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Software · head to head

Brex vs Paychex

Brex logo

Brex

Software

The financial stack for growing businesses

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paychex logo

Paychex

Software

HR solutions built for your business

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Brex the free Essentials tier is limited to two legal entities; Paychex paychex Flex pricing is not published; it depends on employee count and business needs and requires contacting sales for a custom quote across Select, Pro and Enterprise tiers
  • They diverge on capability: Brex covers Corporate cards, Paychex covers Payroll processing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Brex and Paychex actually diverge.

Attributes where Brex and Paychex differ
AttributeBrexPaychex
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Founded20171971

Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), 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

  • Corporate cards
  • Business accounts
  • Expense management
  • Bill pay
  • Travel
  • NetSuite
  • SOC 2
  • PCI DSS

Only in Paychex

  • Payroll processing
  • HR services
  • Benefits administration
  • Time & attendance
  • PEO services
  • Sage
  • SOC 1/2
  • SSAE 18

Both cover

  • QuickBooks
  • Xero
  • 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 Paychex
  • Expense management and reimbursementsnot Paychex
  • Travel booking inside the spend platformnot Paychex
  • Bill pay and accounting system syncnot Paychex
  • Multi-entity spend management on the paid tiersnot Paychex

Paychex

  • Businesses with 1 to 250+ employees needing payroll, willing to get a custom quote rather than self-serve pricingnot 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

Paychex

  • Paychex Flex pricing is not published; it depends on employee count and business needs and requires contacting sales for a custom quote across Select, Pro and Enterprise tiers

Pricing, plan by plan

Brex

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

Paychex

$29/month
  • Flex Essentials$39/month
    • Payroll
    • Tax administration
    • Direct deposit
  • Flex Select$59/month
    • HR administration
    • State unemployment insurance
    • New hire reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose Brex if

  • You need corporate cards.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want business accounts.
Brex review

Choose Paychex if

  • You need payroll processing.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want hr services.
Paychex review

Questions people ask

Is Brex or Paychex better?
Neither clearly leads. Brex starts at $29/month and Paychex at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Brex or Paychex?
Brex starts at $29/month and Paychex at $29/month.
Does Brex or Paychex run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Paychex is typically brought in for.
What can Brex do that Paychex cannot?
Brex covers Corporate cards, Business accounts, Expense management, Bill pay. Paychex covers Payroll processing, HR services, Benefits administration, Time & attendance. Both handle QuickBooks, Xero, Web support, Ios support.
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