ProSpend is a capable platform. Expenses with auto-coding, virtual cards, AP automation, purchase orders, travel management, live budgets, FBT tooling, and 30+ ERP integrations. If you’re a mid-market or larger organisation with a procurement team and a travel programme, it has real depth.
So when does an Australian SME choose Budgetly over ProSpend instead?
Two reasons come up most: pricing transparency and fit for a smaller team.
Here’s the short version. ProSpend is custom-quote only and built for the mid-market, education, healthcare, hospitality and retail organisations that are larger than a typical 20-200 person SME. Budgetly is purpose-built for that SME size, with transparent flat-rate pricing, unlimited users, and a setup measured in days. If you need a full PO-to-pay loop and a travel manager, ProSpend may be the better fit. If you want spend control without a procurement project, that’s where finance teams switch to Budgetly.
Where each platform fits
ProSpend and Budgetly solve overlapping problems from different ends of the market. This isn’t a case of one being strictly better, it’s about the size and shape of your finance operation.
| Factor | Budgetly | ProSpend |
|---|---|---|
| Best-fit team size | 20-200 person SMEs | Mid-market and larger |
| Pricing | Transparent flat rate, unlimited users | Custom quote only |
| Setup time | Days | Longer, mid-market rollout |
| Australian-based support | Unlimited, included | Now UK-owned (ISH, 2026) |
| Purchase orders (full PO-to-pay) | Not the core model | ✓ Strength |
| Travel management | Not offered | ✓ Strength |
| Spend control model | Card + live budget enforced up front | Claims and coding, plus cards |
| Deep Xero integration | ✓ 4.9/5 App Store rating | Broad ERP coverage (30+) |
When ProSpend is the better choice
We’d rather be straight about this than pretend Budgetly wins every deal.
If your organisation runs a formal travel programme with trip-level receipts, needs a full purchase-order-to-payment loop, or has 30+ ERP integrations to satisfy across a larger finance function, ProSpend is built for exactly that and does it well. Its mid-market depth, education, healthcare and hospitality verticals, FBT compliance wizard, and e-invoicing, is genuine.
Budgetly deliberately doesn’t try to be a mid-market procurement suite. It’s built to give a 20-200 person Australian team spend control fast, without the implementation and the custom contract.
Why Australian SMEs switch to Budgetly
Transparent pricing you can see before you talk to sales. ProSpend is quote-only, with a pricing calculator that produces an estimate. Budgetly publishes flat-rate pricing with unlimited users, so you know the number up front and it doesn’t scale per seat as your team grows.
Control before the spend, not coding after it. ProSpend’s heritage is “expense claims that write themselves”, strong automation applied to the claim after money has moved. Budgetly enforces the budget and policy at the point of purchase on a Visa card, so overspend is prevented rather than reconciled.
Built for a smaller team, live in days. ProSpend’s mid-market focus can be overkill for a smaller SME. Budgetly connects to Xero in minutes, issues your first virtual card instantly, and has most teams running within a week, no procurement cycle required.
A note on ownership. ProSpend was an Australian company acquired by UK-based ISH in early 2026, and is now expanding into the UK and Ireland. Budgetly remains Australian-built and Australian-supported, focused solely on the AU SME market.
Frequently asked questions
Is ProSpend a good expense management platform? Yes, particularly for mid-market and larger organisations that need purchase orders, travel management, FBT tooling, and broad ERP integration. It has 1,000+ customers including Nike, KFC and Monash College. The question for a smaller SME is whether that depth is worth a custom contract and a longer rollout.
How is Budgetly different from ProSpend? Budgetly is purpose-built for 20-200 person Australian SMEs with transparent flat-rate pricing and a card-first spend-control model that enforces budgets before money is spent. ProSpend is a broader mid-market suite (expenses, AP, PO, travel) sold on custom pricing.
Does Budgetly do purchase orders and travel management? No. A full PO-to-pay loop and travel management are ProSpend strengths that Budgetly doesn’t replicate. If those are core requirements, ProSpend is likely the better fit.
What does Budgetly cost compared to ProSpend? Budgetly is transparent flat-rate pricing with unlimited users. ProSpend is custom-quote only, so a direct number depends on a sales conversation.
