Softwr

Accounting · head to head

freee vs Pleo

freee logo

freee

Accounting

Japanese integrated cloud accounting software for sole proprietors and corporations

From
980/month
Rated
-
Pleo logo

Pleo

Accounting

Smart company cards for forward-thinking teams

From
£9.5/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: freee pricing varies significantly across multiple product categories and tiers; Pleo card delays and transaction limits impact usability, with limited regional acceptance in some areas
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which freee and Pleo actually diverge.

Attributes where freee and Pleo differ
AttributefreeePleo
Starting price980/month£9.5/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWebiOS, Android, Web
FoundedUnknown2015

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 freee

Nothing recorded that Pleo does not also cover.

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.

freee

  • Filing Japanese tax documents electronically each yearnot Pleo
  • Calculating payroll and year-end adjustments automaticallynot Pleo
  • Creating opening documents without visiting tax officenot Pleo
  • Tracking company expenses across departments centrallynot Pleo

Pleo

  • Employee expensesnot freee
  • Spending autonomynot freee
  • Expense automationnot freee

Where each one falls short

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

freee

  • Pricing varies significantly across multiple product categories and tiers
  • Some corporate tiers (Advance) reach ¥39,780+/month

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

freee

980/month
  • freee會計 Starter$980/month
    • Individual business owner accounting tier
  • freee會計 Corporate Solo$2980/month
    • Corporate accounting tier
  • freee人事労務$400/month per employee
    • HR and payroll module per-employee pricing
  • freee勤怠管理$300/month per employee
    • Attendance tracking per-employee

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 freee if

Nothing in the data separates freee from Pleo on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Choose Pleo if

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

Questions people ask

Is freee or Pleo better?
Neither clearly leads. freee starts at 980/month and Pleo at £9.5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, freee or Pleo?
freee starts at 980/month and Pleo at £9.5/month.
Does freee or Pleo run on more platforms?
freee runs on Web. Pleo runs on iOS, Android, Web.
What is freee best used for?
freee is most often used for filing japanese tax documents electronically each year, calculating payroll and year-end adjustments automatically, creating opening documents without visiting tax office, tracking company expenses across departments centrally. Of those, filing japanese tax documents electronically each year and calculating payroll and year-end adjustments automatically are not what Pleo is typically brought in for.
What can freee do that Pleo cannot?
Pleo covers Company cards, Receipt capture, Expense categorization, Spend limits.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

freee: What is freee's accounting software pricing?

Individual business owners start at ¥980/month for Starter, while corporate accounting begins at ¥2,980/month for Solo Corp, with prices extending to ¥39,780+/month for Advance plans.

Source
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
freee: Does freee charge per employee for HR and payroll?

Yes, freee人事労務 (HR/Payroll) costs ¥400-¥1,100 per employee per month, and freee勤怠管理 (Attendance) costs ¥300 per employee per month.

Source
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
freee: Are there free freee products?

Several freee products are completely free, including freee開業 (Business Opening), freee請求書 (Invoicing), freeeカード (Card), and certain features like payroll rules creation.

Source
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
freee: Does freee offer a free trial?

Freee offers a 30-day free trial for its accounting software and provides annual payment discounts on most plans.

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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