Best Expense Management Tools for Startups: Ramp vs Brex vs Mercury vs Airbase
A comprehensive comparison of the leading corporate card and spend management platforms for startups, including features, pricing, and recommendations.
The days of traditional corporate credit cards, Excel expense reports, and shoebox receipts are over. Modern expense management platforms combine corporate cards with software that automates everything from receipt capture to accounting integration.
For startups, these tools aren't just about convenience—they provide real-time visibility into spending, eliminate hours of manual reconciliation, and help extend runway through better cash management. The right platform can save your finance team 10+ hours per month while catching wasteful spending you didn't know existed.
Quick Recommendation
Ramp is the best choice for most startups. It's free, offers 1.5% cashback, and has the best automated savings features. Choose Brexif you need higher credit limits or premium travel perks, Mercuryif you want banking and cards in one place, or Airbase for enterprise-grade procurement workflows.
Why Modern Expense Management Matters
Before diving into specific platforms, let's understand why this category has exploded for startups:
Automated Reconciliation
Receipt capture via mobile app or email forwarding. Automatic matching to transactions. What took hours now takes minutes.
Real-Time Visibility
See spending as it happens, not 30 days later when statements arrive. Catch budget overruns before they compound.
Spend Controls
Set per-card limits, merchant restrictions, and approval workflows. Prevent unauthorized spend before it happens.
Cashback & Rewards
Earn 1-1.5% back on all spending. On $50K/month spend, that's $500-$750 monthly—essentially free money.
The Old Way vs. The New Way
| Process | Traditional Cards | Modern Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Receipt Management | Paper or email, manual matching | Mobile capture, auto-match |
| Expense Coding | Manual at month-end | AI-suggested at transaction |
| Approval Workflow | Email chains, spreadsheets | Built-in, configurable |
| Accounting Sync | Manual import or CSV | Real-time sync |
| Virtual Cards | Not available | Unlimited, instant |
| Spend Visibility | 30-day delay | Real-time |
Ramp: Best for Most Startups
Why We Recommend Ramp
Ramp has emerged as the leader for startup expense management. It's completely free, offers the highest cashback (1.5%), and focuses obsessively on helping companies save money through automated insights.
Key Features
Price Intelligence
Ramp analyzes your transactions and alerts you when you're paying more than other companies for the same software or services. They've helped companies identify millions in potential savings.
1.5% Cashback
Highest flat-rate cashback in the category. On $100K annual spend, that's $1,500 back—more than covering any finance team time investment.
Automated Accounting
Direct sync to QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, and Sage. AI-powered categorization learns from your corrections. Receipt matching is essentially automatic.
Bill Pay (Ramp Bill Pay)
Pay vendors directly from Ramp. Consolidates corporate cards and bill pay into one platform. Approval workflows for bills over certain amounts.
Pricing
Best For
- Startups wanting the best all-around expense platform
- Companies focused on reducing spend and extending runway
- Teams that value automated accounting and categorization
- Anyone wanting maximum cashback with no fees
Limitations
- Credit limits may be lower than Brex for some companies
- Travel rewards not as strong as Brex
- Newer platform (founded 2019) vs. more established options
Brex: Premium for VC-Backed Startups
Brex Overview
The original startup corporate card, Brex pioneered the category. Known for high credit limits based on funding rather than revenue, premium travel benefits, and a robust platform that's matured significantly.
Key Features
High Credit Limits
Brex underwrites based on your bank balance and funding, not revenue history. VC-backed startups can get $100K+ limits even pre-revenue. Limits scale as your balance grows.
Travel Rewards
Strong rewards on travel: 7x on rideshare, 4x on travel booked through Brex, 3x on restaurants. Better than Ramp if your team travels frequently.
Brex Empower (Spend Management)
Full expense management platform with budgets, approvals, and policy enforcement. Comparable to Ramp's functionality but with different UI/UX philosophy.
Brex Cash
Business banking account with FDIC insurance, bill pay, and wire transfers. Can consolidate banking and cards in one platform (though many prefer separate banking).
Pricing
Best For
- VC-backed startups that need high credit limits quickly
- Teams with significant travel spend wanting travel rewards
- Companies that want banking and cards in one platform
- Startups in Brex's network (Y Combinator, etc.) with special perks
Limitations
- Lower cashback than Ramp (1% vs 1.5%)
- Premium features require paid plan
- Exited small business market (focused on VC-backed only)
- Price intelligence not as strong as Ramp
Mercury: Banking + Cards in One
Mercury Overview
Mercury is primarily a startup banking platform that also offers corporate cards. If you already bank with Mercury (or are considering it), their cards provide a seamless, unified experience.
Key Features
Banking Integration
Cards, checking, savings, treasury all in one platform. See your complete cash position without switching between tools. Wire money and pay bills from the same dashboard.
Mercury IO Cards
Physical and virtual cards with 1.5% cashback. Spending limits, merchant controls, and instant card creation. Receipt capture and auto-categorization.
Clean UX
Mercury is known for beautiful, intuitive design. If UX matters to you, Mercury's interface is among the best in fintech.
Pricing
Best For
- Startups that want banking + cards in one platform
- Companies already using Mercury for banking
- Founders who value clean, modern UX
- Early-stage companies wanting simplicity
Limitations
- Expense management features less mature than Ramp/Brex
- Fewer accounting integrations
- No price intelligence or spend analytics
- Best if you're also using Mercury banking
Airbase: Full Spend Management
Airbase Overview
Airbase positions itself as a complete "spend management" platform—not just corporate cards. It excels at complex approval workflows, procurement processes, and enterprise-grade controls.
Key Features
Advanced Approval Workflows
Multi-level approvals based on amount, category, department, or custom rules. The most sophisticated approval engine among the options discussed.
Procurement Requests
Employees can request purchases before spending. Managers approve, then virtual cards are issued for exactly the approved amount. True pre-spend control.
Bill Pay + Cards + Reimbursements
Unified platform for all spend types. AP automation with OCR, corporate cards, and employee reimbursements in one workflow.
Audit-Ready Controls
SOC 2 compliant with comprehensive audit trails. Better suited for companies with compliance requirements or preparing for audit.
Pricing
Best For
- Growing companies (50+ employees) needing sophisticated controls
- Organizations with complex approval requirements
- Companies preparing for audits or SOC 2
- Teams wanting pre-purchase approval workflows
Limitations
- Not free—significant monthly cost
- Lower cashback than Ramp/Mercury
- More complex than early-stage startups need
- Better for 50+ employee companies
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Ramp | Brex | Mercury | Airbase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base Pricing | Free | Free | Free | Paid |
| Cashback | 1.5% | 1% | 1.5% | 1% |
| Virtual Cards | ||||
| Bill Pay | ||||
| Price Intelligence | Limited | - | - | |
| Banking Included | - | - | ||
| Travel Rewards | Basic | Basic | Basic | |
| Procurement Workflows | Good | Good | Basic | |
| Best For | Most startups | VC-backed | Banking users | 50+ employees |
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Ramp If...
- You want the best all-around expense platform
- Cashback and savings are priorities
- You value automated accounting and categorization
- You want price intelligence to find savings
Choose Brex If...
- You need high credit limits based on funding
- Your team travels frequently and values travel rewards
- You're in their network (YC, etc.) with special offers
- You want premium perks and services
Choose Mercury If...
- You already bank with Mercury or plan to
- You want banking + cards in one platform
- Simplicity and clean UX are priorities
- You're early-stage and want an all-in-one solution
Choose Airbase If...
- You have 50+ employees with complex approval needs
- Pre-purchase approval workflows are important
- You're preparing for audit or SOC 2
- You need enterprise-grade controls
Implementation Guide
Setting up a new expense management platform typically takes 1-2 weeks. Here's how to do it right:
Apply and Get Approved
Connect your bank account for underwriting. Most companies get approved within 24-48 hours. Have recent bank statements ready.
Set Up Accounting Integration
Connect to QuickBooks, Xero, or your accounting system. Map categories to your chart of accounts. This is critical for automated reconciliation.
Configure Policies and Limits
Set spending limits per card, merchant restrictions, and approval thresholds. Start conservative—you can always loosen controls later.
Issue Cards to Team
Order physical cards and issue virtual cards. Train team on receipt capture and expense coding. Set expectations for compliance.
Migrate Recurring Expenses
Move subscription payments to new cards. Create dedicated virtual cards for each major vendor for better tracking and easy cancellation.
Pro Tip: Virtual Cards for Vendors
Create a separate virtual card for each SaaS subscription. This makes it easy to track spend by vendor, and if you cancel a service, you can deactivate just that card instead of updating payment info across multiple vendors.
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Need Help Choosing?
Eagle Rock CFO helps startups select and implement expense management tools as part of building a complete finance stack.
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