Airwallex vs Brex
Choose Airwallex if collecting and holding multiple currencies or accepting international customer payments is central to your business; choose Brex if corporate cards, expense controls, and business travel are your main priorities. Both offer business accounts, cards, bill pay, reimbursements, and accounting integrations, so the deciding question is whether you need broader payment and currency tools or an integrated travel-and-spend workflow.
Last updated October 27, 2026.
At a glance
| Dimension | Airwallex | Brex |
|---|---|---|
| Customer payment acceptance | Online cards and local payment methods | Invoice payments by ACH or wire |
| Multi-currency funds | Collect and hold 20+ currencies | Local-currency wires |
| Travel booking | Not published | Travel booking included in Essentials |
| International transfers | Local transfers to 120+ countries; SWIFT to 200+ | Local-currency international wires |
| Plans and price | Explore free; Grow $12/user/month plus platform fee; Accelerate custom | Essentials $0/user/month; Premium $12/user/month; Enterprise custom |
| Corporate cards | Unlimited multi-currency cards; issuance via API in 40+ countries | Unlimited global cards; local-currency cards in 50+ countries |
| Customer billing | Invoices, subscriptions, and usage-based billing | One-off and recurring invoices |
| Expense and bill management | Expenses, reimbursements, bill pay, and spend requests | Expenses, reimbursements, bill pay, and spend limits |
| Integrations | Xero and QuickBooks; NetSuite and HRIS on Grow | Accounting integrations on Essentials; ERP and HRIS on Premium |
| Platforms | Web app; iOS and Android expense app | Web dashboard; iOS and Android app |
| Support | Help center and email; account manager on Accelerate | 24/7 chat and phone; named account manager on Enterprise |
| Published plan limits | Explore: 10 free Spend users; Grow: up to 250 | Essentials: up to 2 entities; Enterprise: unlimited entities |
Scroll the table sideways to compare each row.
Which should you choose?
Choose Airwallex if
- Businesses collecting and holding funds in multiple currencies
- Merchants accepting online card and local-method payments
- Teams billing customers for subscriptions or usage
- Companies making frequent international supplier payments
Choose Brex if
- Teams combining corporate cards with travel booking
- US businesses seeking checking, treasury, and bill pay
- Finance teams managing expense policies across entities
- Companies using Brex’s travel and procurement integrations
The verdict
Airwallex is the better fit for businesses that need accounts to collect and hold 20+ currencies, online payment acceptance, and subscription billing alongside spend management. Brex is the better fit for teams that want corporate cards, expense policies, travel booking, and a US business account in one workflow. Compare the paid plans carefully: Airwallex lists a team-size-based platform fee in addition to Grow’s per-user price, while Brex lists Premium at a per-user price.
Airwallex vs Brex: common questions
- Is this comparison worth publishing?
- Yes. Airwallex and Brex both offer business accounts, corporate cards, expense management, and bill pay, and both publish plans that businesses can sign up for.
- Is Airwallex or Brex better for international payments?
- Airwallex is the better fit when a business needs to collect and hold funds in 20+ currencies and make local transfers to 120+ countries. Brex also offers local-currency international wires.
- Can Airwallex and Brex accept customer payments?
- Airwallex publishes online card and local-payment-method acceptance, as well as payment links. Brex publishes invoicing with ACH and wire payment options; the vendors describe different payment-acceptance workflows.
- Which has a free plan, Airwallex or Brex?
- Both publish a free entry plan: Airwallex Explore is listed as free with up to 10 free Spend users, and Brex Essentials is listed at $0 per user per month. Transaction fees may still apply to Airwallex.
- How do Airwallex Grow and Brex Premium prices compare?
- Airwallex lists Grow at $12 per active Spend user per month plus a platform fee based on team size. Brex lists Premium at $12 per user per month.
- Which is better for managing business travel?
- Brex is the clearer choice if built-in travel booking matters: it lists travel booking on Essentials and additional group-travel features on Premium. Airwallex does not list comparable travel booking in its US plan details.
- Do Airwallex and Brex integrate with accounting software?
- Yes. Airwallex lists Xero and QuickBooks on Explore, with NetSuite and HRIS integrations on Grow. Brex lists accounting integrations on Essentials and customizable ERP and HRIS integrations on Premium.
- Can both products manage spending across multiple entities?
- Yes, with plan-dependent limits. Airwallex lists Global Entity Management on Accelerate, with up to three entities included. Brex lists up to two entities on Essentials, multi-entity features on Premium, and unlimited entities on Enterprise.