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Best technology expense management solutions in 2025


Managing IT expenses has never been more complex. From cloud subscriptions and software licenses to mobile and data costs, businesses today face an overwhelming number of technology-related expenditures. That’s where technology expense management (TEM) can help. TEM solutions assist companies in streamlining telecom, IT, and cloud expenses and also deliver cost efficiency and financial control.

The Cybernews research team and I have conducted in-depth research to identify the best TEM solutions available in 2025. In this article, I’ll compare top TEM providers, highlight key features, and offer expert recommendations to help businesses choose the right fit. Whether you're evaluating telecom expense management companies or seeking cost optimization, this guide will simplify your decision-making process.

Best technology expense management – shortlist

Sara Mircevska inga_valiaugaite_author Dylan Sheedy
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The best technology expense management – compared

NameBest forPricingKey features
Concur ExpenseEnterprises and mid-sized businesses in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and corporate companiesQuote-based pricing. Demo and free trial availableAutomated expense tracking, AI-powered receipt scanning, mobile accessibility
TangoeEnterprises and mid-sized businesses with complex infrastructures and global operationsPricing plans and demo available on requestTelecom expense management, mobility management, reporting and analytics
Zoho ExpenseSmall to medium-sized businesses across various industriesFree - $0
Standard - $9/month
Premium - $12/month
Custom - upon request
14-day trial and demo available
Receipt management, expense and mileage tracking, corporate card integration
NavanBusinesses of all sizes and industriesNavan Business - Free
Navan Enterprise - upon request
Demo available on request
Automated expense reporting, real-time visibility, mobile access
brightfinSmall businesses and enterprises across various industriesQuote-base pricing; demo available on requestUnified IT expense management, automated invoice processing, contract and dispute management
Falcon ExpensesSelf-employed individuals and small businesses, such as sole proprietors and delivery driversFalcon Premium - $6.99/monthGMS mileage tracker, receipt management, odometer log, expense reporting

6 best technology expense management – our detailed list

I singled out the six top telecom expense management companies below that will help your business track, analyze, and optimize IT and telecom expenses.

1. Concur Expense – best TEM solution for businesses seeking seamless SAP integration and scalability

concur expense banner it management
Best for:Mid-sized businesses, large enterprises, and global organizations in technology, healthcare, manufacturing, and finance
Starting price:N/A
Free trial:Yes
Top features:Automated expense tracking, AI-powered receipt scanning

Concur Expense is a telecom expense management system and spend management technology designed to help businesses track, manage, and optimize employee expenses. Acquired by SAP in 2014, Concur Expense is now part of SAP Concur. It serves businesses of various sizes, particularly small to mid-sized companies scaling into larger enterprises or those with international operations. It predominantly serves industries such as healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and education.

Its primary purpose is to streamline expense reporting, policy enforcement, and integration with corporate and personal cards. Key features include receipt capture via optical character recognition (OCR), expense report creation, approval workflows, policy enforcement, and integration with third-party services.

There is also a mobile app that provides a seamless user experience and allows users to quickly scan receipts, track mileage, and submit reports for approval. Concur Expense also integrates with SAP Travel, ensuring that all travel-related expenses flow directly into the expense system.

Pricing for Concur Expense plans is not transparently displayed on the website, but if you are interested, you can request a free demo or sign up for a 15-day free trial.

2. Tangoe – outstanding TEM solution for AI-driven telecom expense optimization and automation

tangoe banner
Best for:Mid-sized businesses and large enterprises in healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, and retail
Starting price:N/A
Free trial:No
Top features:Telecom expense management, mobility management

Tangoe is a leading provider of telecom expense management (TEM) services, specially curated to help businesses optimize their telecom expenses through AI-powered automation and global carrier integrations. With a strong focus on enterprise expense management, Tangoe delivers a centralized platform for managing telecom, cloud, and mobility expenses, ensuring cost efficiency and visibility.

Its solutions cater to large enterprises, multinational corporations, and mid-sized businesses that require detailed telecom expense reporting and streamlined financial operations. Tangoe primarily serves healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, and retail industries.

Tangoe’s key features include invoice management that automates invoice capture, processing, and validation against contracts and usage, and reduces manual workload. Its expense management streamlines telecom costs, enforces spending controls, and delivers financial reports. However, Tangoe also offers audit and optimization to detect billing errors and reduce costs, inventory management to track telecom assets and optimize resources, and order management to streamline vendor interactions and service requests.

When it comes to pricing, Tangoe does not offer a free trial or display pricing plans publicly; only a demo is available upon request.

3. Zoho Expense – affordable TEM software for companies of all sizes

zoho expense banner it management
Best for:Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), enterprises, and freelancers
Starting price:$9/month
Free trial:Yes
Top features:Receipt management, expense and mileage tracking, corporate card integration

Zoho Expense is a comprehensive telecom expense management solution developed to streamline expense tracking from small and mid-sized businesses to enterprises. As part of Zoho’s extensive suite of business tools, it offers deep integration with Zoho CRM, QuickBooks, and productivity platforms like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.

It stands out with its mobile-first approach, allowing employees to capture receipts via the mobile app, email receipts to a unique ID, or sync with corporate credit cards for automated tracking. Businesses, particularly SMBs, benefit from its powerful reporting features, which provide insights into spending by category, merchant, or project.

Zoho Expense offers a 14-day free trial, while its free plan supports up to three users with limited storage. Paid plans start at $9 per user per month, with additional custom pricing for enterprises.

navan banner it management
Best for:Corporate finance teams, travel managers, and HR departments in mid-sized businesses and large enterprises
Starting price:N/A
Free trial:No (free plan available)
Top features:Automated expense reporting, real-time visibility, mobile access

Navan is another leading TEM solution that simplifies business travel and telecom expense reporting for companies of all sizes. Its intuitive platform helps busy professionals book flights, hotels, and rental cars while seamlessly managing expenses.

Its standout feature is automated expense tracking, where users simply snap a photo of a receipt, and Navan auto-fills the details, matching expenses to trips to save time. Policy compliance integration ensures that expenses align with company guidelines before submission and reduces the risk of policy violations. Additionally, Navan supports direct billing for travel-related expenses and eliminates out-of-pocket costs for employees.

As one of the top expense management companies, Navan offers a free plan for companies with up to 200 employees, while larger enterprises can opt for the Navan Enterprise plan with advanced features and integrations.

5. brightfin – best TEM solution with automated billing technology

brightfin banner it management
Best for:Mid-to-large enterprises across various industries
Starting price:N/A
Free trial:No
Top features:Unified IT expense management, automated invoice processing

brightfin is a telecom expense management (TEM) platform that streamlines mobile, telecom, and cloud expenses. As one of the top telecom expense management providers, brightfin integrates seamlessly with IT service management (ITSM) platforms, which makes it ideal for enterprises looking to optimize their IT spending.

Its standout feature is its billing technology, which automates invoice processing, detects billing errors, ensures contract compliance, and helps businesses reduce unnecessary costs. Additionally, brightfin provides real-time visibility into telecom expenses, asset tracking, and policy enforcement, allowing organizations to manage resources efficiently.

brightfin offers customized pricing plans tailored to enterprise needs, though it does not provide a free plan or public pricing details.

6. Falcon Expenses – great TEM app with a 14-day money-back guarantee

falcon expenses it management tools banner
Best for:Self-employed individuals and small businesses
Starting price:$6.99/month
Free trial:Yes
Top features:GMS mileage tracker, receipt management, odometer log

Falcon Expenses is a versatile expense and mileage tracker app designed to help businesses manage telecom costs and track expenses efficiently. With a focus on self-employed individuals and small businesses, it simplifies the process of handling telecom expense audits and ensures accurate expense reporting.

Falcon Expenses's intuitive interface makes it easy for users to log and track telecom-related expenses and mileage in real-time. The software integrates seamlessly with accounting systems, providing businesses with detailed expense reports to optimize spending.

Other key features include expense categorization, automatic receipt scanning, mileage tracking, and customizable reporting. Falcon Expenses helps businesses save time by automatically matching receipts to expenses and categorizing them for easy reporting.

Pricing is straightforward: only $6.99, with a 14-day money-back guarantee, making it an affordable solution for smaller companies.

How did we select the best technology expense management

Selecting the best telecom expense management services requires a thorough evaluation of various factors to ensure businesses get the most effective and reliable solutions. I focused on real-world performance, user reviews, core features, pricing, scalability, and customer support. Here’s how I assessed the top telecom expense management software options:

  1. Core features and integration (30%): The best telecom expense management tool must offer real-time tracking, automated expense categorization, and seamless integration with financial systems like QuickBooks and NetSuite. I evaluated whether these solutions provided API compatibility for enhanced functionality.
  2. Scalability and multi-currency support (15%): As businesses grow, their expense management software must scale accordingly. I examined whether each solution could handle an expanding user base without performance degradation or excessive additional costs. Multi-currency support was also a priority, ensuring that international transactions utilized live exchange rates and reducing errors in reporting global expenses.
  3. User reviews and real-world use cases (10%): To ensure practical effectiveness, I analyzed feedback from actual users. Cybernews experts gathered data from multiple sources, focusing on real-world use cases. By examining how different industries utilized these tools, I identified software solutions that excel in usability, reliability, and efficiency.
  4. Pricing and cost-effectiveness (25%): I compared pricing structures to determine whether the software offers value for money. I considered factors such as licensing fees, subscription plans, and additional costs for extra features. While some solutions had lower upfront costs, I focused on long-term benefits like automation and efficiency, which could save businesses significant time and money.
  5. Customer support and security (20%): Reliable customer support is essential in ensuring seamless software adoption. I assessed vendors' availability through multiple support channels such as live chat, email, and phone. Additionally, security was a top concern, so I prioritized software that complies with data protection regulations and employs robust encryption to protect sensitive financial data.

What is technology expense management?

Technology expense management (TEM) is a systematic approach that helps businesses track, analyze, and optimize their IT, telecom, and cloud expenses. As organizations expand their technology infrastructure, they face increasing challenges in managing costs, contracts, and compliance requirements. Therefore, TEM provides a centralized solution for monitoring technology assets and ensures that companies gain full financial transparency and control over their IT expenditures.

By leveraging TEM, businesses can efficiently manage telecom expense management, cloud services, software subscriptions, and mobile device allocations, which reduces redundant spending and improves operational efficiency.

Technology expense management companies also offer automated tools for invoice management, contract negotiations, and expense reporting, eliminating costly manual processes. One key benefit of TEM is its ability to track technology usage across departments and prevent unnecessary spending on unused or outdated assets.

Additionally, TEM plays a crucial role in guaranteeing compliance with vendor agreements, regulatory standards, and internal financial policies and mitigates risks associated with overspending or contractual violations. Modern telecom expense management solutions integrate with artificial intelligence and automation to deliver real-time insights into technology costs and enable businesses to forecast future expenses and optimize resource allocation.

It’s worth noting that companies increasingly rely on TEM to support their digital transformation strategies and balance technological advancements with budget constraints. In an era of cloud-first strategies and remote work models, TEM becomes essential for maintaining financial discipline while scaling IT infrastructure.

By investing in TEM solutions, companies can enhance financial efficiency, improve resource utilization, and achieve long-term cost savings in an ever-evolving technology sector.

Cost of technology expense management solutions

The cost of technology expense management solutions varies widely depending on the pricing model different providers use. Many technology expense management providers offer subscription-based pricing, a common approach for small to mid-sized businesses looking for predictable monthly expenses. This model typically includes a flat monthly or annual fee per organization or user.

A well-known example is Zoho Expense, which starts at $9 per user per month. This makes it an affordable option for small businesses that aim to manage technology costs efficiently. If you want access to more features and multiple users, opt for the Premium plan, which costs $12, or ask for a custom plan if you own an enterprise.

The best thing about Zoho is that this TEM provider offers straightforward pricing with no hidden charges. You can cancel your subscription anytime. If you want to test the waters, you can activate the 14-day trial or request a demo.

Falcon Expenses is another affordable TEM solution, offering a mobile application whose services cost only $6.99/month. If you are unsatisfied with the purchase, the company will refund your money within 14 days.

Another common model is per-user pricing, where businesses pay based on the number of employees using the platform. This structure can be cost-effective for companies with a smaller workforce but may become expensive as the organization grows.

For enterprises with more complex needs, providers like Concur Expense, Tangoe, and brightfin offer custom pricing models tailored to the specific scale and requirements of the business. These enterprise pricing plans often include advanced features such as automated workflows, AI-driven analytics, and integrations with existing IT infrastructure.

While these solutions provide significant long-term cost savings and operational efficiency, their pricing is generally not disclosed upfront and requires consultation with the provider. The flexibility in pricing models allows businesses to select a solution that aligns with their budget and operational needs while ensuring effective management of their technology costs.

Features and benefits of technology expense management solutions

IT expense management solutions provide businesses with comprehensive tools to control and optimize telecommunications costs. Below, I have listed the key features and benefits of these systems.

Optimization of IT spend

One of the primary benefits of telecom expense management is cost optimization. Many businesses unknowingly overspend on software licenses, cloud services, and telecom expenses due to inefficient management and redundant subscriptions. TEM solutions help organizations analyze spending patterns, identify unused resources, and consolidate services to maximize efficiency.

These tools also empower businesses to negotiate better contracts with telecom expense management vendors to make sure they receive the most competitive pricing. Through automated tracking and expense allocation, companies can make data-driven decisions that reduce unnecessary spending and improve overall financial performance.

Streamlining IT and finance processes

Expense management services integrate IT and finance departments by automating invoice processing, approval workflows, and compliance checks. Traditionally, managing IT expenses involved manual data entry, which increased the risk of errors and inefficiencies. Modern expense management platforms digitize this process, facilitating accurate and timely expense approvals.

Additionally, automated reconciliation features align expenses with budgets and prevent overspending. This seamless integration enhances communication between departments, allowing IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives while finance teams gain better control over expenditures. Organizations can reallocate valuable resources to more critical business operations by reducing administrative burdens.

Security and compliance

Security and compliance have become top priorities for businesses handling vast amounts of financial data. Telecommunications expense management solutions enforce financial regulations by verifying that all transactions adhere to corporate policies and legal requirements. Many systems include fraud detection mechanisms, such as AI-powered anomaly detection and multi-factor authentication, to prevent unauthorized access and fraudulent claims.

Additionally, compliance reporting features generate audit-ready documentation, which reduces risks associated with tax penalties and regulatory violations. TEM vendors also offer cloud-based solutions with encryption and access controls to safeguard sensitive financial information. As a result, businesses can remain compliant while protecting their financial assets from cyber threats.

Enhanced transparency and visibility

Real-time tracking and reporting are among the most valuable features of every technology expense management platform. Businesses gain complete insight into spending trends, which allows finance teams to monitor budgets, track expense categories, and forecast future financial needs. Customizable dashboards provide insights into vendor payments, subscription renewals, and cost allocations, helping decision-makers make informed financial choices.

Enhanced visibility also promotes accountability, as employees and managers can track individual expenditures and prevent overspending. Ultimately, these solutions empower organizations to take control of their technology expenses while improving financial transparency across all departments.

Final word on best technology expense management solutions

Choosing the best TEM software depends on your business's size, industry, and the complexity of its expenses. For large enterprises with intricate needs, Concur Expenses stands out as a strong contender, offering robust features for comprehensive expense management. Whether you’re managing travel, telecom costs, or corporate expenditures, the right solution will streamline processes and improve financial oversight.

After thorough evaluations, our team at Cybernews recommends the listed solutions for their reliability, scalability, and efficiency. If you carefully consider your company’s unique requirements, you will be able to choose the most fitting TEM tool to drive cost savings and operational efficiency to your business.

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