The Best Expensify Alternatives for Canadian Finance Teams

You’re not alone if you’re a finance leader fed up with Expensify. Maybe you’ve already started scanning online threads, Slack groups or finance forums looking for better options—anything that doesn’t leave you chasing down support tickets, battling sync issues or dodging aggressive purchasing card pitches. 

We hear you. 

Too often, expense management tools promise automation and simplicity, but deliver friction, confusion and bloated workflows. You want something that just works—intuitive, reliable and built with Canadian finance teams in mind. Instead, you’re spending hours untangling what should be a five-minute task.

This guide is for you.

We’ve pulled together insights from real finance leaders, sourced from community conversations and hands-on experience. It’s a practical overview of what’s out there, what to watch out for and which Expensify alternatives are truly delivering value—especially for Canadian businesses. If you want, you can jump right to the comparison here. 

(Spoiler alert: Float is leading the pack.)

Why finance leaders are replacing Expensify with alternatives

Expensify made a name for itself as an early leader in expense management, promising automation, simplicity and a sleek mobile experience. And it worked. For a while.

But more and more finance teams—especially in Canada—are searching for the best Expensify alternatives. A tool that once felt like the future now feels stuck in the past, leaving users frustrated. And there are some major common frustrations among users. 

1. Opaque (and increasingly frustrating) pricing 

“[The] subscription is hard to cancel and then they add on extra fees at [the] end.”

– Reddit user

Surprise charges, shifting contract terms and aggressive upselling have left many finance leaders looking for a more transparent Expensify competitor. Billing changes mid-contract, limited visibility into costs and forced bundling of products like corporate cards are common complaints.

2. Outdated user experience 

“[Expensify has] an automated ‘concierge’ system that tries to auto-submit everything and makes it harder to manage expense report[s] than it should be.”

– Reddit user

Finance teams often describe Expensify’s platform as clunky, confusing and overloaded with unnecessary automation. Instead of speeding things up, workflows become tangled. App navigation feels dated, and features don’t evolve to meet modern team needs.

3. Inconsistent customer support 

“…we have started having endless sync issues and their support team has basically given up on us after hours and hours of back and forth.”

– Reddit user

Long response times, support loops and limited resolution pathways leave Canadian teams feeling like second-class users. With support teams based in other time zones and a heavy reliance on bots, the ability to get timely help is often lacking.

4. Challenging onboarding for new users 

“The setup process was virtually non-existent for someone inexperienced with previous expense reporting software.”

– G2 Reviewer

For small teams, especially those without prior experience in expense management tools, the onboarding experience can feel overwhelming. The lack of intuitive guidance can lead to confusion, rework and unnecessary back-and-forth, all of which represent wasted time and effort that teams can’t afford to lose. 

4 things to look for in an Expensify altnerative

If you’re shopping for an Expensify replacement or even just starting your research on expense management software, great news: better options exist. But not all platforms are created equal. Here are four must-have features every modern finance team should demand in the best Expensify alternative.

1. Ease of use (for everyone)

Your team won’t use what they can’t understand. And this isn’t just frustrating—it can lead to real loss for the company and for employees who face long cash flow issues. A great software and a clear, modern expense policy can resolve these issues. 

The right tool is intuitive, user-friendly and eliminates manual headaches. A clean user interface, easy onboarding and low learning curve help increase adoption. This is especially important for teams with distributed or hybrid work models.

2. Corporate card integration

You should be able to easily issue and manage company cards—in CAD and USD—and sync seamlessly with accounting tools like QuickBooks, Xero and NetSuite. 

Look for tools that let you control spending in real time, assign cards to users instantly, and offer built-in safeguards for compliance and accountability.

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3. Automation and visibility

Modern tools automate expense categorization, flag policy violations and simplify approval flows.

Finance leaders need real-time dashboards that break down spend by team, department and project. This gives you the power to identify trends and make data-backed decisions.

4. Support that actually supports

You deserve fast, responsive help from real humans who understand your business. This is especially critical when you’re dealing with tax rules, banks, and tools unique to Canada. 

Prioritize platforms that offer dedicated customer success and live chat with real experts during Canadian business hours. The best tools won’t just help you track expenses—they’ll help you grow confidently.

So, which Expensify alternatives are actually doing it better?

There’s no shortage of Expensify competitors on the market. Each one brings something different to the table—whether it’s automation, card integration, or accounting software compatibility. Ultimately, it’s up to you as the finance leader to choose the right fit for your team.

Canadian SMBs face unique challenges that many US-centric platforms overlook. For example, you need to issue and manage corporate cards in CAD, handle FX conversions smoothly, and track GST/HST accurately—taxes that vary by province and require CRA-compliant reporting. Float is built to handle all of that, right out of the box. With most other tools, these become an endless loop of support calls and emails that never go anywhere.

Curious how Float stacks up against the competition? Our side-by-side breakdown highlights the key differences in Float vs. Expensify, along with other leading tools.

Platform	Specialization / strengths	How it compares to Expensify	Key features/value areas	Why Float wins
Float	All-in-one spend management platform for Canadian SMBs. Corporate cards, expense management, AP.	More modern, intuitive and built specifically for Canadian businesses.	✅ Canadian localization ✅ Real-time expense tracking ✅ Fast onboarding ✅ High-limit cards ✅ Transparent, CAD-first pricing Key features for spenders: – User-friendly mobile app – Receipt intake AI/OCR – Direct payout in CAD and USD	🇨🇦 Tailored for Canada: bank integrations, GST/HST support, local customer service. All-in-one, easy to use and designed to scale with your team.
SAP Concur	Enterprise-grade T&E, expense, invoice and travel booking platform.	Feature-rich, but heavy, expensive, and slow to implement—especially for SMBs.	⚠️ Complex setup ✅ Expense tracking ✅ Invoice workflows ⚠️ US-centric banking + tax support	Float offers a more agile, cost-effective and localized alternative. Ideal for Canadian SMBs who don’t need a heavy-duty enterprise system.
Zoho	Affordable, simple expense tracking as part of the Zoho Suite.	Simpler than Expensify, but lacks deep Canadian financial localization.	⚠️ Light on Canadian banking/tax ✅ Basic expense tracking ⚠️ No card issuing or deep approval flows	Float includes powerful features Zoho lacks—like corporate cards and real-time visibility.
Navan	Travel-heavy T&E platform with integrated bookings and expense automation.	Offers broader travel tools but less relevant for companies not travel-heavy.	⚠️ Weak Canadian focus ✅ Policy enforcement ✅ T&E tracking ⚠️ Complex implementation	Float provides a broader solution for spend—not just T&E—and is purpose-built for Canadian SMBs who need flexibility across all categories.
Airbase	Full spend control for US businesses: cards, AP automation, accounting sync.	Powerful but optimized for US finance teams and accounting systems.	⚠️ No Canadian tax localization ✅ Expense + AP tools ⚠️ US integrations only	Float matches Airbase in feature set—but adds local compliance and bank support critical to Canadian teams.

Canadian-based? Start with Float

If you’re a Canadian business searching for the best Expensify alternative, start with Float. Purpose-built for Canadian companies, it’s designed to simplify your expense management—without the complexity, hidden fees or inflexible workflows.

Not sure yet? Take the tools for a spin. Book demos, take advantage of free trials and get hands-on with the platforms that catch your eye. We’re confident that once you try Float, you’ll see the difference—especially when it comes to Float vs. Expensify.. Say hello to faster onboarding, local support and features that actually scale with your team.

Learn more about Float

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And don’t forget to tap into the wisdom of other businesses in the same spot as you. Reddit threads, finance forums and Slack groups are gold mines for honest, unfiltered insights. Ask around. Learn what others love (and hate) about the tools they’ve tried. It’s one of the fastest ways to get a real-world sense of what will work best for your business.

Bottom line: expense management should work for you, not the other way around. Let’s make it easier, smarter and Canadian.

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