Software · head to head
Expensify vs BambooHR
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Expensify minimal offline expense entry capabilities hamper use in areas with unstable internet; BambooHR organisations of 25 or fewer employees pay a flat rate starting at $250 a month, so a very small team pays far more per head than the listed per-employee price
- They diverge on capability: Expensify covers SmartScan receipts, BambooHR covers Employee database.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Expensify and BambooHR actually diverge.
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2008).
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 Expensify
- SmartScan receipts
- Expense reports
- Corporate cards
- Reimbursements
- Travel booking
- Mileage tracking
- Multi-currency
- Real-time syncing
Only in BambooHR
- Employee database
- Time-off management
- Benefits tracking
- Performance reviews
- Onboarding
- Reporting & analytics
- Mobile access
- Document management
Both cover
- QuickBooks
- Slack
- SOC2
- GDPR
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Expensify
- Expense reportingnot BambooHR
- Receipt managementnot BambooHR
- Travel expensesnot BambooHR
- Corporate card managementnot BambooHR
- Reimbursementsnot BambooHR
BambooHR
- HR system of record with employee data and documentsnot Expensify
- Time off tracking and approvalsnot Expensify
- Applicant tracking and onboardingnot Expensify
- Performance reviews and 1:1s on the Pro tiernot Expensify
- Compensation planning and benchmarking on Elitenot Expensify
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Expensify
- Minimal offline expense entry capabilities hamper use in areas with unstable internet
- OCR receipt data extraction requires manual review and correction for accuracy
- Per-user pricing model increases costs for larger organizations
BambooHR
- Organisations of 25 or fewer employees pay a flat rate starting at $250 a month, so a very small team pays far more per head than the listed per-employee price
- Per-employee pricing starts at 26 employees, from $10 on Core
- Performance management, 360 reviews and recognition all require Pro at $17 per employee per month
- Compensation management, salary benchmarking and advanced analytics are Elite only at $25 per employee per month
- Compliance training is rationed by tier, at 1 course on Core against 300 on Elite
Pricing, plan by plan
Expensify
$5/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Expensify review.
BambooHR
$10/month per employeeNo published plan breakdown. See the BambooHR review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Expensify if
- You need smartscan receipts.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want expense reports.
Choose BambooHR if
- You need employee database.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want time-off management.
Questions people ask
- Is Expensify or BambooHR better?
- Neither clearly leads. Expensify starts at $5/month and BambooHR at $10/month per employee, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Expensify or BambooHR?
- Expensify starts at $5/month and BambooHR at $10/month per employee.
- Does Expensify or BambooHR run on more platforms?
- Expensify runs on Web, iOS, Android. BambooHR runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- What is Expensify best used for?
- Expensify is most often used for expense reporting, receipt management, travel expenses, corporate card management. Of those, expense reporting and receipt management are not what BambooHR is typically brought in for.
- What can Expensify do that BambooHR cannot?
- Expensify covers SmartScan receipts, Expense reports, Corporate cards, Reimbursements. BambooHR covers Employee database, Time-off management, Benefits tracking, Performance reviews. Both handle QuickBooks, Slack, SOC2, GDPR.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Expensify: How does Expensify capture receipts?
Expensify uses SmartScan technology with OCR to automatically extract data from receipt images, reducing manual data entry. Users can photograph receipts with their phone to quickly create expense entries.
SourceExpensify: What reimbursement methods does Expensify support?
Expensify supports ACH reimbursement via direct deposit after setting up a direct deposit account. Next-day reimbursement is available, or standard processing takes 3-5 business days.
SourceExpensify: How does Expensify offline mode work?
Expensify has limited offline capabilities. Users can capture receipts offline, but data syncs when internet connectivity is restored. Full functionality requires online access.
Source