofit accounting software.

Financial Reporting

Aplos generates the Statement of Activities (nonprofit equivalent of P&L), Statement of Financial Position (nonprofit balance sheet), and Statement of Cash Flows — the three core financial statements that nonprofits produce for board reporting and audit.

Mobile App for Financial Oversight

Aplos's mobile app enables board members and executive directors to review financial dashboards, approve transactions, and monitor fund balances from their phones — providing real-time financial oversight between formal board meetings.

Overall rating: 4.1 / 5

Aplos is the accounting software built specifically for nonprofits and churches — handling fund accounting, donation management, and financial reporting with the specific requirements of nonprofit bookkeeping without requiring nonprofits to adapt general-purpose accounting software.

Fund Accounting for Nonprofits

Nonprofit accounting requires tracking money by fund — general fund, restricted grants, endowment, capital campaigns — rather than just by department. Aplos's fund accounting tracks income and expenses by fund automatically, producing the fund balance reports that nonprofits need for donor reporting, grant compliance, and audits.

Donation Management Integration

Aplos integrates donation tracking with accounting — when a donation is recorded, the accounting entry is created automatically in the correct fund. This integration eliminates the reconciliation between a separate donation database and the accounting system.

Aplos vs. QuickBooks for Nonprofits

QuickBooks provides broader accounting capability but requires configuration to approximate fund accounting. Aplos is purpose-built for nonprofit needs — less configuration required to produce nonprofit-standard reports. Organizations with complex accounting needs sometimes use QuickBooks; those wanting simpler implementation often choose Aplos.

Overall rating: 4.1 / 5