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Software · head to head

Brex vs Plaid

Brex logo

Brex

Software

The financial stack for growing businesses

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Plaid logo

Plaid

Software

The safer way to connect financial accounts

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; Plaid no dollar amount is published for any product, and the pricing page states no per request rate or minimum commitment
  • They diverge on capability: Brex covers Corporate cards, Plaid covers Bank account linking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Brex and Plaid actually diverge.

Attributes where Brex and Plaid differ
AttributeBrexPlaid
Pricing modelfreemiumusage-based
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidApi, Web, Ios, Android
Founded20172013

Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), free tier (No), 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
  • QuickBooks
  • NetSuite
  • Xero

Only in Plaid

  • Bank account linking
  • Transaction data
  • Identity verification
  • Income verification
  • Asset reports
  • Venmo
  • Robinhood
  • Coinbase

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

Plaid

  • Connecting bank accounts to an application for balances and transactionsnot Brex
  • Verifying account ownership and income for payments or lendingnot 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

Plaid

  • No dollar amount is published for any product, and the pricing page states no per request rate or minimum commitment
  • Three different billing models apply depending on the product, being one time per connected account, monthly per connected account, and per successful API call
  • That mix means total cost depends on which products are combined rather than on a single unit
  • Discounted rates require the Growth plan, which is a 12 month commitment

Pricing, plan by plan

Brex

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

Plaid

$29/month
  • Pay-as-you-goFree
    • Bank connections
    • Transaction data
    • Account verification

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 Plaid if

  • You need bank account linking.
  • You work on Api, Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want transaction data.
Plaid review

Questions people ask

Is Brex or Plaid better?
Neither clearly leads. Brex starts at $29/month and Plaid at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Brex or Plaid?
Brex starts at $29/month and Plaid at $29/month.
Does Brex or Plaid run on more platforms?
Brex runs on Web, Ios, Android. Plaid runs on Api, 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 Plaid is typically brought in for.
What can Brex do that Plaid cannot?
Brex covers Corporate cards, Business accounts, Expense management, Bill pay. Plaid covers Bank account linking, Transaction data, Identity verification, Income verification. Both handle SOC 2, Web support, Ios support, Android support.
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