A business with 250 employees might have 40 people claiming expenses in a typical month, 25 company cardholders and a small finance team approving both.
Another business of the same size might have nearly everyone travelling.
The right expense or spend management platform depends on those patterns more than the headcount alone.
This guide compares eight tools that mid-market businesses should consider. It covers their strengths, weaknesses, and why specifically they could be the right fit for businesses with around 100-500 employees.
At a Glance
Our platform, ExpenseOnDemand, is purpose-built for the mid-market. We’re worth considering if you want highly configurable controls without requiring a change to your existing bank or card setup.
Webexpenses and Rydoo are also strong starting points for teams whose main problem is submitting, approving and reconciling employee expenses.
Pleo and Soldo make particular sense when issuing and controlling company cards is central to the brief.
Payhawk is aimed at a broader programme spanning cards, invoices, procurement and travel; SAP Concur is a candidate when travel and expense processes are closely linked although generally more suited to larger ends of the mid-market bracket.
Expensify gives buyers another route from straightforward claims to more controlled expense workflows, but the pricing rules deserve close attention.
Expense and Spend Management Tools for Mid-market: Comparison
| Tool |
Fit |
Pricing |
Rating |
| ExpenseOnDemand |
Mixed claim frequency and configurable policies, multi-entity and multi-currency |
Premium £7.35 per active user/month annually |
4.5 on G2
4.6 on Gartner
Highest rated on Gartner for Willingness to Recommend, Integrations and for businesses $50m–$1B |
| Webexpenses |
Structured employee claims and approvals |
From £7.50 per active user/month |
4.3 on G2
4.4 on Gartner |
| Rydoo |
Expenses across locations and entities |
Essentials £8 and Pro £10 per user/month annually |
4.4 on G2
4.6 on Gartner |
| Pleo |
Company cards and everyday team spending |
Build £14 and Optimise £18 per user/month annually |
4.7 on G2
4.5 on Gartner |
| Soldo |
Wallets, company cards and delegated spending |
Plus from £39/month for three users |
4.5 on G2 |
| Payhawk |
Cards, expenses, AP and procurement together |
Tailored quote by module, usage and add-ons |
4.5 on G2 |
| Expensify |
Claims with optional higher-control workflows |
Collect £5 per unique member/month; Control from £14 on annual commitment |
4.5 on G2
4.3 on Gartner |
| SAP Concur |
Connected travel, expense and invoice processes |
Quote based on solution and usage |
4.0 on G2
4.2 on Gartner |
The Eight Best Expense Management Tools for Mid-Market in Detail
How to Choose Expense Management for a 100 to 500 Employee Business
Start with the spending pattern
If most employees claim only a few times a year, look closely at who triggers a bill and whether approvers and administrators count. If staff regularly buy on behalf of the business, evaluate card controls, receipt follow-up, merchant limits and reconciliation. If purchase requests and invoices are substantial, include those workflows in the brief from the outset.
Test your policy in a demonstration
Give each vendor the same three examples: a mileage claim; a card purchase that exceeds a department budget; and a receipt that needs coding to a project and approval by two people. Ask them to show the employee, manager and Finance views, followed by the export into your accounting system. This reveals more than a long feature checklist.
Request comparable quotes
For illustration, a 250-person company might have 60 monthly claimants, 30 cardholders, 12 regular approvers and two legal entities.
Give those counts (or those relevant to your business) to every expense management software provider, together with your monthly claim, invoice and transaction volumes (if you have this data). Ask each one to identify its billing unit, minimum commitment, implementation cost, required tier, integrations, card or payment fees, and the price if activity rises.
For example, 60 claimants does not automatically mean 60 paid users across all products. Some platforms distinguish active from subscribed users, and some charge for actions beyond submitting a claim.
Why company size alone does not tell you the cost
Between 100 and 500 employees, finance teams often need more than receipt scanning.
Claims may pass through line managers, budget owners and Finance; the business may use different policies for grades, projects or locations; and card spend may need reconciling alongside personal reimbursements.
A system that works for five frequent claimants can behave very differently when hundreds of people need occasional access.
Start by counting four things:
- Employees who may need access
- People who actually submit or approve something each month
- Cardholders
- Legal entities.
Then list the workflows you must support, including:
- Out-of-pocket claims
- Mileage
- Tax codes
- Supplier invoices
- Travel
- Project budgets
- Accounting or ERP system.
Those inputs make quotes much more comparable than an advertised entry price.
The right shortlist depends on your finance process
For a claims-led operation, begin with ExpenseOnDemand, Webexpenses and Rydoo, then assess Expensify against your required controls.
For card-led spending, put Pleo and Soldo through the same scenarios.
If you also need a coordinated programme for bills, purchasing or travel, add Payhawk and SAP Concur to the evaluation.
The strongest choice is the one that handles your real approval, reconciliation and reporting work at a cost that holds up as usage changes.
If your team has a mix of occasional claimants, complex policies and existing card or accounting arrangements, see how ExpenseOnDemand would handle your current process in a tailored demo.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need to replace our company cards?
No single answer fits every tool. Some products centre the workflow on issuing their cards, while others support existing card feeds or a card agnostic setup, such as ExpenseOnDemand. If keeping your bank or card programme matters, speak to our team.
Does every employee need a paid licence?
Not necessarily. It depends on who needs access, the actions that count toward billing and whether you commit to a number of seats. Map claimants, approvers, finance administrators and cardholders separately, then ask each provider for its billing definition in writing.
Should expense management and accounts payable be bought together?
Only if the combined workflow solves a real problem. Employee reimbursements and supplier invoices have different capture, approval and payment steps. A unified platform may improve visibility, but ask what is included in the quoted tier and whether the AP process is native, an add-on or a separate product.
What is the most useful pricing comparison?
Compare a 12-month cost for your likely activity and a busier scenario, with tax and transaction fees stated separately. Include implementation, card and payment charges, integrations and any committed minimum.
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