Brex vs Capital on Tap (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Brex grades higher than Capital on Tap: 3.6 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Brex grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Brex
Corporate cards, expenses, bill pay and travel for growing companies
Capital on Tap
Business credit card with built-in expense tracking for UK firms
Which one is for you
Pick Brex if
- Fits if you're a startup that wants cards and expenses with no software bill
- Works for developers who want an API on the free plan
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need several expense policies or approval chains without paying $12 a user
- Pricey if your team buys a lot in foreign currencies, with an FX markup of up to 3% on card purchases
- Not for you if you only want some users on Premium, since everyone must be on the same plan
- Tight if you run more than two entities, as Essentials stops there and the rest needs Premium
- Watch out: the pricing page doesn't say whether Premium's $12 is billed monthly or yearly
Pick Capital on Tap if
- Fits if you want a UK business card with free employee cards and cashback
- Works for small firms that sync card spending into Xero, QuickBooks or Sage
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you are refused credit, because the card needs approval and a credit check
- Pricey if you carry a balance: rates start at 14.13% APR (variable)
- Skip it if you want a separate expense-report tool, as expense features sit on the card
- Watch out: Pro costs £299 a year, and Avios convert at 10 points to 8 on Free against 1 to 1 on Pro
- Watch out: the page we read is the UK site; a US version is linked but was not read
How we grade them
| 3.6GPABrexExcellent | 2.6GPACapital on TapGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and substantial. A ten-person company pays $0 a month on Essentials, and Brex charges no fee of its own for ACH, check or wire bill payments. Premium is $12 a user, and the pricing page doesn't say if that's monthly or yearly billing. | BThe Free tier has no annual fee and Pro is £299 a year. Free sits well under what expense tools cost, though the card itself carries interest from 14.13% APR. |
| Free plan and trial | AEssentials is free with unlimited global cards, AI spending rules, up to two entities, bill pay, reimbursements, travel booking, accounting sync and the API. No user cap is listed. | BFree is £0 a year, with unlimited employee cards, 1% cashback and no foreign exchange fees. You still need a credit check to get the card. |
| Features | BThe whole job: cards, expense policies, reimbursements, bill pay by ACH, check or wire, travel, a business account and accounting sync. Multiple policies and approval chains wait for Premium, but the core work is all there. | CEmployee and virtual cards, accounting sync, receipts in the app, spending limits and roles. There is no separate expense-report tool; the features hang off the card. |
| Ease of use | A4.84 from 8,836 App Store ratings, the top band. The AI rules check spending against your policy for you, so there's less chasing to do. | CThe page quotes 4.9 on the App Store without a count, so we don't count it. Setup includes a credit application and an accounting link. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with QuickBooks Online, Xero, NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Dynamics 365, Workday, Rippling and Slack, and an API on every plan. No desktop app is listed. | BWeb, iOS and Android, with Xero, QuickBooks, Sage and FreeAgent. No desktop app. |
| Best for | free global cards and expenses for startups | a UK business credit card with expense tools |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Brex and Capital on Tap. How we grade
Price against what you get
Brex starts at $12 a month for each person and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Capital on Tap starts at about $33.39 a month and scores 2.3.
Brex scores higher and starts $21.39 a month lower. Of the other spend and bill pay tools on the chart, none scores higher than Brex for less, and 15 score higher than Capital on Tap for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Brex also covers bill pay.
At a glance
| Brex | Capital on Tap | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $12 per user / month, billing term not stated | £299 per year, billed annually (Pro); Free tier £0 per year |
| Free plan | Essentials: unlimited global cards, one local card program, AI spending rules, up to two entities, bill pay, reimbursements, travel booking, accounting integrations and API access. | Free: £0 a year, no annual fee, with unlimited free employee cards, 1% cashback and no foreign exchange fees. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Brex LLC | New Wave Capital Limited (trading as Capital on Tap) |
| Price read from | brex.com | capitalontap.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Brex
- Card purchases that need a currency conversion carry an FX markup of up to 3%; Brex charges no fee of its own for ACH, checks or wires.
- Brex LLC is owned by Capital One, N.A.; checking is provided by Column N.A., and the cards are issued by Emigrant Bank, Fifth Third Bank or Sutton Bank.
- Essentials allows up to two entities; multiple expense policies, approval chains and custom ERP or HR integrations need Premium.
- All users on an account must be on the same plan, and the pricing page does not say whether Premium is billed monthly or yearly.
Capital on Tap
- It is a credit card, so approval depends on a credit check; limits go up to £250,000 and rates start at 14.13% APR (variable).
- The UK site prices in pounds; a separate US version of the site is linked but was not read.
- Expense features are attached to the card and its app; there is no separate expense-report tool.
- Pro costs £299 a year; Avios and Virgin Points convert at 10 points to 8 on Free and 1 to 1 on Pro.
Key features
Brex
- Corporate cards
- Unlimited cards accepted in 210+ countries and territories, with local-currency cards and billing in 50+ countries on higher plans.
- Expense policies
- AI-powered rules check spending; Premium adds category rules, role-based exceptions, auto-approval and audit detection.
- Bill pay
- Automated bill pay by ACH, check, domestic wire or international wire in local currency or US dollars, with no Brex fee per payment.
- Travel booking
- Book business travel inside Brex, free on Essentials, with group travel and advanced travel rules on Premium.
- Business account
- Checking provided by Column N.A., plus Treasury and Vault cash management run by Brex Treasury LLC.
- Accounting and API
- Transactions sync to QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, Sage Intacct and Dynamics 365, and an API is included on every plan.
Capital on Tap
- Employee and virtual cards
- Free, unlimited employee cards with their own spending limits, and virtual cards that work as soon as an application is approved.
- Automatic accounting sync
- Transactions sync daily to Xero, QuickBooks, Sage or FreeAgent, and are sorted into categories automatically.
- Receipts in the app
- A receipt can be photographed and attached to its transaction in the mobile app, which also shows team spending in real time.
- Spending limits and alerts
- Limits can be set per transaction or per month for each team member, and the account owner gets an alert whenever a card is used.
- Cashback and preloading
- Cards earn 1% cashback. Preloading adds your own funds to the account to spend past the credit limit, and still earns cashback.
- Team access roles
- Bookkeepers, accountants and staff can be given separate access levels, such as managing credit to issue team cards.
Plans
Brex
Essentials$0
For startups: global cards, AI custom rules, up to two entities (one global), bill pay, reimbursements, free travel booking and real-time reports.
Premium$12
per user / month, billing term not stated
Adds multiple expense policies, review and approval chains, AI audit checks, US and international entities, ERP and HR integrations, VAT documents and live budgets.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited entities, local card issuing, collections and reimbursements in other countries, an admin center and a named account manager.
Capital on Tap
Free£0
per year
No annual fee. Uncapped 1% cashback, free employee cards, virtual cards, preloading and 24/7 support.
Pro£299
per year, billed annually
Adds 1.25% on preloaded spend, a metal card, airport lounge access, a Times subscription and a 10,000-point welcome bonus.
Ways to pay less
Brex
No public discounts listed.
Capital on Tap
- Other savings
6 months of Xero free on the Free tier
The Free tier lists 6 months free Xero for first-time Xero subscribers.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Brex or Capital on Tap?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Brex starts at $12 per user / month, billing term not stated, and Capital on Tap starts at £299 per year, billed annually (Pro); Free tier £0 per year. One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Brex or Capital on Tap?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Brex and Capital on Tap have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.