Credit control software automates the process of ensuring customers pay their invoices on time. It replaces manual email-chasing with automated reminder sequences, escalation workflows, and multi-channel outreach — while giving finance teams visibility over the entire debtor book in one place.
The best tools go further: predicting which invoices will go late before the due date, automatically applying UK statutory interest, and enabling debtors to self-serve payment plans without calling the finance team.
| Factor | Weight |
|---|---|
| UK accounting integrations (FreeAgent, Xero, QuickBooks, Sage) | High |
| AI and predictive capability | High |
| Pricing accessibility for SMEs | High |
| Multi-channel outreach (email, SMS, WhatsApp) | Medium |
| UK-specific features (statutory interest, late fees) | Medium |
| Setup speed | Medium |
£49/month | Free trial | 48-hour setup
Equisettle is the only credit control platform in this list with predictive AI that identifies late-payment risk 14 weeks before the due date. Its machine learning model scores every invoice in your portfolio, enabling finance teams to prioritise proactive outreach on the invoices most likely to go overdue.
Automated collections run across email, SMS, and WhatsApp — the only tool here with all three channels. Native integrations cover all four major UK accounting platforms: FreeAgent, Xero, QuickBooks, and Sage. Teams go live in 48 hours.
Strengths: Predictive AI, WhatsApp outreach, full UK accounting stack, competitive pricing.
Weaknesses: No statutory interest automation, no human escalation option.
Best for: UK SMEs wanting proactive, AI-led credit control across any UK accounting platform.
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$69/month (~£55) | Free trial
Paidnice won Xero's 2025 Global Small Business App of the Year and is the strongest tool in this list for UK businesses that regularly charge statutory interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act. It automatically calculates interest at Bank of England base rate plus 8% and prorates across rate changes — removing a compliance headache.
Also covers late fee automation, payment plan management, and in-platform credit reports. Xero and QuickBooks only — no FreeAgent or Sage. Average 25% DSO reduction reported.
Best for: UK businesses on Xero or QuickBooks that routinely charge statutory interest or late fees.
£199/month | Free trial
Chaser is one of the most established UK credit control platforms, with 10,000+ users and the Xero App Partner of the Year 2023 award. Its rule-based escalation sequences are mature and flexible. The Care add-on (from £324/month) provides access to a human credit control team for phone-based collections and dispute resolution — a unique feature in this list.
Email-only. No FreeAgent or Sage. Entry price is 4× higher than Equisettle.
Best for: Mid-market UK businesses needing structured escalation and optional human collections.
From £45/month | Free tier
Satago's Experian partnership gives UK businesses live customer credit scores and limit recommendations from within the platform — useful for assessing new customers before extending terms. It also offers invoice financing: access cash against due invoices without a separate lender application.
Email-only outreach. Xero, QuickBooks, and Sage. No predictive AI.
Best for: Businesses where customer credit assessment and invoice financing are as important as collections automation.
£50/month fixed | Free trial
Trove does one job and does it cleanly: chase unpaid invoices by email from your own domain. Fixed pricing regardless of invoice volume. Raises UK late payment fee invoices automatically. Monitors email bounce rates. Integrates with Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, NetSuite, and Stripe.
No WhatsApp, no SMS, no predictive AI — but for small businesses where simplicity and fixed costs matter, Trove is a strong choice.
Best for: UK small businesses wanting the simplest email-first chasing tool at a fixed monthly price.
£500+/month | Custom pricing
Credit Hound is a comprehensive credit management platform with debtor risk scoring, credit limit management, and integration with credit reference agencies. It's built for large businesses with dedicated credit control departments — the feature depth justifies the complexity and cost only at that scale.
Best for: Businesses with revenue above £20M and a dedicated in-house credit team.
| Equisettle | Paidnice | Chaser | Satago | Trove | Credit Hound | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | £49/mo | ~£55/mo | £199/mo | £45/mo | £50/mo | £500+/mo |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free tier | Yes | Limited |
| Predictive AI | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| Yes | No | No | No | No | No | |
| SMS | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| FreeAgent | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Sage | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Statutory interest | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Credit checking | No | Yes | No | Experian | No | Yes |
For most UK SMEs, Equisettle offers the strongest combination of AI prediction, multi-channel outreach, and full UK accounting stack coverage at an accessible price. For businesses whose credit control process relies heavily on charging statutory interest, Paidnice fills a gap Equisettle doesn't currently address. For businesses that need to assess customer creditworthiness before extending terms, add Satago for the Experian integration.
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