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Accounting · head to head

Expensify vs Payhawk

Expensify logo

Expensify

Accounting

Expense management for receipts, bills & more

From
$5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Payhawk logo

Payhawk

Payroll

Modular spend management combining corporate cards, accounts payable, procurement and travel

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Expensify minimal offline expense entry capabilities hamper use in areas with unstable internet; Payhawk buying the full stack of Travel, Accounts Payable, Cards and Procurement separately costs more than a single suite price, since each module carries its own flat monthly fee.
  • They diverge on capability: Expensify covers SmartScan receipts, Payhawk covers Accounts payable automation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Expensify and Payhawk actually diverge.

Attributes where Expensify and Payhawk differ
AttributeExpensifyPayhawk
Starting price$5/monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownPer module per month
CategoryAccountingPayroll
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated).

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
  • Reimbursements
  • Mileage tracking
  • Multi-currency
  • Real-time syncing
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero

Only in Payhawk

  • Accounts payable automation
  • Procurement module
  • ERP integrations
  • Multi-entity consolidation

Both cover

  • Corporate cards
  • Travel booking

What people use each for

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

Expensify

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

Payhawk

  • A multi-entity European business wanting one system for cards, expenses and payables across currenciesnot Expensify
  • A finance team that wants to price spend management before a sales call rather than negotiating blindnot Expensify
  • A company wanting only accounts payable automation without paying for card issuing it does not neednot Expensify
  • A mid-market business standardising ERP-integrated expense reporting ahead of a fundraise or auditnot 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

Payhawk

  • Buying the full stack of Travel, Accounts Payable, Cards and Procurement separately costs more than a single suite price, since each module carries its own flat monthly fee.
  • The unlimited-seats model is a poor fit for a company issuing cards to only a handful of employees, since the fixed module price does not scale down.
  • Card issuing depends on Payhawk's own banking partners rather than a company's existing bank, so switching away later means reissuing cards and re-training staff on a new tool.
  • Procurement is a separate paid module rather than a built-in feature, so a company evaluating "Payhawk" from marketing material may be looking at capability it has not actually bought.
  • International card acceptance and FX handling vary by market, and companies with material spend outside Europe report gaps compared to global card issuers.

Pricing, plan by plan

Expensify

$5/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Expensify review.

Payhawk

On request
  • Travel$299/month
    • Integrated travel booking
    • Unlimited employee seats
  • Accounts Payable$349/month
    • Invoice capture and approval routing
    • Unlimited document processing
  • Cards and Expenses$449/month
    • Unlimited card transactions
    • Multi-entity expense management
  • Procurement$499/month
    • Purchase request and approval workflow
    • Vendor management

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 Payhawk if

  • You need accounts payable automation.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want procurement module.
Payhawk review

Questions people ask

Is Expensify or Payhawk better?
Neither clearly leads. Expensify starts at $5/month and Payhawk at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Expensify or Payhawk?
Expensify starts at $5/month and Payhawk at On request.
Does Expensify or Payhawk run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Payhawk is typically brought in for.
What can Expensify do that Payhawk cannot?
Expensify covers SmartScan receipts, Expense reports, Reimbursements, Mileage tracking. Payhawk covers Accounts payable automation, Procurement module, ERP integrations, Multi-entity consolidation. Both handle Corporate cards, Travel booking.

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
Payhawk: Is Payhawk pricing really public?

Yes, module pricing (Travel, Accounts Payable, Cards and Expenses, Procurement) is published starting at 299 to 499 dollars a month per module, or bundled as Payhawk Complete.

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
Payhawk: Does it charge per seat?

No, each module includes unlimited employee seats; the fixed monthly fee does not increase with headcount.

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
Payhawk: Can we buy just one module?

Yes, modules are sold separately, so a company can buy Accounts Payable without Cards or Procurement.

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