Softwr

Software · head to head

Brex vs Expensify

Brex logo

Brex

Software

The financial stack for growing businesses

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Expensify logo

Expensify

Software

Expense management for receipts, bills & more

From
$5/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Brex the free Essentials tier is limited to two legal entities; Expensify minimal offline expense entry capabilities hamper use in areas with unstable internet
  • They diverge on capability: Brex covers Business accounts, Expensify covers SmartScan receipts.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Brex and Expensify actually diverge.

Attributes where Brex and Expensify differ
AttributeBrexExpensify
Starting price$29/month$5/month
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Founded20172008

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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

  • Business accounts
  • Expense management
  • Bill pay
  • Travel
  • SOC 2
  • FDIC insured
  • Web support
  • Ios support

Only in Expensify

  • SmartScan receipts
  • Expense reports
  • Reimbursements
  • Travel booking
  • Mileage tracking
  • Multi-currency
  • Real-time syncing
  • Sage

Both cover

  • Corporate cards
  • QuickBooks
  • NetSuite
  • Xero
  • PCI DSS

What people use each for

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

Brex

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

Expensify

  • Expense reportingnot Brex
  • Receipt managementnot Brex
  • Travel expensesnot Brex
  • Corporate card managementnot Brex
  • Reimbursementsnot 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

Expensify

  • Minimal offline expense entry capabilities hamper use in areas with unstable internet
  • OCR receipt data extraction requires manual review and correction for accuracy
  • Per-user pricing model increases costs for larger organizations

Pricing, plan by plan

Brex

$29/month
  • EssentialsFree
    • Corporate cards
    • Expense management
    • Bill pay
  • Premium$12/month
    • Advanced controls
    • Custom approvals
    • Travel booking

Expensify

$5/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Expensify review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Brex if

  • You need business accounts.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want expense management.

Choose Expensify if

  • You need smartscan receipts.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want expense reports.

Questions people ask

Is Brex or Expensify better?
Neither clearly leads. Brex starts at $29/month and Expensify at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Brex or Expensify?
Brex starts at $29/month and Expensify at $5/month.
Does Brex or Expensify run on more platforms?
Brex runs on Web, Ios, Android. Expensify runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 Expensify is typically brought in for.
What can Brex do that Expensify cannot?
Brex covers Business accounts, Expense management, Bill pay, Travel. Expensify covers SmartScan receipts, Expense reports, Reimbursements, Travel booking. Both handle Corporate cards, QuickBooks, NetSuite, Xero.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Expensify: How does Expensify capture receipts?

Expensify uses SmartScan technology with OCR to automatically extract data from receipt images, reducing manual data entry. Users can photograph receipts with their phone to quickly create expense entries.

Source
Expensify: What reimbursement methods does Expensify support?

Expensify supports ACH reimbursement via direct deposit after setting up a direct deposit account. Next-day reimbursement is available, or standard processing takes 3-5 business days.

Source
Expensify: How does Expensify offline mode work?

Expensify has limited offline capabilities. Users can capture receipts offline, but data syncs when internet connectivity is restored. Full functionality requires online access.

Source

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