Accounting · head to head
Brex vs Workiva
Workiva
Accounting
Connected reporting platform for SEC filings, iXBRL tagging, SOX and sustainability disclosure
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
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; Workiva pricing is quoted per solution and per user and is not published, and because moving a filing cycle off the platform carries deadline risk, renewal negotiations favour the vendor heavily.
- They diverge on capability: Brex covers Corporate cards, Workiva covers Linked data.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Brex and Workiva actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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
- Corporate cards
- Business accounts
- Expense management
- Bill pay
- Travel
- QuickBooks
- NetSuite
- Xero
Only in Workiva
- Linked data
- Inline XBRL tagging
- SEC filing
- SOX and controls
- Sustainability reporting
- Audit trail
- Collaboration
- Data connectors
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Brex
- Corporate cards with spend controls for startupsnot Workiva
- Expense management and reimbursementsnot Workiva
- Travel booking inside the spend platformnot Workiva
- Bill pay and accounting system syncnot Workiva
- Multi-entity spend management on the paid tiersnot Workiva
Workiva
- A newly public company facing its first 10-K where the tie-out process in Word and Excel is not survivable at the deadlinenot Brex
- A European group preparing CSRD sustainability disclosure that must be assurance-ready rather than a marketing documentnot Brex
- A finance team whose auditors keep raising review points about version control and unsupported changes in the reporting packnot Brex
- A group with several statutory filers that wants one set of numbers feeding many jurisdictional reportsnot 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
Workiva
- Pricing is quoted per solution and per user and is not published, and because moving a filing cycle off the platform carries deadline risk, renewal negotiations favour the vendor heavily.
- Cost is difficult to justify for smaller filers whose reporting burden is a single 10-K a year, where an outsourced financial printer is cheaper.
- Getting the initial linked-data structure right is a substantial project, and companies that rush the first cycle end up with links that break and a manual tie-out anyway.
- The spreadsheet interface is deliberately not Excel and finance teams accustomed to Excel keyboard behaviour and modelling features find it slower for anything analytical.
- ESG and sustainability modules were added later than the financial reporting core and buyers report them as less mature, so a company buying primarily for CSRD is buying the newer and weaker half of the product.
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
Workiva
On request- Workiva Platform$undefined/year
- Linked data across documents and spreadsheets
- SEC and ESEF filing with iXBRL tagging
- SOX, internal audit and statutory reporting modules
Which should you pick?
Choose Brex if
- You need corporate cards.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want business accounts.
Questions people ask
- Is Brex or Workiva better?
- Neither clearly leads. Brex starts at Free and Workiva at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Brex or Workiva?
- Brex has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Brex and On request for Workiva.
- Does Brex or Workiva run on more platforms?
- Brex runs on Web, Ios, Android. Workiva runs on Web.
- Can I use Brex for free?
- Yes. Brex has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Workiva 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 Workiva is typically brought in for.
- What can Brex do that Workiva cannot?
- Brex covers Corporate cards, Business accounts, Expense management, Bill pay. Workiva covers Linked data, Inline XBRL tagging, SEC filing, SOX and controls.
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.
SourceWorkiva: Does Workiva do the XBRL tagging for me?
The platform provides tagging tools and validation, and Workiva offers services, but the tagging judgement remains the filer's responsibility.
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.
SourceWorkiva: Is it only for US SEC filers?
No. It supports European ESEF filings, statutory reporting in several jurisdictions and sustainability frameworks such as CSRD and ISSB.
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.
SourceWorkiva: What does it cost?
Not published. Expect tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year depending on solutions and user count.
Workiva: Can it replace our consolidation system?
No. It reports on consolidated numbers and connects to ERP and consolidation tools, but it does not perform the consolidation.
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