Ramp vs. Expensify comparison: Which spend management platform is right for your business (2025)?

Key takeaways

• Ramp offers real-time controls and a no-fee pricing model, making it popular with lean finance teams focused on automation and cost savings.

• Expensify is built around receipt capture and reimbursements, with simple workflows that suit small businesses and freelancers.

• Airwallex combines multi-currency cards, global bill pay, and spend automation into a single platform designed to scale across multiple currencies, teams, and entities.

You’re trying to close the books, but receipts are trickling in from every direction. One employee used their personal card again. The new hire submitted a PDF with three currencies listed, but no explanation was provided for their inclusion. It’s only Tuesday.

If this sounds familiar, you’ve likely looked at Ramp and Expensify. Both platforms promise better spend management, visibility, and control over business expenses, but they take different paths to achieve this.

In this guide, we’ll compare Ramp and Expensify side by side. You’ll receive a detailed breakdown of features, fees, ideal use cases, and key considerations to help you choose a provider. We’ll also explore why more businesses are turning to Airwallex as a unified solution for global spend, bill pay, approvals, and expense management.

What is Ramp?

Ramp is a US-based spend management platform founded in 2019. It started as a corporate card provider and quickly expanded into a broader financial operations tool, focusing on automation and cost control.

Today, Ramp helps companies issue cards, track spending, and enforce policies in real time. It’s especially popular with US startups and mid-market teams that want a fast, cost-effective way to manage company expenses without relying on manual processes or multiple tools.

What is Expensify?

Expensify is a lightweight expense management platform designed to help small teams and freelancers track spending, scan receipts, and get reimbursed without getting bogged down in admin tasks. It launched in 2008 and built its reputation around simplicity and a mobile-first experience.

At its core, Expensify makes it easy to snap a photo of a receipt, match it to a card transaction, and submit it for approval. You can also generate expense reports, automate basic flows, and sync your data with accounting tools like QuickBooks or Xero. For small businesses with clear-cut processes, it does the job well. But once your team starts growing, or you’re juggling more entities and currencies, that simplicity can start to hold you back.

Ramp vs. Expensify: a head-to-head comparison

Comparison table

Ramp vs Expensify: pricing and fees comparison

Ramp fees explained

Ramp’s core platform is free to use. You can issue unlimited cards, manage approvals, and track expenses without paying a cent in user or platform fees. If you require more advanced tools, such as multi-entity support, local reimbursements, or procurement workflows, you’ll need the Ramp Plus plan, which costs $15 per user per month. There’s a 20% discount if you pay annually. Additional costs include $10 for same-day ACH payments and $20 for international bill payments.

Expensify fees explained

Expensify uses a tiered pricing model. The Collect plan starts at $5 per user per month and includes receipt scanning, reimbursements, corporate card management, and travel booking. The Control plan unlocks additional features, including custom approval flows, ERP and HR integrations, and advanced budgeting. Pricing for Control depends on your setup, but it typically starts around $16 per user per month with an annual subscription. Month-to-month pricing is higher, with some configurations reaching $32 per user per month. Many features require using the Expensify Card to unlock full discounts.

Ramp vs. Expensify: features and services comparisons

Ramp and Expensify both offer tools for managing company spend, but their feature sets differ in focus and depth. Ramp puts real-time control and automation front and center. You can issue unlimited virtual and physical cards, track spend across departments, and enforce policies before money goes out the door. Expensify, on the other hand, is built around receipt capture and reimbursements. Its SmartScan feature makes it easy for employees to snap receipts and submit them from anywhere.

Both platforms include mobile apps, but Ramp’s card controls and spend insights are more advanced. Expensify offers travel booking and invoice management, which may appeal to small teams that handle both employee expenses and vendor payments in one place. However, these features rely on the Expensify Card and come with fewer controls for complex approvals or custom routing.

When it comes to scalability, Ramp edges ahead with cleaner multi-entity support and a tighter integration with ERP systems. Expensify supports NetSuite and Sage Intacct, but reviews mention limitations when workflows become more complex. Neither platform offers a true multi-currency wallet or FX engine. Ramp supports USD only. Expensify can reimburse in local currencies, but it lacks support for holding or managing foreign currency balances. If your business operates internationally, that could become a sticking point.

Ramp vs. Expensify: ideal use cases

Who is Ramp best for?

Ramp works best for US-based companies that want a modern, no-fee platform to control spending and reduce manual work. It’s especially appealing for lean finance teams, startups, and mid-sized businesses that want instant visibility, fast approvals, and automation without the complexity of legacy tools. If your team spends primarily in USD and you’re focused on efficiency, Ramp could be a good fit.

Who is Expensify best for?

Expensify suits small businesses and solo operators that need a simple way to manage receipts, reimbursements, and light travel booking. It’s a great choice if you value mobile access and ease of use over deep controls or custom integrations. However, teams with growing needs – such as multi-step approvals, complex policies, or international card spend – may find that it starts to fall short as the business scales.

Beyond the basics: key differences between Ramp and Expensify

Ramp and Expensify both promise a smarter way to manage business expenses, but they’re built on very different philosophies. Ramp is designed for finance teams that value control, automation, and visibility. Expensify focuses on simplicity, with mobile-first tools that make it easy to scan receipts, submit expenses, and manage travel.

Ramp’s strength lies in automation. The platform utilizes AI to identify duplicate spending, enforce policies in real-time, and surface opportunities to reduce costs. It brings cards, bill payments, reimbursements, and procurement tools together in one system. For fast-growing companies that want to move quickly and stay in control, it ticks many boxes.

Expensify is a better fit for businesses seeking a lightweight, mobile-friendly solution to manage receipts and reimbursements. Its SmartScan feature makes it easy to capture expenses on the go. It also includes chat tools, travel booking, and GPS mileage tracking. These are particularly helpful for teams that are always on the move, especially in industries such as real estate, consulting, or logistics. But as companies scale, they may find Expensify less flexible. Reviews often mention clunky workflows, sync issues, limited support, and unexpectedly high pricing.²⁶

There are trade-offs. Ramp receives praise for its clean interface and automation; however, users have raised concerns about receipt timing, reimbursement tracking, and delays in customer support. Expensify wins on ease of use and mobile functionality, but can fall short when approval processes, integrations, or team structures become more complex. The best fit ultimately depends on how your team operates today and how much complexity you’re willing to manage as you grow.

Why Airwallex is a powerful alternative (and how we compare)

Ramp and Expensify both solve parts of the spend management puzzle. But if your business spans currencies, markets, or entities, you’ll likely need more than what either platform can offer. Airwallex brings everything together in one system that’s built for global operations.

With Airwallex, you can issue multi-currency cards in over 40 markets, pay global vendors, and hold funds in a digital wallet that supports over 60 currencies. You won’t face unexpected markups or limited controls. Interbank FX rates and a transparent 0.3–0.5% margin help you cut costs with every transfer. You can collect payments locally in over 60 countries, then pay out in more than 120 markets using local rails. Most transfers arrive the same day.

Airwallex gives you full visibility across departments, corporate cards, and entities. You can automate approvals, manage vendor bills, and sync expenses directly with accounting platforms like NetSuite and QuickBooks. And because everything connects to your Wallet and Global Accounts, you’re not juggling separate tools or duplicating data.

Support also scales with you. Whether you’re onboarding your first hire or opening a new entity, you’ll get dedicated assistance, flexible setup options, and real-time visibility from day one.

Consider Airwallex if:

• You collect or pay in multiple currencies and want to cut FX costs

• You need accounts in 60+ countries to operate like a local

• You want to issue multi-currency cards instantly across 40+ markets

• You’re managing complex team or entity structures

• You’re tired of juggling multiple tools for cards, bills, FX, and reimbursements

• You want a spend management platform built for global scale

Final verdict: choosing the right solution for your business

Ramp gives you real-time controls and automation without the price tag. It works best for US-based teams that want to simplify spend management and move fast. Expensify, meanwhile, keeps things lightweight and user-friendly. It’s a handy choice for small businesses that just need to scan receipts, reimburse employees, and track basic expenses.

But if your business operates across borders, manages multiple entities, or is starting to outgrow point solutions, it’s worth asking a few tougher questions. Are you spending too much time stitching tools together? Do your current systems support international payments, real-time visibility, and scalable approval workflows? Are you confident your setup will still work six months from now?

Airwallex offers a different approach. It gives you the infrastructure to support global growth from day one. Multi-currency cards, local account details, interbank FX, and built-in approvals are all part of the same platform. That means fewer tools, fewer blockers, and more control, wherever your team operates.

Sources

1. https://ramp.com/corporate-cards

2. https://ramp.com/corporate-cards

3. https://use.expensify.com/receipt-scanning-app

4.  https://ramp.com/corporate-cards

5.  https://use.expensify.com/company-credit-card

6.  https://support.ramp.com/hc/en-us/articles/33312797133203-Purchases-orders-in-Ramp

7.  https://ramp.com/corporate-cards

8.  https://use.expensify.com/expensify-mobile-app

9.  https://ramp.com/corporate-cards

10.  https://use.expensify.com/ai-expense-management

11.  https://support.ramp.com/hc/en-us/articles/20843280013459-Setting-up-spend-request-approvals

12.  https://help.expensify.com/articles/expensify-classic/reports/How-Complex-Approval-Workflows-Work

13.  https://support.ramp.com/hc/en-us/articles/20843280013459-Setting-up-spend-request-approvals

14.  https://use.expensify.com/spend-management

15.  https://ramp.com/pricing

16.  https://use.expensify.com/custom-financial-reporting

17.  https://ramp.com/pricing

18.  https://use.expensify.com/all-integrations

19.  https://ramp.com/pricing

20.  https://help.expensify.com/articles/new-expensify/settings/Encryption-and-Data-Security

21.  https://use.expensify.com/global-reimbursements

22.  https://support.ramp.com/hc/en-us

23.  https://use.expensify.com/support

24.  https://ramp.com/pricing

25.  https://www.expensify.com/pricing

26.  https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.expensify.com

FAQs

What’s the main difference between Ramp and Expensify?

Ramp focuses on automation and control, offering real-time spend visibility and AI-driven cost savings. Expensify is built around receipt capture and mobile-first workflows, making it a strong choice for simple expense tracking and reimbursements.

Does either platform support international payments or currencies?

Ramp is a USD-only platform with limited international features, excluding card usage abroad. Expensify allows global reimbursements in local currencies but doesn’t support holding or managing multiple currencies in one account.

Which platform is easier to set up for a small team?

Expensify is designed for quick setup, especially if your needs are limited to receipt capture and reimbursements. Ramp offers a more robust feature set, but may require more time to configure for multi-entity setups or custom approval flows.

What’s a good alternative to Ramp or Expensify for global businesses?

Airwallex is a strong option if your business operates across borders. You can issue multi-currency cards, hold funds in 60+ currencies, and pay vendors in 200+ countries from a single platform built for global scale.