Brex vs Expensify
We give Brex a 3.6 GPA and Expensify a 2.8, out of 4.0. Brex grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. Expensify grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on features.
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
Expensify
Receipt scanning, expense reports and company cards, from $5 a member
How we grade them
| 3.6GPABrexExcellent | 2.8GPAExpensifyGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CGraded against its expense-tool alternatives. Ten people on Collect cost $50 a month, $5 each billed monthly for every member, active or not. Zoho Expense costs less for ten and Ramp and Brex nothing, while Navan and Rydoo cost more. |
| 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. | CSubmit is free for any employee, with unlimited receipt scans, mileage and reports. But reimbursing, approving and syncing need a paid plan, and the 30-day trial starts when you create a workspace. |
| 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. | BThe whole job: SmartScan receipts, approvals and ACH reimbursement, unlimited Expensify Cards, travel booking, supplier bills paid from a scanned inbox, invoices and a chat thread on every expense. |
| 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. | B4.6 from 157,712 App Store ratings. Snap a receipt and it's an expense, but admins have a workspace, rules and accounting links to set up. |
| 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. | AWeb, Mac, iPhone, Android and a browser extension, with QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Workday, Gusto and Uber, and an API. NetSuite and Sage Intacct need Control. |
| Best for | free global cards and expenses for startups | receipt scanning and staff reimbursements |
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 Expensify. 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. Expensify starts at $5 a month for each person and scores 3.3.
They score the same, and Expensify starts $7 a month lower. Of the other spend and bill pay tools on the chart, none scores higher than Brex for less, and none scores higher than Expensify 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 starts at $12 per user / month, billing term not stated. Expensify starts at $5 per member / month, billed monthly.
- Only Expensify lists a macOS app.
- Only Expensify lists a browser extension.
- Brex also covers reports.
- Expensify also covers invoicing.
At a glance
| Brex | Expensify | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $12 per user / month, billing term not stated | $5 per member / month, billed monthly |
| 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. | Submit, free for any employee: unlimited receipt scans, mileage tracking, expense reports, categories and tags, personal card import and chat on expenses. |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial of the paid plans, starting when a workspace is created |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Brex LLC | Expensify, Inc. |
| Price read from | brex.com | expensify.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Brex
- Startups that want corporate cards and expenses at no software cost
- Companies with entities in several countries
- Finance teams that want spend policies enforced before money goes out
Expensify
- Small teams that need receipts scanned and staff reimbursed
- Employees whose company has no expense tool yet
- Companies ready to put most card spending on the Expensify Card
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.
Expensify
- Control's $9 rate needs an annual plan and the Expensify Card for at least half of settled spend; otherwise it is $18 on an annual plan or $36 with no commitment.
- Collect bills every member added to a workspace, active or not; Control bills anyone who creates, submits, approves, reimburses or exports a report that month.
- NetSuite, Sage Intacct, QuickBooks Desktop and Workday connect only on Control; Collect syncs with QuickBooks Online and Xero.
- The Expensify Card is issued by The Bancorp Bank in the US, and cash back counts US purchases only.
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.
Expensify
- SmartScan receipts
- Photograph or forward a receipt and Expensify reads it into an expense, with unlimited scans on every plan including the free one.
- Approvals and reimbursement
- Reports go to an approver and are paid back by ACH. Control adds multiple approvers, custom expense rules and admin-enforced controls.
- Expensify Card
- Unlimited cards, virtual ones included, with Smart Limits, paying 1% cash back on US purchases and 2% once monthly spend passes $250,000.
- Travel booking
- Book flights, hotels, cars and rail inside Expensify, with travel rules, trip approvals and a 24/7 support line.
- Bills and invoices
- Supplier bills are scanned from a dedicated email address and paid automatically, and invoices can be sent from the same account.
- Chat on every expense
- Each expense and report has its own comment thread, alongside chat rooms and direct messages between employees.
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.
Expensify
Submit$0
For individual employees: receipt scanning, mileage, expense reports and submitting them to an approver.
Collect$5
per member / month, billed monthly
Billed for every member, active or not. Reimbursements, card feeds, approvals, travel booking and QuickBooks Online or Xero sync.
Control$9
per active member / month, annual plan using the Expensify Card
$18 on an annual plan without the card, $36 with no commitment. Adds NetSuite and Sage Intacct, multi-step approvals, SSO and budgets.
Ways to pay less
Brex
No public discounts listed.
Expensify
- Annual discount
Half price on Control with an annual subscription
Control costs $18 per active member a month on an annual subscription, against $36 on pay-per-use with no commitment.
- Other savings
Control at $9 when you use the Expensify Card
On an annual subscription, Control drops to $9 per active member a month when the Expensify Card carries at least 50% of settled US spend that month.
