Brex vs Wise Business (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Brex grades higher than Wise Business: 3.6 against 2.2 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 and ease of use. They get the same grade on features and 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
Free plan · from $12/mo
Wise Business
Multi-currency business account for international payments
From $31 one-time
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 Wise Business if
- Fits if you pay suppliers or contractors abroad and want to see the fee before sending
- Works for businesses that get paid in several currencies and want local account details
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a monthly flat price, as fees depend on the currency and amount
- Tight if you receive USD wires or Swift payments: each costs a fixed $6.11
- Pricey if you use ATMs a lot: free up to $250 a month, then $1.95 plus 1.95% each
- Watch out: Wise says it isn't an FDIC-insured bank, and pass-through cover applies only to interest-earning funds
- Watch out: a volume discount only starts once conversions pass $25,000
How we grade them
| 3.6GPABrexExcellent | 2.2GPAWise BusinessFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | BA $31 one-time set-up fee is under a year of the category's middle subscription, but the fees on every transfer and conversion are where the real cost sits. |
| 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. | FNo free plan or trial. Opening the account is free, but account details in 22 currencies need the $31 fee. |
| 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. | BInternational transfers, account details in 22 currencies, team cards, accounting sync and interest on balances. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core work. |
| 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. | CNo store rating on record. You open the account, verify the business and set up currencies. |
| 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, iPhone and Android, with QuickBooks, Xero and Sage. No desktop app. |
| Best for | free global cards and expenses for startups | paying and getting paid in other currencies |
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 Wise Business. How we grade
Where they differ
- Brex also covers reports, expense tracking and bill pay.
In commonWebiOSAndroidPublic APICompany cards
At a glance
| Brex | Wise Business | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $12 per user / month, billing term not stated | $31 one-time set-up fee, then per-transaction fees |
| 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Brex LLC | Wise Payments Limited |
| Price read from | brex.com | wise.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.
Wise Business
- Wise says it is not an FDIC-insured bank; pass-through FDIC cover of up to $250K applies only to interest-earning funds held at program banks.
- Receiving a USD wire or Swift payment costs a fixed $6.11; domestic non-wire payments in nine currencies are free.
- ATM withdrawals are free up to $250 a month; after that each one costs $1.95 plus 1.95%.
- Sending and converting fees differ by currency, and a volume discount starts once conversions pass $25,000.
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.
Wise Business
- International transfers
- Send money to other countries with fees that vary by currency and start from 0.23%. The site says BatchTransfer can pay up to 1,000 contractors at once.
- Account details in 22 currencies
- Receive payments from abroad in USD, EUR, GBP and other currencies. Receiving USD wire and Swift payments carries a fixed fee.
- Multi-Currency Cards for the team
- Physical and digital cards for staff, with custom spending permissions and team access settings.
- Accounting software sync
- Connects the account to accounting software, including QuickBooks, Xero and Sage Business Cloud Accounting, for reporting in each currency.
- Interest on balances
- An opt-in feature that pays a variable rate on USD, GBP and EUR balances. The page quotes 3.4% variable APY on USD.
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.
Wise Business
Wise Business account$31
one-time set-up fee
Opening the account is free; the one-time fee unlocks account details in 22 currencies. Transfers and conversions are charged per use.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Brex or Wise Business?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Brex starts at $12 per user / month, billing term not stated, and Wise Business starts at $31 one-time set-up fee, then per-transaction fees.
Which has a free plan, Brex or Wise Business?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Brex has a free plan. Wise Business does not.
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.