Expensify vs. Emburse Professional (formerly Emburse Certify)
Still manually logging receipts? Struggling with outdated expense management systems? Whether you're exploring new options or evaluating Expensify vs. Emburse Certify (now known as Emburse Professional), finding the right expense management solution can transform how your business handles finances.
Both platforms promise to simplify expense management, but which one actually delivers? This comprehensive comparison breaks down what each platform offers, what real users say, and which solution might be the perfect fit for your specific business needs.
Expensify and Emburse features, compared
Emburse Professional
All-in-one solution (expense, invoicing, bills, travel, corporate cards)
Free Corporate Card program with incredible perks, including up to 2% cash back
Next-day reimbursement
Admin approval controls via mobile and web
Custom data reporting
Continuous reconciliation
Email, phone, and in-app chat support at no extra cost
Expensify vs. Emburse: Similarities
Despite their differences, these platforms share some common ground:
Both offer receipt scanning capabilities to digitize paper receipts
Both provide expense report creation and submission
Both support basic approval workflows
Both offer mobile apps for on-the-go expense management
Both provide corporate card options
Both include basic reporting features
Both offer cloud-based solutions accessible from anywhere
Expensify vs. Emburse: Differences
Where these platforms truly diverge:
User experience: Expensify offers a modern, chat-first interface while Emburse uses a more traditional form-based approach
Mobile capabilities: Expensify provides a fully-featured mobile experience with offline functionality, while Emburse's mobile app offers more limited capabilities
Automation level: Expensify employs advanced AI for automatic receipt categorization and matching, while Emburse requires more manual input
Corporate card features: The Expensify Card offers realtime transaction updates, dynamic spending limits, and cash back benefits, whereas Emburse cards provide more basic functionality
Integration depth: Expensify connects seamlessly with 100+ platforms, while Emburse offers more limited integration options
Setup complexity: Expensify prioritizes quick setup and intuitive onboarding, while Emburse often requires more implementation assistance
Pricing structure: Expensify offers transparent per-user pricing with potential discounts for card users, while Emburse typically requires custom quotes
Pricing breakdown
Understanding the cost structure of each platform is crucial for making an informed decision. Let’s explore pricing when it comes to Emburse (Certify) Professional vs. Expensify.
Expensify pricing
Expensify offers straightforward, transparent pricing with options that scale with your business:
Control: Starting at $9 per active user monthly - Perfect for larger teams needing more oversight and policy enforcement
Enterprise: Custom pricing - Tailored for larger organizations with complex requirements
All plans include unlimited SmartScans, and users of the Expensify Card can receive up to 50% off their subscription fees plus cash back rewards.
Emburse Professional (formerly Certify) pricing
Emburse Professional (formerly Certify) uses a less transparent pricing model:
Basic pricing begins around $8-9 per user monthly for smaller organizations
Professional tier typically costs $11-13 per user monthly with additional features
Enterprise solutions require custom quotes and often include implementation fees
Add-on costs for features like OCR receipt processing and advanced reporting
Customer reviews
What do actual users say about these platforms? Real-world feedback (from G2 and Gartner) provides valuable insights beyond feature lists and pricing pages.
Expensify reviews
Users consistently praise Expensify for its intuitive interface, OCR technology, and powerful automation:
“Their Smart Scan feature lets me take an iPhone photo of a receipt and it extracts the dollar value. Then I can easily import the receipt into my expense report. It just works. I find that I get my expense reports done faster and in a more timely manner…” – Will W. who works in marketing and advertising
"Expensify makes getting reimbursement for travel expenses easy! I've used this software at multiple orgs, it allows me to upload receipts of any costs for clients/travel and get my money back in a timely manner. The money gets transferred to my bank account rather quickly after approvals and I can easily look at my historic reimbursement spend." – Account Manager in the Software Industry
User demographics highlights:
Small businesses appreciate the simple setup and affordable pricing
Mid-size companies value the robust approval workflows and policy enforcement
Enterprise users highlight the extensive integration capabilities and reporting features
Emburse reviews
Emburse Professional receives mixed feedback from users. While users value Emburse Professional’s robust platform and seamless integrations, some have experienced challenges with the system's performance and support. Issues like slow or glitchy receipt uploads and emails bouncing back can disrupt workflows, and customer service has been described as unreliable or lacking a personal touch.
User demographics highlights:
Mid-size organizations appreciate the structured approval workflows
Users with straightforward expense needs find the system adequate
Some users report challenges with mobile functionality and integration limitations
Choosing between Expensify and Emburse
Making the right choice depends on your organization's specific needs and priorities. Let's break down the key advantages and limitations of each platform.
Expensify pros:
Intuitive, modern interface with chat-first design
Superior mobile experience with offline capabilities
Advanced automation that reduces manual work
Powerful Expensify Card with realtime tracking and cash back
Extensive integration ecosystem
Transparent pricing structure
Expensify cons:
More advanced features have a learning curve
Some users prefer traditional form-based interfaces
Emburse pros:
Familiar, traditional expense reporting interface
Structured approval workflows
Adequate for basic expense management needs
Well suited for organizations with rigid processes
Emburse cons:
Less intuitive user interface with more manual steps
Limited automation capabilities
Mobile experience has functionality gaps
Less transparent pricing requiring sales conversations
Who is Expensify for?
Expensify is the ideal solution for:
Solopreneurs and freelancers seeking simple receipt tracking
Small businesses wanting affordable, powerful expense management
Growing companies requiring flexible approval workflows
Enterprises needing deep integrations with existing systems
Organizations valuing modern, mobile-first user experiences
Businesses looking to reduce manual data entry through automation
With its scalable plans and intuitive interface, Expensify grows with your business while reducing administrative burden at every stage.
Who is Emburse for?
Emburse Professional typically works best for:
Mid-size organizations with established expense processes
Companies with minimal need for mobile functionality
Businesses preferring traditional form-based interfaces
Organizations with straightforward approval requirements
Teams requiring minimal customization
FAQs about Expensify vs. Emburse Professional
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Yes, Certify rebranded to Emburse Professional in 2020 after Chrome River and Certify merged to form Emburse. The platform maintains similar functionality but operates under the Emburse umbrella of expense management solutions.
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Expensify's key advantages include its powerful SmartScan technology, intuitive mobile experience, extensive automation capabilities, seamless integrations, and the beneficial Expensify Card program that offers cash back and potential subscription discounts.
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Yes, Expensify's SmartScan technology automatically verifies receipts by extracting key information such as merchant, date, amount, and payment method. The system can also match receipts to credit card transactions and flag potential policy violations.
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Yes, Expensify uses advanced OCR (Optical Character Recognition) as part of its SmartScan technology. This allows the system to automatically extract and categorize information from receipts with remarkable accuracy, reducing manual data entry.
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Expensify offers transparent pricing starting at $5 per active user monthly for the Collect plan and $9 per active user monthly for the Control plan.
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