The verdict
Payhawk
AF score 80 / 100 · Leads on 6 of 8Higher score, +4Choose it if
- A UK or EU group running several entities on NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Business Central or SAP S/4HANA
- Finance teams paying suppliers across currencies who want their own IBANs in EUR, GBP, USD, CHF
- Controllers who want agents to chase receipts and fetch portal invoices
Pleo
AF score 76 / 100 · Leads on 2 of 8Choose it if
- A UK or EU company of roughly 10 to 200 staff replacing shared cards and expense spreadsheets, with Xero
- A finance lead who wants the per-user price and the full fee table on paper before the first sales call
- An Optimise or Scale customer who wants Claude or ChatGPT to chase receipts and recode expenses under each user's own permissions
Scores from our independent reviews of both tools. Prices verified 12 Nov 2026.
At a glance
| Fact | Payhawk | Pleo |
|---|
| Best fit | UK/EU multi-entity mid-market | UK and EU SMB finance teams |
| Price | From $299/mo, US (published) | £8 to £18/user/mo (published) |
| Pricing model | Modular: base fee per module, usage units and add-ons | Published per-user tiers; Scale and Lead from a monthly base |
| Implementation | Medium | Low |
| Time to go live | 15 to 20 days (vendor, 2024) | Days to 4 weeks (AF estimate) |
| Agent readiness | 4 / 5 | ✓ 5 / 5 |
| AF score | ✓ 80 / 100 | 76 / 100 |
✓ marks a clear edge. Prices are as each vendor publishes them, verified 12 Nov 2026.
AF scores by dimension
PayhawkPleo
Payhawk leads on
Payments & money movement
+13Each dimension is scored 0 to 100 in the full reviews. The chip shows the leader's margin.
What each costs
Payhawk
From $299/mo, US (published)
Modular: base fee per module, usage units and add-ons
Pleo
£8 to £18/user/mo (published)
Published per-user tiers; Scale and Lead from a monthly base
Compare plans on their own sitesNeither vendor pays us. Both buttons go to the vendor's own site.
Where each falls short
Payhawk is a weak fit for
- US-only companies that need check or wire payouts and 1099 filing from their spend tool
- Small teams outside the UK and EEA
- Buyers who need a generally available MCP connector listed in the Claude or ChatGPT directory today
Pleo is a weak fit for
- A US or Canadian company with no entity in Europe or the UK: Pleo's US sign-up flow sends it to a waiting list
- A buyer whose security review needs a SOC 2 Type II report or ISO 27001 certificate in hand before contract
- A team that needs purchase orders or three-way matching on an entry plan
Payhawk vs Pleo: common questions
Which scores higher, Payhawk or Pleo?
Payhawk, 80 to 76 on our 100-point rubric.
How much do Payhawk and Pleo cost?
Payhawk: From $299/mo, US (published). Pleo: £8 to £18/user/mo (published).
How long does each take to go live?
Payhawk: 15 to 20 days (vendor, 2024). Pleo: Days to 4 weeks (AF estimate).
Which works better with AI agents?
Payhawk rates 4 and Pleo rates 5 out of 5 on our agent-readiness test.
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