Zoho Expense
Expense reports, receipt scanning and travel booking from Zoho
Our verdict
Third of our top three spend and bill pay tools
For: Teams that only need staff expense reports
Zoho Expense reads receipts with AI, builds expense reports, checks them against your policies and tracks mileage by GPS. The free plan covers 3 users with 20 receipt scans each a month, and Standard is $3 a user a month billed annually ($4 monthly), adding Visa and Mastercard card feeds and ACH reimbursements. Its iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 from about 8,200 ratings. It is third because it does a smaller job than the two above: it lists no supplier bill pay, travel booking and per diems need Premium at $5 a user, and anyone who creates an expense or report is billed as a user.
See all three and how we rankZoho Expense report card
Very good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 18, 2026
Best for cheap expense reports for small teams
Zoho Expense reads receipts with AI, builds reports, checks them against your policies and pays employees back by ACH, and it tracks mileage by GPS. The free plan works for up to 3 users, and paid plans start at $3 a user. It doesn't pay supplier bills, though, and travel booking and per diems need Premium.
Who Zoho Expense is for
- Great if you're a team of 3 or fewer and want expense reports free
- Handy when you already run Zoho Books or other Zoho apps
- Good for staff who drive for work and need mileage tracked
Who Zoho Expense is not for
- Skip it if you want supplier bills paid from the same tool
- Tight if anyone scans more than 20 receipts a month on the free plan
- Pricey if you book travel through it without Premium, at $9.99 a trip as an add-on
Why Zoho Expense gets a 3.0
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- BValue for moneyGraded 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.
- BFree plan and trialThe 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.
- CFeaturesExpense 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.
- AEase of use4.84 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.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, 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.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Zoho's own pages on 18 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Zoho Expense? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/zoho-expense#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/zoho-expense.svg" alt="Zoho Expense: 3.0 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Zoho Expense stands among spend and bill pay tools
Zoho Expense's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 9 of the 13 other spend and bill pay tools we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 8 of 13) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $3 a month for each person, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 0 of the 11 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 14 spend and bill pay tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Zoho Expense’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 7 of 13, level with 1
- BFree plan and trialAbove 6 of 13, level with 4
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 13, level with 7
- AEase of useAbove 8 of 13, level with 5
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 13, level with 12
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 13 spend and bill pay tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Zoho Expense, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Zoho Expense you would be making cards issued through a bank. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 9 of the 13 other spend and bill pay tools we grade. It costs $36 a year.
What you could make
- Expense tracking and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Cards issued through a bank.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Zoho Books, QuickBooks Online and Xero among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- Hooks into the device itself: an Apple Watch app.
What this rests on. Zoho Expense’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Zoho Expense?
Zoho Expense reads receipts with AI, builds expense reports, checks them against policies and reimburses employees by ACH. It tracks mileage by GPS, pulls in corporate card feeds, and on the Premium plan books travel and handles per diems. A free plan covers up to 3 users, paid plans are priced per user, and it connects to Zoho Books, QuickBooks Online, Xero and NetSuite.
Zoho Expense has a free plan. Paid plans start at $3 per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly). See every plan
Good for
- 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
- 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
- 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.
Zoho Expense pricing
- Starts at
- $3 per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- 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
- 14-day free trial, no credit card required
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | $3per 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 | $5per 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. |
| Enterprise | Custom | A spend platform combining travel, expenses, cards, procurement, accounts payable and payroll, quoted for large organizations. |
Read from zoho.com on Oct 18, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Zoho Expense before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountSave 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.
Stated on zoho.com - NonprofitDiscounted pricing for nonprofits
Zoho says Zoho Expense is available at discounted pricing for nonprofit organizations; the discount is not stated.
Stated on zoho.com
How people rate the Zoho Expense app
4.8
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
- 5 stars89%
- 4 stars9%
- 3 stars<1%
- 2 stars<1%
- 1 star<1%
8,238 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 18, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Works with
- Zoho Books
- QuickBooks Online
- Xero
- NetSuite
- Zoho People
- Zoho CRM
- Uber
- Slack
Zoho Expense alternatives
- Zoho Expense vs Expensify
Free plan · from $5/mo
- Zoho Expense vs Rydoo
Free trial · from $9/mo
- Zoho Expense vs Ramp
Free plan · from $15/mo
- Zoho Expense vs Navan
Free plan · from $15/mo
- Zoho Expense vs Pleo
From $12/mo
Common questions
Is Zoho Expense free?
Zoho Expense has a free plan. 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. Paid plans start at $3 per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly).
How much does Zoho Expense cost?
Zoho Expense lists 4 plans. Free: $0. Standard: $3 per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly). Premium: $5 per user / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly). Enterprise: custom pricing. Prices were read from zoho.com on Oct 18, 2026.
What platforms does Zoho Expense work on?
Zoho Expense is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Zoho Expense offer any discounts?
Zoho Expense publicly lists the following: Save up to 25% with yearly billing; Discounted pricing for nonprofits.
How is Zoho Expense rated?
Zoho Expense's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 out of 5 from 8,238 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 18, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.
Does Zoho Expense have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Zoho Expense is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Zoho Expense have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Zoho Expense is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Zoho Expense open source?
Zoho Expense is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
What does Zoho Expense integrate with?
Zoho Expense's listing names Zoho Books, QuickBooks Online, Xero, NetSuite, Zoho People, Zoho CRM, Uber and Slack. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Zoho Expense have a free trial?
Yes. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
Who makes Zoho Expense?
Zoho Expense is made by Zoho Corporation.
What are the alternatives to Zoho Expense?
The closest alternatives to Zoho Expense in our directory are Expensify, Rydoo, Ramp, Navan and Pleo. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Zoho Expense.
How does Zoho Expense compare with other spend and bill pay tools?
Zoho Expense's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 9 of the 13 other spend and bill pay tools we grade, and level with 1. It stands best on ease of use (A, above 8 of 13) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Is Zoho Expense good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Zoho Expense B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $3 a month for each person, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 0 of the 11 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Could I make my own version of Zoho Expense?
To replace Zoho Expense you would be making cards issued through a bank. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 9 of the 13 other spend and bill pay tools we grade. It costs $36 a year. What you could not make: Cards issued through a bank. A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page. It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team. It plugs into other products, Zoho Books, QuickBooks Online and Xero among them. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 18, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.