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Accounting · head to head

Expensify vs Mercury

Expensify logo

Expensify

Accounting

Expense management for receipts, bills & more

From
$5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mercury logo

Mercury

Accounting

Banking for startups

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mercury has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Expensify minimal offline expense entry capabilities hamper use in areas with unstable internet; Mercury treasury access requires a $250,000 balance held with Mercury
  • They diverge on capability: Expensify covers SmartScan receipts, Mercury covers Business checking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Expensify and Mercury actually diverge.

Attributes where Expensify and Mercury differ
AttributeExpensifyMercury
Starting price$5/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Founded20082019

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 Expensify

  • SmartScan receipts
  • Expense reports
  • Corporate cards
  • Reimbursements
  • Travel booking
  • Mileage tracking
  • Multi-currency
  • Real-time syncing

Only in Mercury

  • Business checking
  • Savings accounts
  • Virtual cards
  • Team management
  • API access
  • Stripe
  • FDIC insured
  • SOC 2

Both cover

  • QuickBooks
  • Xero

What people use each for

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

Expensify

  • Expense reportingnot Mercury
  • Receipt managementnot Mercury
  • Travel expensesnot Mercury
  • Corporate card managementnot Mercury
  • Reimbursementsnot Mercury

Mercury

  • Business banking and payments for startupsnot Expensify
  • Managing treasury, invoicing and corporate cards from one accountnot 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

Mercury

  • Treasury access requires a $250,000 balance held with Mercury
  • Non USD international wires carry a 1% conversion fee
  • Choosing OUR wire coding, which covers intermediary bank charges, costs $15 per wire
  • ACH invoicing is $1 per transaction on Mercury Plus and only free on the $299 a month Pro plan
  • Advanced and recurring invoicing require Mercury Plus at $29.90 a month

Pricing, plan by plan

Expensify

$5/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Expensify review.

Mercury

Free
  • Mercury (Free)Free
    • ACH payments
    • Domestic wires
    • Real-time payments
  • Mercury Plus$29.9/month
    • Invoice ACH debits
    • Recurring invoices
    • Invoicing API (500/month)
  • Mercury Pro$299/month
    • All Plus features
    • Relationship manager
    • Free ACH invoice debits

Which should you pick?

Choose Expensify if

  • You need smartscan receipts.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want expense reports.
Expensify review

Choose Mercury if

  • You need business checking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want savings accounts.
Mercury review

Questions people ask

Is Expensify or Mercury better?
Neither clearly leads. Expensify starts at $5/month and Mercury at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Expensify or Mercury?
Mercury has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5/month for Expensify and Free for Mercury.
Does Expensify or Mercury run on more platforms?
Expensify runs on Web, iOS, Android. Mercury runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Mercury for free?
Yes. Mercury has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Expensify starts at $5/month.
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 Mercury is typically brought in for.
What can Expensify do that Mercury cannot?
Expensify covers SmartScan receipts, Expense reports, Corporate cards, Reimbursements. Mercury covers Business checking, Savings accounts, Virtual cards, Team management. Both handle QuickBooks, Xero.

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.

Source
Mercury: Is Mercury business banking free?

Mercury's base banking tier is free and includes ACH payments, domestic wire transfers, real-time payments, Bill Pay, and QuickBooks/Xero automations at no monthly cost.

Source
Expensify: 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.

Source
Mercury: What does Mercury Plus add beyond the free tier?

Mercury Plus costs $29.90 per month and adds invoice ACH debits, recurring invoice capabilities, invoicing API with 500 calls per month, unlimited 1099 filings, and access to partner benefits.

Source
Expensify: 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
Mercury: Does Mercury charge monthly account fees?

No, Mercury states there are no minimum account balance requirements, overdraft fees, required monthly fees, or account opening fees. The free tier includes essential business banking, with paid tiers available for additional features.

Source
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