Ramp vs. Expensify: Feature comparison for expense management in 2025

So, it’s time to choose your expense management software. This is a critical decision for a business of any size—the right software can streamline your financial processes, improve accuracy, and save time—but the number of choices out there can feel overwhelming. 

This guide compares Ramp vs. Expensify, examining key features, integrations, and unique benefits to help you determine the best solution for your business needs. Whether you're looking for automation, seamless integrations, or enhanced reporting capabilities, this article provides the insights you need to make an informed choice between Ramp and Expensify.

Ramp vs. Expensify: Feature overview

Below is a side-by-side comparison of some of Ramp and Expensify’s most important features:

Ramp vs. Expensify: Expense management features

When comparing expense management features, Ramp and Expensify cater to different priorities, with each offering distinct advantages.

Ramp

Ramp provides a range of features designed to simplify expense management and enhance financial visibility for businesses. Key Ramp features include:

1. No-cost plan for small teams

Ramp’s basic expense management tools are offered as part of their free base plan, making it a cost-effective solution for businesses seeking robust functionality without extra expenses.

2. Procurement solutions

As part of their paid plan, Ramp allows businesses to streamline purchasing by offering tools for creating and managing purchase orders (POs), reducing manual effort and improving tracking.

3. Customizable expense policies

Ramp enables businesses to establish and enforce expense policies automatically, ensuring compliance and minimizing unauthorized spending.

4. Real-time spend tracking

With real-time expense tracking, Ramp provides immediate visibility into spending, helping businesses stay on top of their budgets.

Expensify

Expensify offers features tailored for individual users, freelancers, and businesses with global operations. Key features include:

1. Free plans for individuals and freelancers

Expensify offers free plans with essential tools for individuals and freelancers, making it an accessible choice for users with basic expense management needs.

2. SmartScan technology

Expensify’s SmartScan automatically captures and categorizes receipts, drastically reducing manual entry and increasing the efficiency of expense reporting.

3. International reimbursements

For businesses operating globally, Expensify supports reimbursements in multiple currencies, simplifying expense management across regions.

4. Advanced reporting tools

Expensify provides detailed and customizable expense reports, offering finance managers deeper insights into spending patterns and trends.

Ramp vs. Expensify: Travel management features

Travel management is a crucial aspect of expense management, particularly for businesses with frequent travel needs. Ramp and Expensify both offer travel management features, but they cater to different priorities.

Ramp

Ramp provides a streamlined approach to managing travel expenses, focusing on automation and multi-entity support. Key Ramp features include:

1. Automated policy enforcement

Ramp ensures compliance with travel policies by automating enforcement, reducing the risk of policy violations and saving time for finance teams.

2. Expense reporting via multiple channels

Users can submit receipts for travel expenses through SMS, a mobile app, or Ramp integrations with services like Gmail and Lyft, providing flexibility and convenience in expense reporting.

3. Multi-entity support

For businesses operating across multiple entities or regions, Ramp simplifies travel expense management by supporting multi-entity configurations.

4. Integrated travel expense tracking

Ramp integrates travel expense tracking directly into its platform, offering real-time visibility into travel costs and budget adherence.

Expensify

Expensify prioritizes user convenience and comprehensive travel solutions, making it a good choice for businesses with global travel needs. Key Expensify features include:

1. Unified travel booking platform

Expensify provides a centralized platform for booking flights, hotels, and other travel services, streamlining the booking process for employees.

2. Company card with cashback

Expensify’s company card offers cashback rewards, incentivizing businesses to manage travel expenses through the platform.

3. Support for third-party corporate cards

Expensify integrations include third-party corporate cards, allowing businesses to maintain their existing card programs while leveraging Expensify’s travel management tools.

4. Global expense support

Expensify supports travel expense reimbursements in multiple currencies, making it a good choice for businesses with international operations.

Expensify vs. Ramp: Integrations

Integrations play a pivotal role in enhancing the functionality of expense management tools by connecting them with existing systems. Ramp and Expensify both offer strong integration capabilities, but they differ in breadth and functionality.

Ramp

Ramp excels in providing integrations that enhance productivity and streamline financial processes. Key integrations include:

1. BambooHR

Ramp integrates seamlessly with BambooHR, enabling businesses to sync employee data and manage expenses effectively within their HR systems.

2. Productivity tools like Slack and Notion

Ramp connects with productivity tools like Slack and Notion, facilitating communication and collaboration while managing expenses.

3. Travel management tools

By integrating with travel management platforms, Ramp ensures smooth expense tracking and policy enforcement for business travel.

Expensify

Expensify offers a wide range of integrations tailored to businesses with diverse operational needs. Key integrations include:

1. QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite

Expensify integrates with leading accounting software, ensuring accurate expense reporting and seamless financial management.

2. Gusto and Zenefits

With payroll integrations like Gusto and Zenefits, Expensify simplifies the process of expense approvals, employee reimbursements, and payroll expense management.

3. Booking management tools

Expensify’s integration with booking platforms streamlines travel arrangements and consolidates expenses in one place.

Ramp vs. Expensify: User experience

Choosing expense management software goes beyond features—user experience plays a pivotal role. Here's how Ramp and Expensify differ in their interface and usability.

Ramp 

Ramp's user experience is crafted with simplicity and functionality in mind, making it work well for small businesses and startups looking for a simple expense management solution. Its straightforward interface minimizes the learning curve, allowing users to navigate and utilize features quickly. Ramp's design emphasizes efficiency, ensuring that even those with limited tech experience can effectively manage expenses without confusion.

Expensify 

Expensify is known for its polished and intuitive interface, delivering a seamless experience on both the mobile app and desktop platform. The platform's design caters to businesses of various sizes, offering robust functionality while maintaining user-friendliness. Features like the SmartScan tool for easy receipts uploads and GPS and mileage tracking make expense management accessible and hassle-free.

Expensify vs. Ramp: Security measures

When handling sensitive financial and business data, security measures are non-negotiable. Both Ramp and Expensify prioritize security, but their approaches and features differ in key ways.

Ramp

1. 24/7 transaction monitoring

Ramp provides round-the-clock monitoring to detect and address suspicious activity in real-time, adding an essential layer of security.

2. Single sign-on (SSO)

Ramp integrates seamlessly with SSO providers like Okta and Google, ensuring secure and streamlined access for authorized users.

3. PCI DSS and SOC 2 compliance

Ramp adheres to industry-leading standards for data protection, ensuring that sensitive financial information is stored and processed securely.

Expensify

1. Bank-level encryption

Expensify employs advanced encryption protocols to safeguard data both in transit and at rest, mirroring the security standards used by financial institutions.

2. SOC 2 type II certification

Expensify’s compliance with SOC 2 type II standards demonstrates its commitment to maintaining rigorous data security and operational controls.

3. Two-factor authentication

Expensify offers two-factor authentication (2FA) to add an extra layer of protection, ensuring that only authorized individuals can access sensitive information.

Who is Ramp for?

Ramp works well for small businesses and startups looking for a straightforward and cost-effective expense management solution. Its user-friendly interface and emphasis on affordability make it a great choice for organizations with limited resources or simpler operational needs. Ramp’s free plan and essential features allow smaller teams to effectively manage expenses without incurring significant costs, making it a practical option for those starting out.

Who is Expensify for?

Expensify caters to small businesses experiencing rapid growth and medium-sized businesses that require more advanced features to manage their expanding operations. Its robust functionality, including comprehensive reporting tools and scalable options, makes it a strong choice for organizations needing versatile expense management. With capabilities like international expense reimbursements and detailed analytics, Expensify can meet the demands of most small to mid-size businesses.

Rippling: The best alternative to Ramp and Expensify

If you're seeking an all-in-one solution for expense management, Rippling offers an unparalleled alternative to Ramp and Expensify. Rippling’s expense management software goes beyond basic expense tracking by seamlessly integrating with HR and IT systems, creating a unified platform for managing financial processes.

Rippling automates expense reporting, tracks employee spending in real time, and supports multi-currency reimbursements, making it a versatile choice for businesses of all sizes. Its robust integrations with accounting tools, advanced reporting capabilities, and scalable features make it particularly suited for small startups, mid-size organizations, and large enterprises.

With Rippling, businesses can save time, reduce errors, and gain deeper insights into their financial operations. 

Ramp vs. Expensify FAQs

Which software offers more in-depth reporting and analytics? 

Expensify stands out over Ramp for its advanced expense tracking and reporting capabilities. It provides detailed, customizable analytics that allows businesses to track spending patterns and identify trends. While Ramp offers essential reporting features, Expensify’s tools are more comprehensive, making it the better choice for data-driven decision-making.

Which platform offers more control over employee spending? 

Ramp provides more control over employee spending than Expensify. With automated policy enforcement, real-time expense tracking, and customizable spending limits, Ramp ensures that businesses can maintain tight oversight of expenses. Expensify also offers spending controls and expense tracking but lacks the same level of automation and customization as Ramp.

Which platform is better for managing corporate travel expenses? 

Expensify excels over Ramp for corporate travel management. Its unified travel booking platform, integration with third-party booking tools, and support for international reimbursements make it a great choice for businesses with frequent travel needs. Ramp focuses more on expense policy enforcement and expense tracking, which may not address travel-specific requirements as comprehensively as Expensify.

Which platform is more cost-effective for startups?

Ramp is the more cost-effective choice for startups. With its free plans and straightforward expense management features, Ramp provides a budget-friendly option for businesses looking to manage their expenses without incurring significant costs.

Which software offers better integration options for payroll and accounting?

Expensify leads in payroll and accounting integrations. Its seamless compatibility with platforms like QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, Gusto, and Zenefits makes it a strong choice for businesses requiring comprehensive integration with financial systems. Ramp also offers strong integrations but focuses more on productivity and HR tools.

This blog is based on information available to Rippling as of March 12, 2025.

Disclaimer: Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.