The CFO tech stack in 2026: what 215 finance leaders are actually using

What finance automation tools are finance leaders actually using in 2026?

Not what vendors claim is popular, and not what appears in analyst rankings. The latest CFO Connect Top Finance Tools Report looks at the platforms finance teams use every day, how technology choices change as companies grow, and which tools leaders prioritise when they start a new role.

Based on responses from 215 finance leaders, the report covers cloud accounting, ERP, FP&A, spend management, billing and accounts receivable, procurement, payroll and HR, treasury, and AI tools. The results reveal a finance function becoming more selective, more automated, and increasingly focused on connected workflows rather than adding software for its own sake.

What does the 2026 CFO tools report tell us?

Five findings stand out from this year’s research:

• Finance stacks are becoming more concentrated: 91% of respondents use six finance tools or fewer.

• AI adoption is now mainstream: 67% of finance teams use at least one AI tool, compared with 31% in 2024.

• Spreadsheets still dominate FP&A: 76% of finance teams use spreadsheets for financial planning and analysis.

• Procurement remains under-tooled: 64% of respondents have no dedicated procurement platform.

• Spend management is the top priority for new finance leaders: 21% said it was one of the first tool categories they implemented in a new role.

The findings point to a clear shift in finance technology. Leaders are not necessarily looking for the largest possible stack. They are looking for a smaller number of platforms that provide visibility, automate repetitive work, and connect processes across the business.

Finance teams are choosing fewer tools, not more

More than 90% of finance teams now operate with six tools or fewer. Half of respondents use between four and six tools, while 41% use between one and three.

This suggests that finance leaders are becoming more selective about which platforms earn a permanent place in the technology stack. Only 3% plan to expand their stack significantly. By comparison, 38% expect to add one or two tools, 29% plan to keep their existing stack unchanged, and 23% expect to actively consolidate their technology.

The result is a more mature approach to finance software. Rather than adding a specialist platform for every new problem, teams are increasingly looking for systems that support several workflows and integrate with the rest of the finance function.

Which cloud accounting tools are finance teams using?

Xero is the most commonly cited cloud accounting platform in the 2026 report, followed by Oracle NetSuite and QuickBooks.

Xero took the top spot with 14% of responses, ahead of Oracle NetSuite at 10% and QuickBooks at 8%. Pennylane and DATEV each received 7%, while Odoo reached 6%.

The change at the top of the ranking is notable. Oracle NetSuite had led the category for the previous two years, but Xero moved up two places in 2026.

The results also reinforce that there is no single accounting platform for every finance team. Smaller businesses often prioritise ease of use, fast implementation, and affordability. Larger organisations tend to place greater emphasis on multi-entity accounting, scalability, integrations, and broader ERP functionality.

Why are spreadsheets still so common in FP&A?

Spreadsheets remain the default FP&A tool for most finance teams, with 76% of respondents using them for planning and analysis.

A further 7% of respondents said they use no FP&A tool at all. This means more than four in five finance teams are either relying on spreadsheets or operating without dedicated FP&A software.

That does not necessarily mean finance leaders are satisfied with the status quo. Spreadsheets remain familiar, flexible, and relatively easy to deploy, but they can also create problems with version control, collaboration, data quality, and scenario planning.

Purpose-built platforms become more valuable as organisations add business units, stakeholders, data sources, and planning scenarios.

Spend management remains a first priority for finance leaders

Spend management was the most commonly cited tool category implemented during the first months of a new leadership role, at 21%.

Cloud accounting and FP&A followed at 16% each, while ERP was cited by 15% of respondents. The results suggest that finance leaders often begin by establishing visibility and control over company spending, before turning to broader systems and planning infrastructure.

That priority is understandable. Finance teams need to know where money is going, who is spending it, whether purchases are properly approved, and how transactions will flow into accounting systems.

Modern spend management is no longer limited to expense claims and receipt collection. The category now includes corporate cards, purchase requests, approval workflows, invoice processing, budgets, procurement, and accounting automation.

Spendesk leads the 2026 spend management rankings

Spendesk was the most commonly cited spend management platform in the 2026 report, with 25% of responses.

Ramp followed with 7%, while Payhawk received 5%. SAP Concur and Moss each received 4%. Spendesk has now topped the spend management category for the third consecutive year, with particularly strong adoption among growing and mid-market companies.

The report also highlights Spendesk’s position among larger organisations. It was tied for the top choice among companies with more than 500 employees, alongside platforms such as SAP Concur and Coupa.

Respondents pointed to the breadth of the platform as a key differentiator. Spendesk combines procurement, payment cards, expense management, invoice processing, and accounting automation in one solution. Budget monitoring, approval workflows, and pre-accounting capabilities were also highlighted by finance leaders.

For more on how finance teams can strengthen their controls, see Spendesk’s guide to how budget controls help businesses stay compliant.

Spend management is becoming less about policing transactions and more about making responsible decisions possible at scale. Finance teams need connected workflows for requests, approvals, cards, invoices, and budgets, with the right guardrails built in. The future of finance is not tighter control alone, it is intelligent, responsible autonomy across the business.

-- Pauline Babel, CFO, Spendesk

Procurement is still a major gap in the finance stack

Nearly two-thirds of finance teams, or 64% of respondents, do not use a dedicated procurement platform.

Among the named tools, Spendesk was the most widely used at 13%, followed by Zip at 4% and Ramp at 3%.

The gap is especially visible in smaller companies, where purchasing may still be managed through email, spreadsheets, shared cards, or informal approval processes.

As companies grow, these approaches become increasingly difficult to manage. Finance teams need to track committed spend, standardise supplier processes, improve approval controls, and connect purchasing decisions to budgets and accounting data.

This is why procurement is becoming a more important part of the modern finance stack. Spendesk’s article on creating a complete procure-to-pay process explores how businesses can connect purchasing, approvals, payments, and financial control.

AI is becoming part of everyday finance work

Two-thirds of finance teams now use AI tools, up from 31% in 2024.

However, the data shows that adoption is being led by general-purpose large language models rather than dedicated finance AI platforms. None of the specialist finance AI tools named in the survey reached more than 1% usage.

Claude was the most commonly cited AI tool, with 41% of responses. Gemini followed at 12%, ChatGPT at 10%, and Microsoft Copilot at 9%.

Finance teams are using AI for a growing range of practical tasks, including research, reporting, analysis, reconciliation, recurring workflows, document review, and month-end processes.

For a practical guide to introducing AI into finance operations, see A short to long-term plan for AI adoption in finance.

Finance professionals can also explore 25 Claude prompts for finance teams for practical use cases across FP&A, reporting, analysis, and everyday finance workflows.

Treasury remains heavily dependent on spreadsheets

Spreadsheets are also the most common treasury and cash management tool, used by 55% of respondents.

A further 17% said they have no treasury tool at all. In total, more than two-thirds of companies do not use a specialist cash management platform.

This may be manageable for smaller companies with fewer bank accounts, entities, currencies, and cash flows. As organisations become more complex, however, spreadsheet-based treasury processes can make it harder to maintain a reliable view of liquidity, forecast cash requirements, and manage financial risk.

What should finance leaders look for in a modern finance stack?

The 2026 report does not point to one universal technology stack. Instead, it shows that the right tools depend on company size, business model, geography, existing systems, and the maturity of the finance function.

However, several principles emerge:

1. Prioritise visibility: Finance leaders need a reliable view of spend, cash, performance, and financial commitments.

2. Reduce manual work: Automation should remove repetitive reconciliation, reporting, approval, and data-entry tasks.

3. Choose connected systems: Integrations matter because finance data rarely lives in one platform.

4. Build for responsible autonomy: Employees should be able to move quickly within clear policies and controls.

5. Consolidate where it makes sense: More tools do not automatically mean a better finance function.

For many companies, spend management is an important starting point. It touches employees across the business, connects directly to budgets and accounting, and can create immediate improvements in control, visibility, and efficiency.

Frequently asked questions

What are the top CFO tools in 2026?

The 2026 CFO Connect report covers the leading tools across cloud accounting, ERP, FP&A, spend management, billing and accounts receivable, procurement, payroll and HR, treasury, and AI.

What percentage of finance teams use AI?

According to the survey, 67% of finance teams use at least one AI tool, up from 31% in 2024.

Which spend management tool is most popular in 2026?

Spendesk is the most commonly cited spend management platform in the 2026 survey, with 25% of responses. It has led the category for the third consecutive year.

How many finance teams still use spreadsheets for FP&A?

76% of finance teams use spreadsheets for financial planning and analysis. A further 7% use no FP&A tool at all.

What do finance leaders implement first in a new role?

Spend management is the most commonly cited first tool category, at 21% of responses. Cloud accounting and FP&A follow at 16% each, while ERP accounts for 15%.

How many tools do most finance teams use?

More than 90% of respondents use six finance tools or fewer. 41% use between one and three tools, while 50% use between four and six.

Is there a clear leader in procurement software?

Spendesk is the most commonly cited procurement platform in the survey, with 13% of responses. However, 64% of respondents do not use a dedicated procurement tool.

Compare your finance tech stack with 215 finance leaders

The CFO Connect Top Finance Tools Report 2026 provides a practical view of the platforms finance leaders use, recommend, and prioritise as their companies grow.

Download the full report to compare your finance technology stack across accounting, ERP, FP&A, spend management, procurement, treasury, payroll, and AI.

Download the Top CFO Tools Report 2026

Methodology: CFO Connect surveyed 215 finance leaders and their teams. Respondents included CFOs, Finance Directors, VPs Finance, Heads of Finance, Controllers, Finance Managers, Accountants, CEOs, Founders, and Fractional CFOs. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number unless otherwise stated.