Stripe vs Brex: Which Is The Top Pick in 2025?

Many businesses look to Stripe and Brex for their financial and payment processing needs. However, choosing the right solution can be a complex task.

In this article, we’ll review what each solution offers and how they compare, helping you make an informed decision. Additionally, we'll also explore Rho as a third option worth considering.

Stripe Overview

Stripe operates in the payments, embedded finance, and revenue automation sectors. Its main value proposition is providing financial infrastructure to help businesses grow their revenue. Stripe's top customer types include enterprises, startups, ecommerce, SaaS, retail, platforms, marketplaces, global businesses, crypto, and the creator economy.

Stripe Features

Some of the key features of Stripe include:

• Online Payments: Solutions for accepting payments online through various methods.
• In-person Payments: Tools for accepting payments in physical locations.
• Fraud Prevention: Systems to detect and prevent fraudulent transactions.
• Subscriptions and Usage-based Billing: Tools for managing recurring billing and usage-based pricing models.

Stripe Pricing

Stripe offers a variety of pricing options tailored to different business needs.

• Standard Pricing: 2.9% + 30¢ per successful transaction for domestic cards.
• Custom Pricing: Custom packages for large volumes or unique models.
• Billing: 0.7% of billing volume or $620/month for a 1-year contract.
• Invoicing: 0.4% per paid invoice.
• Tax: 0.5% per transaction or $90/month for a 1-year contract.

The prices for each tier are not publicly listed.

Drawbacks To Stripe

General user reviews of Stripe highlight its ease of use and integration capabilities, but frequent complaints include high fees and poor customer support. Here are some substantial quotes from users:

• "The cost, it's expensive, the percentage taken on each transaction, the exchange rate for foreign currencies, even if it doesn't seem much at start can quickly become a burden." - Sven K.
• "They can block your account without providing any explanation, and in such cases, technical support does not respond at all." - Evgeniya P.

For more detailed reviews, visit Stripe Payments Reviews on G2.

Brex Overview

Brex is a financial technology platform that provides modern finance software solutions. It aims to help businesses spend smarter by offering tools like cards, banking, bill pay, accounting, and travel services. Brex primarily serves startups, mid-size companies, and enterprises, focusing on automating financial processes and controlling spend.

Brex Features

Some of the key features of Brex include:

• Corporate Cards: Issue local currency cards with custom limits, embedded policies, and cash back.
• Expense Management: Manage every type of spend and payment method, and automate expense reporting globally.
• Travel Management: Book and manage travel with unbiased inventory and 24/7 agent support.
• Bill Pay: Automate the entire global accounts payable process, from invoice to payment to reconciliation.

Brex Pricing

Brex offers a range of pricing plans, including both public and custom options.

• Essentials: $0 per user/month - Global card acceptance, AI-powered custom rules, up to two entities.
• Premium: $12 per user/month - All Essentials features plus multiple customizable expense policies, advanced approvals.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing - All Premium features plus unlimited entities, local card issuance, named account manager.
• Smart Card: Custom pricing - Global cards, local-currency cards in 50+ countries, merchant card controls.

Drawbacks To Brex

Overall, Brex is highly rated for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive features, though some users have experienced integration issues.

• "Brex has been one of the most user-friendly platforms I have ever used and I am in Brex daily." - Amanda H.
• "We've had some integration issues with Sage which has caused us to do some manual work instead of being able to upload transactions directly into Sage." - Amanda H.

For more detailed reviews, visit Brex Reviews on G2.

What to Know Before Picking Stripe or Brex

Looking at the reviews as a whole, businesses often face high fees and poor customer support with Stripe. Users have also reported issues with API stability and the risk of unexplained account blocks, which can disrupt operations.

For Brex, common limitations include integration issues, particularly with Sage, and a lack of dedicated customer support. Additionally, some users find the platform's new functionalities complicated and the reporting tools less customizable than desired.

Why Rho Is a Better Alternative

At Rho, we understand the challenges businesses face with high fees, poor customer support, and integration issues. Our platform is designed to offer transparent pricing, reliable support, and seamless integrations, making financial management simpler and more efficient. Discover how we can be a better fit for your business needs.

Rho Features

• Up to 2% Cashback: With Rho Platinum, businesses can earn up to 2% cashback¹ on their spending, providing significant savings compared to the high fees often associated with Stripe and Brex.
• Real-time Spend Monitoring: Our corporate credit cards come with custom card controls and real-time monitoring, helping businesses keep track of expenses and prevent overspending, a common issue with other platforms.
• Automated Expense Management: Rho eliminates the need for manual expense reports by capturing every receipt automatically, reducing administrative workload and errors, unlike the more manual processes seen with Stripe and Brex.
• AP Automation with Zero Fees: Pay hundreds of vendors in minutes without any platform fees, streamlining accounts payable processes and saving costs, which is a significant improvement over the fee structures of Stripe and Brex.
• Seamless Integrations: Directly integrate with accounting, HR, and T&E software, ensuring smooth financial operations and reducing the integration issues that users often face with Brex.
• 24/7 Private Banking Support: Our dedicated support team is available around the clock, providing continuous assistance and reducing downtime, a common pain point with Stripe and Brex.
• Treasury Management: Safeguard idle cash and earn a dynamic percentage yield, maximizing returns on your funds, which is a feature not typically offered by Stripe or Brex.

Rho Pricing

We offer a straightforward and transparent pricing structure that sets us apart from competitors like Stripe and Brex. Our goal is to make financial management simple and cost-effective for your business. Many of our essential services are free to use, ensuring you can focus on growth without worrying about hidden fees.

Here’s a breakdown of our pricing:

• $0 Same-Day ACH fees: No fees for same-day ACH transactions.
• $0 Wire fees: No fees for wire transfers, with some exceptions for international wires.
• $0 Monthly plans: No monthly subscription fees for accessing our services.
• $0 Support fees: Free live support from day one without any additional charges.
• $0 Subscription fees: No subscription fees for using our platform.
• $0 Checking account minimum fees: No minimum balance fees for checking accounts.
• $0 Connected, in-platform capabilities: Free access to AP, Expense, and Accounting Automation features.
• $0 Per-user fees: No fees per user for accessing the platform.
• 1% Foreign currency transfer: A 1% fee on foreign currency transfers.

You can find all the details about our pricing here.

Why Users Love Rho

We’re proud of what we do, but we think our customers say it best. Take a look at why they prefer Rho over other options.

• "Rho is everything a corporate card program should be - And it's free to the users and employers!" - Tyler M., Chief Financial Officer, Small-Business
• "From day one, using Rho has been simple and straightforward." - Kevin K., Director of Marketing and Analytics, Mid-Market
• "Modern, flexible, tech-centric user experience on traditional credit card services." - Pete S., Mid-Market

Want a firsthand look at Rho? You can request a free demo here.

Which Platform Is Right for Your Business?

Each platform—Stripe, Brex, and Rho—has its strengths. Stripe excels in payment processing, while Brex offers robust expense management. However, high fees and integration issues can be drawbacks.

This is where Rho comes in. We offer up to 2% cashback¹, zero fees for same-day ACH and wire transfers, and seamless integrations with accounting and HR software. Our 24/7 private banking support ensures you get the help you need, whenever you need it.

Make the Smarter Choice with Rho Today

Curious to see what Rho can do for you? Discover how our platform can transform your financial management. Get started with Rho today.