Softwr

Software · head to head

Navan vs Pleo

Navan logo

Navan

Software

AI-powered corporate travel and expense management with integrated corporate card

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pleo logo

Pleo

Software

Smart company cards for forward-thinking teams

From
£9.5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Navan has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Navan enterprise pricing requires quote request; no transparency on true per-user or per-transaction costs; Pleo card delays and transaction limits impact usability, with limited regional acceptance in some areas

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Navan and Pleo actually diverge.

Attributes where Navan and Pleo differ
AttributeNavanPleo
Starting priceFree£9.5/month
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, APIiOS, Android, Web
FoundedUnknown2015

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Navan

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.

Navan

  • Mid-market and enterprise companies automating travel and expense workflowsnot Pleo
  • Organisations seeking to reduce travel costs through policy enforcement and AI-driven discountsnot Pleo
  • Teams utilising corporate card programmes for spend tracking without receipt capture overheadnot Pleo
  • Global enterprises requiring multi-currency support and ERP integrationnot Pleo
  • Companies where employee autonomy is prioritised; AI assistant enables self-service booking and policy compliancenot Pleo

Pleo

  • Employee expensesnot Navan
  • Spending autonomynot Navan
  • Expense automationnot Navan

Where each one falls short

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

Navan

  • Enterprise pricing requires quote request; no transparency on true per-user or per-transaction costs
  • Expense management charges apply beyond 5 users, increasing per-user costs for larger teams
  • Corporate card programmes (Navan Card, Connect) complicate adoption by requiring banking integration
  • AI assistant (Navan Edge) lacks transparency on data handling; unclear whether conversation data is retained for model training
  • Limited EMEA coverage; emerging market travel inventory less comprehensive than global GDS systems

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

Navan

Free
  • Navan BusinessFree
    • Unlimited flight, hotel, train, rental car bookings
    • Global inventory across 178+ countries
    • 24/7 travel support
  • Navan Business (Expense add-on)$15/month
    • Additional expense management users (beyond 5 free)
    • Receipt scanning and categorisation
    • ERP integration (30+ connectors)
  • Navan EnterpriseFree
    • Custom pricing
    • Dedicated account management
    • Negotiated corporate rates

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 Navan if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
Navan 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 Navan or Pleo better?
Neither clearly leads. Navan 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, Navan or Pleo?
Navan has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Navan and £9.5/month for Pleo.
Does Navan or Pleo run on more platforms?
Navan runs on Web, iOS, Android, API. Pleo runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Navan for free?
Yes. Navan has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Pleo starts at £9.5/month.
What is Navan best used for?
Navan is most often used for mid-market and enterprise companies automating travel and expense workflows, organisations seeking to reduce travel costs through policy enforcement and ai-driven discounts, teams utilising corporate card programmes for spend tracking without receipt capture overhead, global enterprises requiring multi-currency support and erp integration. Of those, mid-market and enterprise companies automating travel and expense workflows and organisations seeking to reduce travel costs through policy enforcement and ai-driven discounts are not what Pleo is typically brought in for.
What can Navan do that Pleo cannot?
Pleo covers Company cards, Receipt capture, Expense categorization, Spend limits.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Navan: Is Navan's travel booking free?

Yes. Navan Business travel bookings are free, supported by supplier commissions. Expense management is free for the first 5 users monthly; additional users cost £15/month each.

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
Navan: What is Navan Edge?

Navan Edge is an AI travel assistant integrated into chat that handles flight, hotel, and restaurant enquiries, provides recommendations, processes cancellations and rebookings, and escalates to human support 24/7.

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
Navan: Does Navan integrate with our ERP system?

Yes. Navan provides 30+ pre-built ERP connectors (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, etc.) and REST APIs for real-time spend sync and invoice reconciliation.

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
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
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Navan

More on Pleo

Keep looking

Other head to heads