- At a glance: Spendesk alternatives compared
- Best overall Spendesk alternative: Ramp
- Airbase
- Navan (formerly TripActions)
- Brex
- Pleo
- Fyle
- Mesh Payments
- The best choice for your spend management needs
Many small and mid-sized businesses turn to Spendesk for corporate cards and expense management. With a strong rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on the software review website G2, the platform does a good job of meeting users’ needs.
Despite the generally positive sentiment, not everyone is completely satisfied with Spendesk’s user experience and functionality. And other reviewers feel their return on investment doesn’t justify Spendesk’s high cost.
If you’re looking for an alternative to Spendesk that’s better tailored to your spend management needs, we’ve curated a list of seven top-rated competitors:
- Ramp
- Airbase
- Navan (formerly TripActions)
- Brex
- Pleo
- Fyle
- Mesh Payments
We’ve chosen these tools based on feedback from actual users, as well as the reviews and ratings shared on G2. Coupled with our own research into each platform’s features, we’ve narrowed down our list to the seven Spendesk competitors listed below.
At a glance: Spendesk alternatives compared
Platform | G2 Rating | Market Segment | Key Features | Minimum Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ramp | 4.8 | Startups | Expense management | $0 – Unlimited free tier |
Airbase | 4.7 | Mid-market | Procurement | N/A – All pricing is quote-based |
Navan | 4.7 | Mid-market | Travel booking | $0 – Free tier with seat and usage limits |
Brex | 4.7 | Small Businesses | Expense management | $0 – Free Essentials tier |
Pleo | 4.7 | Small Businesses | Expense management | $0 - Free up for up to 3 users |
Fyle | 4.6 | Mid-market | Expense management | $11.99 per user per month, billed annually |
Mesh Payments | 4.6 | Mid-market | Expense management | Free tier |
Best overall Spendesk alternative: Ramp
Ramp is an all-in-one finance operations platform that combines corporate cards, expense management, travel booking, and accounts payable (AP) features to help companies streamline their operations and make better financial decisions.
Our corporate credit card modernizes outdated spend management processes with personalized workflows and automated receipt generation. Meanwhile, features like our AI-powered accounting automation and customizable travel and expense (T&E) policies help finance teams save hours of work each month.
And sure, we might be a bit biased, but you don’t have to take our word for it. Our comprehensive feature set and glowing customer reviews speak for themselves: Ramp is currently rated 4.8 out of 5 stars on G2 based on over 2,000 user reviews. In a head-to-head comparison, Ramp beats out Spendesk in six out of seven categories and ties in one:
Key features
- All-in-one finance platform: Ramp is a unified solution that combines expense management, procurement, accounts payable, and business travel booking for unmatched visibility into your business finances
- Integrated corporate cards: Unlimited physical and virtual corporate cards with built-in expense management features to help you save an average of 5% annually
- AI-powered insights and recommendations: Identify areas to reduce costs with intelligent recommendations based on millions of financial transactions
- Expense reporting automation: Automated expense approval workflows that enforce your T&E policy
- Integrates with your tech stack: Thousands of integrations with tools like QuickBooks, Asana, Gmail, and Gusto for increased productivity and more accurate reporting
Why customers choose Ramp vs. Spendesk
Although users found both platforms equally easy to use, Ramp was easier to set up and administer. According to one Ramp user, the platform has been “extremely easy to migrate to from our previous system. Cardholders love how easy it is to submit expenses and that it provides multiple integrations so they don't have to upload every receipt.”
Overall, reviewers felt that Ramp not only met their current business needs better than Spendesk did, but they’re also more confident in the future potential of Ramp’s software.
Pricing
Ramp’s comprehensive free plan comes with unlimited corporate cards and spend controls, automated expense management, travel booking, and real-time spending insights. Ramp Plus costs $15 per user per month and offers companies more granular control over their finances and additional customization options.
Companies interested in a custom plan can get in touch to receive a quote for Ramp Enterprise.
Airbase
Airbase focuses on spend management and procurement to help employees at mid-market companies purchase what they need while keeping costs low. The software receives 4.7 out of 5 stars from more than 1,600 reviews on G2:
Key features
- Guided procurement processes to streamline spend requests and purchase approvals
- Corporate cards that provide visibility and control over employee spending
- Customizable approval workflows to ensure transactions comply with company policy
- Real-time reporting and purchase order matching
Why customers choose Airbase vs. Spendesk
Customers appreciate how easy to use and intuitive the platform is, especially when used in tandem with Airbase’s virtual cards. Users can easily submit expenses for reimbursement, and managers can approve reimbursements as needed for a seamless workflow.
Pricing
Airbase doesn’t publish any pricing info, but they offer three different tiers:
- The Standard plan, designed for companies with up to about 200 employees
- The Premium plan, for those with up to 500 employees
- The Enterprise plan, for organizations with up to 10,000 employees
For each plan, you’ll need to contact Airbase for a quote.
Navan (formerly TripActions)
Navan is a T&E management platform that helps small businesses manage business travel plans and expenses. Formerly known as TripActions, Navan has a 4.7 rating on G2 based on more than 8,000 user reviews:
Key features
- Ability to link your existing business credit cards with Navan’s spend management platform
- Customizable spend policies and spend controls for easier expense management
- Navan Rewards program to encourage employees to reduce travel expenses
- Real-time reporting and budget tracking for individuals, teams, and departments
Why customers choose Navan vs. Spendesk
Navan makes it easy for travelers to book flights and accommodations, and just as quick to get reimbursed for any expenses they incurred. Those who used the platform’s expense management features found that the software seamlessly captured and reimbursed expenses with just a few clicks.
Pricing
Navan offers a free tier with seat and usage limits. Its Business plan supports businesses with up to 200 employees and costs $15 per user per month for more than 15 users. Larger companies must contact the sales team for a custom quote.
Brex
Brex is a startup-oriented spend management platform that integrates corporate cards with expense management, bill pay, reimbursement, and travel booking features. The company earns 4.7 out of 5 stars based nearly 1,400 G2 reviews:
Key features
- Unlimited physical and virtual corporate cards issued by Mastercard
- Built-in company expense policies with automatic reminders to help employees comply with your guidelines
- Bill pay automation and invoice scanning
- Live budgets for planning, tracking, and managing budgets in real time
Why customers choose Brex vs. Spendesk
Users appreciated the software’s ease of use and customer support. Additionally, many reviews mentioned how easy it was to provide virtual and physical corporate cards to their employees when needed.
Pricing
Brex’s Essentials plan, designed with startups and growing companies in mind, is free for users while the company’s Premium plan costs $12 a month per user. For custom Enterprise plans, contact the sales team for pricing.
Pleo
Geared towards startups and small businesses with a heavy presence in Europe, Pleo is an expense management software that helps businesses simplify how they manage and report on expenses. Pleo has over 1,000 reviews and a 4.7 rating on G2:
Key features
- Physical and virtual corporate cards with individual spend limits, 1% cashback, and real-time visibility into company spending
- Flexible employee reimbursement process
- Mobile app to capture receipt data, track spending, and approve invoices on the go
Why customers choose Pleo vs. Spendesk
Pleo simplifies uploading and tracking receipts, resulting in easier expense management and bookkeeping. According to one reviewer, “The mobile apps make it easy to track expenses the moment they are incurred so that you don’t have to keep receipts anymore. The internal review processes make it easy for a company of any size to keep track of the expenses and make sure they are approved.”
Pricing
Pleo’s Starter plan is free for up to three users. Meanwhile, the Essential plan costs £45 per month for three users, and the Advanced plan is £99 per month for three users. You can add more user seats to the Essential and Advanced plans for an additional monthly fee.
Fyle
Fyle helps finance teams build spend management systems around their existing business credit cards to reduce the amount of time they spend on expense management. It has a 4.6 rating from more than 1,500 users on G2. While Fyle’s overall score is slightly lower than Spendesk’s, the two tools match up fairly evenly:
Key features
- Multi-org, multi-step, and policy-driven expense approval workflows
- Submit receipts and expense reports via text message
- Mileage and per diem tracking
- Advanced analytics offering insights on spending patterns, employee behavior, finance operations, and more
Why customers choose Fyle vs. Spendesk
Users mentioned how easy Fyle is to use from both an administrator and employee perspective. Some companies highlighted the support team’s responsiveness and helpfulness, while others said the tool was so easy to implement that they had no reason to contact support.
Pricing
Fyle’s Growth plan is $11.99 per user per month with a minimum of 5 users on the account, and the Business plan is $14.99 per user per month with a minimum of 10 users. Large enterprises that want to structure a custom plan will have to contact sales for a quote.
Mesh Payments
Mesh Payments is a global travel and expense management solution that helps companies better visualize their business and travel spending. The company scores 4.6 out of 5 stars on G2, based on over 1,000 user reviews:
Key features
- Virtual and physical corporate credit cards with expense management features like pre-approved budgets and vendor locks
- Global spend platform that enables compliant localized operations
- Centralized travel management dashboard for easier management of expenses and bookings
- SaaS subscription management and one-click cancellation from the platform
Why customers choose Mesh Payments vs. Spendesk
Mesh was easy for users to set up, and the software helped reduce the amount of time administrators spent on reimbursements each month. It also proved helpful in managing team budgets, especially while traveling for business.
Pricing
Mesh Payments’ Pro plan is free for users, while those interested in more powerful tools can opt for the Premium plan, which costs $10 per user per month. Mesh also offers an Enterprise tier for companies that need a custom plan.
The best choice for your spend management needs
For some companies, Spendesk’s features offer just what they need to prevent overspending. But if you want a comprehensive expense management platform that’s truly worth the investment, Ramp is the top pick.
In particular, Ramp’s robust offerings—such as granular spend controls, real-time insights and reporting, and the ability to integrate with thousands of other popular platforms—make it the ideal option for the widest range of businesses
Try an interactive demo to learn how Ramp can help you manage every aspect of your company’s finance operations.
Don't miss these
“We’ve simplified our workflows while improving accuracy, and we are faster in closing with the help of automation. We could not have achieved this without the solutions Ramp brought to the table.”
Kaustubh Khandelwal
VP of Finance, Poshmark
“Our previous bill pay process probably took a good 10 hours per AP batch. Now it just takes a couple of minutes between getting an invoice entered, approved, and processed.”
Jason Hershey
VP of Finance and Accounting, Hospital Association of Oregon
“When looking for a procure-to-pay solution we wanted to make everyone’s life easier. We wanted a one-click type of solution, and that’s what we’ve achieved with Ramp.”
Mandy Mobley
Finance Invoice & Expense Coordinator, Crossings Community Church
“We no longer have to comb through expense records for the whole month — having everything in one spot has been really convenient. Ramp's made things more streamlined and easy for us to stay on top of. It's been a night and day difference.”
Fahem Islam
Accounting Associate, Snapdocs
“It's great to be able to park our operating cash in the Ramp Business Account where it earns an actual return and then also pay the bills from that account to maximize float.”
Mike Rizzo
Accounting Manager, MakeStickers
“The practice managers love Ramp, it allows them to keep some agency for paying practice expenses. They like that they can instantaneously attach receipts at the time of transaction, and that they can text back-and-forth with the automated system. We've gotten a lot of good feedback from users.”
Greg Finn
Director of FP&A, Align ENTA
“The reason I've been such a super fan of Ramp is the product velocity. Not only is it incredibly beneficial to the user, it’s also something that gives me confidence in your ability to continue to pull away from other products.”
Tyler Bliha
CEO, Abode
