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Payroll · head to head

Payhawk vs Pleo

Payhawk logo

Payhawk

Payroll

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pleo logo

Pleo

Accounting

Smart company cards for forward-thinking teams

From
£9.5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Pleo card delays and transaction limits impact usability, with limited regional acceptance in some areas
  • They diverge on capability: Payhawk covers Corporate cards, Pleo covers Company cards.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Payhawk and Pleo actually diverge.

Attributes where Payhawk and Pleo differ
AttributePayhawkPleo
Starting priceOn request£9.5/month
Pricing modelPer module per monthUnknown
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidiOS, Android, Web
CategoryPayrollAccounting
FoundedUnknown2015

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Payhawk

  • Corporate cards
  • Accounts payable automation
  • Procurement module
  • Travel booking
  • ERP integrations
  • Multi-entity consolidation

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.

Payhawk

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

Pleo

  • Employee expensesnot Payhawk
  • Spending autonomynot Payhawk
  • Expense automationnot Payhawk

Where each one falls short

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

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.

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

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

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 Payhawk if

  • You need corporate cards.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want accounts payable automation.
Payhawk 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 Payhawk or Pleo better?
Neither clearly leads. Payhawk starts at On request and Pleo at £9.5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Payhawk or Pleo?
Payhawk starts at On request and Pleo at £9.5/month.
Does Payhawk or Pleo run on more platforms?
Payhawk runs on Web, iOS, Android. Pleo runs on iOS, Android, Web.
What is Payhawk best used for?
Payhawk is most often used for a multi-entity european business wanting one system for cards, expenses and payables across currencies, a finance team that wants to price spend management before a sales call rather than negotiating blind, a company wanting only accounts payable automation without paying for card issuing it does not need, a mid-market business standardising erp-integrated expense reporting ahead of a fundraise or audit. Of those, a multi-entity european business wanting one system for cards, expenses and payables across currencies and a finance team that wants to price spend management before a sales call rather than negotiating blind are not what Pleo is typically brought in for.
What can Payhawk do that Pleo cannot?
Payhawk covers Corporate cards, Accounts payable automation, Procurement module, Travel booking. Pleo covers Company cards, Receipt capture, Expense categorization, Spend limits.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

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
Payhawk: Does it charge per seat?

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

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
Payhawk: Can we buy just one module?

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

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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