Zoho Expense is part of a bigger suite of business tools by Zoho Corporation.
Founded in 1996 by Sridhar Vembu and Tony Thomas, Zoho is based in Chennai, India. It also has offices in Austin, Texas, and other locations around the globe.
The CEO, Sridhar Vembu, focuses on making cloud software affordable and accessible to all kinds of businesses.
By 2025, Zoho employs over 15,000 people and supports more than 100 million users across its products. They have grown without outside venture capital, relying on organic growth instead.
They made a big milestone by reaching 100 million users in 2023. Along with that, they’ve expanded their financial solutions and added AI-powered features in their major apps.
Zoho is a private company with revenues over $1 billion every year.
They also put a strong emphasis on data privacy and building products focused on real user needs.
| Zoho Expense – Quick Overview | |
|---|---|
| What It Does | Automates travel and business expense reporting to help organizations control spend, reduce reimbursement cycles, and maintain compliance. |
| Best For | • Small to mid-sized companies looking to streamline expense reporting • Enterprises with multi-entity, global operations needing intricate control and compliance • Finance teams wanting tighter spend control and policy enforcement • Businesses using other Zoho products seeking seamless integration • Industries with frequent travel or reimbursement needs (consulting, sales, construction, professional services, NGOs) |
| Key Products | Zoho Expense (core travel and expense management) Zoho Books (accounting) Zoho Invoice (invoicing/time tracking) Zoho CRM (sales & marketing automation) Zoho People (HR management) Zoho Payroll (automated payroll) |
| Pricing | Free plan for up to 3 users Standard: $4/active user/mo (billed annually) Premium: $7/active user/mo (billed annually) Enterprise: Custom pricing All plans have 14-day free trial (no credit card required) |
| Standout Features | • Automated expense capture with OCR receipt scanning • Policy controls and multi-level approval workflows • Corporate card integration and reconciliation • Advanced analytics and real-time reporting • Global support with 150+ currencies and localization |
| Integrations | Zoho Books, Zoho CRM, Zoho Analytics QuickBooks, Xero, SAP Concur, Oracle, Microsoft 365 API access and Zapier for custom integrations |
| Get Started | Start Free Trial → |
Zoho Expense Solutions
Zoho’s ecosystem is vast.
Zoho Expense stands out as the flagship solution for travel and expense management. It fits well within Zoho’s suite by covering the entire expense workflow smoothly.
Here are the major products and how they fit:
1. Zoho Expense
It centralizes travel and expense management by automating everything from employee expense capture to approvals and reimbursements. This product targets small businesses, mid-market companies, and enterprises aiming for compliance, control, and streamlined travel workflows.
2. Zoho Books
This is online accounting software designed for invoicing and time tracking, ideal for freelancers and small businesses.
3. Zoho Invoice
It focuses on invoicing and time tracking, ideal for freelancers and small businesses.
4. Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM automates sales, marketing, and customer support processes to keep your customer relationships tight.
5. Zoho People
This handles HR management with attendance, leave, and performance tracking all in one place.
6. Zoho Payroll
Zoho Payroll automates payroll compliance and salary disbursement, which helps reduce errors and saves time.
Zoho Expense in Detail
The core purpose of Zoho Expense is clear.
It automates travel and business expense reporting to help you control spending, reduce reimbursement cycles, and maintain compliance with company policies and regulations.
Here’s what it offers in detail:
- Expense capture through receipts, OCR, and emails
- Policy enforcement and approval workflows
- Corporate card reconciliation
- Mileage and travel tracking
- Analytics and reporting
- Support for multiple currencies and entities
- Per diem management
- Mobile access to manage expenses on the go
Zoho Expense suits a wide range of users.
From small startups and freelancers using the free plan to large enterprises needing complex approval hierarchies, tight controls, and global compliance and rules, it scales well with your needs.
On the integration front, Zoho Expense connects directly with:
- Zoho Books
- Zoho CRM
- Zoho Analytics
It also works with major third-party tools like QuickBooks, Xero, SAP Concur, Oracle, and Microsoft 365.
Plus, it offers robust API access for custom integrations and supports Zapier connectivity to link with many other apps you might already use.
Zoho Expense Features
1. Automated Expense Capture
I find it really handy that you can snap photos of receipts using the mobile app. Zoho’s OCR reads and fills out expense line items automatically.
This cuts down on manual entry and seriously reduces your team’s administrative work.
2. Policy Controls & Compliance
You can set custom policies based on departments, geography, or employee roles. The system flags any out-of-policy spend automatically.
This helps your business keep costs under control and stay compliant without extra effort.
3. Multi-level Approval Workflows
With Zoho, you can build automated, multi-stage approval chains. Expenses get routed to the right manager or finance contact for sign-off.
This makes the whole process auditable and traceable, which is essential for both internal controls and external audits.
4. Corporate Card Integration
Zoho Expense syncs with a wide variety of corporate cards to import transactions automatically.
You can match expenses to card feeds easily, which cuts down on reconciliation headaches and lowers fraud risk.
5. Advanced Analytics & Reporting
You get real-time insights on employee spending, policy violations, expense categories, and more.
Customizable dashboards let your finance team track trends and act proactively.
6. Global Capabilities
Zoho Expense supports over 150 currencies and offers multi-language interfaces.
It also handles tax compliance for various countries and entity-level controls. This makes it reliable as your business expands internationally without losing localization.
7. Mobile Apps
The iOS and Android apps let users submit, approve, and track expenses wherever they are.
Real-time push notifications keep everyone updated, and there’s built-in mileage tracking, which is great for field teams.
8. APIs & Custom Integrations
Zoho provides open API access so your IT team can connect Zoho Expense with other business systems.
You can link it to HR platforms or create custom approval workflows to fit your setup.
9. Security
Zoho Expense uses end-to-end encryption along with role-based access controls.
It meets rigorous compliance standards like GDPR and SOC 2 Type II, making sure your financial data stays safe.
These Zoho Expense features really help companies balance automation with granular control, especially as their financial processes grow in complexity.
Zoho Expense Pricing Plans
Zoho Expense pricing is pretty straightforward and transparent. You’ll find plans designed for different business sizes and needs.
Each paid plan requires at least three active users, so keep that in mind if you’re a small team. The free plan works well for freelancers or very small teams with basic needs.
All the plans come with a 14-day free trial and you don’t even need to enter credit card info to get started.
| Plan | Price & Features |
|---|---|
| Free Plan | $0 per user per month (up to 3 users) • Receipt capture • Mileage tracking • Basic reporting and mobile access |
| Standard Plan | $4.00 per active user per month (billed annually) • Corporate card management • Multi-level approvals and policy enforcement • Per diem and reimbursement controls |
| Premium Plan | $7.00 per active user per month (billed annually) • Advanced controls and budgeting • Multi-entity support • Custom roles and automation |
| Enterprise Plan | Custom pricing – contact sales • Highest customization level • Advanced integrations • Dedicated support |
If you’re planning to grow fast or need extra flexibility, the Premium and Enterprise plans could be worth looking into. They provide features not usually available at this price point.
Zoho has kept its pricing stable over time. You might want to ask about discounts if your team grows beyond 50 users or if you sign up for an annual contract.
If you’d like to explore further, you can learn more about Zoho Expense pricing.
Zoho Expense Alternatives
If you’re weighing your options, you might want to look closely at Zoho Expense alternatives.
Each tool has its own strengths and weaknesses, so it’s important to see where Zoho Expense fits.
I found Zoho generally offers more value, especially if you’re budget-conscious or need certain integrations.
Here’s how Zoho Expense stacks up against some popular competitors.
| Competitor | Their Strengths | Zoho Expense Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Expensify | User-friendly OCR, international use | Zoho offers a free tier plus more integrations |
| SAP Concur | Enterprise-grade, global presence | Zoho is easier to set up and has lower total cost of ownership |
| Certify | Focus on mid-size enterprises | Zoho provides flexible options for small and medium businesses |
| Rydoo | Strong travel booking integration | Zoho’s analytics are more robust |
| QuickBooks Expenses | Deeply tied to QuickBooks ecosystem | Zoho works better for users outside of QuickBooks |
Zoho Expense usually costs less than SAP Concur and Certify and offers a truly free plan, which Expensify, Rydoo, and QuickBooks don’t.
Plus, Zoho stands out with its all-in-one Zoho ecosystem, a powerful API, and strong focus on privacy and data localization.
If you want something simpler or more lightweight, Expensify might suit you, but for deeper automation, Zoho takes the lead.
Who Should Use Zoho Expense
1. Small to mid-sized companies looking to automate and streamline expense reporting
If you’re managing expenses manually, Zoho Expense can save you a lot of time by automating that process. It helps reduce errors and speeds up approvals, so your team spends less time on paperwork.
This means you can focus more on growing your business rather than chasing receipts and filling spreadsheets.
**2. Enterprises with multi-entity, global operations who need intricate control and compliance **
If your company operates in multiple countries or has several branches, Zoho Expense gives you the control you need. It keeps your expense policies consistent and ensures compliance across all your locations.
This is especially useful when dealing with different currencies and tax regulations, keeping everything organized in one place.
3. Finance teams seeking tighter control over spending and policy enforcement
You can set strict spending limits and policy rules with Zoho Expense. It flags violations automatically and provides detailed reports to keep your budget in check.
This helps finance teams reduce unnecessary expenses and maintain transparency across departments.
4. Businesses already using other Zoho products, or needing seamless integration with accounting/CRM software
If you use Zoho’s other apps, Zoho Expense fits right in, sharing data accurately and saving you from double data entry.
It also works well with popular accounting and CRM software, making your workflow smoother.
5. Industries with frequent travel or reimbursement needs—consulting, sales, construction, professional services, and NGOs
If your work means lots of travel and expense claims, Zoho Expense simplifies reimbursement. It tracks mileage, per diems, and multi-currency transactions easily.
This saves time and hassle for your employees and finance team alike.
While Zoho Expense is powerful, those deeply tied to QuickBooks-only workflows or needing basic, one-person tracking may prefer a simpler alternative.
Enterprises needing niche integrations not available in Zoho’s marketplace should review custom API options before committing.
Bottom Line
Zoho Expense is a scalable and affordable solution.
It automates expense management and offers deep integrations.
You get global capabilities and flexible pricing options.
It fits everyone from startups to large companies, thanks to a generous free tier and clear plans that stand out from older competitors.
The main downside might be that small teams find its features overwhelming.
Some advanced integrations need technical setup too.
If you want strong control over expenses and room to grow in a solid cloud system, Zoho Expense is worth checking out.
