Brex Competitors

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Arc Team

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Brex pricing overview

Brex positions its pricing as flexible, with a free core offering and paid add-ons depending on how a company uses the platform. At its core, Brex provides corporate cards, expense management, and basic integrations without a monthly subscription fee. Costs tend to surface as companies enable advanced features, scale usage, or add services beyond standard spend management.

Understanding how Brex pricing works requires looking beyond the headline of “free” and reviewing how charges apply as teams grow.

Is Brex really free?

Brex does not charge a standard monthly fee for its core platform. Companies receive access to corporate cards, basic expense tracking, and select integrations at no cost. In practice, Brex monetizes through interchange revenue and paid feature tiers.

Costs typically increase when companies require advanced workflows, deeper accounting controls, or additional products such as bill pay or travel tools. Larger teams with higher spend volume may also see indirect costs tied to usage requirements.

Key points to know:

  • No base subscription for standard accounts
  • Revenue generated through card spend and add-ons
  • Pricing complexity increases as features are added

Brex pricing tiers and add-ons

Brex pricing is structured around modular products rather than a single flat plan. While details may vary by customer, common paid components include:

  • Advanced expense management features
  • Enhanced accounting and ERP integrations
  • Bill pay and vendor management tools
  • Travel and card-related premium services

These add-ons are often priced per user or based on usage, which can make forecasting total cost harder as headcount increases.

Brex requirements that affect cost

Brex pricing is closely tied to eligibility requirements. Many companies must meet minimum cash balance, revenue, or funding criteria to qualify for certain products. This can indirectly increase cost by limiting access for smaller or international teams.

Other factors that influence overall cost include:

  • Required operating accounts or balances
  • Spend thresholds tied to account terms
  • Geographic limitations for card usage

How Brex pricing compares to alternatives

Brex works well for companies centered on US-based corporate card spending. For teams with different financial needs, pricing models can look very different.

For example, JoinArc uses a usage-based pricing approach tied to paying employees and contractors globally. Instead of monetizing card spend, JoinArc pricing reflects payroll, compliance, and cross-border payment activity. This structure often aligns better with companies scaling distributed teams rather than managing vendor expenses.

Brex pricing versus workforce payment platforms

Brex pricing is optimized for spend management, not people payments. Companies paying contractors or employees across countries often need additional tools, which increases overall software costs.

A simplified comparison:

AreaBrexJoinArc
Primary cost driverCard spend and add-onsPayroll and payments usage
Corporate cardsYesNo
Contractor paymentsLimitedYes
Global payrollNoYes
Compliance supportLimitedBuilt-in

What to consider before choosing Brex

Before committing to Brex, teams should review how pricing will scale with their operating model. Card-heavy organizations with US operations may find the free core sufficient for a long time. Companies hiring internationally or paying large contractor networks often need additional platforms, which changes the cost equation.

Evaluating Brex pricing alongside alternatives helps ensure that costs align with how money flows through the business, both now and as the company grows.

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