Expensify vs Zoho Expense
We give Expensify a 2.8 GPA and Zoho Expense a 3.0, out of 4.0. Expensify grades higher on features and platforms. Zoho Expense grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Expensify
Receipt scanning, expense reports and company cards, from $5 a member
Zoho Expense
Expense reports, receipt scanning and travel booking from Zoho
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAExpensifyGood | 3.0GPAZoho ExpenseVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | BGraded against its expense-tool alternatives. Ten people on Standard cost $30 a month at $3 each, billed yearly. That's less than Expensify, Navan, Rydoo or Pleo charge for ten, though Ramp does expenses for nothing. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | BThe free plan runs the whole loop for up to 3 users: 20 AI receipt scans each a month, reports, GPS mileage, the prepaid card and accounting links. One person could live on it. Paid plans have a 14-day trial with no card. |
| Features | 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. | CExpense reports are done fully, with AI scans in 38+ languages, policies, mileage, card feeds and ACH reimbursements. It's a smaller job than the category's, though: no supplier bill pay is listed, and travel booking needs Premium. |
| Ease of use | 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. | A4.84 from 8,238 App Store ratings, the top band. Snap the receipt and it reads the lines for you, and mileage tracks itself by GPS. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Zoho Books, QuickBooks Online, Xero, NetSuite, Zoho People, Zoho CRM, Uber and Slack. No desktop app is listed, and ERP and HR integrations are an add-on on Standard. |
| Best for | receipt scanning and staff reimbursements | cheap expense reports for small teams |
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: Expensify and Zoho Expense. How we grade
Price against what you get
Expensify starts at $5 a month for each person and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Zoho Expense starts at $3 a month for each person and scores 3.0.
Expensify scores higher, and starts $2 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other spend and bill pay tools on the chart, none scores higher than Expensify for less, and none scores higher than Zoho Expense 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
- Expensify starts at $5 per member / month, billed monthly. Zoho Expense starts at $3 per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly).
- Only Expensify lists a macOS app.
- Only Expensify lists a browser extension.
- Expensify also covers invoicing and bill pay.
- Zoho Expense also covers reports.
At a glance
| Expensify | Zoho Expense | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $5 per member / month, billed monthly | $3 per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Submit, free for any employee: unlimited receipt scans, mileage tracking, expense reports, categories and tags, personal card import and chat on expenses. | Free: up to 3 users, 20 AI receipt scans per user a month, expense reports, GPS mileage, multi-currency expenses, accounting integrations and 5 GB of receipt storage. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial of the paid plans, starting when a workspace is created | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Expensify, Inc. | Zoho Corporation |
| Price read from | expensify.com | zoho.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Zoho Expense
- Small teams of up to 3 people who need free expense reports
- Businesses already using Zoho Books or other Zoho apps
- Companies that want low per-user pricing with travel booking
Worth knowing
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.
Zoho Expense
- Anyone who creates an expense or report is billed as a user. The free plan stops at 3 users and 20 receipt scans per user a month.
- ERP and HR integrations are an add-on on Standard, travel self-booking as an add-on costs $9.99 a trip, and premium support starts at $490 a year.
- The Zoho Prepaid Mastercard is issued by Pathward, N.A. and is loaded from a funding account rather than a credit line.
- Travel booking, per diems, live budgets and multi-entity expenses need Premium.
Key features
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.
Zoho Expense
- AI receipt scanning
- Receipts are read in more than 38 languages and turned into itemized expenses, up to a monthly scan limit that rises with the plan.
- Policies and approvals
- Expense reports go through approval rules, and Zia AI flags possible fraud and alcohol on receipts from the Standard plan.
- Mileage and per diem
- Track drives by GPS on a phone or Apple Watch, and apply GSA per diem rates automatically on Premium.
- Cards and reimbursements
- Real-time Visa and Mastercard feeds, the Zoho Prepaid Mastercard, cash advances and direct ACH reimbursements to employees.
- Travel booking
- Premium adds employee self-booking of flights and hotels, guest booking and an in-house travel desk tool.
- Zoho and accounting links
- Exports to Zoho Books, QuickBooks Online, Xero and NetSuite, and works with Zoho People, Zoho CRM and Zoho Projects.
Plans
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.
Zoho Expense
Free$0
Up to 3 users, 20 receipt scans per user a month, expense reports, GPS mileage, the Zoho Prepaid Mastercard and accounting integrations.
Standard$3
per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly)
200 scans per user a month, card feeds, multiple policies, cash advances, ACH reimbursements, SSO and Zia AI reporting and audit.
Premium$5
per user / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly)
1,000 scans per user a month, travel self-booking, a travel desk, GSA per diems, live budgets and multi-entity expenses.
EnterpriseCustom
A spend platform combining travel, expenses, cards, procurement, accounts payable and payroll, quoted for large organizations.
Ways to pay less
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.
Zoho Expense
- Annual discount
Save up to 25% with yearly billing
Standard costs $3 per user a month billed yearly instead of $4 monthly, and Premium $5 instead of $6.
- Nonprofit
Discounted pricing for nonprofits
Zoho says Zoho Expense is available at discounted pricing for nonprofit organizations; the discount is not stated.
