In this guide
Quick answer
Expensify costs $5 per member per month on Collect and $18 (annual) or $36 (pay-per-use) on Control, dropping as low as $9 with Expensify Card usage. A 50-member team pays $3,000 a year on Collect or $10,800 on annual Control at list price.
Key takeaways
- Cheapest paid plan: Collect at $5 per unique member per month.
- Finance teams needing ERP integrations need Control at $18 per member on annual.
- Biggest hidden cost: annual Control bills every committed member, active or not.
- Best way to save: commit annually and run most spend through the Expensify Card.
Expensify's pricing looks simple until you read the rules. Control has two prices, a committed subscription size and a discount tied to how much you spend on the Expensify Card, and all three move the real per-member cost.
This guide breaks down each plan using Expensify's own billing documentation.
How much does Expensify cost?
Submit (free)
$0
Receipt capture and expense submission for individual employees, no premium workspace features
Collect
N/A
$5 monthly
Pay-per-use only, $5 per unique member per month, no annual option or Expensify Card discount
Control (annual)
$18
N/A monthly
12-month commitment, $18 per member in subscription size, as low as $9 with Expensify Card usage
Control (pay-per-use)
N/A
$36 monthly
$36 per active member per month, as low as $18 with Expensify Card usage
Expensify (Submit free, Collect, Control). Source: www.expensify.com, Prices from published sources
On a Control annual subscription you pay $18 for every member included in your chosen subscription size, whether or not they are active, and $36 for each active member above that size. Subscription size can be raised at any time but only lowered at renewal. Pay-per-use Control bills $36 per active member, and Collect bills $5 per unique member, both monthly. Control discounts of up to 50% apply based on the share of approved USD spend charged to the Expensify Card.
What each Expensify plan includes
| Feature | Submit (free) | Collect | Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per member | $0 | $5 | $18 to $36 |
| Annual subscription option | Not included | Not included | Included |
| Expensify Card discount | Not included | Not included | Up to 50% |
| Receipt scanning and submission | Included | Included | Included |
| Approvals and reimbursement | Not included | Included | Included |
| Advanced accounting integrations (NetSuite, Sage Intacct) | Not included | Not included | Included |
Expensify cost calculator
Your estimate
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per year at list price
- per member per month
- —
- Billed
- —
- 3 years
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List prices only. Taxes, custom quotes and negotiated discounts are not included.
Hidden costs to budget for
| Scenario | Annual cost | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Collect, pay-per-use (50 members) | $3,000 | Headline price |
| Finance needs Control, annual subscription (50 members) | $10,800 | +$7,800 |
| Control on pay-per-use instead of annual (50 members) | $21,600 | +$10,800 vs Control annual |
- Paying for idle members. Annual Control bills every member in your subscription size, active or not, so an oversized commitment is paid all year.
- Overage at double rate. Active members above your subscription size are billed at $36, twice the annual rate.
- No mid-term reductions. Subscription size can only go down at renewal, so a layoff or seasonal dip does not cut the bill.
- Card discount depends on spend mix. The up to 50% Control discount depends on the share of approved USD spend on the Expensify Card, so it shrinks if teams use other cards.
- Legacy Collect repricing. Collect workspaces created before 1 April 2025 are on legacy pricing of $10 pay-per-use or $5 annual, which differs from the current $5 pay-per-use plan.
How Expensify pricing has changed
- April 2025 New Collect workspaces moved to $5 per unique member per month, pay-per-use only; older Collect workspaces kept legacy pricing of $10 pay-per-use. Source
Which Expensify plan should you choose?
- Submit (free). Choose if you are an individual or contractor who only needs to submit expenses.
- Collect. Choose if you are a small business with simple approvals and QuickBooks or Xero-level accounting.
- Control (annual). Choose if headcount is stable and you need advanced approvals and ERP integrations.
- Control (pay-per-use). Choose if headcount swings a lot and you cannot commit to a subscription size.
Is Expensify worth the price?
Expensify is good value on Collect for small teams and on Control annual for companies that put most spend on the Expensify Card, where the effective price can fall to $9 per member. It is poor value on pay-per-use Control at $36 per member, or when the subscription size is set well above real usage.
You are likely overpaying if: You are on pay-per-use Control with stable headcount, your subscription size is above your active members, or most spend runs on other corporate cards so you never earn the Card discount.
How to pay less for Expensify
- Commit annually on Control. Annual Control is $18 per member versus $36 pay-per-use, half the price for the same plan.
- Set subscription size carefully. Size the annual commitment to steady active members, since it can only be reduced at renewal.
- Move spend to the Expensify Card. Control discounts of up to 50% are tied to the share of approved USD spend on the Card.
- Stay on Collect if you can. If approvals are simple and you use QuickBooks or Xero, Collect at $5 may be all you need.
- Price card-led alternatives. Brex Essentials is free and Zoho Expense Standard is $3 per user per month on annual billing.
Copy-ready renewal email
Hi [Expensify account manager], Our Expensify Control subscription renews on [renewal date]. We are committed to [subscription size] members but averaged [active members] active members over the last six months. For renewal we would like to reset the subscription size to [target size] and confirm our Expensify Card discount at [card spend share]. We are also evaluating Brex and Zoho Expense. Can you send a proposal by [date]?
Expensify alternatives and what they cost
| Tool | Entry price | Cheaper when |
|---|---|---|
| Zoho Expense | $3 per user per month (Standard, annual) | You want basic expense reporting at the lowest per-user price |
| Brex | $0 (Essentials); Premium $12 per user per month | You want a corporate card with expense management included |
| SAP Concur | Custom (quote-based) | You need global travel and expense for a large enterprise |
The bigger picture: why Expensify bills drift
Expensify bills drift because the subscription size is set once and rarely revisited. Finance sets it during rollout, headcount changes, card spend shifts to another provider, and the renewal quietly locks in another year at the old size.
Per-employee fees grow quietly
Expensify costs rise with headcount and nobody re-checks the rate.
Spend analytics and budget tracking
Spend per vendor tracked against budget as the company grows.
Escalators hide in multi-year terms
Annual uplifts and module fees are buried in the order form.
Contract management with renewal alerts
Terms, escalators and renewal dates in one repository with alerts.
Modules added without approval
Add-ons get switched on and show up on the next invoice.
Purchase requests with approvals
Every upgrade routes through approval before it is bought.
Invoices carry one-off fees
Implementation, off-cycle and support fees are hard to check.
AP automation with PO matching
Invoices matched to POs and receipts; exceptions held before payment.
Vendor records are incomplete
Tax, bank and contract details are scattered across teams.
One vendor record with verified documents and ERP sync.
The bottom line
Collect is the right start for small teams; Control annual is worth it when you need advanced approvals and can route spend through the Expensify Card. Review subscription size and card share every quarter, and reset both before the renewal date. Zapro is built to run that review across every subscription you pay for.
Expensify pricing FAQs
How much does Expensify cost per user?
Expensify Collect costs $5 per unique member per month, pay-per-use. Control costs $18 per member per month on an annual subscription or $36 per active member pay-per-use, with Expensify Card discounts of up to 50% bringing Control as low as $9.
Is there a free version of Expensify?
Yes. Expensify offers a free Submit workspace for individual employees to capture receipts and submit expenses. It has no premium features, so companies that need approvals, reimbursement and accounting sync need Collect or Control. It is the usual starting point for employees.
How much is Expensify for large companies?
Larger companies usually buy Control, at $18 per member per month on an annual subscription or $36 pay-per-use. The effective rate falls as more approved USD spend moves to the Expensify Card, down to $9 per member.
Can you get a discount on Expensify?
Yes. The main discount is up to 50% off Control, based on the share of approved USD spend charged to the Expensify Card. Committing to an annual Control subscription also halves the pay-per-use rate from $36 to $18.
Is Expensify cheaper billed annually?
Yes, on Control. The annual subscription is $18 per member versus $36 pay-per-use, saving $10,800 a year for 50 members. Collect is pay-per-use only for new workspaces, so there is no annual option. Size the subscription carefully, since it only drops at renewal.
What is the cheapest alternative to Expensify?
Brex Essentials is free with the Brex card, and Zoho Expense Standard costs $3 per user per month on annual billing. Both undercut Expensify Control, though feature fit and card preferences should decide the switch.
