Zoho Expense Review
by Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd.
Zoho Expense is expense and travel management software from Zoho with a US edition. It scans receipts with AI, applies policies, routes approvals and tracks mileage by GPS.
- Company size
- Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises
- Pricing model
- Per user
- Free trial
- Yes
Best for
- Small businesses that want policies, card feeds and reimbursements for a few dollars per user
- Very small teams that want a free plan with mileage and accounting sync
- US companies that need GSA compliant per diem and travel booking in one tool (Premium)
Not ideal for
- Companies on NetSuite or Sage Intacct that want a connector included in the plan price
- Teams that scan a very high volume of receipts per person on Standard
How we evaluated Zoho Expense
This review rests on 21 facts checked against Zoho Expense’s official pricing pages and documentation, most recently on . We did not test the product hands-on: the score and the pros and cons use only those verified facts, as our methodology explains, and third-party ratings are quoted, never scored.
Our verdict
Zoho Expense is expense and travel software with paid plans from $3 per user a month billed yearly. Standard adds corporate card feeds, multiple policies, direct bank reimbursements and single sign-on to a free plan that already scans receipts, tracks mileage by GPS and syncs to accounting. Premium adds travel booking, GSA per diem and multi-entity expenses for $5. ERP and HRMS connectors are a paid add-on, and receipt scans are capped per user each month.
Strengths
Low per-user price
Standard is $3 and Premium $5 per user a month billed yearly ($4 and $6 billed monthly).
Useful free plan
Up to 3 users get receipt OCR, GPS mileage, multi-currency expenses and accounting integrations at no cost.
Evidence: Free plan: Yes
Automatic mileage
The app tracks drives automatically and turns them into expenses with a swipe.
Evidence: Mileage and per diem: Yes
Audited platform
Zoho's SOC 2 + HIPAA Type 2 report lists Zoho Expense in its scope.
Evidence: SOC 2 Type II: Yes
Weaknesses
ERP connectors cost extra
ERP and HRMS integrations are an add-on, and the Jumpstart setup service starts at $500 a year.
Evidence: Extra costs: Travel self-booking add-on at $9.99 per trip, Premium Support from $490 a year, Jumpstart onboarding with ERP, HRMS or accounting integration setup from $500 a year, ERP and HRMS integrations are an add-on on Standard, Receipt scans capped per user a month (200 on Standard, 1,000 on Premium)
Receipt scan limits
Autoscan is capped at 20 receipts per user a month on Free, 200 on Standard and 1,000 on Premium; beyond that, expenses are entered by hand.
Evidence: Extra costs: Travel self-booking add-on at $9.99 per trip, Premium Support from $490 a year, Jumpstart onboarding with ERP, HRMS or accounting integration setup from $500 a year, ERP and HRMS integrations are an add-on on Standard, Receipt scans capped per user a month (200 on Standard, 1,000 on Premium)
Price at a glance
Starting price per user
$3/user/mo
Pricing model
Per user
Price transparency
Published
Free trial
Yes
Free plan
Yes
Contract term
Monthly
Zoho Expense cost at 10 to 100 users
- Standard$3/user/mo
- Premium$5/user/mo
| Users | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $30/mo | $50/mo |
| 25 | $75/mo | $125/mo |
| 50 | $150/mo | $250/mo |
| 100 | $300/mo | $500/mo |
Monthly list price before discounts, add-ons and taxes, from the published price model of each plan.
Quick answers
- How much does Zoho Expense cost?
- Free for up to 3 users; Standard is $3 and Premium $5 per user a month billed yearly, or $4 and $6 billed monthly.
- Is Zoho Expense free?
- Yes, for up to 3 users, with 20 receipt scans per user a month, GPS mileage and accounting integrations.Based on Free plan: Yes
- Is there a free trial of Zoho Expense?
- Yes, 14 days with every feature and no credit card.Based on Free trial: Yes
- Does Zoho Expense integrate with QuickBooks?
- Yes, with QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop, as well as Xero, Sage Accounting and Zoho Books.Based on Notable integrations: QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, Xero, Sage Accounting, Zoho Books, Uber for Business, Lyft, Zoho Flow (1000+ apps)
Coverage of core expense management capabilities
Each core capability we evaluate in Expense Management, checked against Zoho Expense’s own documentation. “Not verified yet” means we have not confirmed it either way, not that it is missing.
10 verified of 10 core capabilities
Expense Management
- Receipt capture
- Expense reports
- Policy enforcement
- Approval workflows
- Company card reconciliation
- Mileage and per diem
- Reimbursement payments
- Accounting and ERP sync
- Multi-currency and multi-entity
- Audit trail
Specifications
Product
- Modules
- Expense management, Corporate travel, Corporate cards, Per diem, Mileage tracking, Cash advances
- Mobile apps
- iOS, Android
- AI features
- Agentic AI expense reporting and approval, Zia AI assistant and insights dashboard, AI expense audit for fraud and alcohol
Integrations
- Open API
- Yes
Support
- Support channels
- Email, phone (Standard and Premium), Premium Support add-on with a dedicated relationship manager
Zoho Expense integrations
Native integrations
Zoho Expense integration coverage
The 7 apps that expense management products document most often, and whether Zoho Expense documents each.
3 of the 7 most-connected apps documented by Zoho Expense; median of the 9 products compared: 3
- QuickBooks · documented by 8 of 9
- NetSuite · documented by 7 of 9
- Xero · documented by 7 of 9
- Sage Intacct · documented by 4 of 9
- Sage · documented by 2 of 9
- Slack · documented by 2 of 9
- Workday · documented by 2 of 9
Integrations each vendor documents (native, marketplace, Zapier or API), 9 live expense management products. Not documented does not mean not possible.
Where it ranks
- #2 of 8 scoredExpense Management
- #2 of 7 scoredExpense Management for Enterprises
- #1 of 8 scoredExpense Management for Mid-Sized Companies
- #1 of 8 scoredExpense Management for Small Business
Zoho Expense alternatives
Security and compliance
- SOC 2 Type IIYes
- ISO 27001Yes
- GDPR programYes
- Single sign-onYes
About Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd.
- Founded
- 1996
- Ownership
- Private
Official profiles
Zoho Expense: frequently asked questions
Does Zoho Expense track mileage?
Yes. The mobile app logs drives automatically by GPS on every plan, including Free.
Is Zoho Expense secure?
Zoho holds SOC 2 Type 2 and SOC 2 + HIPAA Type 2 reports that cover Zoho Expense, and the product is GDPR compliant.
What is Zoho Expense used for?
Zoho Expense is an expense management product built for small businesses, mid-market companies, and enterprises. Its modules include Expense management, Corporate travel, Corporate cards, Per diem, and 2 more.
Is Zoho Expense legit?
Zoho Expense is sold by Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd., which was founded in 1996 and is privately held. Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. states that it holds a current SOC 2 Type II report.
What are the best alternatives to Zoho Expense?
In our expense management ranking, the highest-scored products other than Zoho Expense are Ramp, Expensify, and BILL Spend & Expense. Compared side by side, by reason to switch: Zoho Expense alternatives.
What are the pros and cons of Zoho Expense?
Strengths documented on the vendor’s own pages: low per-user price, useful free plan, and automatic mileage. It is less suited to companies on NetSuite or Sage Intacct that want a connector included in the plan price and teams that scan a very high volume of receipts per person on Standard.
Does Zoho Expense have an API?
Yes. Zoho Expense offers an open API to customers.
Does Zoho Expense have a mobile app?
Yes. Zoho Expense lists mobile apps: iOS, Android.
Is Zoho Expense good for small businesses?
Zoho Expense lists small businesses among the company sizes it is built for (small businesses, mid-market companies, and enterprises); for 10 users its lowest published plan comes to $30 a month. It ranks #1 of 8 in our expense management for small businesses.
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