Softwr

Accounting · head to head

Brex vs Expensify

Brex logo

Brex

Accounting

The financial stack for growing businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Expensify logo

Expensify

Accounting

Expense management for receipts, bills & more

From
$5/month
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; 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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Brex and Expensify actually diverge.

Attributes where Brex and Expensify differ
AttributeBrexExpensify
Starting priceFree$5/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierYesNo
Founded20172008

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

  • 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

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

Expensify

$5/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Expensify review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Brex if

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

Choose Expensify if

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

Questions people ask

Is Brex or Expensify better?
Neither clearly leads. Brex starts at Free 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 has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Brex and $5/month for Expensify.
Does Brex or Expensify run on more platforms?
Brex runs on Web, Ios, Android. Expensify runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Brex for free?
Yes. Brex has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Expensify starts at $5/month.
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

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
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
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
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
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
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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