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Best Free Alternatives to Expensify (Control Plan)

Stop paying $9 - $36/mo per user. Discover professional-grade tools that won't break your budget.

Category: Expense ManagementVerified for 2025

Top Recommended Replacements

Ramp

FREE

Best Overall Alternative

Why we like it

The 'Category Killer' of 2025; provides enterprise-grade expense software, bill pay, and travel booking for $0; monetizes via the merchant fees (Interchange) when you use their corporate card; offers 1.5% cashback.

Keep in mind

Requires you to switch your corporate cards to Ramp; strict underwriting (requires ~$75k in the bank to qualify).

Zoho Expense

FREE

Best Card-Agnostic Free Tier

Why we like it

Perfect if you want to keep your existing Amex/Chase cards; free plan covers 3 users and 20 scans/month; highly customizable policies compared to Ramp's card-first logic.

Keep in mind

The interface is functional but less 'magical' than Ramp's AI matching; auto-scan limits on the free tier.

Brex

FREE

Best for Funded Startups

Why we like it

Similar model to Ramp (free software + corporate card); higher credit limits for VC-backed startups; excellent global capabilities and rewards program.

Keep in mind

Software is slightly less 'finance-automation' focused than Ramp; has shifted focus away from SMBs to Enterprise recently.

Fyle

Best for Existing Cards

Why we like it

The only modern platform that connects directly to your *existing* Visa/Mastercard (via Real-Time Feed) without forcing you to switch banks; works inside Gmail and Outlook.

Keep in mind

It is a paid SaaS tool (standard pricing), so you don't get the 'free' benefit of the interchange model.

Expensify Free

FREE

Best for Individuals

Why we like it

Still excellent for solo freelancers tracking tax write-offs; allows 25 SmartScans per month for free.

Keep in mind

Severely limited for teams (no approval workflows or ERP integration).

Divvy (Bill Spend & Expense)

FREE

Best for Credit Building

Why we like it

Now part of BILL; offers a 'Credit Builder' program for newer businesses that Ramp might reject; software is free if you use their card.

Keep in mind

The integration with BILL can feel clunky if you don't use BILL for accounts payable.

Wave Receipts

FREE

Best for Micro-Business

Why we like it

100% free receipt scanning app that syncs directly to Wave Accounting; unlimited scans.

Keep in mind

Only useful if you already use Wave for accounting; no approval workflows.

Dext Prepare (Receipt Bank)

Best for Bookkeepers

Why we like it

Designed for the accountant, not the employee; extracts data with higher accuracy than Expensify; creates perfect audit trails for Xero/QuickBooks.

Keep in mind

Paid subscription only; mobile app is purely for capture, not spending management.

Rippling Spend

Best for HR Integration

Why we like it

If you use Rippling for Payroll, this is a no-brainer; expenses are approved based on HR hierarchy automatically; reimbursements run with payroll instantly.

Keep in mind

Requires you to be fully bought into the Rippling ecosystem.

Airbase

Best for Mid-Market

Why we like it

Combines Bill Pay, Expense Management, and Corporate Cards into one massive platform; excellent for companies with 100-500 employees.

Keep in mind

Enterprise pricing (often $20k+/year); overkill for small teams.

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