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Side-by-side record

Expensify vs. PayPal Payments Pro

A side-by-side view of the product records we have today. Use it to narrow the question, then confirm current pricing, limits, and security details with each vendor.

The short version

Expensify starts at Free per seat, versus PayPal Payments Pro at $0. PayPal Payments Pro carries the higher aggregate rating (9.5/5 vs 4.5/5).

Full comparison

Expensifyfrom Free
PayPal Payments Profrom $0 per month
Audyense Score82ASStrong29AS*Low
PositioningAutomate receipts, expenses, and reimbursements from scan to reconciliationPayPal Payments Pro is a payment processing solution built on PayPal’s technology that enables online merchants and businesses to accept credit card payments online as well a
Free tierYesYes
DeploymentCloud / SaaSCloud / SaaS
Best fitStartup, SMB, Mid-market, EnterpriseStartup, SMB, Mid-market
Pricing plans
  • Free (Individual)Free
  • Collect$5
  • Control$18
  • Free or entry planFree
  • Higher tiersCustom pricing
General ledger & accountingPartialNo native general ledger; syncs approved expenses to GL in QuickBooks, NetSuite, Xero, and Sage Intacct.
Accounts payable & bill payYesBill Pay for receiving, approving, and paying vendor bills.
AI featuresYesSmartScan OCR extracts receipt data; Concierge AI assistant and automated categorization.
Bank reconciliationPartialReal-time reconciliation of Expensify Card and imported corporate card feeds; not full bank reconciliation.
Corporate cardsYesIssues the Expensify Card and imports feeds from third-party corporate cards.
Expense managementYesCore product: receipt capture, expense reports, approval workflows, and reimbursements.
Financial reportingPartialExpense reporting, analytics, and exports; not a full financial reporting suite.
Invoicing & billingYesSend invoices and pay bills within the platform.
Multi-currencyYesSupports multi-currency expenses with automatic conversion.
Public APIYesIntegration Server / REST API plus Zapier for custom connections.
Accept PayPal paymentsYesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Accept VisaYesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Mastercard and American ExpressYesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Virtual TerminalYesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Accept payments in 25 currencies from 202 countriesYesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Payment GatewayYesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Options to simplify PCI compliance.YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.
Integrations verified45+
Aggregate rating4.5 · 5.6k reviews9.5 · No reviews yet
Integrations
QuickBooks OnlineQuickBooks DesktopNetSuiteXeroSage IntacctGusto+8 more
Security & compliance
SOC 1 Type IISOC 2 Type IIPCI DSSGDPR
Pros
  • SmartScan receipt capture and mobile app make expense submission fast and low-effort
  • Expensify Card enables real-time reconciliation, auto-reimbursement, and subscription discounts
  • Reliable native integrations with QuickBooks, NetSuite, Xero, and Sage Intacct
  • Generally easy to use for everyday expense reporting and approvals
  • Independent review documents a concrete business workflow
  • Documented capability: Accept PayPal payments
  • Documented capability: Accept Visa
  • Documented capability: Mastercard and American Express
  • Documented capability: Virtual Terminal
Cons
  • Per-member pricing is seen as expensive, and users report unexpected price increases
  • SmartScan can be slow or inaccurate, sometimes requiring manual correction
  • Customer support (email/chat) is slow for lower tiers and varies by plan
  • Occasional bugs, sync issues, and friction from the New Expensify interface changes
  • Pricing and usage limits should be checked against the exact plan
  • Implementation effort depends on the team's data and process maturity
  • Reported outcomes should be validated with the buyer's own data
Visit Expensify ↗Visit PayPal Payments Pro ↗

Editorial read of this comparison

The table summarizes structured facts; this section explains what the differences mean for a real buying decision.

Where each tool fits, and where it may not

Expensify

Expensify is a spend management platform for receipt tracking, expense reports, corporate cards, and reimbursements. Its SmartScan OCR captures receipt data automatically, and the Expensify Card reconciles spend in real time while unlocking subscription discounts. It syncs with major accounting systems like QuickBooks, NetSuite, Xero, and Sage Intacct, and offers a genuinely free tier for individuals with paid Collect and Control workspaces for teams.

A particularly good fit for: SMBs and startups that want automated receipt capture and fast reimbursements Teams issuing the Expensify Card for corporate spend with real-time reconciliation Finance teams on QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, or Sage Intacct wanting synced expense data

May be a poor fit if: Large enterprises needing deeply customized procurement or AP workflows from a dedicated suite Cost-sensitive teams needing only occasional tracking, where per-member pricing adds up

PayPal Payments Pro

PayPal Payments Pro is a payment processing solution built on PayPal’s technology that enables online merchants and businesses to accept credit card payments online as well as process mobile and retail credit card. On top of that, users can create and host their own checkout pages for full control. With PayPal Payments Pro, users are charged with a flat rate of 2.90 percent along with a $0.30 per-transaction fee, which is beneficial for companies with large tickets. The flat fee remains the same whether the cards used are debit, credit, corporate or rewards. PayPal Payments Pro doesn’t require buyers to have a PayPal account to complete the purchase. Aside from accepting payments online, users of PayPal Payments Pro are able to process credit card payments via phone, fax, and mail (Virtual Terminal).

A particularly good fit for: B2B teams evaluating finance and accounting software Teams that need documented workflow capabilities and fit guidance Organizations willing to validate implementation and plan limits

May be a poor fit if: Teams seeking a workflow outside the product's documented focus Teams needing unlimited usage without plan limits

Pricing and plan structure

Expensify: Published starting price Free

  • Free (Individual)Free
  • Collect$5 per user / month
  • Control$18 per user / month

PayPal Payments Pro: Published starting price $0 per month

  • Free or entry planFree
  • Higher tiersCustom pricing

Capabilities worth validating

  • Expensify: General ledger & accounting, Accounts payable & bill pay, AI features, Bank reconciliation, Corporate cards Integrations include QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, NetSuite, Xero.
  • PayPal Payments Pro: Accept PayPal payments, Accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express, Virtual Terminal, Accept payments in 25 currencies from 202 countries

Questions to answer before switching

  • Does Expensify's selected plan include the features and limits we need?
  • Does PayPal Payments Pro's selected plan include the features and limits we need?
  • Does the exact integration path for QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, NetSuite support the sync direction, permissions, and volume we need?
  • Is a hosted-only deployment acceptable for the team and customers who will use this system?

How to evaluate this shortlist

A useful comparison turns the differences between Finance tools into a concrete test. Use these steps to avoid choosing from a feature table or the lowest headline price alone.

  1. Start with a representative Finance workflow, not a feature checklist. Define who will use it, what data goes in, and what outcome the team needs.
  2. Test the complete path through QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, NetSuite: permissions, sync direction, failure handling, and volume limits often matter more than the integration name.
  3. Compare the cost of the real scenario, including users, usage, storage, support, and contract requirements. The entry price alone does not measure adoption cost.
  4. Before switching, list the evidence gaps, request a demo of the critical workflow, and confirm security, data residency, export, and support with each vendor.

Structured signals help narrow the shortlist, but a trial with a real workflow is still the best way to validate the decision.

Research basis

Last checked: 2026-08-18. Pricing, integrations, feature support, and review signals can change, so treat this as a research snapshot and verify the final decision with the vendor.

Sources consulted: Expensify product site, G2, Capterra; PayPal Payments Pro product site, FinancesOnline review, Vendor website