Softwr

Payroll · head to head

Extend vs Pleo

Extend logo

Extend

Payroll

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pleo logo

Pleo

Accounting

Smart company cards for forward-thinking teams

From
£9.5/month
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.; Pleo card delays and transaction limits impact usability, with limited regional acceptance in some areas
  • They diverge on capability: Extend covers Virtual card issuing, Pleo covers Company cards.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Extend and Pleo actually diverge.

Attributes where Extend and Pleo differ
AttributeExtendPleo
Starting priceFree£9.5/month
Pricing modelPer user per month, free starter tierUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidiOS, Android, Web
CategoryPayrollAccounting
FoundedUnknown2015

Identical on both: 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 Extend

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

Only in Pleo

  • Company cards
  • Receipt capture
  • Expense categorization
  • Spend limits
  • Accounting sync
  • Xero
  • QuickBooks
  • Sage

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 Pleo
  • A company with an existing Amex or bank business card wanting tighter per-vendor spend limitsnot Pleo
  • A finance team wanting predictable per-user pricing rather than a private quote for spend managementnot Pleo
  • A larger business wanting API-driven automated card issuance tied to its existing card relationshipnot Pleo

Pleo

  • Employee expensesnot Extend
  • Spending autonomynot Extend
  • Expense automationnot 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.

Pleo

  • Card delays and transaction limits impact usability, with limited regional acceptance in some areas
  • Receipt capture OCR inaccuracies and upload lag/glitches complicate expense categorization
  • Limited expense categories and tags reduce flexibility for complex accounting structures
  • Transaction approval workflows have minimal customization options
  • Lacks in-built forecasting tools and reporting is basic, providing limited insights into trends

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

Pleo

£9.5/month
  • Starter$9.5/month
    • Company cards
    • Real-time expense tracking
    • Automated reports
  • Essential$39/month
    • Reimbursements
    • Mileage and per diem
    • Vendor cards
  • Advanced$89/month
    • Cashback
    • Budgets
    • Multi-entity management
  • Beyond$179/month
    • Spending insights
    • Sub-wallets
    • Dedicated success manager

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 Pleo if

  • You need company cards.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want receipt capture.
Pleo review

Questions people ask

Is Extend or Pleo better?
Neither clearly leads. Extend starts at Free and Pleo at £9.5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Extend or Pleo?
Extend has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Extend and £9.5/month for Pleo.
Does Extend or Pleo run on more platforms?
Extend runs on Web, iOS, Android. Pleo runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Extend for free?
Yes. Extend has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Pleo starts at £9.5/month.
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 Pleo is typically brought in for.
What can Extend do that Pleo cannot?
Extend covers Virtual card issuing, Per-card spend controls, Approval workflows, Receipt auto-matching. Pleo covers Company cards, Receipt capture, Expense categorization, Spend limits.

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.

Pleo: What are Pleo's pricing tiers?

Pleo offers four pricing tiers: Starter (GBP 9.50/month), Essential (GBP 39.00/month), Advanced (GBP 89.00/month), and Beyond (GBP 179.00/month). Annual billing provides equivalent of two free months.

Source
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.

Pleo: Does Pleo have a free tier?

No, Pleo does not offer a free tier or permanent free plan. All plans require payment with a free trial available for evaluation.

Source
Extend: What does Pro cost?

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

Pleo: What integrations does Pleo support for accounting?

Pleo integrates directly with Xero and QuickBooks, plus Sage 200, Sage 50, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Datev, and Visma e-conomic. Zapier integrations are also available.

Source
Pleo: What platforms can access Pleo?

Pleo is accessible via iOS and Android mobile apps, and through a web interface. Physical and virtual cards are issued for spending.

Source
Pleo: Does Pleo support multiple currencies?

Yes, Pleo supports multi-currency spending and transactions. The platform is particularly strong for European teams with local payment methods.

Source
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