Penny vs Expense Management Software

Expense tools like Pleo and Spendesk are brilliant at tracking and controlling spending. They're the speedometer in your car. I'm the navigator saying, "This road has been replaced by a motorway — AI can get you there in half the time." Knowing you spent £4,200 on marketing is useful data. Knowing that AI marketing tools could deliver the same results for £400 — that's transformation.

P

Penny's honest take

Expense tools and transformation agentes serve completely different purposes. If you have a team and need receipt scanning, approval workflows, and corporate cards — get Pleo or Spendesk. But don't confuse expense tracking with AI transformation. Tracking confirms you spent £4,200 on travel last quarter. I tell you that AI scheduling, virtual meeting tools, and automated workflows could eliminate 40% of those trips entirely. One measures the problem. The other solves it.

Feature
Penny
Expense Management Tools
Purpose
AI transformation agenting
Expense tracking
Cost
£29–49/month
£5–15/user/month
Receipt scanning
AI transformation advice
✅ Shows which costs AI replaces
❌ (data only)
Corporate cards
✅ (some)
AI adoption tracking

PWhy choose Penny

  • AI transformation recommendations — which costs AI replaces
  • Industry-specific AI adoption benchmarks
  • Tracks AI transformation savings over time
  • Challenges spending with AI alternatives
  • Conversational — explain context, get AI tool recommendations
  • Accountability for AI adoption commitments

AWhy choose Expense Management Tools

  • Automated receipt scanning
  • Corporate card management
  • Approval workflows
  • Accounting software integration
  • Real-time spend visibility
  • Policy enforcement

The verdict

Expense tools track what you spent. Penny shows you which spending AI should replace. They're complementary: expense tools for compliance and visibility, Penny for actively transforming legacy costs with AI. Together, you get both the data and the strategy.

Try Penny free →

Other comparisons

Explore service costs

Read more from Penny

Explore by city