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Software · head to head

Pleo vs Karbon

Pleo logo

Pleo

Software

Smart company cards for forward-thinking teams

From
£9.5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
K

Karbon

Software

Practice management for accounting firms

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Pleo card delays and transaction limits impact usability, with limited regional acceptance in some areas; Karbon sold as an annual per-user subscription aimed at firms rather than solo practitioners, with no monthly billing option published on the pricing page

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Pleo and Karbon actually diverge.

Attributes where Pleo and Karbon differ
AttributePleoKarbon
Starting price£9.5/monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Pleo

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

Only in Karbon

Nothing recorded that Pleo does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Pleo

  • Employee expensesnot Karbon
  • Spending autonomynot Karbon
  • Expense automationnot Karbon

Karbon

No use cases recorded yet. See the Karbon review.

Where each one falls short

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

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

Karbon

  • Sold as an annual per-user subscription aimed at firms rather than solo practitioners, with no monthly billing option published on the pricing page

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Karbon

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Karbon review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Pleo if

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

Choose Karbon if

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

Karbon review

Questions people ask

Is Pleo or Karbon better?
Neither clearly leads. Pleo starts at £9.5/month and Karbon at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Pleo or Karbon?
Pleo starts at £9.5/month and Karbon at On request.
Does Pleo or Karbon run on more platforms?
Pleo runs on iOS, Android, Web. Karbon runs on Web.
What is Pleo best used for?
Pleo is most often used for employee expenses, spending autonomy, expense automation. Of those, employee expenses and spending autonomy are not what Karbon is typically brought in for.
What can Pleo do that Karbon cannot?
Pleo covers Company cards, Receipt capture, Expense categorization, Spend limits.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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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