Extend vs Pex (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Extend and Pex share a 2.2 GPA, both have a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on which platforms you need.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Extend
Virtual cards and expense tracking on top of your own bank cards
Pex
Prepaid and credit business cards with employee spend controls
Which one is for you
Pick Extend if
- Fits if you want virtual cards layered on a bank or Amex card you already hold
- Works for teams of up to 5 that can live with one expense category for free
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay on Starter, as it stops at 5 users and one expense category
- Pricey if you are a small paid team, as Pro bills for at least 10 users
- Watch out: it only works with the card issuers it lists, so check yours is one of them
- Not for you if you need more than 500 active virtual cards on Pro
- Watch out: the pricing page showed no figures when we read it, so these prices come from the listing
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
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAExtendFair | 2.2GPAPexFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPro is $8.99 per user a month billed annually ($11.99 monthly), above the category's cheapest quarter of $7.50 and under its middle of $12. Pro bills a minimum of 10 users, so the floor is about $90 a month. | CBase is $0 a month but charges $25 in months under $1,000 spent; Core is $75 and Pro $200. Compared with expense tools' $7.50 to $20 per seat, it is a card programme priced by cards and spend, so we leave it at the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | CStarter is free for up to 5 users with up to 100 virtual cards, one expense category and receipt upload. A small team can start on it, but you will hit the one-category cap. | CBase has up to 5 free card accounts. Past that you pay per card, and the $25 low-spend fee applies. |
| Features | CVirtual cards, receipts and expense reports, an AI policy assistant, accounting syncs and a card API. The listing shows caps: 500 active virtual cards on Pro and a list of banks and Amex that it works with. | CPrepaid and credit cards, receipts, funding and approvals, reimbursements, bill pay and accounting links. The listing shows it works by pre-funding cards, with fees on top. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You connect an existing card issuer and an accounting system before it is useful. | CNo store rating on record. Cards, funding and an accounting link to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iPhone and Android apps, a virtual card API and five accounting integrations on record. | BWeb and Android on record, with two integrations. No iPhone app listed. |
| Best for | virtual cards with expense tracking | prepaid cards for staff and 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: Extend and Pex. How we grade
Where they differ
- Pex also covers reports.
At a glance
| Extend | Pex | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $8.99 per user / month, billed annually ($11.99 billed monthly) | $0 per month for Base, with up to 5 free cards |
| Free plan | Starter plan: free for up to 5 users, with up to 100 active virtual cards, 1 expense category and receipt upload. | Prepaid Base: $0 monthly fee with up to 5 free card accounts; $25 monthly fee in months with under $1,000 spent. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Extend Enterprises, Inc. | Prepaid Expense Card Solutions, Inc. |
| Price read from | paywithextend.com | pexcard.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Extend
- Pro bills for at least 10 users, and the Starter plan stops at 5 users and 1 expense category.
- Extend says some company cards qualify for discounted pricing; a checker on the pricing page tests the first 6 card digits.
- Pro is capped at 500 active virtual cards, and Enterprise also lists up to 500 virtual cards created per month.
- The site lists American Express and nine banks as participating, so check that your card issuer is among them.
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%.
Key features
Extend
- Virtual cards
- Issue virtual cards for vendors, subscriptions or employees from an existing company card, with limits and budgets set per card.
- Receipts and expense reports
- Receipts can be uploaded and managed, with a lost-receipt workflow and automated expense reports on the Pro plan.
- AI Policy Assistant
- Pro and Enterprise include an AI assistant for spend policy, and the site lists AI categorization of transactions.
- Accounting syncs
- QuickBooks, Xero and Sage Intacct integrations are listed for Pro; NetSuite and Dynamics Business Central appear in the Enterprise column.
- Virtual card API
- A card-issuing API and AI toolkit are offered, and Enterprise lists card issuance automated with an API key.
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.
Plans
Extend
Starter$0
Up to 5 users, 100 active virtual cards, 1 expense category, receipt upload and up to 10 guest seats.
Pro$8.99
per user / month, billed annually ($11.99 billed monthly)
10-user minimum. Up to 500 active virtual cards, AI Policy Assistant, expanded categories and automated expense reports.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited users and active virtual cards, API-key card issuance and a NetSuite integration. Contact sales for pricing.
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.
Ways to pay less
Extend
- Annual discount
Save 25% with annual billing
The pricing page shows Pro at $8.99 per user per month billed annually, against $11.99 billed monthly.
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Extend or Pex?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Extend starts at $8.99 per user / month, billed annually ($11.99 billed monthly), and Pex starts at $0 per month for Base, with up to 5 free cards.
Which has a free plan, Extend or Pex?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Extend and Pex have a free plan.
Which platforms do Extend and Pex run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Extend lists an iOS app. Both list a web app and an Android app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.