Expensify vs. Concur: Which is a better fit?
For any company of any size, managing expenses efficiently is crucial for success. Expense management software streamlines financial processes and enhances productivity. Among the top contenders in this space are Expensify and SAP Concur, both offering unique features tailored for different business needs.
In this guide, we'll compare Expensify vs. Concur, examining their key features, operational similarities and differences, and the best use cases for each solution. Let's dive in.
Key features
Expensify and SAP Concur offer comprehensive solutions for handling business expenses, travels, and invoices, adapting to a range of business sizes and industries. Let's break things down into more detail:
| Feature | Expensify | SAP Concur |
| Expense reporting | Automation, realtime tracking, and user-friendly SmartScan technology for receipt capture. | Automated entry, approvals, and policy compliance. May require more manual data entry. |
| Invoicing and bill pay | Streamlined invoicing capabilities, and the ability to automate bill pay. | Robust bill pay solutions |
| ACH payments | Available for direct deposit reimbursements.. | Available for direct deposit reimbursements. |
| Spend management | Provides detailed reporting and offers Corporate cards with spend controls. | Offers comprehensive reporting and may require additional tools for spend control. |
| Travel | Offers a comprehensive suite of features including booking flights, hotels, rental cars, and trains, free corporate cards, built-in chat, and automatic rewards program integration. | travel management services including booking, approvals, expense integration, and potentially more comprehensive options. |
| Additional features | Expensify launched Group Chat and Split Expense, which can both be used for business and personal use. Keep all expense-related information centralized through group chats, and easily split the bill with colleagues, friends, or family | Comprehensive suite of tools including expense analytics and insights for cost optimization. |
| Target audience | Ideal for small businesses, mobile users, solopreneurs, and independent contractors. Features also complement mid-market and enterprise customers. | Ideal for large enterprises with complex expense management needs. |
| User interface | Intuitive and user-friendly, known for its ease of use. | Comprehensive suite of tools, with a steeper learning curve. |
| Integrations | Free integrations with accounting software, ERP systems, and HR software. | Integrates well with accounting systems, but may offer limited options. |
| Pricing | Competitive pricing with various plans starting at $5 per user and no transaction fees or add-ons. | Pricing varies based on features and company size, potentially higher compared to Expensify. |
| Customer service | Highly responsive online support with extensive self-help resources and 24/7 chat. | Broad customer service network, but response times may vary. |
| User ratings | Generally high user satisfaction, praised for usability (average of 4.4 out of 5 with over 1000 reviews). | Good user satisfaction, some concerns about ease of use (average of 4.2 out of 5 with over 500 reviews). |
| Choose if… | You prioritize user-friendliness, on-the-go expense management, and a cost-effective solution. | You require a comprehensive expense management solution and are comfortable with a steeper learning curve. |
“...the best feature is the visibility into the approval flow that I have. I know exactly if there is an issue and everything is nicely organized for my approver to quickly signoff.”
Why Expensify?
Expensify primarily stands out for its user-friendly interface and robust receipt scanning capabilities. Here are the top features that make Expensify shine:
SmartScan technology: Expensify simplifies expense reporting with its receipt scanning feature, utilizing AI to automatically extract transaction information from receipts and reducing manual entry.
Mobile-first approach: With a strong focus on its mobile application, Expensify ensures that expense management is accessible and efficient for users on-the-go.
Realtime expense reports: Expensify enables realtime report creation, enhancing the rapid approval and reimbursement process for businesses of all sizes.
Intuitive dashboard: The platform's dashboard is designed for ease of use, allowing users to quickly navigate and manage expenses without extensive training.
One-click reimbursement: Expensify's one-click reimbursement feature significantly speeds up the process, providing convenience and improving user satisfaction.
Corporate card reconciliation: It offers a seamless reconciliation process for company card expenses, which is a crucial requirement for many businesses.
By emphasizing a streamlined experience, Expensify appeals to both individual users and businesses looking for an efficient and straightforward solution for their spend management needs
Why Concur?
SAP Concur is a comprehensive travel and expense management service that caters to a wide range of business needs. Its top offerings are tailored to provide greater visibility into spending and to streamline the expense reporting process. With features such as e-receipts and direct integration with credit card transactions, Concur reduces the need for manual data entry, thereby minimizing errors and saving time.
Moreover, for businesses with global needs, Concur supports multiple currencies and languages, facilitating international operations. Its mobile support also means managers and employees can manage their expenses on the go, ensuring that expense reporting doesn't have to wait until one is back in the office.
Similarities: SAP Concur vs. Expensify
Here are some of the similarities Expensify and Concur share:
Audit trail provided
Credit card synchronization
Expense management features
Foreign currency support
Third-party integration options
Travel booking and overall management
Web and mobile-based (iOS and Android) options
Differences: SAP Concur vs. Expensify
And here are some of the differences between Expensify and Concur:
Concur has a complex interface, while Expensify prioritizes a clean, intuitive interface, which makes it easy to navigate even for those who aren't tech-savvy.
Concur tacks on additional fees for support, but with Expensify, support is always free.
Concur’s pricing is based on expense report volume. Expensify keeps it simpler and more predictable with monthly user pricing.
Concur typically has long and expensive integration timelines, which can waste valuable time. Expensify offers a self-serve setup with dedicated support every step of the way.
Expensify offers next-day reimbursement, a feature that pays the employee back the next business day.
Choosing between Expensify and Concur
Get the information you need to make a smart decision. Let’s check out the pros and cons of Expensify and Concur.
| Pros | Cons | |
| Expensify | • Simpler user interface • Efficient smart scanning of receipts • Affordable pricing for small teams |
• Less suitable for extremely complex business needs • Customization limitations |
| Concur | • Extensive travel and expense features • Global compliance capabilities • Ideal for larger enterprises with diverse needs |
• Higher cost can be a barrier for smaller companies • More complex user interface • Not user-friendly for employees |
“Expensify’s user-friendly interface makes dealing with expenses easy. I particularly love their email forwarding function, which makes keeping track of expenses while I’m on the go painless. Direct reports’ expenses are also easy to keep track of, even from the mobile view. I use it all the time while I’m offsite for work and I can’t imagine switching to a different platform at this point.”
Who is Expensify for?
Expensify is particularly well-suited for startups, small to mid-sized businesses, and individuals who require a straightforward expense tracking tool. It's praised for its receipt scanning capabilities and smooth integrations with various accounting software, simplifying expense reporting for teams on the go -- or on the grow.
For instance, a case study featured the famous Philz Coffee, which leveraged Expensify, during their rapid growth, to cut down on immense paper trails and handle their expense reporting via the Netsuite integration. Thanks to Expensify, their expense reporting process went from 3-4 days to 2-3 hours.
Who is SAP Concur for?
On the other hand, SAP Concur is designed with larger enterprises in mind, offering a comprehensive suite of services. Businesses with a global footprint or more complex organizational structures may find SAP Concur's advanced features like policy compliance checks and in-depth reporting tools more suitable for their needs.
When it comes to Concur vs. Expensify pricing, keep in mind that Concur tends to be more complicated for users and adds on fees for pretty standard features, which Expensify already includes in a subscription.
FAQs about Expensify vs. Concur
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Expensify and SAP Concur are essentially competitors in the expense management space, which means they are not designed to work together directly. Both platforms offer distinct services and are usually chosen as an exclusive solution for a company's expense tracking needs. Therefore, businesses would typically opt for one platform over the other, based on which service aligns best with their financial management requirements.
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Expensify is highly regarded for its user-friendliness and efficiency in tracking expenses. It streamlines the expense reporting process with features like SmartScan for receipts, automatic credit card import, and easy-to-use mobile applications, which make it especially attractive for small to mid-sized businesses. Additionally, the app's integration with major accounting systems like QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite further consolidates its position as a practical and effective tool for expense management. If your business priorities include simplicity, quick setup, and intuitive use, Expensify is an excellent choice.
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Expensify is the best alternative to Concur for expense management, corporate cards, and more.
But don’t just take our word for it. Expensify receives a consistently higher consumer rating than Concur. Check out our reviews on G2 and Software Advice for more information.
Read more about how Expensify compares to other expense management software companies with our guides:
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