# Zoho Expense vs Expensify: which do AI models recommend for expense management, September 2026

Finance AI Recommendation Index, September 2026 Edition, Expense management. Zero of twelve models named Zoho Expense first on the direct prompt; zero named Expensify. Page: https://finance-ai-index.com/spend/expense-management/zoho-expense-vs-expensify/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho Expense | 17% | #2 of 11 | 3% | 31 | 12 of 12 |
| Expensify | 4% | #6 of 11 | 16% | 50 | 12 of 12 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- Perplexity Sonar: neither first, one named (first choices: Ramp) (alternatives: Airbase, Expensify, Navan, SAP Concur, Spendesk)
- Kimi K2: neither first, one named (first choices: Navan, Ramp) (alternatives: Expensify, Rippling Spend)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: neither first, one named (first choices: Ramp) (alternatives: Expensify, Navan, Paylocity, SAP Concur)
- Claude Haiku 4.5: neither named (first choices: Navan) (alternatives: Ramp, SAP Concur)
- GPT-5.4 mini: neither named (first choices: Rippling Spend) (alternatives: Navan, SAP Concur)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither named (first choices: Ramp) (alternatives: Airbase, Brex, Navan, Rippling Spend)
- Grok 4.1 Fast: neither named (first choices: Ramp) (alternatives: Navan, SAP Concur)
- Mistral Small: neither named (first choices: Spendesk) (alternatives: Emburse, Procurify, Ramp)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither named (first choices: Ramp) (alternatives: Airwallex, Brex, Navan, SAP Concur)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither named
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: neither named (first choices: Ramp) (alternatives: Navan, SAP Concur, Spendesk)
- MiniMax M2.5: neither named (first choices: Rippling Spend) (alternatives: Airbase, Emburse, Navan, SAP Concur)

## What the models said about Zoho Expense

- "those that demand manual receipt handling (Expensify, Dext, Zoho Expense, SAP Concur)" (Mistral Small, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "the strongest overall choice is usually Zoho Expense because it is repeatedly identified as the best budget-friendly option" (Perplexity Sonar, budget prompt, first choice)
- "The best expense management software for a company with a limited budget includes Zoho Expense, BILL Spend & Expense, and Ramp." (Llama 4 Maverick, budget prompt, first choice)
- "Zoho Expense – Best overall for most businesses, offering strong automation and integration with Zoho's ecosystem." (Mistral Small, comparative prompt, first choice)

## What the models said about Expensify

- "A mixed picture — it rates well overall (4.5/5 on G2), but has had a notable drop in sentiment since the "New Expensify" redesign" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "Expensify has recently faced criticism for a radical political email sent to users, which many viewed as a privacy violation" (GLM 4.7 FlashX, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "Expensify is a very common tool, but it has faced scrutiny regarding pricing changes, data privacy, and financial stability." (Gemini 3.5 Flash, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "I'd recommend starting with Expensify if you want the most established and widely-used tool" (MiniMax M2.5, paraphrase prompt, first choice)
- "Spendesk, Expensify, SAP Concur, or Rippling Spend are often cited as top recommendations" (Mistral Small, paraphrase prompt, first choice)
- "Best if you value a simple, mobile‑first employee experience and want strong receipt automation at an affordable price." (GLM 4.7 FlashX, paraphrase prompt, alternative)

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all twelve models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category. Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category. Published under CC BY 4.0; the output is the models' output, and nothing here is a recommendation by the index.