Payhawk vs SoftCo (2026): Pricing, Features & Verdict
Payhawk is our pick, scoring 7.1/10 against 6.7/10 for SoftCo on our Finance Software criteria. Its biggest advantage: higher Customization score (7/10 vs 5/10). Neither Payhawk nor SoftCo lists a free plan.
Last updated: November 2026
Payhawk
7.1/10
Payhawk is a modular spend management platform combining Visa corporate cards, expense claims, accounts payable, procurement and travel booking for mid-sized and multi-entity companies.
SoftCo
6.7/10
AI-driven accounts payable and procure-to-pay automation for mid-size and large finance teams that run many entities and ERPs at high invoice volumes.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 7.1/10 | 6.7/10 |
| Scalability | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Compliance | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Integration | 9/10 | 8/10 |
| Security | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Support | 5/10 | 8/10 |
| Cost | 4/10 | 3/10 |
| Customization | 7/10 | 5/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | £149/mo Growth programme (UK/EEA) | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | £149/mo Growth programme (UK/EEA) | Contact for pricing |
| Features | ||
| Accounts Payable | ||
| Multi-entity Consolidation | ||
| Tax Compliance | ||
| Accountant Access | Not listed | |
| Corporate Cards | Not listed | |
| Expense Management | Not listed | |
| Multi-currency | Not listed | |
| Payroll | Not listed | |
Payhawk vs SoftCo cost by team size
| Team size | Payhawk | SoftCo |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | £149/moGrowth programme (UK/EEA) | Contact for pricing |
| 5 users | £149/moGrowth programme (UK/EEA) | Contact for pricing |
| 10 users | £149/moGrowth programme (UK/EEA) | Contact for pricing |
| 25 users | $299/moTravel | Contact for pricing |
| 50 users | $299/moTravel | Contact for pricing |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Who Payhawk and SoftCo suit
Payhawk fits small business better; SoftCo fits enterprise better.
| Audience | Payhawk | SoftCo |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise | 7/10It offers SAP, Oracle and Workday connectors, SSO, and PO matching, but very large enterprises may still need deeper procurement suites. | 9/10SoftCo is built for high-volume AP across multiple entities, ERPs and regions, with customers such as Primark and Volkswagen. |
| Small Business | 4/10There is a discounted Growth programme for UK and EEA firms under 10 staff, but it is capped and reviewers say the cost is high for small companies. | 2/10Volume-based quotes and a multi-week implementation make it a poor fit for small firms. |
| Mid-Market | 9/10Module pricing from several hundred dollars a month, plus multi-entity add-ons, targets companies that have outgrown simple expense apps. | 8/10Directory profiles name mid-to-large companies as the target market, and most reviewers are from mid-sized firms. |
| Finance Teams | 9/10It is built for controllers and CFO teams that need card controls, AP approvals and ERP sync in one place. | 9/10It automates AP capture, matching, coding and approvals for finance teams. |
| Startups | 5/10The Growth plan and unlimited employee seats help, but annual contracts and the price floor are less startup-friendly than freemium rivals. | Not rated |
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Payhawk
- Higher Customization score (7/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Integration score (9/10 vs 8/10)
- Better fit for small business (4/10 vs 2/10)
Why choose SoftCo
- Higher Support score (8/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for enterprise (9/10 vs 7/10)
Pros & Cons
Payhawk
Pros
- Unlimited employee seats, card transactions and document processing in every module, so costs do not scale per employee.
- Very broad native integration list, covering NetSuite, Sage Intacct, SAP, Dynamics, Xero, QuickBooks, DATEV and 30+ HR systems, plus a partner API and MCP connector.
- Strong for multi-entity European groups, with regulated card issuing entities in the EEA, UK and US and balances in six currencies.
- AP module includes 2- and 3-way PO matching, segregation-of-duties controls, and e-invoicing support for Peppol, KSeF, SDI and Finvoice.
- Reviewers often say employees find receipt capture and expense submission in the mobile app quick and easy.
Cons
- Trustpilot (2.8/5) and some G2 reviews describe mid-contract price increases, automatic renewals and difficult cancellations.
- Several reviewers report slow or AI-first support, with replies taking days or weeks.
- Annual pricing, unit fees for admin seats and cards, and add-on prices are not published, so you have to get a quote.
- Initial setup of workflows, custom fields and integrations is described as complex, and some reviewers note sync errors with Xero and with foreign currency refunds.
- It is not a general ledger or payroll system, so it needs a separate ERP or accounting package.
SoftCo
Pros
- Directory profiles report up to 90% straight-through processing for PO-backed invoices.
- Pre-built connectors cover SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Infor and Sage, with 200+ ERPs in total, which suits companies running several ERPs.
- Each customer gets a single-tenant environment, and a third-party profile reports SOC 1, SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certification.
- E-invoicing runs over Peppol and VAN networks and targets mandates in Belgium, France and Poland.
- Reviewers praise the responsive support and the email and mobile approvals.
Cons
- No public pricing, and deals are sized for high invoice volumes.
- Reviewers report limited reporting customization and KPI analytics.
- Setup is longer and more complex than lighter cloud AP tools.
- Some reviewers report ERP integration glitches and occasional errors in automated vendor selection.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Payhawk scores higher on our Finance Software criteria: 7.1/10 against 6.7/10 for SoftCo. The largest gap is in Support: 5/10 for Payhawk and 8/10 for SoftCo.
No, neither Payhawk nor SoftCo lists a free plan.
SoftCo is the better fit for enterprise: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 7/10 for Payhawk.
