Brex vs Novo (2026): which should you pick?

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 Novo if

• Fits if you're a freelancer or small business that wants checking with no monthly fee
• Works for sellers who connect Stripe, Square, PayPal or Shopify to their account

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you need real expense controls, as the pages say little about them
• Not for you if you send wires often: the pages give no fee schedule for them
• Watch out: Novo is a fintech, not a bank, with banking from Middlesex Federal Savings, F.A.
• Watch out: Novo Payroll is listed from 17 November 2026 at $24 a month plus $5 per employee

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.

Novo

• Novo is a fintech, not a bank; banking is provided by Middlesex Federal Savings, F.A., Member FDIC.
• Novo Payroll is listed as available November 17, 2026, starting at $24 a month plus $5 per employee.
• Expense management and bill pay are listed in its menu, but the pages we read describe them in less detail than its checking and invoicing.
• The pages we read give no fee schedule for wires, so check it before sending wires.

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.

Novo

Business checking

No monthly fees, minimums or transaction limits, with FDIC coverage of up to $5M through partner banks as the vendor describes it.

Debit cards

Virtual and physical debit cards. Novo charges no ATM fees and reimburses third-party ATM fees at month end, up to $7.

Invoicing

Send invoices with automatic reminders, track when they are viewed and paid, and accept card, ACH, Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Payments and bill pay

Pay vendors by ACH, wire or check and move money between Novo accounts instantly.

Reserves

Up to 20 buckets inside the checking account for taxes, payroll or slow seasons, filled by rules that route a share of incoming funds.

Integrations

Syncs transactions with QuickBooks, Xero, Stripe, Square, PayPal and other tools.

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.

Novo

• Novo Checking$0

  No monthly fees or minimum balance. Includes debit cards, invoicing, free standard ACH, incoming wires and Reserves buckets.