Concur is built for Fortune 500 compliance. If your team has fewer than 200 people and doesn't need multi-country procurement workflows, you're paying for a fighter jet when you need a pickup truck.
We compared 8 alternatives on pricing, implementation time, total cost of ownership, and features that actually matter for agile teams. Here's what we found.
Why Teams Leave SAP Concur
SAP Concur has been the enterprise standard for expense and travel management for over two decades. It's a serious tool for serious organizations. But a growing number of small and mid-size teams are realizing it was never built for them.
Implementation costs are staggering for smaller teams. A Concur deployment typically costs $50,000 or more just for implementation, before you process a single receipt. That buys consulting time, configuration, training, and integration setup. For a team of 50 people, that's $1,000 per employee before month one. Some mid-size companies report spending $100K–$200K on their initial Concur rollout. And the timeline? Expect 3 to 6 months before your team is live.
The UI hasn't kept pace with modern tools. Concur's interface is functional but widely criticized as dated and slow. Users on G2 and Capterra consistently describe the experience as "clunky," "confusing," and "frustratingly slow." Receipt uploads fail, page loads lag, and the mobile app gets poor ratings. For teams used to modern SaaS products, the learning curve is steep and the daily experience is painful.
Auto-renewing contracts with committed seats create lock-in. Concur contracts typically auto-renew annually with committed user counts and 3–5% annual price increases built in. Downsizing your team doesn't automatically reduce your bill. Canceling mid-contract can trigger early termination fees. Some organizations report needing 6+ months of advance notice to exit.
Support is routed through resellers, not Concur directly. Many mid-market Concur customers are served by third-party partners, not SAP. This adds a layer between your problem and the people who can fix it. Support response times vary widely, and configuration changes often require paid consultant hours.
It's overkill for teams that don't need enterprise compliance. Multi-level approval chains, procurement workflows, global tax compliance engines, travel booking policies — these are powerful features if you need them. But if your team just needs receipts captured, expenses categorized, and reports delivered by Friday, Concur's complexity works against you.
Quick Comparison: 8 Concur Alternatives at a Glance
This table summarizes the key differences. Scroll right on mobile to see all columns.
Alternative
Best For
Starting Price
Team of 10 Cost
Card Required
Setup Time
Key Integrations
ExpenseBot
Agile teams on Google Workspace
$10/user/mo
$100/mo
No
Same day
QuickBooks, Xero, Sage 50, NetSuite, FreshBooks
Expensify
Small teams wanting approval workflows
$5/user/mo (w/ card)
$50–$180/mo
Optional
1–2 days
QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, Sage Intacct
Ramp
Startups wanting free + card controls
Free (w/ Ramp card)
$0 (card req)
Yes
1–3 days
QuickBooks, NetSuite, Xero, Sage Intacct
Brex
VC-backed startups
Free (w/ Brex card)
$0 (card req)
Yes
1–3 days
QuickBooks, NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Workday
Zoho Expense
Budget-conscious teams
Free (3 users)
$30–$40/mo
No
Same day
Zoho Books, QuickBooks
Dext
Accountants & bookkeepers
~$20/user/mo
~$200/mo
No
1–2 days
Xero, QuickBooks, Sage
Navan
Travel-heavy teams
Free (≤15 users)
$0 (card req)
Yes
1–2 weeks
QuickBooks, NetSuite, Xero
SAP Concur
Enterprise (500+)
~$8+/user/mo (custom)
$80–$300+/mo
No
3–6 months
SAP, Oracle, NetSuite
The Real Cost: Team of 10 Comparison
Concur's per-user price looks reasonable on paper. But per-user pricing doesn't tell the full story when implementation, training, and consultant fees are factored in. Here's what a team of 10 actually pays in year one:
Cost Component
SAP Concur
ExpenseBot
Expensify
Ramp
Monthly subscription
$80–$300/mo
$100/mo
$50–$180/mo
$0 (card req)
Annual subscription
$960–$3,600
$1,200
$600–$2,160
$0
Implementation
$50,000–$200,000
$0
$0
$0
Training & consultant fees
$5,000–$20,000/yr
$0
$0
$0
Year 1 Total (team of 10)
$56,000–$224,000
$1,200
$600–$2,160
$0 (card lock-in)
Time to deploy
3–6 months
Same day
1–2 days
1–3 days
For a 10-person team, the TCO gap between Concur and a modern alternative is massive. Even Concur's cheapest configuration costs more in implementation alone than most alternatives charge for an entire year of service.
Concur is built for Fortune 500 compliance. ExpenseBot is built for agile teams that move fast.
Gmail scanning, Google Sheets reports, Plaid reconciliation. Deploy today, not next quarter.
1. ExpenseBot — Best for Agile Teams on Google Workspace
Agile Finance · Gmail · Google Sheets
ExpenseBot is built entirely on Google's ecosystem. It connects to your Gmail and automatically finds receipt emails — scanning up to 6 years of email history overnight. Every receipt is extracted, categorized, and organized in a Google Sheets spreadsheet that lives in your own Google Drive. Not on ExpenseBot's servers. In your Drive.
For teams escaping Concur, the contrast is stark. Where Concur takes 3–6 months to deploy, ExpenseBot is live the same day. Where Concur requires consultant-led training, ExpenseBot uses tools your team already knows: Gmail and Google Sheets. There's no procurement process, no implementation project, no IT department required.
What it does well
Gmail auto-scan finds receipts from up to 6 years back
Forward receipts from multiple email addresses to your ExpenseBot inbox
All data stored in YOUR Google Drive — you own it completely
Everything outputs to Google Sheets — no proprietary formats
Credit card reconciliation via Plaid
CASA Tier 2 certified by Google for security
Exports to QuickBooks, Xero, Sage 50, NetSuite, FreshBooks, Zoho Books, Business Central
No multi-level approval chains — supports expense report submission and review only
No corporate card program
No travel booking or procurement workflows
Requires Google Workspace — not for Microsoft-centric organizations
Newer product with a smaller user base than Concur or Expensify
Pricing: $10/user/month after a 60-day free trial (no credit card required). Freelancers and small teams pay the same flat rate. Accountants and bookkeepers get free unlimited access forever. Volume discounts available for 20+ users.
vs. Concur: Concur is an enterprise platform with enterprise complexity and enterprise costs. ExpenseBot is for agile finance teams that need receipts captured, expenses categorized, and reports in Sheets by Friday. If your team doesn't need procurement workflows and multi-level approval chains, ExpenseBot does the job at a fraction of the cost — and deploys in minutes instead of months.
Best for: Agile teams of 5–100 on Google Workspace that want to deploy today instead of next quarter. Freelancers, small businesses, and accounting firms.
2. Expensify — Best for Small Teams Wanting Approval Workflows
Small Teams · Approval Workflows · SmartScan
Expensify is the most well-known expense tracker for small and mid-size businesses. It offers receipt scanning (SmartScan), approval workflows, corporate card management, and integrations with most accounting software. If you're coming from Concur and want something simpler but still feature-rich, Expensify is a natural consideration.
What it does well
SmartScan receipt scanning with auto-categorization
Multi-level approval workflows and policy enforcement
Corporate card program (Expensify Card) with cash-back rewards
Strong integrations with QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, Sage Intacct
Where it falls short
Pricing has changed multiple times — users report unexpected increases
SmartScan accuracy often requires manual corrections
Free plan requires Expensify Card adoption
Data stored on Expensify's servers, not in your cloud
Pricing: Collect plan: $5/user/month (requires Expensify Card). Control plan: $18/user/month with advanced approval workflows and policy controls. Free plan available for individuals using the Expensify Card.
vs. Concur: Expensify is dramatically simpler and cheaper than Concur for teams under 100. It sets up in hours, not months. However, it shares some of Concur's pricing complexity (multiple tiers, card requirements) and stores your data on its own servers.
Best for: Small to mid-size teams (10–100) that want approval workflows and expense policies without Concur-level complexity.
3. Ramp — Best for Startups Wanting Free + Card Controls
Startups · Corporate Cards · Free Tier
Ramp combines corporate cards, expense management, bill pay, and accounting automation into one platform. Its base plan is genuinely free — but you must use the Ramp corporate card and qualify (minimum $10K/month card spend and $75K in a US bank account). For startups that qualify, it's one of the best values in expense management.
What it does well
Free base plan with unlimited cards and receipt capture
Real-time spend controls and automated policy enforcement
Excellent integrations with QuickBooks, NetSuite, Xero, Sage Intacct
Built-in vendor management and contract negotiation tools
Where it falls short
Requires Ramp corporate card — not free without it
Qualification barrier: $10K/month spend + $75K US bank balance
International availability limited (US, UK, select EU countries)
No email-based receipt scanning
Pricing: Free base plan (requires Ramp card and qualification). Ramp Plus: $15/user/month for procurement and global payment features. Enterprise: custom pricing.
vs. Concur: Ramp is free where Concur costs thousands per month. But both require commitment — Concur to a contract, Ramp to their card. If your team qualifies and is willing to consolidate spending onto one card, Ramp eliminates expense management costs entirely. For teams that can't qualify or already have corporate cards, look elsewhere.
Best for: US-based startups and growing companies that qualify for the Ramp card and want free expense management with real-time spend controls.
4. Brex — Best for VC-Backed Startups
Startups · Venture Capital · Travel
Brex started as a corporate card for startups and has expanded into a full spend management platform covering cards, expenses, travel, and bill pay. Like Ramp, the free tier requires their card. Unlike Ramp, Brex has historically focused on venture-backed startups and now serves mid-market and enterprise companies as well.
What it does well
Free Essentials plan includes cards, travel, expenses, and bill pay
Global card support and multi-entity management
Strong integration with QuickBooks, NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Workday
AI-powered receipt matching and automated expense policies
Where it falls short
Essentials plan requires Brex card (eligibility requires $50K+ in funding or revenue)
Pivoted away from SMBs in 2023 — smaller businesses may not qualify
No email receipt scanning
Data stored on Brex servers
Pricing: Essentials is free (with Brex card and eligibility requirements). Premium is $12/user/month with advanced controls. Enterprise is custom.
vs. Concur: Brex is a modern alternative for funded companies. It's dramatically faster to deploy and easier to use than Concur. However, it's still card-dependent — you're replacing Concur's contract lock-in with Brex's card lock-in. If your team already has corporate cards or can't meet Brex's eligibility, this isn't the right fit.
Best for: VC-backed startups and mid-market companies that want corporate cards bundled with expense and travel management.
5. Zoho Expense — Best for Budget-Conscious Teams
Budget · Zoho Ecosystem · Small Teams
Zoho Expense is the expense management module within Zoho's massive business software ecosystem. If you're already using Zoho Books, Zoho CRM, or Zoho People, adding Zoho Expense is a natural fit. It offers a genuine free plan for up to 3 users — no corporate card required.
What it does well
Free plan for up to 3 users with expense reports and mileage tracking
Standard plan is only $3/user/month — one of the cheapest paid options
Multi-level approval workflows on paid plans
Seamless integration with other Zoho products
Where it falls short
Limited receipt scanning — only 20 scans per user on lower tiers
Best value only if already in the Zoho ecosystem
No email-based receipt scanning
Data stored on Zoho's servers
Pricing: Free for up to 3 users. Standard: $3/user/month (annual). Premium: $5/user/month. Enterprise: $8/user/month. 14-day free trial on paid plans.
vs. Concur: Zoho Expense is the cheapest alternative on this list. For small teams that just need basic expense tracking without Concur's overhead, it's hard to beat $3/user/month. It won't match Concur on compliance features or ERP integrations, but most teams under 50 don't need those.
Best for: Budget-conscious teams already in the Zoho ecosystem, or anyone who needs a genuinely free expense tracker for 3 or fewer users.
6. Dext — Best for Accountants & Bookkeepers
Accountants · Receipt Capture · Xero/QuickBooks
Dext (formerly Receipt Bank, acquired by IRIS Software in December 2024) has been a go-to tool for accounting firms for years. It specializes in capturing receipts and bills, extracting data, and pushing it directly into Xero, QuickBooks, or Sage. If your accountant picked your expense tool, there's a good chance they picked Dext.
What it does well
Purpose-built for accountants with multi-client management
Email forwarding for receipt capture (forward to your Dext email address)
Deep integrations with Xero, QuickBooks, and Sage
Automatic data extraction from receipts, invoices, and bank statements
Where it falls short
Expensive — business plans start around $20/user/month
Add-on charges for bank statements and line-item invoices
Data stored on Dext's servers, not in your cloud
IRIS acquisition creates uncertainty about future direction
Pricing: Business plans start at approximately $20/user/month. Practice plans for accounting firms start at ~$208/month (annual billing) for 10 clients. Add-ons for bank statements and line-item invoices cost extra.
vs. Concur: Dext is simpler and cheaper than Concur, but it's primarily an accountant's tool, not an employee expense management platform. If your accountant is driving the decision, compare Dext with ExpenseBot's free-forever plan for accountants — which includes unlimited clients, AI-powered GL mapping, and no per-client charges.
Best for: Accounting firms and bookkeepers managing multiple clients who need tight Xero or QuickBooks integration.
Your team already uses Gmail and Sheets. ExpenseBot was built for exactly that.
60-day free trial, no credit card required. Data stays in your Google Drive.
Navan (formerly TripActions) combines travel booking and expense management into one platform. If your team travels frequently and you want flight/hotel booking and expense reporting in the same tool, Navan is purpose-built for that. It offers a free plan for teams of 15 or fewer, making it surprisingly accessible for smaller companies.
What it does well
Unified travel booking + expense management in one platform
Free plan for teams of 15 or fewer users
AI-powered receipt scanning and auto-categorization
Corporate card program with built-in spend controls
Strong integrations with QuickBooks, NetSuite, Xero
Where it falls short
Beyond the free tier, pricing is custom and requires a sales conversation
Overkill if your team doesn't travel frequently
Better suited for mid-market and enterprise, not freelancers
Data stored on Navan's servers
Pricing: Free for teams of 15 or fewer users. Beyond that, custom pricing based on company size and travel volume. Contact Navan sales for a quote.
vs. Concur: Navan is the modern competitor to Concur's travel + expense bundle. It's faster to deploy, has a better UI, and the free tier for small teams is genuinely compelling. If you're leaving Concur specifically because of the travel management piece, Navan is worth evaluating. For expense-only needs, it's overbuilt.
Best for: Travel-heavy teams of 15+ that want booking and expense management unified in one modern platform.
8. SAP Concur — When to Stay
Enterprise · Compliance · Global
This is a comparison page, so we'd be dishonest if we didn't acknowledge when Concur is the right choice. If your organization has 200+ employees, operates in multiple countries, needs SOX-compliant audit trails, multi-level approval hierarchies, and deep integration with SAP or Oracle ERP — Concur is purpose-built for that. We're not.
What it does well
Enterprise-grade compliance, audit trails, and policy enforcement
Multi-level approval workflows with delegation and exception handling
Deep integration with SAP, Oracle, and other ERP systems
Global capabilities for multi-country, multi-currency organizations
Travel booking with negotiated corporate rates
Where it falls short
$50K–$200K implementation costs make it prohibitive for smaller teams
3–6 month deployment timeline
UI widely criticized as dated, slow, and confusing
Auto-renewing contracts with committed seats and annual price increases
Support often routed through third-party resellers
Pricing: Standard starts around $8/user/month. Professional and Premium tiers are custom-quoted. Implementation typically costs $50,000–$200,000 for mid-size deployments. Annual consultant and training fees add $5,000–$20,000/year.
The honest take: Enterprise 200+ with global travel policies and multi-country compliance? Concur or Navan are purpose-built for this. ExpenseBot isn't — and we'd rather tell you that than waste your time. But if your team is 5–100 and you want to deploy today instead of next quarter? That's us.
How to Choose the Right Concur Alternative
The right alternative depends on your team size, your workflows, and how quickly you need to be up and running. Here's a quick decision guide:
Agile team of 5–100 on Google Workspace? → ExpenseBot (deploys same day, everything in Google Sheets)
Need approval workflows and policy enforcement? → Expensify (multi-level approvals on Control plan)
Want free + willing to adopt a corporate card? → Ramp or Brex
Budget under $5/user/month? → Zoho Expense
Accounting firm managing clients? → ExpenseBot for Accountants (free forever, unlimited clients) or Dext
Solo freelancer? → ExpenseBot ($10/mo with 60-day trial) or Zoho Expense (free for up to 3 users)
Want your data in YOUR cloud? → ExpenseBot (the only tool where data stays in your Google Drive)
Enterprise 200+ with global travel policies? → Concur or Navan are purpose-built for this. ExpenseBot isn't — and we'd rather tell you that than waste your time.
How to Switch from SAP Concur
Migrating off Concur sounds like a project. It doesn't have to be. Here's the playbook:
1. Export your Concur data
Concur allows CSV exports of expense reports. Go to your reports, select the data range, and export. This gives you a spreadsheet of all your expense data. Receipt images can be downloaded individually or in bulk from the Concur interface.
2. Set up your new tool
Most alternatives deploy in a day or less. ExpenseBot takes about 5 minutes to connect to Gmail and start scanning. Ramp and Brex need card approval (1–3 days). Expensify and Zoho Expense are ready in hours.
3. The Gmail shortcut
Here's something most Concur users don't realize: your email receipts are still in your Gmail. Every Amazon order, hotel confirmation, SaaS invoice, and Uber receipt you've received by email is still sitting in your inbox. Tools like ExpenseBot's Gmail scanner can find and process up to 6 years of receipt emails automatically — no manual migration needed.
4. What to watch out for
Contract timing: Check your Concur auto-renewal date and required notice period. Some contracts need 6+ months advance notice to exit.
Receipt images: Download historical receipt images from Concur before closing your account — they may not be accessible after cancellation.
Category mappings: Your new tool may use different expense categories. Set up custom categories before importing data.
Accounting integrations: Verify your new tool exports to the same accounting software your team uses today.
For Canadian businesses, ExpenseBot also supports T2125 expense tracking with automatic CRA-compliant categorization. Need a ready-made spreadsheet? Try our free expense tracker template for Google Sheets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SAP Concur worth it for small businesses?
For most small businesses, no. Concur is built for enterprises with 500+ employees, complex travel policies, and multi-country compliance requirements. Implementation alone costs $50,000 or more and takes 3–6 months. Small teams (under 100 employees) are better served by tools like ExpenseBot ($10/user/month, deploys in minutes), Expensify, or Zoho Expense.
How much does SAP Concur actually cost?
Concur Standard starts at approximately $8/user/month, but real-world costs are much higher. Most mid-size deployments pay $110,000+ per year when you include implementation fees ($50K–$200K), annual consultant costs ($5K–$20K/year), training, and auto-renewing contracts with committed seat counts. For a team of 10, year-one total cost can exceed $56,000.
Can I export data from Concur?
Yes, Concur allows CSV exports of expense reports. The process can be cumbersome for large datasets. If you switch to ExpenseBot, the Gmail scanner can automatically find your original email receipts going back 6 years — so you may not need to migrate receipt images at all.
What is the cheapest Concur alternative?
Ramp and Brex are free (with their corporate cards). Zoho Expense is free for up to 3 users. Navan is free for teams of 15 or fewer. For paid tools without card requirements, Zoho Expense starts at $3/user/month, and ExpenseBot is $10/user/month with a 60-day free trial. For accountants, ExpenseBot is completely free forever with unlimited clients.
Does ExpenseBot have approval workflows?
ExpenseBot supports expense report submission and review — team members submit reports and managers review and approve them. It does not have multi-level approval chains or procurement workflows like Concur. For agile teams that don't need enterprise-grade approval hierarchies, this simpler model is faster and easier to manage.
Can I use ExpenseBot without a corporate card?
Yes. ExpenseBot works with any payment method — personal cards, business cards, cash, or bank transfers. It captures receipts via Gmail scanning and email forwarding, and offers credit card reconciliation via Plaid. No corporate card program required.
How long does it take to switch from Concur?
Most teams are up and running on ExpenseBot the same day. Export your Concur reports as CSV, connect Gmail for automatic receipt scanning, and link your bank via Plaid for reconciliation. No implementation project, no consultant, no training required.
Does ExpenseBot integrate with QuickBooks and Xero?
Yes. ExpenseBot exports to QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage 50 (.imp format), NetSuite, FreshBooks, Zoho Books, and Microsoft Business Central. Expense data flows from Google Sheets into your accounting software with mapped categories.
What about Concur's travel booking features?
If travel management is a core requirement, Navan (formerly TripActions) combines travel booking and expense management and offers a free tier for small teams. ExpenseBot focuses on expense tracking and receipt management, not travel booking. If your team needs both, consider Navan or pair ExpenseBot with a standalone travel tool.
Is there a free Concur alternative?
Ramp and Brex are free with their corporate cards. Zoho Expense is free for up to 3 users without a card requirement. Navan is free for teams of 15 or fewer. ExpenseBot offers a 60-day free trial, and is free forever for accountants and bookkeepers with unlimited clients.