Brex vs Pex (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 Pex if

• Fits if you hand out a few prepaid cards and spend over $1,000 a month
• Works for nonprofits, which have their own pricing

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you spend under $1,000 a month on Base, as it costs $25
• Watch out: every account pays a 3% fee on each international transaction
• Watch out: a $50 dormancy fee applies after 90 days with no spending on an active card
• Pricey if you need the API, as it costs $5,000
• Skip it if you want credit-card rewards on everything, as the rebate is 0.5%, or 1% at $10,000 or more a month

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.

Pex

• Every account pays a 3% International Service Assessment Fee on each international transaction.
• Prepaid cards are funded in advance, and a $50 dormancy fee applies after 90 days with no spending on an active card.
• API access costs a $5,000 fee, and expedited card shipping costs $55 to $70 per shipment.
• Cards are issued by Fifth Third Bank or The Bancorp Bank, per the footer; the rebate is 1% for monthly spend of $10,000 or more, otherwise 0.5%.

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.

Pex

Prepaid and credit cards

Visa prepaid cards funded in advance, a credit charge card, and virtual cards, each with spend rules per card or group.

Receipt management

Cardholders submit receipts, notes and tags from the mobile app, and AI matches receipts to transactions.

Funding and approvals

Bulk card ordering, automated funding rules and in-app approval of card funding and purchase requests.

Reimbursements and bill pay

Pay out-of-pocket claims and mileage, and pay bills, by ACH at $1 per payment beyond the free allowance.

Accounting integrations

The site lists 50+ no-cost integrations covering accounting, ERP and expense software, including QuickBooks Online.

Nonprofit pricing

Nonprofits see a separate price table, with lower Core and Pro fees and cheaper additional cards.

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.

Pex

• Prepaid Base$0

  per month, plus $25 in months under $1,000 spent

  Up to 5 free card accounts, then $8 each; $1 per ACH reimbursement.

• Prepaid Core$75

  per month

  Up to 20 free card accounts, then $4 each; 20 free ACH reimbursements, then $1. Fee waived in months over $50,000 spent.

• Prepaid Pro$200

  per month

  Up to 100 free card accounts, then $2 each; 100 free ACH reimbursements, then $1. Fee waived in months over $50,000 spent.

• Credit Expense$0

  Corporate charge card with no setup or subscription fees and $0 per card; up to 1% back on eligible purchases, with terms.

• Disburse$399.95

  one-time set-up fee

  For paying advocates, grantees or rewarding staff: 50 cards free, then $5 each. Custom card designs cost $5,000 extra.

Brex

No public discounts listed.

Pex

• Nonprofit

  Nonprofit pricing on Core and Pro

  Nonprofits pay $30 a month for Core and $80 for Pro, with extra cards at $1.60 and $0.80, per the pricing page.