Today, we’re taking an in-depth look at three popular solutions in the space: Expensify, SAP Concur, and Certify. In this blog post, we will compare these platforms from various angles such as ease of use, automation, integration, pricing, mobile accessibility, reporting, and more. Whether you’re a small business owner or part of a large enterprise, understanding the nuances among these tools can help you choose the right solution for your company’s needs.

Introduction

Managing expenses manually or using spreadsheets can be both error-prone and time-consuming. Modern expense management platforms automate many repetitive tasks—from receipt scanning to report generation—saving companies time and money while increasing policy compliance and reducing errors. In this post, we will compare three widely used tools in the market:

• Expensify: Known for its intuitive interface and real-time receipt tracking.
• SAP Concur: Popular among large enterprises for its extensive integration with travel booking and ERP systems.
• Certify (Emburse Certify): Appreciated for its automation features and cost-effectiveness for small to mid-sized companies.

By exploring the key features and the pros and cons of Expensify, Concur, and Certify, you can make an informed decision about which tool fits best with your organizational workflows.

Why Expense Management Software Matters

Before diving into the specifics of each platform, it is important to understand why expense management software is a key component for many businesses today. Traditional manual methods—such as using spreadsheets or paper-based receipts—are inefficient. They often result in delayed reimbursements, increased administrative overhead, and potential compliance issues. Automated expense platforms streamline the entire process by:

• Reducing Manual Data Entry: With features like OCR-powered receipt scanning, employees can simply photograph their receipts and let the software extract necessary details.
• Ensuring Policy Compliance: Automated rules help prevent out-of-policy spend and remove opportunities for error.
• Saving Time and Money: Faster processing, accurate reporting, and integration with accounting systems lead to better financial control.
• Providing Actionable Insights: Detailed analytics dashboards offer companies clear visibility into spending trends and opportunities for cost savings.

In the competitive business environment, automating expense management not only increases efficiency but also allows finance teams to focus on strategic projects rather than administrative tasks.

Overview of Expensify

Expensify is a cloud-based expense management solution popular among small to mid-sized businesses. Here are some of its main features and benefits:

Key Features

• Receipt Scanning & SmartScan: Expensify’s OCR technology automatically scans receipts, extracts key information (such as merchant, amount, and date), and populates expense reports.
• Real-Time Expense Tracking: Users can track expenses on the go with an intuitive mobile app that works on both iOS and Android devices.
• Corporate Card Integration: Expensify offers a corporate card solution that automatically associates card transactions with expense reports, reducing manual reconciliation.
• Automated Approval Workflows: The app lets managers set expense policies and automatically routes expenses for approval, ensuring compliance.
• Integration with Accounting Software: Expensify connects with popular accounting systems such as QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, and more, facilitating seamless data exchange.
• User-Friendly Interface: The platform’s simple, chat-like design makes it easy for employees to submit expenses with minimal training.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Pros:

• Intuitive and easy-to-use interface.
• Quick receipt capture and expense report generation.
• Real-time tracking and automatic integration with corporate card transactions.
• Transparent pricing with plans starting as low as $5 per user per month for many teams.

Cons:

• Some users have noted issues with customer support, especially when it comes to complex queries.
• While fast and straightforward, Expensify may not offer the deep customization required by large enterprises.
• Its English-only interface can be a limitation for international companies.

Overview of SAP Concur

SAP Concur is an established name particularly popular among larger organizations and multinational enterprises. The platform not only manages expense reports but also incorporates travel booking and integrated invoicing.

Key Features

• Comprehensive Travel and Expense Management: SAP Concur offers an all-inclusive solution that handles business travel, expense report automation, reimbursement, audit, and even business intelligence.
• Mobile-Friendly Experience: The mobile app enables employees to capture receipts, book travel, and manage expenses on the go. Although some feedback points to a slightly steeper learning curve, many appreciate the robust functionality.
• Extensive Integration Options: Concur integrates natively with ERP systems (especially SAP’s own ERP solutions) as well as several major travel booking systems, enabling automated reconciliation and compliance.
• Advanced Compliance and Audit: The platform includes configurable workflows and policy enforcement that automatically flags out-of-policy expenses in real time, reducing errors and risks.
• Global Capabilities: SAP Concur is designed to support businesses operating in multiple countries, featuring multi-currency support, VAT reclamation, and adherence to global security standards (such as ISO/IEC 27001, GDPR, and PCI DSS).

Strengths and Weaknesses

Pros:

• An all-in-one suite that integrates travel booking with expense management.
• Strong compliance and audit features aid in significantly reducing non-compliant expenses.
• Robust integration with enterprise systems, making it ideal for large companies.
• Continually updated to enhance speed and expand functionality based on client feedback.

Cons:

• The interface can appear cluttered and less intuitive compared to newer solutions like Expensify.
• Implementation may be complicated due to multiple modules and differing team practices.
• Higher pricing and complexity mean that it might be overkill for small businesses or startups.
• Some users have reported occasional performance issues such as delayed loading or slow response times.

Overview of Certify (Emburse Certify)

Certify, recently rebranded as part of the Emburse family, is known for its ease-of-use and favorable pricing, particularly for small to mid-sized organizations. It emphasizes automation and streamlined workflows.

Key Features

• Unified Process and Workflow Management: Certify integrates travel booking, expense reporting, and invoice processing into a single cohesive platform. This unified approach simplifies the user experience.
• Automated Receipt Capture: Similar to Expensify, Certify uses OCR to capture receipt details. Users can also email receipts directly to the system.
• Pre-Approval Capabilities: The platform offers precursory steps for approving travel expenses, allowing companies to manage costs proactively before the expense is incurred.
• Integration that Enhances Efficiency: Certify integrates with various accounting and ERP systems, enabling seamless data flow between expense reports and your financial systems.
• User-Friendly Interface: One of the standout features is its “computer/people friendly” design. Customers appreciate that Certify makes the expense reporting process less burdensome for both submitters and approvers.
• Favorable Pricing Options: Many organizations choose Certify initially because of its competitive pricing. For small businesses, the Certify Now plan offers a low entry cost (e.g., around $12 per user per month).

Strengths and Weaknesses

Pros:

• Excellent for companies with straightforward expense management needs.
• Offers a unified platform that tightly integrates with travel and accounting systems.
• User-friendly design praised by many for reducing the complexity of expense submissions.
• Favorable pricing makes it a strong contender for small to mid-sized companies.

Cons:

• Some users highlight that advanced customization features may be limited compared to more comprehensive systems.
• Integration with corporate card programs has faced intermittent issues.
• As organizations grow, some businesses may require additional functionality that Certify’s basic plans do not provide, leading them to evaluate alternative providers.

Head-to-Head Comparison

When comparing Expensify, SAP Concur, and Certify, it is useful to look at several key dimensions.

Ease of Use and User Experience

• Expensify:
  Emphasizes ease of use with its chat-like interface. Employees quickly learn how to capture receipts and submit expenses. While its simplicity is a major advantage, some reviewers note that the platform’s functionality may feel basic for complex expense policies.
• SAP Concur:
  Designed for enterprise-level operations, Concur’s interface is robust but can be overwhelming initially. The wealth of features and travel integrations may require a longer onboarding period. However, for businesses that need advanced controls and customization, Concur’s complexity is a worthwhile trade-off.
• Certify:
  Balances functionality with simplicity. Certify is often favored for its unified, streamlined process where both employees and finance teams benefit from a less cumbersome workflow. Users often remark that it is “more computer/people friendly” than some of its competitors.

Integration and Automation

• Expensify:
  Offers strong integration with popular accounting software and has a corporate card feature that automatically reconciles transactions. Its OCR-driven receipt scanning is fast but may not provide as many deep integrations as enterprise-focused tools.
• SAP Concur:
  Excels in integration, particularly with ERP systems and major travel booking platforms. Its automated expense categorization, policy enforcement, and VAT reclamation features are well-suited for multinational companies. Its integration strength comes with increased complexity.
• Certify:
  Provides robust integrations with ERP and accounting systems, and its travel booking integration makes it feel like one cohesive tool. Certify’s automation features, such as pre-approval for travel and automated receipt matching, foster consistency in expense reporting.

Reporting and Analytics

• Expensify:
  Offers basic reports for tracking expenses and employee spending. Suitable for small to medium-sized companies that need straightforward dashboards without deep customization.
• SAP Concur:
  Boasts advanced reporting capabilities, including detailed analytics and dashboards that help companies assess budget adherence, identify policy violations, and optimize expenses through data-driven insights. Some users, however, wish for a more intuitive reporting interface.
• Certify:
  Delivers robust reporting tools with over 40 pre-built analytic templates. This enables finance teams to generate insightful reports without significant additional work. Its reporting and analytics are especially attractive for companies that want to identify spending trends and enforce compliance quickly.

Mobile Accessibility

• Expensify:
  Its mobile app is one of its strong points. Users can snap photos of receipts, track expenses in real time, and get notifications—all on a clean, user-friendly design.
• SAP Concur:
  The mobile experience is comprehensive, allowing for travel booking, expense management, and receipt capture. However, some users mention that certain aspects of the app are not as intuitive, and there can be a learning curve.
• Certify:
  Provides a mobile-friendly experience that makes it easy to capture receipts on the go and submit expenses quickly. Its interface is designed to be friendly for both new and experienced users, helping encourage compliance and timely submissions.

Pricing

• Expensify:
  Pricing plans are relatively transparent, starting from low-cost options for small teams. Many organizations appreciate its affordability along with the added benefit of the corporate card option in the higher-tier plans.
• SAP Concur:
  Pricing is typically higher and not publicly available, as it is tailored for larger enterprises. The higher cost is justified by the extensive features and integrations, but it could be too expensive for smaller businesses.
• Certify:
  Offers competitive pricing, particularly attractive for small to mid-sized companies. Its Certify Now plan provides an affordable entry point (around $12 per user per month) and meets basic expense management needs. As companies grow, the need to upgrade to more advanced plans may prompt further cost considerations.

User Reviews and Real-World Experiences

Customer feedback plays a significant role when evaluating expense management tools. Here are some recurring themes from real-world reviews:

• Expensify:
  Many end-users appreciate its simplicity and speed. Employees love the ease of snapping a receipt and having the data automatically fill in expense fields. However, some finance professionals have voiced concerns about customer support and the limitations in advanced reporting.
• SAP Concur:
  Users familiar with large, enterprise systems value Concur’s comprehensive nature. It is especially effective at enforcing compliance and managing international expenses. On the flip side, some users find the setup and ongoing management of the system to be challenging due to its plethora of options and occasional performance lags.
• Certify:
  Customer reviews highlight Certify’s user-friendly design and favorable pricing. Managers praise its ability to prevent duplicate expenses and to streamline pre-approval processes. Some users indicate that while Certify’s core functions work exceptionally well, larger organizations might need additional integrations to meet every requirement.

Choosing the Right Solution for Your Organization

The “best” expense management software depends on your company’s unique needs. Here are some guiding questions:

• What is your company size?
  Expensify tends to be well-suited for small to medium-sized businesses, while SAP Concur is designed with larger, multinational enterprises in mind. Certify offers a middle ground with cost-effective pricing for small to mid-sized companies.
• Do you need integrated travel management?
  If combining travel booking with expense reporting is important, SAP Concur might be best due to its built-in travel module. Certify also offers integrated travel features, while Expensify focuses more on everyday expense tracking.
• How important is customization and reporting?
  SAP Concur and Certify provide advanced reporting and the ability to customize workflows. For organizations that want deep insights and flexible analytics, these solutions may have an edge over Expensify’s more straightforward dashboards.
• What is your budget?
  Smaller companies with budget constraints might lean toward Expensify or Certify due to their transparent and affordable pricing plans. In contrast, enterprises with complex needs often allocate more budget toward SAP Concur for its comprehensive feature set.
• How critical is ease of use and quick adoption?
  If your team values an intuitive interface and minimal training time, Expensify and Certify are both strong contenders. SAP Concur offers powerful functionality but may require a more significant onboarding effort.

Final Thoughts

The debate of “expensify vs concur vs certify” highlights that there is no one-size-fits-all solution in expense management. Each platform has distinct strengths that appeal to different organizational needs:

• Expensify is ideal for smaller companies or teams that prioritize a user-friendly, fast, and affordable solution, particularly when the focus is on real-time receipt scanning and simple expense reporting.
• SAP Concur is the choice for large enterprises or multinational companies that need an all-in-one solution combining travel, expenses, and deep integration with existing ERP systems.
• Certify (Emburse Certify) offers a balanced approach that emphasizes automation and ease of use without breaking the bank. Its unified process and pre-approval workflows make it particularly attractive for small to mid-sized businesses looking to streamline expense management while maintaining compliance.

Ultimately, the decision comes down to your company’s specific requirements and operational priorities. It may even be worth taking advantage of free trials and demos offered by these providers, so your team can evaluate which software best aligns with your day-to-day workflows.

Conclusion

In today’s fast-paced business environment, automated expense management is no longer a luxury—it is a necessity. Whether you lean toward the simplicity and affordability of Expensify, the comprehensive and global capabilities of SAP Concur, or the unified and budget-friendly approach of Certify, the right tool will save you time, improve compliance, and provide actionable financial insights.

By assessing your company’s size, travel needs, budgeting constraints, and desired level of customization, you can confidently decide between expensify vs concur vs certify. Each platform uniquely addresses common challenges such as manual data entry, delayed reimbursements, and policy non-compliance—ultimately empowering your finance team to focus on strategy rather than administrative tasks.

Take a moment to review your expense management priorities, get hands-on with demos, and talk to other users through community forums or case studies. Whether it’s Expensify’s rapid receipt capture, SAP Concur’s integrated travel and global reach, or Certify’s cost-effective simplicity, there is a solution out there to modernize your expense management process and drive your business forward.

Happy expense managing!