8 Navan alternatives & competitors for business travel and expense management

Navan—formerly TripActions—made a name for itself by promising to fix everything annoying about business travel: messy bookings, lost receipts, and approval drags. It bundled flights, expenses, smart cards, and policy controls into a single interface. But, as with any all-in-one platform, what felt seamless at first quickly started to feel limiting for some teams as needs evolved. 

In this guide, we break down the top Navan competitors for companies that want more flexibility, stronger reporting, or better integration with their existing systems. These solutions offer a range of options depending on how you manage spend, compliance, and control.

What is Navan?

Navan is a travel and expense management platform that combines travel booking, expense tracking, and spend controls in a single interface. Its core pitch is consolidation: instead of cobbling together separate tools for travel, cards, and reimbursements, Navan offers a centralized solution with built-in booking inventory, smart approval flows, and automated expense capture designed to smooth logistics and compliance for business travel.

Navan typically appeals to companies looking for a simple approach to travel & expense management, but it comes with tradeoffs. Keeping HR and payroll separate from travel and expense tools can create extra manual work for administrators. Businesses sometimes start eyeing competitors when they need more control over policies, stronger workflows, or more integrations.

Why look for a Navan alternative

Navan’s model—travel booking and expense management together in one platform—works for lots of teams. But that doesn’t mean it will work for yours. Depending on your structure, priorities, and existing tech stack, you may see better results with a more flexible or specialized tool. Below are a few of the reasons why some users start looking around:

• Limited customization for travel policies. Navan does support travel policy enforcement, but it’s tied closely to its booking system. If your business relies on multiple booking channels or has region-specific exceptions, you may struggle to adapt workflows.

• Fewer advanced expense management features. Navan covers core expense functions, but doesn’t offer more advanced tools like line-item rules, granular audit controls, or project-based tagging. 

• Integration gaps with specific payroll or HR systems. Navan integrates natively with a handful of accounting platforms and offers CSV exports for a few others. Full sync with HRIS or payroll tools typically requires custom work or middleware.

• Complex user interface for admins or employees. Designed for frequent travelers, Navan’s all-in-one dashboard might feel overwhelming if you’re used to light workflows and occasional bookings. 

• Not ideal for global or multi-currency workflows. Navan supports multi-currency booking and expense reimbursement in some currencies, but it’s not comprehensive coverage. If you have a distributed team, you might also find that the absence of tax logic and native compliance creates more work.

What to look for in an alternative to Navan

Choosing the right travel and expense platform is about more than looking for popular features. It’s about knowing where your team experiences friction. Are employees booking last-minute international flights? Forwarding receipts weeks after internal deadlines? Do you care more about compliance or ditching spreadsheets? The right tool depends on what actually slows you down. 

Integrated travel booking and expense tracking

Having all your employee data in one place can mean fewer errors, faster approvals, and better visibility. When travel booking and expense tracking are siloed, your finance team may struggle to reconcile data efficiently across platforms. 

Be careful: bundled tools can sound convenient, but they can also lock you into rigid workflows. The key is having bookings, receipts, and reimbursements flow together without manual reconciliation, whether that’s through a centralized platform or reliable integrations.

Customizable approval workflows

If your tool can’t adapt to how your business approves spend, it can slow everything down—including reimbursements. Look for a tool that allows you to build approval chains to match your internal policies, rather than shoehorning your process into a set of defaults. In particular, focus on features like custom logic based on team, geography, or expense category.

Corporate card management

A good expense management system will support real-time visibility into card transactions. Whether you plan to issue cards through the platform or integrate a charge card, make sure your preferred solution supports automated categorization, policy controls, and receipt tracking. Even better? If it syncs directly with your general ledger.

The corporate card with a built-in back office

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Global coverage and multi-currency support

Whether your team regularly bounces between continents or you reimburse in multiple currencies, you’ll need a tool that can handle tax rules, expense policies, and exchange rates. Some platforms focus on domestic travel and rely on third-party add-ons for global features, which can get clunky. Tools with multi-currency expense tracking, automated VAT handling, and region-specific policies built in can handle a truly global workforce.

Robust reporting and analytics

Without clear reporting, you risk tracking travel spend with no real understanding—17% of finance leaders say they can’t connect spend to ROI. The best expense management software helps you close that gap by breaking down costs by team, vendor, or policy in a few clicks. Look for real-time dashboards and customizable, exportable reports. 

Seamless integrations with HR and payroll systems

One reason teams migrate away from bundled platforms? Lack of flexibility. A travel and expense tool that integrates natively with your existing tools can cut down on the time required to reimburse employees and remove administrative burden from both the finance team and your traveling employees, neither of whom likely has bandwidth for more logistics.  

User-friendly mobile app for employees

Business travelers stuck in an airport lounge shouldn’t need to pull out the laptop to find a new flight or log a business expense. Look for a solution with a mobile app that supports booking, receipt capture, trip changes, real-time approval, and other essential features.  

Transparent pricing structure

Many travel and expense platforms offer bundled features, but the combined packaging can sometimes lead to opaque pricing. Ask whether things like card programs, HR integrations, or policy controls come standard, or if you’ll need to purchase them as add-ons. 

Who are Navan's competitors? 8 Best Navan alternatives

Whether you’re thinking of moving away from Navan or choosing a travel and expense tool for the first time, the right platform depends on how your business handles bookings, approvals, and reimbursements. Some tools prioritize the booking experience, with finance a secondary concern. Others prioritize compliance and expense management. We’ve profiled the leading B2B travel solutions to help you sort through what each one offers (and what it doesn’t):

1. Rippling

Rippling is a workforce platform that combines HR, IT, and finance into a single system with built-in travel and expense tools. With integrated travel inventory, Rippling lets employees book flights directly with automatic policy checks, receipt syncing, and reimbursement rules built in. 

For teams trying to gain clarity, Rippling offers granular insight into spend data and unparalleled control. Rippling helps close the loop by tying travel spend to teams, roles, and budgets without resorting to complex workarounds.

Key features of Rippling

• Integrated travel booking in seconds with dynamic price caps

• Custom policy enforcement using HR data like department, level, or location

• Automatic receipt capture and expense report creation

• Reimbursement in local currencies for global teams

• Corporate card management with pre-set spend controls

• Real-time reporting that connects expenses to headcount, department, or budget

Unify travel and expense management

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2. TravelPerk

Designed for companies that book frequently and need a high degree of control over costs and policies, TravelPerk can be a good fit for teams that need streamlined booking and reporting without expense management features.

Key features of TravelPerk

• Round-the-clock support with access to flights, rail, car rental, and hotel inventory

• Built-in reporting, invoicing, and VAT recovery tools

• Native integrations with dedicated expense management tools

3. Airbase

Airbase is a spend management platform that consolidates accounts payable, expense reporting, and corporate card management. If you need a full suite of travel and expense management features, however, it might not offer the power you’re looking for—AirBase relies on a third-party integration.

Key features of Airbase

• AI-powered expense reporting with policy enforcement and receipt capture

• Corporate and virtual card with spend controls and automatic reconciliation

• Travel booking integration linked to expense workflows

4. SAP Concur

A comprehensive travel and expense management platform, SAP Concur was designed for enterprise-level businesses that need centralized control across travel, expense, and invoice workflows at scale and around the world. You might compare Navan vs Concur when evaluating enterprise-level tools and weighing automation and user experience against global policy depth.

Key features of SAP Concur

• Integrated travel booking, expense tracking, and invoice management 

• Travel policy enforcement with support for out-of-channel bookings

• Mobile app for booking, receipt capture, and approvals

5. Expensify

Built to simplify receipt capture, enforce spend policies, and handle reimbursements in one place, Expensify aims to simplify travel and expense management for larger organizations. It can be a good fit for companies that want built-in booking options without relying on a full travel management suite.

Key features of Expensify

• SmartScan receipt capture with real-time policy enforcement

• Built-in travel booking for flights, hotels, and car rentals

• Integrates with accounting and payroll platforms

6. Ramp

When comparing Navan vs. Ramp, the finance automation and corporate card platform Ramp is similar in that it offers travel and expense capabilities that can support business travel. However, Ramp is designed for finance teams focused on spend control, real-time compliance, and automation as much as travel. For business travel and expense, Ramp partners with Priceline, a third-party tool.

Key features of Ramp

• Expense automation with AI-based receipt capture and categorization

• Travel booking with pre-set policy enforcement and automatic control (via Priceline.com)

• Real-time dashboards and account integration with platforms like NetSuite and QuickBooks

7. TravelBank

TravelBank is a unified travel and expense management platform designed for teams that want corporate travel and expense workflows alongside card controls and reporting in a single system. If you’re looking for lightweight control without the overhead of an enterprise tool, it can represent a good middle ground.

Key features of TravelBank

• Combines platform for travel booking, expense tracking, and card management

• Budgeting tools and custom approval workflows

• Optional travel agent support for complex itineraries

8. Egencia

Egencia is an enterprise-level corporate travel management platform owned by American Express Global Business Travel. It’s designed for companies with high travel volume and complex policy needs, especially those operating internationally.

Key features of Egencia

• Centralized platform for booking, policy enforcement, and expense tracking

• Automated approval flows and in-policy booking options

• Mobile app for receipt capture, itinerary access, and support on the go

Unify travel and expense management

See Rippling

How to choose the right Navan alternative

The best travel and expense platform for your business depends on more than just specific features. It needs to align with how your team travels and spends. One company might need global coverage and airtight policy control. Another might just want reimbursements to stop clogging up Slack threads. Whatever your particular priorities, here’s how to figure out the right Navan alternative for your setup:

1. Identify your travel and expense management needs

Start by mapping out how your team currently handles business travel and expense management. Is your finance team drowning in receipts, or is finding the right ticket at the right price for your sales reps the bigger challenge? Understanding the specific pain points for your team helps you whittle down to the features that actually matter, whether that’s real-time policy enforcement, card-based expense tracking, or automated itineraries.

2. Compare pricing and contract flexibility

Some Navan competitors offer free or freemium versions or month-to-month billing, while others require an annual commitment or have seat minimums. Tools like TravelBank and Ramp lean toward flexible pricing, whereas enterprise tools like SAP Concur may come with setup fees and long-term contracts. Always check what’s included before you sign on the dotted line, especially if you need specific integrations, implementation help, or advanced support.

3. Check for global travel and expense policy compliance

If you manage international teams and trips, you’ll likely need a tool that supports multi-currency expense tracking, localized travel policies, and country-specific tax rules. Look for features like VAT recovery, mileage tracking, and automated per diem rates. Not every tool was built with global compliance in mind, particularly those that primarily service small businesses.

4. Review integrations with your HR and payroll systems

The more your tools talk to each other, the less manual work your finance team needs to do. Given that a whopping 94% of finance professionals spend more than a quarter of their time on admin work, taking the time to dig deep into how your new expense management tool can reduce manual tasks or streamline workflows is more than worth it.. 

5. Evaluate user experience and mobile app usability

Your finance team will prioritize analytics and compliance, but traveling employees need something that works while they’re on the move. Look for solutions offering a comprehensive mobile app with features like receipt capture, real-time notifications, and offline access. And don’t forget ease of use. A clunky interface or slow load times can kill adoption, even if all the backend features check out. 

6. Ask about customer support and onboarding resources

Even the ideal software solution has the potential to create friction if you’re left to figure it out alone. Ask vendors how they handle onboarding. Will you receive one-on-one training? Is there a help center? Will you have access to an account manager? If you have high support needs, what resources can you expect on nights or weekends?

Rippling: The best alternative to Navan 

Rippling Travel approaches travel and expense the same way it handles payroll, benefits, and IT access: by connecting everything to your employee data so the system can do the work for you. Travel bookings, approvals, and reimbursements all run off rules tied to job title, department, or location, so out-of-policy spend gets flagged automatically, no matter where in the world it happens. 

And with Rippling’s expense management software, approvals and reimbursement become fast, painless, and user–friendly thanks to powerful customization and automation. Via web or a mobile app, employees submit expenses or upload receipts. Duplicate transactions or receipt mismatches get automatically flagged, and every expense gets synced to your organization’s general ledger for easy accounting.

With Rippling you can: 

• Automatically route expenses and bills to the right approver every time. 

• Flag out-of-policy spending with hyper-custom policies, like by vendor or value, for further review. 

• Close the books faster with AI-powered transaction categorization and integration with your accounting systems.

Navan alternative FAQs

Do Navan alternatives handle international travel?

Most Navan alternatives do support international travel, but the level of coverage varies. For example, TravelPerk offers multi-currency support, VAT recovery, and global travel inventory sourced through its platform and integrations. SAP Concur supports global bookings and localized compliance for multinational teams. If your team travels abroad often, look for built-in expense tracking, support for international travel policies, and responsive customer support across time zones.

Can I integrate a Navan alternative with my accounting software?

Yes, most Navan competitors can connect with popular accounting software like QuickBooks, NetSuite, or Xero. Some, like Ramp or Expensify, go further with real-time syncing and auto-categorization. Others might just offer basic exports. It really depends on how closely you need expenses to link to your general ledger. If your setup’s a bit custom, it’s worth double-checking how well the integration actually works before making the switch.

What makes Navan different?

What makes Navan different is its all-in-one approach to travel booking and expense management, removing the need for multiple tools. Navan also uses AI to suggest itineraries and enforce travel policies automatically. 

What does Navan do?

Navan is a business travel and expense management platform that lets employees book trips, pay with smart cards, and submit expenses through a single platform. It’s built to enforce travel policies automatically and give finance teams a live view of what’s being spent, where, and by whom.

This blog is based on information available to Rippling as of August 22, 2025.