- Why companies are looking for Spendesk alternatives
- At a glance: Spendesk alternatives compared
- 1. Ramp: Best overall Spendesk alternative
- 2. Airbase
- 3. Navan (formerly TripActions)
- 4. Pleo
- 5. Fyle
- 6. Mesh Payments
- Ramp isn’t just a Spendesk alternative—it’s an upgrade
Spendesk has become a go-to platform for small and midsize businesses seeking control over corporate cards, employee reimbursements, and expense management. With a strong 4.7 out of 5 star rating on G2 and hundreds of user reviews, it’s earned a solid reputation—particularly among startups and teams looking for quick wins in spend visibility.
But despite its popularity, Spendesk isn’t the perfect fit for everyone.
Reviewers frequently cite limitations with integrations, scalability, and support, especially as finance teams grow more complex or expand across entities. Others point out issues with buggy virtual cards, manual invoice entry, and feature gaps that become harder to ignore at higher price points.
If you're exploring alternatives that offer more automation, deeper ERP connectivity, or more responsive support, this guide is for you.
We’ve analyzed top-rated spend management tools—including:
- Ramp
- Airbase
- Navan (formerly TripActions)
- Pleo
- Fyle
- Mesh Payments
Using a combination of G2 reviews, user ratings, and our own product research, we break down where each platform excels—and who it's best suited for. Keep reading to find the right Spendesk alternative for your business.
Why companies are looking for Spendesk alternatives
Spendesk positions itself as a flexible spend management solution for growing businesses, but as teams scale or seek deeper integrations and support, many find that the platform falls short in key areas.
Here are the most common reasons companies are exploring Spendesk alternatives according to G2 reviews:
- Unreliable integrations: While Spendesk claims native integration with platforms like NetSuite, users frequently report broken syncs, poor documentation, and lengthy cleanup efforts. For teams that rely on seamless ERP connectivity, this can be a dealbreaker.
- Limited scalability: What works well for small or mid-sized teams can break down with growth. Users note that Spendesk becomes harder to manage across multiple entities, departments, or high-volume workflows.
- Support and responsiveness issues: Several users report slow or unhelpful customer support, especially post-onboarding. Escalations often take days, even for urgent finance-related issues.
- Glitchy virtual cards: Teams relying on Spendesk’s virtual cards mention inconsistent performance. Transactions may be approved and then declined, with limited transparency around the cause.
- Manual processes still required: While Spendesk automates some tasks, features like invoice capture and reimbursements still require manual effort. Users mention the lack of AI for line-item recognition and invoice entry as a workflow bottleneck.
- Basic reporting and customization: Finance teams looking for deeper analytics or more customizable cost center tracking often outgrow Spendesk’s reporting capabilities.
- Mixed experience with mobile and email workflows: While many praise the mobile app's ease of use, others highlight issues with missing receipt alerts, duplicate invoice scans, and syncing delays between desktop and mobile experiences.
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 |
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 |
1. Ramp: Best overall Spendesk alternative
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
- Significant time savings: Our research estimates Ramp can save users more than 20,000 hours a year versus legacy solutions like Spendesk
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.”
G2 user ratings also show that:
- Ramp is easier to set up: Ramp scores 9.3 in Ease of Setup, compared to Spendesk’s 8.8. Teams say implementation is fast, intuitive, and requires minimal IT involvement.
- Expense reporting is more efficient on Ramp: While Spendesk earns a solid 8.8 for Expense Report Creation, Ramp outperforms with a 9.2 because of real-time receipt matching and AI-powered categorization.
- Receipt management is more seamless: Both platforms are praised for their digital receipt tools, but Ramp’s 9.6 rating edges out Spendesk’s 9.1, making it the stronger option for teams looking to streamline receipt tracking.
- Ramp simplifies reimbursements: Users rate Ramp’s Employee Reimbursement process at 9.4 compared to Spendesk’s 9.0, citing faster payouts and fewer manual touchpoints.
- Integrations run smoother with Ramp: Ramp scores 9.3 in Bank & Card Integration versus Spendesk’s 9.1, giving finance teams more confidence in syncing financial data without errors.
- Support is slightly better with Ramp: Spendesk earns a 9.1 for Quality of Support, while Ramp scores a 9.2—just enough of an edge to matter when your team needs quick answers.
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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
Ramp isn’t just a Spendesk alternative—it’s an upgrade
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.
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