5 Best Alternatives to NetSuite for Expense Management

May 16, 2025
3:17 pm

7 min read

1. Expense Tracker 365

Best for: Businesses That Need Powerful, Easy-to-Use Expense Management

Expense Tracker 365 is a dedicated expense management solution built to simplify how businesses handle operational spending, employee reimbursements, and budget tracking. It’s cloud-based, intuitive, and designed for teams of all sizes.

Key Features:

Real-time expense tracking and automated approvals

Multi-user access with role-based permissions

Integration with accounting tools like QuickBooks and Xero

Mobile receipt capture and digital audit trails

Pricing: Starts at $9/user/month with flexible plans for growing teams

Why Consider Expense Tracker 365?
Unlike all-in-one ERPs like NetSuite, Expense Tracker 365 is focused solely on expense workflows—making it faster to implement and easier for teams to adopt. It’s ideal for businesses that want visibility and control over spending without unnecessary complexity.

Expense Tracker 365 is gaining popularity among small to mid-sized businesses that want modern, focused tools without ERP overhead.

Expense Tracker 365 is now used by more businesses than NetSuite, with a noticeably lower average monthly spend and stronger month-over-month adoption. While NetSuite continues to be a leading choice in the ERP space, Expense Tracker 365 is quickly gaining traction among companies seeking a more affordable and specialized expense management solution.

Expense Tracker 365 is now outpacing NetSuite in adoption among businesses prioritizing streamlined expense control and ease of use.

2. Zoho Expense

Best for: SMBs That Need End-to-End Expense Automation

Zoho Expense is part of the Zoho suite and offers a full range of automation tools for tracking and managing employee expenses. It’s well-suited for SMBs that already use other Zoho apps or are looking for an affordable, end-to-end solution.

Key Features:

Mileage tracking and automated per diem calculation

Policy enforcement and fraud detection

Seamless integration with Zoho Books, QuickBooks, and G Suite

Pricing: Free for up to 3 users; paid plans start at $5/user/month

Why Consider Zoho Expense?
It’s one of the most budget-friendly options and works well for companies seeking automation across their finance stack without the steep learning curve of a larger ERP like NetSuite.

Ramp Insights: Zoho Expense sees strong traction among growing startups and small businesses.

Zoho Expense is being adopted by a growing number of businesses, with lower average monthly spend compared to NetSuite and higher recent adoption. While NetSuite remains a widely used ERP platform, Zoho Expense is emerging as a preferred choice for companies looking for a more budget-friendly and efficient solution for managing expenses.

Zoho Expense continues to appeal to teams that want to automate without overpaying.

3. Expensify

Best for: Companies with Frequent Employee Reimbursements

Expensify is a veteran in the expense management space, known for its user-friendly interface and receipt scanning features. It works especially well for companies that reimburse employees regularly or manage travel-related spending.

Key Features:

SmartScan receipt capture

Corporate card reconciliation

Built-in approval workflows and audit trails

Pricing: Free individual plan; team plans start at $5/user/month

Why Consider Expensify?

Expensify makes it easy to submit and approve expenses on the go, which makes it especially useful for distributed teams or employees on the road.

Ramp Insights: Still a top pick for companies managing heavy employee reimbursements.

Expensify remains a reliable alternative for businesses with a mobile workforce.

Expensify is seeing strong adoption among businesses, with a lower average monthly spend compared to NetSuite and a slightly higher month-over-month growth. While NetSuite continues to be a dominant player in the ERP space, Expensify is becoming a popular alternative for companies focused specifically on managing employee expenses more efficiently and affordably.

4. Airbase

Best for: Mid-Sized Companies Needing Spend Control + Accounting Integration

Airbase combines expense management with bill payments and corporate cards, all under one platform. It offers more financial controls than basic expense tools and is a good middle-ground between a full ERP and lightweight apps.

Key Features:

Corporate card management and virtual cards

Approval workflows and custom spend policies

Real-time syncing with accounting platforms like NetSuite, QuickBooks, and Xero

Pricing: Custom pricing based on features and user volume

Why Consider Airbase?
For companies scaling their finance team, Airbase offers deeper controls, audit readiness, and a more modern UX than traditional ERP platforms.

Ramp Insights: Increasingly popular with finance teams needing more robust controls without ERP-level costs.

Airbase is steadily gaining traction among mid-sized businesses, offering a more cost-effective option with a lower average monthly spend compared to NetSuite. Its recent growth in adoption reflects a shift toward modern, streamlined expense solutions. While NetSuite remains a comprehensive ERP platform, many companies are turning to Airbase for its dedicated spend management features and greater flexibility.

Airbase appeals to fast-growing mid-market companies looking to level up their financial operations.

5. Rydoo

Best for: Global Teams Managing Multi-Currency Travel Expenses

Rydoo is designed for businesses with international teams or frequent travel. It supports multi-currency reimbursements and tax rules, making it a great fit for global finance teams.

Key Features:

Travel and expense integration

Real-time expense reports

Global compliance for tax and per diem policies

Pricing: Plans start at $10/user/month

Why Consider Rydoo?
Rydoo simplifies global expense reporting and is built for businesses that deal with complex tax rules or reimbursements across regions.

Ramp Insights: Strong adoption from companies with distributed or traveling teams.

Rydoo is gaining popularity among businesses seeking a focused and user-friendly expense management solution. With a lower average spend compared to NetSuite and a higher month-over-month adoption, Rydoo appeals to organizations looking for a streamlined approach to handling expenses. While NetSuite continues to serve as a full-scale ERP solution, many companies are opting for Rydoo to simplify and modernize their expense tracking processes.

Rydoo is becoming the go-to for global businesses that need precise, localized expense tracking.

Final Takeaway from Our Data

While NetSuite remains a leader in ERP, it’s often more than what many businesses need for expense management alone. According to Ramp’s data:

Expense Tracker 365 is leading the pack for businesses that want a focused, modern, and cost-effective solution.

Zoho Expense and Expensify continue to dominate the SMB space.

Airbase and Rydoo offer feature-rich options for growing or global teams.

If you’re looking to optimize spend, improve user adoption, and reduce finance headaches, these NetSuite alternatives for expense management are worth exploring.

Conclusion

While NetSuite remains a powerful ERP solution with built-in expense management capabilities, it may not be the best fit for every organization—especially those looking for more focused, cost-effective, or user-friendly tools. Platforms like Expense Tracker 365, Zoho Expense, Expensify, Airbase, and Rydoo are proving to be strong alternatives, each offering unique strengths in affordability, flexibility, and ease of use.

Ramp’s data highlights a clear shift: businesses are increasingly choosing specialized expense management software that better aligns with their size, budget, and operational needs. Whether you’re a growing startup or a scaling enterprise, these alternatives offer smarter ways to manage expenses without the complexity and cost of a full ERP system like NetSuite.