Ramp and Brex offer modern financial platforms designed to help your business manage and optimize its spending. Choosing between the two can be a challenge, as both offer various financial tools, features, and rewards. I’ll walk you through a detailed Ramp vs Brex comparison, including an overview of their offerings, expense management abilities, and corporate cards.
- Brex provides a rewards system based on points and supports international use, making it a strong choice if your business has a wide range of spending needs and global operations.
- Ramp offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases, along with powerful automation features and smooth integration with accounting software, making it especially useful if your finance team aims to cut unnecessary costs and gain better insight into company expenses.
My knowledge spans five years as a financial professional, working in various roles within the banking industry. I am committed to delivering expertise-led answers to your small business questions and helping you understand all things business finance. I ensure that the best answers I provide are based on accuracy, clarity, authority, objectivity, and accessibility. These are aligned with the Fit Small Business Editorial Policy.
Head-to-head comparison: Ramp vs Brex at a glance
Ramp | Brex | |
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Best for | Small and midsize businesses prioritizing straightforward cash back, operational efficiency, and strong cost controls | Fast-growing startups or venture-backed companies wanting a single platform to help manage spending, earn cash back rewards, and access features like international payments and business accounts |
Credit requirements & onboarding |
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Pricing & fees | Simple cost-saving model with no platform, annual, or foreign transaction fees; some services may incur costs | Free base plan; premium features and some services, such as wires, may have fees |
Spend control & automation |
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Banking & account features | Integrates with bank accounts, but is not a full banking suite; includes AP, expense, and vendor management tools | Includes business account, bill pay, travel booking, and global payment tools |
Reward structures | 1.5% cash back on all purchases, offers partner discounts | Category-based points system with up to 7× points on rideshare, 4× on travel, 3× on restaurants, and more |
Customer support & user experience |
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User experience | Highly rated for clean, intuitive interface and responsive customer support; also offers strong documentation and proactive account insights | Simple interface with helpful support; some users note slower response times for billing or technical issues |
Core features
Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
Corporate card | Tie | Both offer corporate cards with no personal guarantee and dynamic credit limits based on current financials. |
Integrations | Tie | Both have integration capabilities with popular accounting platforms, like QuickBooks, NetSuite, and Xero, as well as HR and productivity tools. |
Expense management | Tie | Both offer automations, including real-time tracking, receipt capture, and customizable approval workflows. |
Bill pay | Tie | Each supports automated bill payments via ACH, check, or wire, with approval processes to manage vendor payouts efficiently. |
Procurement & vendor management | Tie | Ramp provides a centralized system for vendor approvals and contract management, and Brex enables vendor onboarding and invoice tracking. |
Travel management | Brex | Whereas Ramp provides more basic travel expense controls, Brex offers a full-featured travel booking platform integrated into its dashboard. |
Global payments | Brex | Brex supports multi-currency global payments to vendors, while Ramp currently focuses on international reimbursements, not full vendor payouts. |
Ramp provides numerous features and integration capabilities, inclusive of a corporate card, automation, and cost-saving tools. Here are some of its core features:
- Corporate card: Offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases, with no annual or setup fees, and no personal guarantee required.
- Integrations: Has strong integration capabilities with platforms like NetSuite, QuickBooks, Xero, Sage Intacct, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and Rippling.
- Expense management: Provides real-time expense tracking, automated receipt matching, auto-categorization, and policy enforcement.
- Bill pay: Supports invoice processing and vendor payments via ACH, check, and card, with smart routing and approval workflows.
- Procurement & vendor management: Has a centralized system for managing vendor approvals and contracts.
- Travel management: Offers travel booking through a built-in platform, with spend controls and integrations for managing expenses.
- Global payments: Supports international reimbursements in over 70 countries and 40 currencies.
Brex, on the other hand, offers an integrated suite of expense management tools that extend beyond corporate cards. Here are some of its offerings:
- Corporate card: Provides tiered points-based rewards and bases credit limits on company cash flow, with no personal guarantee required.
- Integrations: Offers a wide variety of integration capabilities, including major accounting platforms, such as QuickBooks, NetSuite, Xero, and ERPs like SAP; also integrates with Slack, Expensify, and Gusto.
- Expense management: Features real-time expense tracking, receipt capture, auto-categorization, and policy enforcement.
- Bill pay: Provides an automated accounts payable solution that allows you to pay vendors via ACH, check, or wire, with approval workflows.
- Procurement & vendor management: Lets you manage vendor details and payments, with features for onboarding vendors, storing payment information, and setting approval workflows.
- Travel management: Features a built-in platform for booking and managing business travel.
- Global payments: Enables sending money to vendors worldwide in multiple currencies.
Expense management tools
Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
Real-time alerts | Ramp | While Brex also offers alerts, Ramp’s alerts are tied directly to policy enforcement and proactive flagging of violations. |
Automated expense reporting | Ramp | Ramp offers stronger automation, real-time spend controls, and more effective cost-saving tools, making it a more focused solution for expense reporting than Brex’s broader spend management approach. |
Spending limits | Tie | Both feature customizable spend controls per user, vendor, or category. |
Savings insights | Tie | Both offer AI-driven insights that identify opportunities to reduce cost, like unused services or subscriptions. |
Reimbursements | Tie | Both support reimbursements. Ramp automates submissions with real-time tracking, and Brex offers reimbursement features integrated into its expense management platform. |
Receipt capture & matching | Brex | Brex provides multiple receipt capture options, including app, email, and Slack, along with advanced matching tools. Ramp also offers receipt capture, but Brex's variety of input methods gives it a slight advantage. |
Custom approval workflows | Tie | Both support customizable approval workflows based on categories like department or expense amount. |
Audit & compliance tools | Brex | Brex focuses on audit dashboards and policy alignment, offering more visibility and compliance depth than Ramp, which has similar but simpler tools. |
Ramp heavily emphasizes expense control and automations, which allow your business to manage its overall finances better and provide visibility when budgeting. It offers the following tools:
- Real-time alerts: Automatically flags transactions that violate company policies, providing immediate visibility and reducing the need for end-of-month reconciliations.
- Automated expense reporting: Requires minimal input from employees, as the platform offers automated expense categorization and receipt matching using AI.
- Spending limits: Lets admins set customizable spending limits by vendor, category, or employee, preventing overspending before it happens.
- Savings insights: Has AI tools that provide alerts for duplicate subscriptions, unused software licenses, or overpriced vendors to help save money.
- Reimbursements: Allows employees to submit out-of-pocket expenses directly through the platform, with support for reimbursements in over 70 countries and 40 currencies.
- Receipt capture & matching: Enables users to upload receipts via mobile app or email, with automatic matching to transactions.
- Custom approval workflows: Supports tailored approval chains based on department, amount, or purpose, allowing for appropriate oversight.
- Audit & compliance tools: Provides centralized dashboards to ensure every transaction is accounted for with appropriate documentation and reasoning.
Meanwhile, Brex offers powerful expense management features designed to simplify spend tracking and improve overall control of company finances. The platform emphasizes real-time visibility and policy enforcement and offers the following tools:
- Real-time alerts: Provides instant notifications for transactions, helping teams monitor spending as it happens.
- Automated expense reporting: Utilizes AI to categorize expenses automatically and generate reports, reducing manual effort.
- Spending limits: Allows you to set customizable spending limits per card or user, enhancing budget control.
- Savings insights: Offers analytics and insights to identify cost-saving opportunities within company spending.
- Reimbursements: Enables employees to submit non-card expenses through the platform, with customizable approval and reimbursement routing.
- Receipt capture & matching: Lets users upload receipts via mobile app, email, or Slack, with automatic matching to transactions.
- Custom approval workflows: Supports custom approval chains based on department, amount, or purpose, keeping the approval process simple.
- Audit & compliance tools: Includes audit and compliance tools like AI policy checks, automated reports, and audit trails to help your business stay compliant, reduce manual work, and simplify expense tracking.
Card rewards & credit limits
Category | Winner | Why |
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Rewards | Brex | Brex offers a tiered points system: 7× on rideshare, 4× on travel, and 3× on restaurants, providing greater rewards potential with targeted spending. |
Fees | Ramp | Ramp charges no annual fees, foreign transaction fees, or interest, making it a cost-effective option. |
Credit requirements | Tie | Neither requires a personal guarantee, and both assess creditworthiness based on business financial health and cash flow. |
Credit limits | Ramp | Ramp determines credit limits based on factors like cash balance, linked bank accounts, and financial data. It also notes that it offers limits up to 30 times higher than traditional business credit cards. |
Rewards program
Ramp offers a straightforward 1.5% cash back on all purchases, providing your business with consistent savings without having to target your spending based on certain categories. Additionally, you can access exclusive partner discounts on services like Amazon Web Services, Carta, and 1Password.
In contrast, Brex offers points for every dollar spent, with higher multipliers for common startup expenses in categories like travel, SaaS, and recurring subscriptions. Points can be redeemed for cash back or travel. The point system is structured as follows:
- 7× points on rideshare
- 4× points on Brex travel
- 3× points on restaurants
- 2× points on software
- 1× points on everything else
Credit limit structure
Ramp determines credit limits by evaluating factors such as cash balances in linked bank accounts, industry type, and other financial indicators. These limits are dynamic, adjusting as a company’s finances change, and do not require a personal guarantee or credit check. Its corporate cards require full monthly repayment, with credit limits based on cash reserves, which can be suitable if your business prioritizes spend control.
Brex, on the other hand, sets credit limits based on a company’s financial health, primarily by analyzing cash flow and bank account activity. This includes available cash, 30-day average balances, and sometimes sales data. Limits are adjusted dynamically, especially for monthly payment cards, based on spending behavior and other financial factors. No personal guarantee is required, and you can choose daily or monthly repayment options, with multi-currency support available for global operations.
Ramp vs Brex: What type of business you are matters
Both are on our list of the best spend management software. Choose Brex if your business operates internationally, requires multi-entity support, and benefits from integrated banking services. Or, go with Ramp if you prioritize simplicity, desire robust expense automation, and operate primarily within the US.
Ramp: Best for businesses seeking straightforward cash back rewards and advanced expense automation
Pros
- Has no annual, setup, and foreign transaction fees
- Offers 1.5% back on every purchase, with no specific spending categories
- Has built-in tools that handle receipt matching, enforce spend policies, and flag issues
Cons
- May not provide comprehensive cross-border payment solutions within the travel booking platform
- Offers cash back that's reliable, but it lacks category bonuses or travel transfer options
- Has advanced features, but some are better suited for companies with formal finance departments
Use cases
- Finance teams looking to automate accounting tasks, enforce spending policies, and gain real-time visibility into expenses.
- Growth-stage companies scaling fast that want to control costs and streamline approvals for better budgeting.
- Operations-minded leaders, such as CFOs and COOs, focusing on simplifying procurement, reimbursements, and policy compliance in one platform.
- Multi-entity and distributed teams needing to manage spend across departments, subsidiaries, or remote locations with scalable controls and reporting.
Founded in 2019, Ramp is a finance automation platform that helps you save time and money by streamlining financial operations. It is designed with automation and control as its focus.
It offers features like auto-submitting expenses, real-time spend insights, and AI-powered savings recommendations to reduce manual work and eliminate wasteful spending. Additionally, it provides corporate cards, expense management, bill payments, accounting, procurement, and travel into one unified solution.
Unlike some platforms that focus on maximizing rewards, Ramp emphasizes operational efficiency and cost reduction. Its smart tools automatically enforce policies, accelerate month-end close, and provide clear visibility into company spending.
Brex: Best for globally operating, venture-backed startups and enterprises needing comprehensive financial tools and multi-currency support
Pros
- Lets users earn more points in specific areas like travel, rideshare, and software
- Combines expense management, reimbursements, and bill pay in a single dashboard
- Supports complex workflows and department-level budgets as companies grow
Cons
- Requires you to prioritize certain spending categories to maximize points
- Offers many free tools, but international transfers and certain premium features may incur fees
- Doesn’t match Ramp’s level of proactive controls and AI-powered prevention insights
Use cases
- Startups and tech companies, especially those backed by venture capital or with large bank balances.
- High-potential businesses looking for scalable finance solutions that grow with them.
- Finance teams needing comprehensive spend controls and accounting integrations.
- Remote and global teams seeking international payment and travel management tools that allow for worldwide accessibility.
Brex is a financial technology (fintech) company that provides a corporate credit card and spend management platform tailored to startups, midsize businesses, and scaling enterprises. Launched in 2017, it positions itself as an all-in-one finance solution, aiming to replace traditional banking tools with a modern, software-first approach.
Originally known for its no-personal-guarantee corporate cards geared toward startups, Brex has evolved into a broader spend platform. It has features like bill pay, reimbursements, travel management, and global payments.
My methodology
In writing this review, I centered my research on a few key factors. This included a thorough examination regarding features, rewards, qualifications, and reviews of each provider to determine the essential differences between the two and which areas they overlap in offerings.
Essentially, I wanted to take a close look at the capabilities of each. I also aimed to provide insights to business owners who are considering utilizing either of these options as part of their operations and expense management.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Both are startup-friendly options. However, Brex is more widely known for its ability to work with startups.
No, neither corporate card issued by either provider requires a personal guarantee.
It depends on what form of rewards is most beneficial to your business. Ramp offers a cashback structure, but Brex offers points in categories that can be beneficial to certain business areas. Depending on your operations and intended use of either platform, one is not necessarily better than the other when it comes to rewards; how you plan to maximize them is what matters.