Softwr

Accounting · head to head

Brex vs Empower

Brex logo

Brex

Accounting

The financial stack for growing businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Empower logo

Empower

Accounting

All your finances. One app.

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Brex has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Brex the free Essentials tier is limited to two legal entities; Empower specific advisory fees not published; Form ADV consultation required
  • They diverge on capability: Brex covers Corporate cards, Empower covers Net worth tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Brex and Empower actually diverge.

Attributes where Brex and Empower differ
AttributeBrexEmpower
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
Founded20172009

Identical on both: platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Accounting).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Brex

  • Corporate cards
  • Business accounts
  • Expense management
  • Bill pay
  • Travel
  • QuickBooks
  • NetSuite
  • Xero

Only in Empower

  • Net worth tracking
  • Investment tracking
  • Retirement planner
  • Cash flow
  • 401k fee analyzer
  • Bank connections
  • Brokerage accounts
  • Bank-level encryption

Both cover

  • SOC 2
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Brex

  • Corporate cards with spend controls for startupsnot Empower
  • Expense management and reimbursementsnot Empower
  • Travel booking inside the spend platformnot Empower
  • Bill pay and accounting system syncnot Empower
  • Multi-entity spend management on the paid tiersnot Empower

Empower

  • Wealth trackingnot Brex
  • Retirement planningnot Brex
  • Investment analysisnot Brex

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Brex

  • The free Essentials tier is limited to two legal entities
  • Premium is $12 per user per month, so cost scales with headcount using the card
  • Enterprise and Smart Card pricing is not published
  • Eligibility criteria are not stated anywhere on the pricing page, which matters for a product that extends credit

Empower

  • Specific advisory fees not published; Form ADV consultation required
  • High minimum investment thresholds ($100,000 for Personal Strategy)
  • Detailed fee structure available only in Form ADV documents

Pricing, plan by plan

Brex

Free
  • EssentialsFree
    • Global card acceptance
    • Accounting integrations
    • Real-time reporting
  • Premium$12/month
    • per user
    • Custom expense policies
    • Dynamic approval chains
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Custom pricing

Empower

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Empower review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Brex if

  • You need corporate cards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want business accounts.
Brex review

Choose Empower if

  • You need net worth tracking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want investment tracking.
Empower review

Questions people ask

Is Brex or Empower better?
Neither clearly leads. Brex starts at Free and Empower at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Brex or Empower?
Brex has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Brex and On request for Empower.
Does Brex or Empower run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Brex for free?
Yes. Brex has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Empower starts at On request.
What is Brex best used for?
Brex is most often used for corporate cards with spend controls for startups, expense management and reimbursements, travel booking inside the spend platform, bill pay and accounting system sync. Of those, corporate cards with spend controls for startups and expense management and reimbursements are not what Empower is typically brought in for.
What can Brex do that Empower cannot?
Brex covers Corporate cards, Business accounts, Expense management, Bill pay. Empower covers Net worth tracking, Investment tracking, Retirement planner, Cash flow. Both handle SOC 2, Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Brex: Does Brex have a free plan?

Yes. Brex Essentials is free for startups and growing companies and includes global card acceptance, AI-powered rules, accounting integrations, real-time reporting, and bill pay.

Source
Empower: Does Empower have a minimum investment requirement?

Empower's advisory services require different minimums based on service level. Personal Strategy advisory requires a minimum of $100,000 in investable assets. Private Client services require $1,000,000 or more.

Source
Brex: What is Brex Premium pricing?

Brex Premium costs $12 per user per month and is designed for mid-sized companies. It adds custom expense policies, dynamic approval chains, AI compliance auditing, multi-entity support, and live budgets.

Source
Empower: How are Empower's advisory fees calculated?

Advisory fees are calculated based on the amount of assets being managed under advice. Specific fee rates are not disclosed on the homepage.

Source
Brex: What countries accept Brex cards?

Brex cards are accepted in 210+ countries. The Smart Card plan offers local-currency cards in 50+ countries for companies focused on procurement simplification and international payments.

Source
Empower: Is the high-yield cash account free?

Yes. Empower's high-yield cash account has no account fees and no minimum balance required.

Source
Empower: Are there fees for stock and ETF trading?

Empower offers commission-free trading for stocks and ETFs with low fees.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Brex

More on Empower

Keep looking

Other head to heads