Brex review (2026): features, pros and cons, pricing
Brex is a corporate card and spend platform with expense management, travel, bill pay and business banking, with a free base software tier.
Verdict at a glance
Brex is a corporate card and spend platform that adds expense management, in-app travel booking, bill pay and business banking. A free Essentials software tier makes it easy to start, with Premium at $12 per user per month.
What is Brex?
Brex is a corporate card and spend platform with expense management, travel, bill pay and business banking, with a free base software tier. It is built for startups and mid-size companies that want cards plus expenses on one platform and teams wanting a $0 software tier. Brex was founded in 2017 and is based in San Francisco, California, United States.
Category: Expense Management Software
Brex key features
| Feature | What we found |
|---|---|
| Receipt capture and OCR | AI-automated expense reports (vendor claim; OCR specifics not read) |
| Approval workflows and policy controls | AI-automated approvals (vendor) |
| Corporate cards | Global corporate cards with built-in controls. |
| Accounting integrations | Vendor claims thousands of two-way ERP integrations. |
| Reimbursements and payments | Bill pay, vendor cards, business accounts. |
| Travel and mileage tracking | In-app travel booking. |
Brex pricing
Brex software pricing is per user per month: Essentials is $0, Premium is $12 and Enterprise is by quote. Smart Card, which is procurement-focused, is also by quote. The model is per user for software plus the card. The pricing page links a fee schedule for the business account and bill pay, so those fees are unconfirmed. Billing cadence, annual discount, add-ons and renewal terms are not published, and there is no free trial.
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $0 | per user per month | |
| Premium | $12 | per user per month | Advanced SSO listed |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | ||
| Smart Card | Contact sales | procurement-focused |
Page links a fee schedule for business account and bill pay; not read.
Who Brex is best for
Best for
- Startups and mid-size companies that want cards plus expenses on one platform.
- Teams wanting a $0 software tier.
Not ideal for
- Buyers wanting card-agnostic expense software only (pricing assumes the Brex platform, not confirmed by the vendor)
Brex alternatives
RampCompanies that want cards, expenses and AP in one tool and are fine adopting its card.
ExpensifyExpensify is a receipt-scanning expense reporting app for small teams, sold per member.
SAP ConcurMid-size to large companies that also want travel booking tied to expenses.
NavanCompanies up to 300 employees with heavy travel.
SpendeskEuropean SMBs using Xero, QuickBooks or Datev.
Bill Spend & ExpenseSMBs wanting no software fees and a charge card.
What Brex really costs
- Per seat per month
- $12 (Premium)
- 20 users per year
- Premium: 20 x $12 x 12 = $2,880 per year at the published monthly rate (annual discount unknown)
Questions to ask about price
- Is there a minimum number of seats or a minimum annual spend?
- What is the discount for annual billing, and can we start monthly?
- Which features we need sit in add-ons or a higher plan, and what do they cost?
- How much can the price rise at renewal, and is the increase capped in the contract?
- Are there one-time costs for implementation, onboarding or data migration?
Is Brex worth the price?
Brex is good value for startups and mid-size companies that want cards and expenses on one platform and can live on the $0 Essentials tier. It gets more expensive as you move to Premium at $12 per user, mainly to get Advanced SSO. It is a weaker fit for buyers who want card-agnostic expense software only, since pricing assumes the Brex platform.
Worth it if
- Startups and mid-size companies that want cards plus expenses on one platform.
- Teams wanting a $0 software tier.
Look elsewhere if
- Buyers wanting card-agnostic expense software only (pricing assumes the Brex platform, not confirmed by the vendor)
Cheaper per seat than Brex
Pricing details most reviews leave out
- Advanced SSO is Premium and up ($12/user/month); Essentials is $0 but has MFA and enterprise IdP support per comparison table.
- Vendor markets 120+ countries and 35,000+ companies.
- Brex site names Henrique Dubugras as Co-CEO; ownership change not confirmed here.
Brex compared
Our verdict on Brex
Brex runs a $0 base software tier, which makes the entry cost easy: Essentials is $0 per user per month. Premium is $12 per user per month, so 20 users cost $2,880 a year at the published monthly rate, with any annual discount unknown. Enterprise and Smart Card are by quote. The bigger cost question is the card, since the pricing assumes you use the Brex platform, which Brex does not confirm.
Ownership is also changing the picture: Capital One agreed to acquire Brex for about $5.15 billion in cash and stock, announced in January 2026, and Wikipedia reports it completed in April 2026. That could affect future packaging, though no price change is announced. G2 shows 4.8 from 1,515 reviews. The main upgrade trigger is Advanced SSO, which starts at Premium.
Brex FAQ
What is Brex used for?
Brex is a corporate card and spend platform that adds expense management, in-app travel booking, bill pay and business banking. A free Essentials software tier makes it easy to start, with Premium at $12 per user per month. It suits startups and mid-size companies that want cards plus expenses on one platform.
Does Brex have a free plan?
Yes. Essentials is $0 per user per month. Premium is $12 per user per month and Enterprise is by quote.
How much does Brex cost for 20 users?
On Premium, 20 users at $12 per month is $2,880 per year at the published monthly rate. Any annual discount is unknown, and Essentials is $0.
Did Capital One buy Brex?
Capital One agreed to acquire Brex for about $5.15 billion in cash and stock, announced January 22, 2026. Wikipedia reports the deal completed in April 2026.
About Brex
- Founded
- 2017.
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California, United States.
- Employees
- About 1,100 (2025)
Listed in: Expense Management Software
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from Brex's own pricing, product or documentation pages, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Unknown values are left out instead of estimated.