Best Rippling alternatives in 2025

April 14, 2025
10:33 am

7 min read

Rippling is a versatile human resources information system (HRIS) that brings together HR, IT, payroll, and expense management in one centralized platform. With an impressive 4.8 out of 5 rating on G2, it’s clearly a favorite among small to mid-sized businesses seeking an all-in-one solution to streamline operations.

However, even with its wide-ranging capabilities, Rippling is most used as an HR-first tool. When it comes to managing business expenses, it may fall short—especially if you’re after robust features like automated workflows or in-depth financial reporting. Many users have noted that these advanced capabilities often come at an extra cost, which can be a drawback for budget-conscious teams.

Fortunately, several Rippling alternatives offer stronger expense management features—some even at no additional charge. If you’re specifically looking for a solution that handles expenses more effectively, we’ve rounded up some of the top contender’s worth exploring

Top Rippling Alternatives for Smarter Expense Management

If Rippling isn’t quite meeting your expense tracking needs, here are some standout platforms that specialize in managing business expenses with greater flexibility, automation, and transparency:

1. Expense Tracker 365

Expense Tracker 365 is the go-to solution for businesses that need a dedicated tool for managing expenses. With real-time tracking, automated approvals, and insightful analytics, it empowers finance teams to stay in control without the complexity of all-in-one platforms. Its clean interface, strong integration capabilities, and audit-friendly reports make it a favorite for small and mid-sized companies looking for a streamlined alternative to Rippling.

2. Ramp

Ramp is a corporate card and spend management platform designed to help businesses reduce waste and improve visibility. It features automated expense categorization, real-time insights, and integration with leading accounting tools—making financial operations faster and smarter.

3. Brex

Brex offers an all-in-one finance platform with corporate cards, expense tracking, and spend controls. Tailored for startups and growing businesses, it stands out with AI-powered insights, mobile-first workflows, and easy syncing with finance stacks like QuickBooks and NetSuite.

4. Airbase

Airbase provides a unified spend management solution covering everything from reimbursements to bill payments. It’s known for its powerful automation, customizable approval workflows, and centralized control—ideal for finance teams looking to scale operations without increasing manual work.

5. Rho

Rho combines corporate banking, cards, and expense management into a single platform. Its strengths lie in automated reconciliation, proactive policy enforcement, and efficient cash flow tracking—perfect for CFOs looking to consolidate their finance tools.

6. PayEm

PayEm is a global spend and procurement platform that simplifies financial operations for distributed teams. With support for international payments, multi-currency spend, and ERP integration, PayEm helps businesses gain control over both domestic and global expenditures.

We selected these platforms by diving into real user feedback, analyzing public reviews on trusted sites like G2, and conducting our own in-depth feature comparisons. After carefully weighing the pros and cons, we’ve curated a shortlist of the top five Rippling alternatives that deliver serious value when it comes to expense management

The Best Overall Rippling Alternative: Expense Tracker 365

Expense Tracker 365 is a purpose-built expense management solution designed to simplify and streamline financial operations for modern businesses. Whether you’re managing team purchases, reimbursements, or department budgets, this platform brings everything under one intuitive roof—giving finance teams the control and clarity they need to make smarter decisions.

While we’re big fans of Expense Tracker 365, don’t just take our word for it. The platform has consistently earned high praise from users for its ease of use, automation capabilities, and excellent customer support—earning it a growing reputation as a top Rippling competitor in the expense management space.

Key Features

Focused, powerful expense management: Unlike Rippling, which spreads itself across HR, IT, and finance, Expense Tracker 365 focuses purely on helping businesses take charge of their expenses—with smart automation and detailed insights.

Real-time tracking and reporting: Get instant visibility into team spending with real-time dashboards, customizable reports, and category-level breakdowns. The platform flags anomalies and offers AI-powered suggestions to optimize your budget.

Streamlined approvals and policies: Set up custom approval workflows based on department, amount, or role. Expense Tracker 365 enforces company policies automatically reducing back-and-forth and keeping everything audit ready.

Seamless integrations: Easily connect with your existing accounting tools, payroll systems, or HR platforms. Expense Tracker 365 syncs your data so you don’t have to manage it in multiple places.

Mobile-first design: Employees can submit expenses, upload receipts, and track reimbursements on the go. Everything is accessible from a user-friendly mobile app or web portal.

Why Customers Choose Expense Tracker 365 Over Rippling

Purpose-built for expenses: While Rippling tries to do everything, Expense Tracker 365 goes deep on expense control, offering features tailored to the exact needs of finance teams.

No hidden fees: Get access to core features like approval workflows, reporting, and mobile access without needing to upgrade or pay for add-ons.

Faster onboarding, easier setup: Most teams are up and running in just days—not weeks. The simple interface and guided setup make adoption a breeze.

Better support, always-on help: Customers rave about Expense Tracker 365’s responsive support team and personalized onboarding assistance.

Pricing

Expense Tracker 365 is designed to deliver high value without high costs. You can get started with all essential features—expense tracking, reporting, approvals, and integrations—at no cost. For teams needing advanced controls or multiple admin roles, paid plans start at just $9 per user/month. Custom enterprise pricing is also available.

Ready to take the stress out of expense tracking?
Explore Expense Tracker 365’s plans and discover how effortless expense management can be.

Brex: A Startup-Friendly Alternative to Rippling

Brex is best known for its corporate card tailored to the needs of startups and fast-growing businesses—but it’s more than just a payment solution. With built-in tools for expense tracking, travel management, and bill payments, Brex offers a well-rounded platform that helps teams stay on top of spending without the complexity of a broader HR suite like Rippling.

While Brex carries a slightly lower overall rating than Rippling (4.7 out of 5 on G2), the two perform neck-and-neck across most categories:

Category	Brex	Rippling
Meets Requirements	9.5	9.3
Ease of Use	9.5	9.5
Ease of Setup	9.0	9.2
Ease of Admin	9.0	9.2
Quality of Support	9.2	9.2
Likely to Recommend	8.9	9.2
Product Direction	9.2	8.8

Source: G2 Ratings

Standout Features

Custom category-based automation: Brex automates expense categorization and reconciliation, saving your team hours of manual work.

Unlimited card access: Issue as many physical or virtual corporate cards as you need, each tied to specific budgets or team roles.

Real-time policy enforcement: Built-in rules ensure compliance at the point of purchase, not after the fact.

Bill pay made simple: Brex offers streamlined vendor onboarding and two-way invoice matching to reduce friction in accounts payable.

HRIS integrations: Link Brex with your HR system to assign spending privileges and approval flows by employee or department.

Why Businesses Pick Brex Over Rippling

Some users who reviewed Rippling on G2 questioned its value for expense management—especially when compared to a focused platform like Brex. Reviewers also found Brex easier to get up and running, with less administrative overhead and a more user-friendly experience right out of the box.

Pricing

Brex keeps things flexible with its Essentials tier, which includes many core features at no cost. For advanced reporting, compliance controls, and custom workflows, Premium plans begin at $15 per user/month. Custom enterprise packages are available for larger teams or those with complex needs.

Airbase: A Finance-First Alternative with Built-In Procurement

Airbase positions itself as a spend management solution with a strong emphasis on procurement, expense tracking, and accounts payable automation. Recently acquired by Paylocity—a known competitor to Rippling in the HR and payroll space—Airbase is ideal for businesses that want tighter control over company spending without relying solely on HR-driven platforms.

Although its G2 rating sits slightly below Rippling at 4.7 out of 5, Airbase holds its own in most individual rating categories, making it a worthy alternative for finance teams:

Source: G2 Ratings

Notable Features

End-to-end procurement workflows: From vendor onboarding to purchase approvals, Airbase streamlines procurement and centralizes all purchase-related data.

Smart automation for finance ops: The platform automates recurring finance tasks such as expense submissions, GL coding, and reconciliation.

Receipt capture made easy: With built-in OCR (optical character recognition) and a dedicated email inbox for receipt forwarding, teams can submit and match receipts in seconds.

Transparent, real-time insights: Finance teams get full visibility into company spend across departments, categories, and vendors—without waiting for month-end close.

Why Companies Choose Airbase Over Rippling

Some users actually run Airbase alongside Rippling, and they’ve praised the seamless integration between the two. That said, businesses looking for more advanced finance and procurement capabilities often lean toward Airbase due to its robust automation and stronger customer service ratings.

Pricing

Airbase offers Standard, Premium, and Enterprise plans to accommodate a wide range of business needs. However, pricing isn’t publicly listed—you’ll need to connect with their sales team for a custom quote based on your team size and requirements.

Rho: A Modern Finance Platform with Banking and Expense Management

Rho brings together banking, spend management, and corporate cards into one unified platform designed to simplify financial operations for growing businesses. With tools for expense tracking, bill payments, and real-time budget control, Rho aims to give finance teams a more complete view of company cash flow—all in one place.

Though Rho hasn’t racked up the same volume of reviews as Rippling, its 4.8-star rating on G2 is impressive and backed by consistently strong feedback. In fact, it meets or exceeds Rippling’s scores in six of the seven major review categories:

Rating Category	Rho	Rippling
Meets Requirements	9.5	9.4
Ease of Use	9.5	9.5
Ease of Setup	9.0	9.7
Ease of Admin	9.0	9.6
Quality of Support	9.2	9.7
Likely to Recommend	8.9	9.6
Product Direction	9.2	9.6

Source: G2 Ratings

Key Features

All-in-one financial operations: Rho offers business checking accounts, corporate credit cards, expense tracking, and bill pay—all under one login.

Customizable spend controls: Set role-based budgets and pre-approve vendor payments to reduce overspending before it happens.

Automated workflows: From invoice approvals to employee reimbursements, Rho simplifies manual finance tasks with built-in automation.

Banking built-in: Unlike Rippling, Rho offers integrated business banking, allowing teams to manage both their spending and cash flow from the same dashboard.

Real-time reporting: Stay on top of spending with live updates, categorized insights, and exportable financial reports.

Why Teams Pick Rho Over Rippling

Businesses looking for a blend of financial operations and banking often find Rho a better fit than Rippling. While Rippling shines in HR and IT management, Rho delivers deeper financial visibility and spend control—especially for finance teams managing payments, vendors, and budgets in real time.

Pricing

Rho’s pricing is structured to support growing businesses, but specific plan details aren’t listed publicly. You’ll need to connect with their team for a customized quote based on your business size and financial needs.

PayEm: A Flexible Expense Management Platform Built for Finance Teams

PayEm helps businesses take full control of their spending with tools that span the entire financial workflow—from purchase orders and invoice processing to corporate card issuance and budgeting. With a strong 4.7 rating on G2, it’s a reliable choice for companies that want more from their expense management system than what Rippling currently offers.

While PayEm may not be as widely reviewed as some other platforms, it consistently earns praise for its user-friendly interface and depth of features. Reviewers often highlight how smoothly the platform handles expense reporting and bill payments, especially when compared to more HR-focused solutions.

Standout Features

Customizable corporate cards: Issue physical or virtual cards with tailored spending rules, including limits by vendor type or transaction category.

Streamlined PO and invoice management: Create and manage purchase orders, process invoices, and track spending—all from the same dashboard.

Multi-channel bill payments: Easily pay vendors using a variety of methods, including ACH, wire, check, or card.

Audit-ready tracking: Every financial action—from budget requests to expense reimbursements—is logged for transparency and compliance.

Why Companies Pick PayEm Over Rippling

Users who have tried both platforms say PayEm offers a more specialized solution for finance operations, especially when it comes to tracking and controlling spend. Many find it easier to navigate and more aligned with their day-to-day finance needs than Rippling, which focuses more on HR and payroll.

Pricing

PayEm doesn’t offer public pricing tiers. Instead, the cost depends on your company’s size, user count, and feature requirements. For accurate pricing details, you’ll need to connect with their team directly.

Choosing the Right Expense Management Tool

If your business needs go beyond basic HR and into the world of real-time expense tracking, vendor payments, and financial automation, it’s worth exploring platforms designed with finance teams in mind.

Whether it’s Expense Tracker 365, Brex, Airbase, Rho, or PayEm, each of these Rippling alternatives brings its own strengths. Specialized tools like these can help you gain better visibility, simplify approval workflows, and even reduce unnecessary spending—without the limitations of an HR-first platform.

Ready to elevate your expense management game? Start exploring your options today and find the tool that fits your business best.

Conclusion

Rippling may be a solid all-in-one HR solution, but when it comes to managing expenses and financial operations with precision, it’s not always the best fit. Whether you need deeper control over spend, automated invoice processing, or better real-time reporting, there’s a growing lineup of platforms that are purpose-built for finance teams—and they’re doing it better.

From the simplicity of Expense Tracker 365 to the robust features of Airbase, Brex, Rho, and PayEm, each tool brings something unique to the table. The right choice ultimately depends on your company’s size, budget, and the complexity of your financial workflows.

So before you settle for a platform that tries to do it all, consider one that does exactly what you need—and does it exceptionally well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why would a company choose a Rippling alternative?

Companies may look for alternatives to Rippling if they need more specialized features (e.g., global payroll, deep analytics), better pricing for their size, or a simpler user interface. Others may want a platform more focused on either HR or IT rather than both.