Expensify vs. BILL Spend & Expense (formerly Divvy): A complete comparison

When choosing expense management software, one critical question matters: Can you keep your existing corporate card program?

BILL Spend & Expense (formerly Divvy) is a card-first platform requiring the BILL Divvy Card for full functionality. While the software is free, you must abandon existing card programs… and the rewards, credit terms, and banking relationships you've built.

Expensify is card-agnostic, working with any corporate card: Amex, Chase, Citi, Capital One, or your current bank partner. Keep your existing rewards and relationships while gaining powerful automation. The Expensify Visa Commercial Card is optional, not required.

Expensify also offers comprehensive travel booking, next-day reimbursements, SmartScan with live OCR preview, Concierge AI, and offline mode, which are features BILL doesn't have.

In this guide, we'll compare both platforms to help you decide which fits your business.

Key feature comparison

Expensify and BILL Spend & Expense both handle expense management, but their approaches differ fundamentally. Expensify works with any card program and prioritizes expense automation, while BILL requires their proprietary card and focuses on pre-spend controls. Here's how they compare:

Feature	Expensify	BILL Spend & Expense
Card program flexibility (BYOC)	Works with ANY corporate card program—Amex, Chase, Citi, Capital One, or your existing bank partner. Keep your rewards, credit limits, and payment terms. Optional Expensify Visa Commercial Card available.	Requires BILL Divvy Card for full platform functionality. Cannot use existing corporate card programs. Must commit to their card exclusively.
Foreign transaction fees	No foreign transaction fees with Expensify Card.	Charges foreign transaction fees on international purchases.
Expense reporting	Automated entry with SmartScan technology featuring live OCR preview for instant verification. Supports offline mode, batch scanning, drag-and-drop uploads, and text-to-expense commands via Concierge AI.	Receipt upload with AI-powered auto-categorization. Lacks live OCR preview and advanced receipt intelligence, requiring more manual follow-up for missing or unclear receipts. Requires internet connectivity for most functions.
Receipt capture	Multiple options: in-app camera, text to 47777, drag-and-drop desktop, batch scanning. Live preview confirms accurate capture before submitting.	Mobile receipt upload with basic OCR. Lacks live preview, requiring more manual follow-up when receipts are missing or unclear.
AI automation	Concierge AI auto-categorizes expenses, flags prohibited spend, and responds to text commands like "Create a $50 expense for dinner with ACME."	AI-powered expense coding and merchant categorization.
Policy enforcement	Transparent policy engine with soft approvals (warnings) and hard approvals, giving admins full visibility into enforcement logic. Guides employees rather than blocking.	Pre-spend budget enforcement with hard limits. More rigid enforcement approach.
Offline capabilities	Submit, approve, and pay expenses without internet connectivity for uninterrupted productivity.	Requires internet connection for most functions.
Reimbursements	Free ACH reimbursements with next-day payment option available.	Standard ACH reimbursements. No next-day option.
Corporate cards	Expensify Visa Commercial Card available with instant virtual card provisioning, automatic receipt matching, realtime accounting sync, and up to 2% cash back. Optional—use your own cards instead.	BILL Divvy Card required. Virtual and physical cards with budget-based spending controls. Credit lines from $1,000–$5M.
Card reconciliation	Automatic receipt matching for ANY card program with one-click statement reconciliation and realtime sync. Two-way sync with automatic company card reconciliation.	Automatic reconciliation for BILL Divvy Card only.
Travel booking	Comprehensive travel booking with NDC + Expedia + GDS inventory for flights, hotels, rental cars, and trains. 85% self-service changes, in-app alerts, automatic rewards integration, duty of care.	No native travel booking capabilities.
Mileage tracking	GPS-powered automatic mileage tracking with IRS rate calculations.	Manual mileage tracking only.
Invoicing and bill pay	Streamlined invoicing with automated bill pay and per diem support.	Bill pay integrated with BILL AP platform. Strong accounts payable focus.
Spend management	Detailed reporting with built-in spend controls, custom columns, realtime visibility across all card programs.	Budget-based spend controls with realtime tracking. Best when paired with BILL AP.
Integration sync	Realtime API sync to 30+ accounting systems including NetSuite, Xero, QuickBooks, Sage Intacct. Free integrations included.	QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, FreshBooks integrations. Syncs transactions to accounting software.
Approval workflows	Multi-step approval workflows with customizable expense policy rules and soft approval options.	Approval routing with budget-based controls.
Custom features	Custom export options, bulk expense editing, per diem support, expense rules creation.	Customizable budget controls, virtual vendor cards.
User base	Individuals, freelancers, solopreneurs, small businesses, mid-market, and enterprise customers.	Small to mid-sized businesses. More admin-centric, finance-led adoption.
Support	24/7 in-app chat support with extensive self-help resources. Always free.	Email and phone support available.
Pricing	Transparent pricing starting at $5 per user with no transaction fees or hidden costs.	Free software but requires using BILL Divvy Card exclusively.
User ratings	4.4 out of 5 stars with over 1,000 reviews on G2.	Generally positive user satisfaction ratings.
Choose if…	You want to keep your existing card program (BYOC), need comprehensive travel booking, require next-day reimbursements, want GPS mileage tracking, support freelancers/individuals, or prefer employee-led adoption with flexible policy guidance.	You're comfortable committing exclusively to BILL's card program, already use BILL for AP/AR, prioritize pre-spend budget enforcement, and have an admin-centric finance team.

Expensify vs. BILL Spend & Expense: Similarities

Both Expensify and BILL Spend & Expense offer core expense management capabilities that help businesses track and control spending. Here's what they have in common:

Expense automation

• Receipt upload and management

• Automated expense categorization and coding

• Mobile apps for iOS and Android

Spend visibility and control

• Realtime spend tracking

• Policy enforcement and approval workflows

• Budget management and spending limits

Payment capabilities

• Corporate card programs (virtual and physical cards)

• ACH reimbursements for employee expenses

• Integration with bank feeds for transaction synchronization

Financial management

• Mileage tracking capabilities

• Accounting system integrations (QuickBooks, NetSuite, Xero, Sage Intacct)

• Spend control and reporting features

Business support

• Suitable for small to mid-sized businesses

• Mobile and desktop access

• Workflow management options

Expensify vs. BILL Spend & Expense: Differences

While both platforms handle expense management, they take fundamentally different approaches. Here are the key distinctions:

Card program requirements

• Expensify works with any corporate card program, allowing you to maintain existing banking relationships, rewards, and credit terms. The Expensify Card is optional.

• BILL requires using the BILL Divvy Card exclusively for full platform functionality. Free software comes with mandatory card commitment.

Platform philosophy

• Expensify is expense-first: built for post-spend automation with flexible policy guidance and employee self-service.

• BILL is card-first: built for pre-spend control with budget enforcement tied to their card program.

Travel capabilities

• Expensify provides comprehensive business travel booking with NDC + Expedia + GDS inventory, 85% self-service changes, duty of care, and automatic expense creation.

• BILL has no native travel booking capabilities.

Expense automation depth

• Expensify offers SmartScan with live OCR preview, multiple upload methods (in-app, text to 47777 [US number only], drag-and-drop, batch scanning), Concierge AI with text commands, and offline mode.

• BILL supports receipt uploads with AI-powered categorization, but lacks live OCR preview and advanced receipt intelligence. Finance teams often need to follow up manually when receipts are missing or incomplete, whereas Expensify's SmartScan verifies receipt quality in realtime and prompts employees immediately.

Reimbursement options

• Expensify offers free next-day ACH reimbursements (US only).

• BILL provides standard ACH reimbursements with no expedited options.

Mileage tracking

• Expensify includes GPS-powered automatic mileage tracking with IRS rate calculations.

• BILL offers manual mileage tracking only.

Policy approach

• Expensify uses soft approvals (warnings) and hard approvals with transparent policy logic, guiding employees while maintaining compliance.

• BILL enforces hard budget limits that block spending, with more rigid pre-spend controls.

Foreign transaction fees

• Expensify charges no foreign transaction fees with the Expensify Card.

• BILL charges foreign transaction fees on all international purchases.

User adoption model

• Expensify supports employee-led adoption and works for individuals, freelancers, and all business sizes.

• BILL is admin-centric and finance-led, primarily targeting businesses with dedicated finance teams.

Additional features

• Expensify includes per diem support, custom export options, expense rules creation, bulk editing, GPS mileage tracking, and reminder emails for approvals.

• BILL excels when paired with BILL AP for accounts payable workflows and offers strong budget grouping features.

Integration approach

• Expensify offers realtime API sync to 30+ systems with free integrations, plus travel platform integrations (Uber for Business, Lyft).

• BILL integrates with major accounting platforms but is strongest as part of the BILL Financial Operations Platform (AP/AR/Spend).

Offline functionality

• Expensify allows users to submit, approve, and pay expenses without internet connectivity.

• BILL requires internet connection for most platform functions.

Choosing between Expensify and BILL Spend & Expense

Get the information you need to make a smart decision. Let's check out the pros and cons of Expensify and BILL Spend & Expense.

	Pros	Cons
Expensify	• Works with any corporate card program (BYOC)—keep your existing rewards, credit limits, and banking relationships • No foreign transaction fees with Expensify Card • Supports all business sizes—freelancers, solopreneurs, small businesses, and enterprises • SmartScan with live OCR preview for instant verification • Offline mode for uninterrupted productivity • Concierge AI with text commands and auto-categorization • Comprehensive travel booking with 85% self-service changes and built-in duty of care • Free next-day reimbursements • GPS-powered automatic mileage tracking • Realtime API integrations to 30+ ERPs at no extra cost • Soft approval options that guide rather than block employees • Per diem support and custom export options • 24/7 free in-app chat support • Affordable pricing starting at $5 per user	• Customization limitations for highly specific workflows
BILL Spend & Expense	• Free software (with card requirement) • Strong option for businesses already using BILL AP/AR • Good pre-spend budget controls and enforcement • Virtual card issuance with customizable limits • Solid accounting integrations (QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, FreshBooks) • AI-powered expense categorization • Credit lines from $1,000–$5M	• Requires BILL Divvy Card exclusively—cannot use existing corporate card programs • Must abandon established banking relationships and negotiated card benefits • Charges foreign transaction fees on all international purchases • No native travel booking capabilities • No next-day reimbursement option—standard ACH only • Manual mileage tracking only (no GPS automation) • No offline mode—requires internet connectivity • Lacks live OCR preview, requiring more manual receipt follow-up • No Concierge AI or text command capabilities • Hard budget limits that block spending rather than guide employees • Admin-centric model—less suited for employee-led adoption • No per diem support or custom export options

Expensify vs. BILL Spend & Expense: Pricing

Cost transparency matters when choosing expense management software. Here's how Expensify and BILL Spend & Expense compare:

Expensify pricing

Expensify offers straightforward, predictable pricing starting at $5 per user per month (Collect plan) with no transaction fees, hidden costs, or annual commitments required.

What's included:

• Unlimited SmartScan receipt processing with live OCR preview

• Expensify Card with up to 2% cash back

• Bill pay and invoicing capabilities

• Expense approvals and customizable workflows

• Third-party card feeds and reconciliation for ANY card program

• Next-day ACH and global reimbursements

• QuickBooks, NetSuite, Xero, and Sage Intacct integration and synchronization

• Comprehensive travel booking access

• GPS-powered automatic mileage tracking

• 24/7 chat support

For growing teams needing advanced features, the Control plan provides additional configuration options, approval workflows, and export customization.

BILL Spend & Expense pricing

BILL Spend & Expense offers free software, but this comes with the requirement to use the BILL Divvy Card exclusively. While there are no software subscription fees, businesses must commit to BILL's card program and accept:

• Foreign transaction fees on international purchases

• Credit terms and limits set by BILL's underwriting

• Loss of existing card rewards and banking relationships

Total cost of ownership

The true cost isn't just the subscription; it's what you give up. With Expensify's transparent $5/user pricing, you maintain your existing card programs, rewards, and banking relationships while adding powerful automation.

With BILL's "free" model, you're paying through card lock-in, foreign transaction fees, and the loss of rewards programs you may have spent years building.

Want to see how it all stacks up? Check out Expensify's pricing plans for a full breakdown.

Why people love Expensify

Businesses look to Expensify for card flexibility, comprehensive automation, and the freedom to scale without sacrificing their existing banking relationships.

“Expensify makes expense management effortless. I love how easy it is to snap a photo of a receipt and have the details automatically extracted—no more manual entry! The intuitive interface and SmartScan feature save me time and reduce errors. Plus, the seamless integration with accounting tools keeps everything organized and efficient. It’s simple, fast, and perfect for staying on top of expenses whether I’m at my desk or on the go.”

— Donald B., Community Operations Manager, G2 Review

Expensify is the best alternative to BILL Spend & Expense for businesses that want to keep their existing corporate card programs while gaining powerful expense automation.

With transparent pricing starting at $5 per user, comprehensive travel booking, next-day reimbursements, SmartScan with live OCR preview, GPS mileage tracking, and the flexibility to support everyone from freelancers to enterprise teams, Expensify delivers expense management without the card lock-in.

Comparing other platforms? Learn how Expensify stacks up:

• Expensify vs. Brex

• Expensify vs. Ramp

• Expensify vs. Concur

FAQs about Expensify vs. BILL Spend & Expense

• Is BILL the same as Divvy?

  BILL acquired Divvy in 2021 and rebranded it as BILL Spend & Expense. The core Divvy functionality still powers the spend and card features, but it's now part of BILL's broader Financial Operations Platform, which includes accounts payable and accounts receivable solutions.

  When evaluating BILL Spend & Expense, you're essentially evaluating the Divvy card-first model with optional integration into BILL's AP workflows.

• Can I bring my own corporate card to BILL Spend & Expense?

  No. BILL Spend & Expense requires using the BILL Divvy Card for full platform functionality. The free software model is tied to mandatory card adoption, meaning you cannot use your existing Amex, Chase, Citi, or other corporate card programs.

  Expensify, by contrast, works with any corporate card program, allowing you to keep your existing rewards, credit terms, and banking relationships.

• Which platform is better for growing SMBs?

  Expensify is better for growing SMBs that want flexibility and employee-led adoption.

  Key advantages include card program flexibility (BYOC), comprehensive travel booking, next-day reimbursements, GPS mileage tracking, and the ability to support everyone from freelancers to enterprise teams without switching tools.

  BILL Spend & Expense works well for finance-led teams already using BILL for AP/AR who are comfortable committing exclusively to BILL's card program and prioritizing pre-spend budget controls over post-spend automation.

• Does Expensify integrate with Bill.com?

  BILL discontinued support for new Expensify integrations as of September 2024, instead directing users to BILL Spend & Expense as their preferred spend management solution.

  Existing integrations continue to function, but BILL's shift reflects their card-first strategy of keeping all spend management within their proprietary platform rather than supporting third-party expense tools.

• Can I link Expensify to QuickBooks?

  Yes, Expensify offers seamless integration with both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop, allowing for realtime export of expense reports and transaction details directly into the accounting platform.

  This integration simplifies reconciliation and helps maintain accurate financial records.

• Can you link Expensify to Xero?

  Yes, Expensify can be linked to Xero. The connectivity between Expensify and Xero streamlines expense management with realtime data syncing.

  Expenses captured in Expensify are categorized and synced with Xero for accounting and reconciliation, ensuring financial data across both platforms stays consistently up-to-date.

• Does Expensify offer travel booking?

  Yes, Expensify provides comprehensive travel booking with NDC + Expedia + GDS inventory for flights, hotels, rental cars, and trains. The platform features 85% self-service flight changes, in-app alerts, automatic rewards program integration, duty of care, and full rail support.

  BILL Spend & Expense does not offer native travel booking capabilities.

• Which platform has better expense automation?

  Expensify offers deeper automation through SmartScan with live OCR preview, Concierge AI with text commands, multiple receipt upload methods (in-app, text to 47777, drag-and-drop, batch scanning), offline mode, and automatic mileage tracking.

  BILL Spend & Expense provides receipt uploads with AI-powered categorization, but lacks live OCR preview and requires more manual follow-up for missing or unclear receipts.