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Payroll · head to head

Extend vs PayFit

Extend logo

Extend

Payroll

Virtual card issuing and spend controls layered onto existing business credit cards

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PayFit logo

PayFit

Payroll

Native payroll and HR for small and mid-sized companies in a small number of European countries

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Extend has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Extend it depends on an existing business credit card relationship, so a company without a qualifying Amex, Visa or Mastercard business card cannot use it as a standalone card issuer.; PayFit coverage is limited to a handful of European countries and the company withdrew from Germany in 2023, so any buyer with expansion plans should assume the country they need next will not be supported.
  • They diverge on capability: Extend covers Virtual card issuing, PayFit covers Native payroll engine.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Extend and PayFit actually diverge.

Attributes where Extend and PayFit differ
AttributeExtendPayFit
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer user per month, free starter tierquote
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Payroll).

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 Extend

  • Virtual card issuing
  • Per-card spend controls
  • Approval workflows
  • Receipt auto-matching
  • ERP integrations
  • API access

Only in PayFit

  • Native payroll engine
  • Statutory filing
  • Payslip generation
  • Time off management
  • Expenses
  • Employee records
  • Automated variable pay
  • Accounting export

What people use each for

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

Extend

  • A small business wanting free vendor-level virtual card controls without opening a new card programmenot PayFit
  • A company with an existing Amex or bank business card wanting tighter per-vendor spend limitsnot PayFit
  • A finance team wanting predictable per-user pricing rather than a private quote for spend managementnot PayFit
  • A larger business wanting API-driven automated card issuance tied to its existing card relationshipnot PayFit

PayFit

  • A French company of 50 people leaving a payroll bureau that charges per payslip and returns work slowlynot Extend
  • A Spanish or Italian employer that needs payroll calculated in-country rather than routed through an intermediarynot Extend
  • A UK subsidiary of a European group that wants payroll on the same platform as the parent where the country is supportednot Extend
  • A finance team that wants payroll journals exported directly into the local accounting system without manual mappingnot Extend

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Extend

  • It depends on an existing business credit card relationship, so a company without a qualifying Amex, Visa or Mastercard business card cannot use it as a standalone card issuer.
  • The free Starter plan is capped at five users and 100 cards a month, which small but growing teams will outgrow quickly and need to upgrade past.
  • The Pro plan enforces a ten-user minimum, so a company with only two or three people who need virtual cards pays for unused seats.
  • Rewards, credit terms and dispute resolution still run through the underlying card issuer, so Extend cannot improve or change those terms; it only adds a control layer on top.
  • Deeper ERP integrations such as NetSuite and Dynamics 365 are reserved for the custom-quoted Enterprise tier, so companies needing them lose the pricing transparency of the published Starter and Pro plans.

PayFit

  • Coverage is limited to a handful of European countries and the company withdrew from Germany in 2023, so any buyer with expansion plans should assume the country they need next will not be supported.
  • There is no employer of record capability, so hiring one person in an unsupported country means adding a separate vendor and a separate employment model.
  • The HR modules cover time off, expenses and records but do not replace an HRIS, and companies with performance, learning or ATS requirements will run PayFit alongside another system.
  • Pricing is quoted per country as a platform fee plus a per employee charge, which makes cross-border cost comparison awkward and means a small subsidiary can carry a disproportionate fixed cost.
  • The product is built for small and mid-sized employers, and companies past a few hundred employees report hitting limits in complex collective agreement handling and in bulk data correction workflows.

Pricing, plan by plan

Extend

Free
  • StarterFree
    • Up to 5 users and 10 guests
    • Up to 100 virtual cards per month
    • One expense category
  • Pro$11.99/month
    • 10 user minimum
    • Up to 500 virtual cards per month
    • Custom approval workflows and QuickBooks Online integration
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited users and virtual cards
    • API access for automated card issuance
    • NetSuite and Dynamics 365 integration, dedicated account manager

PayFit

On request
  • PayFit$undefined/year
    • Monthly platform fee plus a charge per paid employee
    • Pricing differs by country of employment
    • Payroll calculation and statutory filing

Which should you pick?

Choose Extend if

  • You need virtual card issuing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want per-card spend controls.
Extend review

Choose PayFit if

  • You need native payroll engine.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want statutory filing.
PayFit review

Questions people ask

Is Extend or PayFit better?
Neither clearly leads. Extend starts at Free and PayFit at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Extend or PayFit?
Extend has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Extend and On request for PayFit.
Does Extend or PayFit run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Extend for free?
Yes. Extend has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PayFit starts at On request.
What is Extend best used for?
Extend is most often used for a small business wanting free vendor-level virtual card controls without opening a new card programme, a company with an existing amex or bank business card wanting tighter per-vendor spend limits, a finance team wanting predictable per-user pricing rather than a private quote for spend management, a larger business wanting api-driven automated card issuance tied to its existing card relationship. Of those, a small business wanting free vendor-level virtual card controls without opening a new card programme and a company with an existing amex or bank business card wanting tighter per-vendor spend limits are not what PayFit is typically brought in for.
What can Extend do that PayFit cannot?
Extend covers Virtual card issuing, Per-card spend controls, Approval workflows, Receipt auto-matching. PayFit covers Native payroll engine, Statutory filing, Payslip generation, Time off management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Extend: Does Extend replace our business credit card?

No, it issues virtual cards against an existing American Express, Visa or Mastercard business credit line rather than opening a new card programme.

PayFit: Which countries does PayFit actually calculate payroll in?

It runs its own payroll engine for the countries it sells in, currently France, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom, and it closed its German operation in 2023.

Extend: Is there really a free plan?

Yes, the Starter plan is free for up to five users, ten guests and 100 virtual cards a month.

PayFit: Is it native payroll or aggregation through a local partner?

Native. Country rules are written and maintained in the company own domain-specific language, so calculation and filing are PayFit responsibilities rather than a partner obligation.

Extend: What does Pro cost?

11.99 dollars per user per month billed annually, or 12 dollars monthly, with a ten-user minimum.

PayFit: Can PayFit employ staff on my behalf?

No. It is payroll software for entities you already have. Employment in a country without your own entity needs an employer of record.

PayFit: Does it handle collective bargaining agreements?

Common French and Spanish agreements are supported, but unusual or heavily negotiated agreements can require manual handling.

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