Softwr

Accounting · head to head

Brex vs Payhawk

Brex logo

Brex

Accounting

The financial stack for growing businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Payhawk logo

Payhawk

Payroll

Modular spend management combining corporate cards, accounts payable, procurement and travel

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; Payhawk buying the full stack of Travel, Accounts Payable, Cards and Procurement separately costs more than a single suite price, since each module carries its own flat monthly fee.
  • They diverge on capability: Brex covers Business accounts, Payhawk covers Accounts payable automation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Brex and Payhawk actually diverge.

Attributes where Brex and Payhawk differ
AttributeBrexPayhawk
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer module per month
Free tierYesNo
CategoryAccountingPayroll
Founded2017Unknown

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

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
  • QuickBooks
  • NetSuite
  • Xero
  • SOC 2

Only in Payhawk

  • Accounts payable automation
  • Procurement module
  • Travel booking
  • ERP integrations
  • Multi-entity consolidation

Both cover

  • Corporate cards

What people use each for

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

Brex

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

Payhawk

  • A multi-entity European business wanting one system for cards, expenses and payables across currenciesnot Brex
  • A finance team that wants to price spend management before a sales call rather than negotiating blindnot Brex
  • A company wanting only accounts payable automation without paying for card issuing it does not neednot Brex
  • A mid-market business standardising ERP-integrated expense reporting ahead of a fundraise or auditnot 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

Payhawk

  • Buying the full stack of Travel, Accounts Payable, Cards and Procurement separately costs more than a single suite price, since each module carries its own flat monthly fee.
  • The unlimited-seats model is a poor fit for a company issuing cards to only a handful of employees, since the fixed module price does not scale down.
  • Card issuing depends on Payhawk's own banking partners rather than a company's existing bank, so switching away later means reissuing cards and re-training staff on a new tool.
  • Procurement is a separate paid module rather than a built-in feature, so a company evaluating "Payhawk" from marketing material may be looking at capability it has not actually bought.
  • International card acceptance and FX handling vary by market, and companies with material spend outside Europe report gaps compared to global card issuers.

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

Payhawk

On request
  • Travel$299/month
    • Integrated travel booking
    • Unlimited employee seats
  • Accounts Payable$349/month
    • Invoice capture and approval routing
    • Unlimited document processing
  • Cards and Expenses$449/month
    • Unlimited card transactions
    • Multi-entity expense management
  • Procurement$499/month
    • Purchase request and approval workflow
    • Vendor management

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 Payhawk if

  • You need accounts payable automation.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want procurement module.
Payhawk review

Questions people ask

Is Brex or Payhawk better?
Neither clearly leads. Brex starts at Free and Payhawk at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Brex or Payhawk?
Brex has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Brex and On request for Payhawk.
Does Brex or Payhawk run on more platforms?
Brex runs on Web, Ios, Android. Payhawk runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Brex for free?
Yes. Brex has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Payhawk 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 Payhawk is typically brought in for.
What can Brex do that Payhawk cannot?
Brex covers Business accounts, Expense management, Bill pay, Travel. Payhawk covers Accounts payable automation, Procurement module, Travel booking, ERP integrations. Both handle Corporate cards.

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
Payhawk: Is Payhawk pricing really public?

Yes, module pricing (Travel, Accounts Payable, Cards and Expenses, Procurement) is published starting at 299 to 499 dollars a month per module, or bundled as Payhawk Complete.

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
Payhawk: Does it charge per seat?

No, each module includes unlimited employee seats; the fixed monthly fee does not increase with headcount.

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
Payhawk: Can we buy just one module?

Yes, modules are sold separately, so a company can buy Accounts Payable without Cards or Procurement.

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