Software · head to head
Brex vs Pleo
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Brex the free Essentials tier is limited to two legal entities; Pleo card delays and transaction limits impact usability, with limited regional acceptance in some areas
- They diverge on capability: Brex covers Corporate cards, Pleo covers Company cards.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Brex and Pleo actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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
- FDIC insured
Only in Pleo
- Company cards
- Receipt capture
- Expense categorization
- Spend limits
- Accounting sync
- Sage
Both cover
- QuickBooks
- NetSuite
- Xero
- SOC 2
- PCI DSS
- 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 Pleo
- Expense management and reimbursementsnot Pleo
- Travel booking inside the spend platformnot Pleo
- Bill pay and accounting system syncnot Pleo
- Multi-entity spend management on the paid tiersnot Pleo
Pleo
- Employee expensesnot Brex
- Spending autonomynot Brex
- Expense automationnot 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
Pleo
- Card delays and transaction limits impact usability, with limited regional acceptance in some areas
- Receipt capture OCR inaccuracies and upload lag/glitches complicate expense categorization
- Limited expense categories and tags reduce flexibility for complex accounting structures
- Transaction approval workflows have minimal customization options
- Lacks in-built forecasting tools and reporting is basic, providing limited insights into trends
Pricing, plan by plan
Brex
$29/month- EssentialsFree
- Corporate cards
- Expense management
- Bill pay
- Premium$12/month
- Advanced controls
- Custom approvals
- Travel booking
Pleo
£9.5/month- Starter$9.5/month
- Company cards
- Real-time expense tracking
- Automated reports
- Essential$39/month
- Reimbursements
- Mileage and per diem
- Vendor cards
- Advanced$89/month
- Cashback
- Budgets
- Multi-entity management
- Beyond$179/month
- Spending insights
- Sub-wallets
- Dedicated success manager
Which should you pick?
Choose Brex if
- You need corporate cards.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want business accounts.
Choose Pleo if
- You need company cards.
- You work on iOS, Android, Web.
- You also want receipt capture.
Questions people ask
- Is Brex or Pleo better?
- Neither clearly leads. Brex starts at $29/month and Pleo at £9.5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Brex or Pleo?
- Brex starts at $29/month and Pleo at £9.5/month.
- Does Brex or Pleo run on more platforms?
- Brex runs on Web, Ios, Android. Pleo runs on iOS, Android, Web.
- 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 Pleo is typically brought in for.
- What can Brex do that Pleo cannot?
- Brex covers Corporate cards, Business accounts, Expense management, Bill pay. Pleo covers Company cards, Receipt capture, Expense categorization, Spend limits. Both handle QuickBooks, NetSuite, Xero, SOC 2.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Pleo: What are Pleo's pricing tiers?
Pleo offers four pricing tiers: Starter (GBP 9.50/month), Essential (GBP 39.00/month), Advanced (GBP 89.00/month), and Beyond (GBP 179.00/month). Annual billing provides equivalent of two free months.
SourcePleo: Does Pleo have a free tier?
No, Pleo does not offer a free tier or permanent free plan. All plans require payment with a free trial available for evaluation.
SourcePleo: What integrations does Pleo support for accounting?
Pleo integrates directly with Xero and QuickBooks, plus Sage 200, Sage 50, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Datev, and Visma e-conomic. Zapier integrations are also available.
SourcePleo: What platforms can access Pleo?
Pleo is accessible via iOS and Android mobile apps, and through a web interface. Physical and virtual cards are issued for spending.
SourcePleo: Does Pleo support multiple currencies?
Yes, Pleo supports multi-currency spending and transactions. The platform is particularly strong for European teams with local payment methods.
Source