Pleo alternatives (spend cards and expenses): where to go and how to switch cleanly
Five destinations, one per reason to leave, and a seven-step migration plan.
The short answer: Spendesk if finance wants to approve purchases before they happen and your headcount keeps growing, Payhawk if you run several entities or pay a lot of foreign suppliers, Navan if most of your spend is travel, Rydoo if your reports come from people on the road, Zoho Expense if you want the cheapest way out and can live without built-in cards. One check first: plenty of teams "leave Pleo" when they are really just stuck on Start, the £8 plan with a single admin and no direct reimbursements. We compared the five destinations in this guide and checked their prices in 2026.
Our ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link ever changes a score.
Why teams leave Pleo, and what keeps them
Day to day, Pleo is pleasant: cards arrive fast, receipts are a photo away, and happy reviewers mostly talk about time saved on admin. People leave for other reasons: a bill that grows with every hire, a contract that renews before anyone notices, and slow support when a card gets frozen. Six reasons, all checked in 2026.
Every cardholder is a seat
Pleo charges per user: £8 a month on Start, £14 on Build, £18 on Optimise. Ten people on Build cost £1,680 a year. Twenty-five people cost £4,200 on Build and £5,400 on Optimise. Once half your cardholders only swipe twice a month, a tool with unlimited users or per-active-user pricing starts to look much better.
Fees that aren't in the headline price
On top of seats, Pleo takes 2% FX on foreign-currency card spend on Start, 1.75% on Build and 1.49% on Optimise. Direct reimbursements cost 0.90% of the amount on Build and Optimise. An international bill payment is £8 on Start and £6 after that, and Start charges £1.50 per local payment. If your team pays $3,000 of US software a month on Build, that's roughly $50 a month in FX alone.
An annual contract that renews itself
Start is billed monthly, but Build and Optimise are billed yearly with a three-user minimum. The contract auto-renews, and cancelling takes written notice at least 30 days before the end of the term, sent to cancellation@pleo.io. Miss that window and you're in for another year. Several former customers also report being charged after they cancelled, so watch next month's statement.
Start runs out of room fast
Start has one admin, one vendor card, no approval flows, no mileage and no direct reimbursements. A growing team hits those walls and concludes Pleo is the problem. Sometimes it is. Often Build (15 vendor cards, reimbursements at 0.90%) would do. Price Build against the real cost of moving before you decide.
Your accounting software may not be on the list
Pleo names Xero and NetSuite among its integrations and says it connects to more than 20 accounting systems, without listing them all. If your bookkeeper runs something that isn't named, you export a file and clean it up every month. That's the exact chore a spend tool is supposed to remove.
Support that feels slow when things break
On review sites Pleo holds a decent average, but roughly one review in six is one star. The complaints repeat: cards frozen for weeks after a fraud alert, canned replies, accounts that are hard to close, receipt matching that misfires. The positive reviews talk about time saved. If your team needs its cards to do the job (travel, site purchases), a card blocked for a month costs more than a seat.
You're leaving because… go to…
The right Pleo alternative depends on what's pushing you out. Usually only one line applies. Each card jumps to the full profile below.
Unlimited users, no monthly card fees, quote-based.
You run several entities or pay foreign suppliersPayhawkCards, expenses and bills entity by entity, 0.3% FX on supplier payments.
Most of your spend is travelNavanBooking and expenses in one app, free for 5 users.
Your reports come from people on the roadRydooPer diems, mileage, and you pay for active users only.
You want the cheapest way outZoho ExpenseFree for 3 users, then $3 per user a month.
You only miss approvals and reimbursementsStay on Pleo, move to BuildStart has neither; Build has both.
Pleo alternatives, tool by tool
For each tool: why move to it, who it's for, its catch, how to migrate from Pleo, and what it costs. Scores match our other spend management pages. Prices are the ones each vendor shows in 2026, in the currency it shows them.
Spendesk: when finance wants to approve before anyone spends
ApprovalsWhy move to Spendesk. Pleo is built so employees spend fast and justify later. Spendesk starts at the other end: a purchase request, approval from the right budget owner, then the card. For a mid-size company where finance wants to see spend before it happens, it's the biggest change of logic on this list. And the bill doesn't grow with headcount: users are unlimited and cards carry no monthly fee, so adding an intern doesn't change anything.
Who it's for. European mid-size companies, from a few dozen to a few hundred people, with someone dedicated to finance.
Who it's not for. A five-person team: the quote, the setup and the modules are sized for bigger companies.
The catch. No public price. Spendesk quotes a fixed subscription plus variable fees based on volume, on a base plan with add-on modules (procurement, supplier invoices, advanced workflows, multi-entity). Low prices you'll find on blogs don't match the official page. Ask for a quote with your real transaction volume and only the modules you'll use.
How to migrate from Pleo. Start with accounting: map Pleo's categories to your chart of accounts in Spendesk, with VAT codes and tracking categories, then replay a month of spend before issuing cards. Move the subscriptions paid by Pleo vendor cards to Spendesk virtual cards one at a time.
- Score
- 4.2 / 5
- Price
- quote-based, unlimited users
- Best for
- European mid-size companies
- Catch
- no public price
Payhawk: for groups with several entities
Multi-entityWhy move to Payhawk. If you're looking past Pleo because your group has a UK company, a Spanish one and a German one, Payhawk is built for that: cards, expenses and supplier payments on one platform, entity by entity. Foreign-currency supplier payments carry 0.3% FX, far below the 1.49% to 2% Pleo charges on card spend.
Who it's for. Groups with UK and European entities, and finance teams paying many foreign suppliers.
Who it's not for. A freelancer or a team of three: outside the entry programme, everything is quote-only and sized for bigger structures.
The catch. The only public price is the Growth programme: £149 a month, for a single UK or EEA entity under 20 employees, with 10 cards. Above that, you're on a quote.
How to migrate from Pleo. Use the trial to set up one entity and replay a month of Pleo spend from an export. You'll see quickly whether your categories, cost centres and VAT codes hold. Add the other entities once the first one is stable.
- Score
- 4.1 / 5
- Price
- Growth £149 a month, otherwise quote
- Best for
- multi-entity groups
- Catch
- quote past the Growth programme
Navan: when most of your spend is travel
TravelWhy move to Navan. Pleo is card-first. Navan is travel-first: people book flights and hotels in the same app that reconciles the spend, so a trip produces its own expense report. Travel booking is free up to 300 employees, and Navan Expense can connect cards you already hold, so you aren't forced into a new card programme on day one.
Who it's for. Sales teams, consultancies and field teams whose budget goes mostly on the road.
Who it's not for. A company whose spend is mostly software subscriptions and ad budgets: a card-first tool handles that better.
The catch. Expense is free for 5 users, then $15 per user per month, billed in dollars. Past a small team, that's more per head than Pleo Build.
How to migrate from Pleo. Start with travel only. Keep Pleo cards for subscriptions, run one travel cycle through Navan, then decide whether to move the cards too. If you do, cancel Pleo before its renewal date, not after.
- Score
- 4.2 / 5
- Price
- 5 users free, then $15 per user per month
- Best for
- teams that travel
- Catch
- per-user cost past 5 users
Rydoo: for expense reports from people on the move
Field teamsWhy move to Rydoo. Pleo's Start plan doesn't do mileage. Rydoo, a Belgian vendor, is built for teams that drive and travel: receipt capture, per diems, mileage and manager approval. And you pay for users who actually submit in a given month, where Pleo bills every seat you've created.
Who it's for. Companies with sales reps, consultants or field technicians on the move.
Who it's not for. A solo user: Rydoo has a five-user minimum, $540 a year at the lowest.
The catch. Larger plans are quote-only, and Rydoo is an expense tool first. If every employee needs a company card, you'll pair it with your bank's cards or a card issuer.
How to migrate from Pleo. Set up categories and approval rules before inviting anyone, close open expenses in Pleo, export them, then move the whole team on the same day so you never run two approval flows side by side.
- Score
- 4.3 / 5
- Price
- from $540/year (5 users)
- Best for
- teams that travel
- Catch
- 5-user minimum
Zoho Expense: the cheapest way out
BudgetWhy move to Zoho Expense. Some Pleo customers barely use the card. What they want is receipts captured and a clean export for the accountant. Paying a card platform for that is waste. Zoho Expense's free plan covers three users, Standard is $3 per user a month billed annually and Premium is $5. Ten people on Standard pay about $360 a year, against £1,680 on Pleo Build.
Who it's for. Small teams on a tight budget, and anyone already on Zoho Books or Zoho CRM.
Who it's not for. A company that wants corporate cards built in: Zoho Expense handles reimbursements, not card issuing.
The catch. Free stops hard at three users: the fourth person moves the whole team to paid. And it's billed in dollars.
How to migrate from Pleo. Rebuild your categories and policies, invite your first users, and keep your Pleo export as an archive. Warn the team: without cards, people front the money and claim it back.
- Score
- 4.0 / 5
- Free
- up to 3 users
- Paid
- Standard $3/user/mo annually
- Catch
- no built-in cards
Pleo and its 5 alternatives side by side
Our default picks: Spendesk for a growing company with a finance team, Zoho Expense for a small team that only needs expenses. For scale, take ten cardholders: Pleo Build costs £1,680 a year before fees; Zoho Expense Standard about $360 a year, without cards; Rydoo Essentials starts at $540 a year for five users. Spendesk and Payhawk beyond Growth are quote-based: ask with these numbers in hand.
| Starting price | Who it fits, and the catch | |
|---|---|---|
| PleoWhere you're starting | Start £8 per user per month; Build £14, Optimise £18 billed yearly | Smaller teams, public price; 1.49% to 2% card FX, 30-day notice |
| SpendeskApprovals | Quote, unlimited users | European mid-size companies; no public price |
| PayhawkMulti-entity | Growth £149 a month, otherwise quote | Groups; Growth limited to under 20 employees |
| NavanTravel | 5 users free, then $15 per user | Teams on the road; per-user cost grows fast |
| RydooField teams | From $540 a year (5 users) | Per diems and mileage; 5-user minimum |
| Zoho ExpenseBudget | Free up to 3 users; Standard $3 per user | Small teams; no built-in cards |
Starting prices before tax as shown by each vendor in 2026, subject to change. Always check against your real number of cardholders.
Migrate from Pleo in seven steps
Order matters. Each step protects something: your notice window, the subscriptions paid by card, your receipts, and the VAT you reclaim.
Find your Pleo renewal date
FirstOn Build and Optimise the contract is annual and renews itself. Find the anniversary date, subtract 30 days: that's your deadline for written notice to cancellation@pleo.io. Put a reminder two weeks before it.
On Start you're billed monthly, so you have more room, but still read your contract terms before you start moving things.
- Notice
- 30 days before term end
- If you rush it
- another full year
Choose based on your accounting software
DecisiveTalk to your bookkeeper before any sales demo. Ask which ledger they use (Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, NetSuite) and how they want entries coded. The destination needs a native integration with that ledger, not just a CSV export.
This is the filter that rules tools out fastest. Ask each vendor to show the export into your own ledger, with your own VAT codes.
- Time
- one call
- If you rush it
- monthly re-keying
List every subscription paid by card
Pleo vendor cards (one on Start, 15 on Build, 50 on Optimise) pay for your software, ads and subscriptions. List each supplier, its amount, its billing date and the card it sits on. Add employee cards used for recurring payments.
Any subscription you miss will fail the day the Pleo card is switched off, and some services cut access on the first declined payment.
- If you rush it
- a service goes dark
Export expenses and receipts
ArchiveBefore you cancel, export your expenses and receipts and store them outside Pleo. Your record-keeping duties don't end with the contract. Check every expense has its receipt: missing ones are easier to chase while people still remember the purchase.
Keep paper originals until your new tool's digital records are confirmed acceptable by your accountant.
- Time
- half a day
- If you rush it
- lost receipts
Run a pilot with a few cardholders
Open the new tool to three or four heavy spenders: a salesperson, a buyer, whoever manages subscriptions. Run one or two month-end closes in parallel. You'll check categories, VAT codes and receipt capture on real spend.
Automatic receipt reading doesn't guarantee the VAT is reclaimable: your accountant should sign off the receipt format.
- Time
- one to two months
Move subscriptions, then cards
CriticalCreate one virtual card per supplier in the new tool and change the payment method with each supplier, one by one, ticking your list. Then hand out employee cards with limits matching what they had on Pleo.
Leave Pleo cards live for a week after the switch, then freeze them. A payment still hitting Pleo flags a subscription you missed.
- If you rush it
- double charges or declines
Cancel in writing, then check the next statement
Email your cancellation to cancellation@pleo.io inside the window, keep the confirmation, and withdraw any balance left on your Pleo wallet. Next month, check your bank statement: several former customers say they were charged after leaving.
A charge after cancellation is easier to dispute with the dated email in hand.
- Address
- cancellation@pleo.io
- Check
- next month's statement
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
What makes a Pleo switch go wrong
The same mistakes show up from one switch to the next. None of them is technical: they're calendar, accounting or subscription slips, and each one costs more than the time it would have taken to avoid it.
Missing the notice window
Thirty days before the term ends sounds like plenty until you learn the rule at day twenty. The result: a year of seats for the whole team. Note the date the day you start comparing, not the day you've picked a tool.
Leaving when a different plan would do
If what you miss is approvals, direct reimbursements or more vendor cards, Build has them. Price a year of Build against the real cost of a move (setup time, pilot, training) before you decide.
Comparing seat prices instead of total cost
Pleo bills per user, Rydoo per active user, Spendesk on a quote with volume fees. Add up seats, FX, reimbursements and supplier payments over twelve months of your real spend. Our rankings of expense management software and tools for small businesses lay out the price grids.
Forgetting a subscription on a card
The day the Pleo card goes off, a tool or an ad campaign stops. A supplier-by-supplier list, ticked off during the switch, closes that gap.
Assuming receipt capture covers VAT
A receipt read by OCR isn't automatically a valid VAT invoice. Have your accountant check the receipt format during the pilot, and keep originals until digital records are confirmed acceptable.
Ignoring what's plugged into Pleo
If an automation reads your Pleo spend, it breaks on switch day. List those connections, as our Pleo Zapier integration page shows. And if you also need a business account, see our best business bank ranking. Coming from Ramp or Expensify instead? Our guides to switching from Ramp and switching from Expensify follow the same plan.
- Pleo renewal date noted, 30-day notice in the calendar
- Bookkeeper's ledger confirmed, native integration checked
- Every card-paid subscription listed, supplier by supplier
- Expenses and receipts exported and stored outside Pleo
- One-to-two-month pilot with three or four cardholders
- Receipt format signed off for VAT
- Virtual cards created and subscriptions moved one by one
- Cancellation sent to cancellation@pleo.io, confirmation kept, next statement checked
Pleo alternatives: frequently asked questions
Is Pleo free?
No. The entry plan, Start, costs £8 per user per month, billed monthly, with a single admin. The old free tier for three users that some sites still mention is gone in 2026. If you want something close to free, Zoho Expense is free for up to three users, without cards.
Is Pleo a bank? Does it give you a sort code and account number?
No. Pleo is a spend management tool: it issues cards and collects receipts, and you top it up from your business bank account. If you want a business account with cards built in, look at our best business bank ranking.
Spendesk or Pleo: which should you pick?
Pleo if your team is small and wants cards that work on day one, with a public price. Spendesk if finance wants to approve purchases before they happen, or if headcount grows fast: its users are unlimited, on a quote.
How do you cancel a Pleo subscription?
In writing, to cancellation@pleo.io, at least 30 days before your term ends. On Build and Optimise the contract is yearly and renews itself, so an email sent late rolls you into another year. Keep the confirmation and check the next statement.
What's the best Pleo alternative for a sole trader?
Zoho Expense if you only need receipts and reports: free for one to three users. Pleo Start still works on your own, but without direct reimbursements or approvals, and with 2% FX on foreign spend.
Which Pleo alternative is best for multiple companies?
Payhawk: cards, expenses and supplier payments run entity by entity, and supplier payments in other currencies carry 0.3% FX. Its public Growth price, £149 a month, covers a single entity under 20 employees, so a group will be on a quote.
Does any Pleo alternative offer cashback?
At Pleo, cashback is limited to the Optimise plan, at £18 per user, for eligible customers. Before moving for cashback, run the numbers: on a small team it rarely covers the seat gap with Build. None of the tools on this page sells itself on cashback.
How long does a switch from Pleo take?
Allow one to two months in total: a few days for inventory and export, one or two month-end closes as a pilot, then a day to move subscriptions. The one fixed delay is the 30-day notice, so start at least three months before your renewal.
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