Free Expense Management and Corporate Cards
Which expense management and corporate card platforms a startup can use for free today, who can sign up, how many users the free plan covers, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, read from each provider's own page.
Free allowances read on each provider's own pages, all checked on or after . Card and expense platforms change their plans and eligibility from time to time: confirm the terms on the provider's page before you apply.
Expense management platforms a startup can use for free today include Ramp (Corporate card and expenses, $0/user/mo), Expensify (Submit plan free for employees), Brex (Essentials: $0 per user per month), Zoho Expense (Free, receipt capture and reports), and BILL Spend & Expense ($0 per user per month, cards and budgets). Each of the 10 free plans below links to the provider's page that states it, with its main limit, who can sign up, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs.
Once a few people spend company money, receipts and reimbursements pile up. Corporate card platforms give each person a card with limits and collect receipts automatically, and several now charge nothing for the software; expense apps do the same for personal cards.
The headline rarely tells you how far it goes. A free plan can be open only to US companies or require a minimum balance, cap the number of users, or keep accounting sync and approvals for paid plans. Each platform below shows what is free, its main limit, who can sign up, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, quoted from the provider's own page with the date we read it.
Which platforms we picked and the order they appear in are our editorial choices; the terms are the providers'. Some of these providers pay us a referral commission when someone signs up through our link: those links are labeled, and they play no part in which platforms are listed or where.
Corporate cards with free spend management
Cards for the team with receipts, limits and accounting sync, free to use.
- 1
Ramp
Smaller US teams that want a card and expenses at $0
Ramp Free is $0 per user per month for smaller teams, with unlimited cards, card controls and travel and expense tools. Plus is $15 per user per month plus a platform fee.
- Who can sign up
- US corporations (card issued in the US) (source: ramp.com)
- First paid plan
- Plus: $15/user/mo + platform fee (source: ramp.com)
- 2
Brex
Startups that want a global card on a $0 plan
Brex Essentials is $0 per user per month for startups and growing companies, with global card acceptance, bill pay and reimbursements, limited to two entities. Premium is $12 per user per month.
- First paid plan
- Premium: $12 per user per month (source: brex.com)
- 3
BILL Spend & Expense
Teams that want cards and budgets with no software fee
BILL Spend & Expense (formerly Divvy) is $0 per user per month and includes corporate cards, budgets and expense tracking. Credit lines are offered on approval and are not guaranteed.
Start free at BILL Spend & Expense (Divvy)Terms read on bill.com on BILL Spend & Expense: the free allowance and how to start - 4
Mercury
US startups that bank with Mercury and want company cards
Mercury's banking and essential tools are $0 per month, with company cards and expense management included. Treasury unlocks at a $250K balance, and a paid plan starts at $35 a month.
- 5
Rho
Startups that want expense tools with no platform fees
Rho's expense management platform is free, with no user or platform usage fees. Corporate cards and treasury products are offered subject to approval.
- 6
Airwallex
Teams with international spend that stay on up to 10 users
Airwallex's Explore plan is free, with unlimited multi-currency corporate cards with zero international fees and up to 10 Spend users. Grow is $12 per user per month plus a platform fee.
Start free at AirwallexTerms read on airwallex.com on Airwallex: the free allowance and how to start - 7
Jeeves
Small teams of up to 10 users that want free cards
Jeeves Basic has no platform fee for up to 10 users, with one card per user, unlimited virtual cards and receipt capture. Gold is $60 a month plus $6 per user for teams of at least 10.
- First paid plan
- Gold: $60/month + $6/user (min. 10) (source: tryjeeves.com)
- 8
Center
Companies using the CenterCard for spend management
Center's legal terms state that it currently provides its CenterCard spend management services at no charge. Card fees are set separately in the Card Account Agreement, and the terms say any future services fee would be disclosed in advance.
Expense tracking apps with a free plan
Receipt capture and expense reports, with a free plan for a small team.
- 1
Expensify
Employees who track and submit their own expenses
Expensify's Submit plan is free for employees, with receipt scanning, mileage and expense reports, and does not require the company to be an Expensify customer. Managers need the paid Collect plan to approve and reimburse.
Start free at ExpensifyTerms read on use.expensify.com on Expensify: the free allowance and how to start - 2
Zoho Expense
Very small businesses with up to 3 users
Zoho Expense's Free plan is $0 for small businesses starting out, with receipt capture, expense reports and corporate card management. It is limited to 3 users; Standard is paid per user per month.
- Main limit
- Maximum 3 users (source: zoho.com)
Also useful for banking and incorporation
Referral links, picked for fit and ordered by fit (70%) and what a signup earns us (30%), at no cost to you. They never change this page's ranking.
Compare the top options
How this comparison is built
The list covers corporate card and expense management platforms a founder can use for free today without applying to a program. The order and the "best for" notes are our editorial reading of each platform's terms. Every term comes from the platform's own pricing or help page on the date shown, never from a third-party list; follow each link for the full conditions. Eligibility rules, a cap on users, or accounting sync kept for paid plans can matter more than the headline, so the comparison quotes them wherever the provider states them. Some of these platforms pay StartupPerks a referral commission, and their links are labeled as referral links; that decides neither whether nor where a platform appears, and no platform pays for a placement on this page.
Read the full methodologyCommon questions
What is the best free expense management software?
It depends on your company. By the terms each provider states, Ramp offers its corporate card and expense software at $0 a user a month for US corporations, Brex Essentials and BILL Spend & Expense cost $0 per user per month, Airwallex Explore covers up to 10 free Spend users, and Jeeves Basic is free for up to 10 users.
Is Ramp free?
Yes. Ramp's corporate card and expense software costs $0 a user a month for US corporations; advanced features need Ramp Plus at $15 a user a month plus a platform fee.
Is Brex free?
Brex Essentials costs $0 per user per month, for up to two entities. Premium costs $12 per user per month.
Is there a free expense app for a small team?
Zoho Expense's free plan covers receipt capture and reports for up to 3 users, and Expensify's Submit plan is free for employees, while approval and reimbursement need Expensify's Collect plan at $5 per unique member per month.
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