Head-to-Head Comparison
| Feature |
Brex |
Certify |
| Pricing |
✓ detail |
✗ detail |
| Setup |
✓ detail |
✗ detail |
| Manager dashboard |
✓ detail |
✓ detail |
| Receipt scanning |
✓ detail |
✓ detail |
| Real-time visibility |
✓ detail |
✓ detail |
| Approval |
✓ detail |
✓ detail |
| Offline |
✓ detail |
✗ detail |
| Team size |
✓ detail |
✓ detail |
Brex vs Certify Expense Management Software: A Comprehensive Comparison
Expense management is a crucial aspect of any business, and choosing the right software can significantly impact your company's financial efficiency and productivity. In this article, we'll compare two popular expense management solutions: Brex and Certify. We'll delve into their pricing, features, receipt scanning capabilities, approval processes, integrations, and suitability for different team sizes.
Pricing
Brex and Certify offer different pricing models, making it essential to consider your company's specific needs and budget.
Brex offers a free plan, as well as several paid plans, including:
- Free: $0 per user/month (billed annually)
- Pro: $12 per user/month (billed annually)
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for large businesses
Certify, on the other hand, offers a more straightforward pricing model:
- Team: $8 per user/month (billed annually)
- Professional: $15 per user/month (billed annually)
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for large businesses
Features
Both Brex and Certify offer a range of features to streamline expense management. Here are some key features of each platform:
Brex:
- Automated expense tracking
- Receipt scanning and upload
- Customizable approval workflows
- Integration with accounting software
- Real-time expense reporting
Certify:
- Automated expense tracking
- Receipt scanning and upload
- Customizable approval workflows
- Integration with accounting software
- Real-time expense reporting
- Travel booking and management
Calculate Your Savings
Receipt Scanning
Both Brex and Certify offer receipt scanning capabilities, making it easy to capture and upload receipts. However, Certify's receipt scanning feature is more advanced, using AI-powered technology to automatically extract data from receipts.
Approvals
Both platforms offer customizable approval workflows, allowing you to set up multi-level approvals and ensure that expenses are properly reviewed and approved. However, Brex's approval process is more flexible, allowing you to set up custom approval rules and notifications.
Integrations
Both Brex and Certify integrate with popular accounting software, including QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite. However, Certify offers a broader range of integrations, including travel booking platforms and HR systems.
Best for Which Team Size
Brex is well-suited for small to medium-sized businesses, with a user-friendly interface and flexible pricing plans. Certify, on the other hand, is better suited for larger businesses, with more advanced features and integrations.
| Feature |
Brex |
Certify |
| Pricing |
Free, $12/user/month (Pro), Custom (Enterprise) |
$8/user/month (Team), $15/user/month (Professional), Custom (Enterprise) |
| Receipt Scanning |
Manual upload, basic OCR |
AI-powered OCR, automatic data extraction |
| Approvals |
Customizable workflows, multi-level approvals |
Customizable workflows, multi-level approvals |
| Integrations |
QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite |
QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, travel booking platforms, HR systems |
| Best for Team Size |
Small to medium-sized businesses |
Medium to large-sized businesses |
In conclusion, both Brex and Certify offer robust expense management features, but they cater to different business needs. Brex is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses, with a user-friendly interface and flexible pricing plans. Certify, on the other hand, is better suited for larger businesses, with more advanced features and integrations.
Where 4.2 hours go weekly
Time savings with BlissNeat
Verified Pricing Data
📊 Verified Data
PricingBrex: None | Certify: Custom quote based on company size, usage, and integrations
Best ForBrex: Growing businesses needing high credit limits and sophisticated expense management
G2 ScoreBrex: 4.7/5 | Certify: 4.5/5
Key StatThe expense management software market size is estimated at USD 8.48 billion in 2026
Setup TimeBrex: Easy setup process | Certify: Fairly easy to set up
Feature-by-Feature Breakdown
AI Receipt Scanning
Automated expense tracking and categorization with AI recognition.
Winner: Brex
Approval Workflow
Multi-level approval workflows for streamlined expense management.
Winner: Brex
Real-Time Dashboard
Real-time spending insights and budget enforcement at the point of sale.
Winner: Brex
Mobile App
Mobile app for receipt uploads and expense submission.
Winner: Brex
Expense Policies
AI agents for automating policy questions, rule enforcement, and insights.
Winner: Brex
Setup Speed
Quick and easy setup process for expense management.
Winner: Brex
Honest Pros and Cons
What Certify does well
Ease of Use and Intuitive Interface: Many users find Certify to be easy to use, with an intuitive design and straightforward navigation.
Efficient Expense Tracking and Submission: The software simplifies the process of tracking, organizing, and submitting expenses, which leads to faster reimbursement times.
Mobile Receipt Upload and Management: The mobile app is frequently highlighted as a strong feature, allowing users to capture and manage receipts on the go.
Streamlined Approval Process: Certify offers a simple and straightforward approval process for managers and leaders, contributing to overall efficiency.
Where it falls short
Occasional Bugs and Syncing Issues: Some users report recurring bugs, syncing problems, and confusing error messages that can complicate daily operations.
Other weaknesses not specified.
Other weaknesses not specified.
Other weaknesses not specified.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the key differences in onboarding processes for Brex vs. Certify for teams of 10-50?
Brex offers a streamlined onboarding process that can get teams of 10-50 up and running in less than 24 hours, with a dedicated support team for the first 30 days. In contrast, Certify's onboarding, while thorough, typically takes 3-5 business days for similar-sized teams, with optional on-site training for an additional fee. Brex's faster onboarding is beneficial for teams needing immediate expense management solutions. For example, a team of 20 can start managing expenses with Brex in a day, while Certify might take a week, delaying financial control.
Q: How do Brex and Certify compare in terms of custom approval workflows for growing teams?
Brex allows for the creation of up to 5 custom approval tiers out of the box, suitable for most growing teams' hierarchical needs, with the ability to customize based on job function, department, or spend amount. Certify offers unlimited custom approval workflows, catering better to teams with complex, departmental, or project-based approval structures, though this might be overkill for smaller teams. Brex's simplicity is advantageous for straightforward approval processes, while Certify suits teams with nuanced requirements. For instance, a marketing team of 15 might prefer Brex for simple approvals, whereas a distributed team of 40 across multiple departments might opt for Certify's flexibility.
Q: What are the primary differences in expense reporting and receipt management between Brex and Certify for this team size?
Brex features AI-powered receipt matching with a high accuracy rate (>95%) for automated expense reporting, reducing manual work for teams. It also includes a mobile app for easy receipt scanning. Certify offers similar capabilities but with a slightly lower automatic matching accuracy rate (around 90%) and also provides a mobile app. Both support digital receipts and invoices, but Brex's higher accuracy can significantly reduce administrative time for teams of 10-50. For example, a team processing 100 receipts monthly could save up to 10 hours with Brex's higher matching rate compared to Certify.
Q: How do the integration ecosystems of Brex and Certify support growing teams in terms of accounting and HR software?
Brex integrates with over 50 popular accounting, HR, and project management tools (e.g., QuickBooks, Xero, Slack, BambooHR) out of the box, with API access for custom integrations. Certify boasts integrations with over 70 systems, including more niche accounting and HR solutions, potentially offering better support for teams with less common software stacks. Both platforms support teams of 10-50 well, but Certify might be more versatile for teams with specialized software needs. For example, a team using Zoho Books might prefer Certify for its native integration, while a team on QuickBooks might find Brex sufficient.
