Brex vs Certify:
they solve different problems.
Brex is a corporate card and spend platform. Certify is an expense reporting tool. Most 5–50 person teams need something simpler: approvals that work with the cards they already have.
Which option fits your team
For US startups and scale-ups. Setup: 1–2 weeks.
For mid-sized businesses. Setup: 2–4 weeks.
Keep your cards. Approve from your phone. 15-min setup.
Not sure which fits?
Three questions. Instant recommendation.
The real cost per month
Software is the small part. Manager time is the big one.
| Option | Software | Mgr hrs/wk | All-in / mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brex | — | ~3 | — |
| Certify | — | ~3 | — |
| Incurdesk | — | ~1 | — |
Head-to-head
The trade-offs, side by side.
| Brex | Certify | Incurdesk | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep your cards | ✗ switch required | ✓ yes | ✓ yes |
| Price | $0 /mo essentials | Per user / see vendor | $9 /user/mo |
| Setup time | 1–2 weeks | 2–4 weeks | 15 minutes |
| Built for | US startups and scale-ups | Mid-sized businesses | 5–50 person teams |
| Region | US-focused | Global | Global |
| Sales call to buy | No | Yes | No |
Where each one wins
And the honest trade-offs.
- Free essentials tier on Brex cards
- Startup-friendly onboarding
- Travel and spend tools built in
- Established expense reporting
- Receipt capture and mileage
- Approval routing
- Keep your cards and bank
- One-tap mobile approvals
- 15-min setup, no sales call
- Two-way QuickBooks & Xero sync
See the dashboard in action
2-minute interactive walkthrough with narration. No signup.
Every month, someone reviews receipts by hand. Not anymore.
The old way
Approve. Reject. Chase missing ones. Match to policies. It eats hours every week.
Not a tool. A team.
Five specialists behind one calm autopilot
Each one does one thing well. Together, they handle the receipt while you sleep.
Reads any receipt. Any language.
Vendor, date, currency, and every line item — extracted in about ten seconds.
Checks your rules. The ones you set once.
Budget limits, category caps, department restrictions — the policy agent knows them all.
Above your bar? Auto-approve.
Below? You decide.
You stay in control. Set the threshold once — the AI never oversteps it. This one: 85%.
Confidence gate — set once, enforced always
Every auto-decision gets its own score. The bar you set never gets crossed by accident.
Spots duplicates. Learns your patterns.
Every override, every dismissal — the team gets sharper.
Ready when you are
30-day free trial. Your founding rate locks the day you subscribe, not day 30.
Questions
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.
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.
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.
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.
Keep your cards.
Approve in one tap.
15-minute setup. Works with the QuickBooks or Xero you already have. No sales call, no credit card for the trial.
Get My Receipt Scanning Dashboard →Deep dive: Brex vs Certify
The full comparison: how each tool works, where it falls short, and who it suits.
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
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.