Expensify

Receipt capture, cards, reimbursements, travel, invoices, and accounting sync

NOT REALLY · consider alternatives
price $5/mo per seatsubscription / year $60estimated build time not a true replacement; consolation build in one to two daysreplaced by 0 people

Do not mistake the interface for the product. Expensify's durable value is banking, compliance, trust, which a solo one-shot build cannot reproduce responsibly. The prompt therefore builds only the closest honest personal consolation tool.

Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability

What you give up

  • tax and accounting rule updates
  • audited security and recovery
  • multi-user controls and accountant workflows
  • bank, payment, tax, and reconciliation integrations
  • live bank feeds and payment rails

Why people still pay

Expensify: People pay because errors touch real money. Bank connections, reconciliation, tax changes, evidence, security, and support are the product.

Your build guide

The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.

Before you start

  • Node.js 22
  • SQLite
  • CSV exports from the user's own accounts
  • Explicit README warning that this is a consolation build, not a production replacement
01
Use exactly this stack: Next.js 15 + TypeScript + SQLite.
02
Model accounts, source transactions, ledger entries, reconciliations, and reports; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.
03
Interface for this expense management workflow: a local web page with input, progress, review, and export views.
engineering roadmap

Implementation plan

1

Phase 1, architecture and data

Use exactly this stack: Next.js 15 + TypeScript + SQLite. Model accounts, source transactions, ledger entries, reconciliations, and reports; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.

2

Phase 2, implement

For expense management, import one user-owned statement or enter a transaction with currency and source identifier.

3

Phase 3, implement

Store money as integer minor units, reject duplicate source IDs, and record corrections as new audit events.

4

Phase 4, review and output

Reconcile a statement period and export a report with the unmatched entries visible.

5

Phase 5, recovery and acceptance

Verify this invariant with a saved fixture: The sum of debits and credits must balance for posted entries; an import retry cannot change the closing balance. State the practical limit: tax and accounting rule updates.

the pro prompt
Build me a focused expense management workflow for the personal core of Expensify. Requirements:

- Use exactly this stack: Next.js 15 + TypeScript + SQLite. Model accounts, source transactions, ledger entries, reconciliations, and reports; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.
- Paid product context: Receipt capture, cards, reimbursements, travel, invoices, and accounting sync. Build only this DIY scope: Build a private expense management ledger that imports user-supplied CSV files, categorizes entries, reconciles balances, and exports reports.
- For expense management, import one user-owned statement or enter a transaction with currency and source identifier.
- Store money as integer minor units, reject duplicate source IDs, and record corrections as new audit events.
- Reconcile a statement period and export a report with the unmatched entries visible.
- Use a local web page with input, progress, review, and export views. Required input or access: CSV exports from the user's own accounts.
- Acceptance: with one labelled sample, show the input, saved intermediate state, and exported result; verify this invariant: The sum of debits and credits must balance for posted entries; an import retry cannot change the closing balance.
- Out of scope: tax and accounting rule updates; audited security and recovery. Keep this a personal, inspectable workflow.
- Include a README with setup, a sample input, required keys or permissions, data location, and the supported scope.

$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy AGENTS.md · generated from this app's build plan

prior art · use these instead of building, if you'd ratherActual BudgetLocal-first open-source personal finance and envelope budgeting.↗Invoice NinjaOpen-source invoicing, payments, and client management.↗
share on X ↗

Expensify pricing

planmonthlyannual (per mo)what you get
personal$0/user$0/userUnlimited SmartScans; unlimited manual expenses and mileage; CSV export; 0 workspace categories, tags, accounting integrations, or Expensify Card controls
collect, pay per use$5/user—$5 per unique member used in a month; expense reports, reimbursements, cards, travel, invoicing, and accounting syncCurrent new-customer model; no annual commitment required.
control, pay per use$36/user—$36 per active member in a month; advanced approvals, compliance, controls, and accounting features
control, annual commitment$36/user$18/user$18 per committed member/month; active members above the commitment are $36 eachExpensify Card usage can reduce the included rate as low as $9 and overage as low as $18.

free tierUnlimited SmartScans, manual expenses, mileage, and CSV export for personal use; 0 workspace categories/tags, accounting integrations, or card administration

billingpay-per-use monthly plans; optional 12-month Control commitment billed monthly

hidden costsA 12-month commitment can be increased but not decreased during the term; active users over the committed count cost $36 each. The maximum 50% card discount depends on the share of approved USD expenses put on the Expensify Card. Taxes may be added. Legacy subscriptions predating April 1, 2025 can use different $10/$5 structures.

pricing sources checked 2026-08-10 · pricing source ↗

Questions about Expensify

Can you build your own Expensify with AI?

A full replacement is not the recommended project. Do not mistake the interface for the product. Expensify's durable value is banking, compliance, trust, which a solo one-shot build cannot reproduce responsibly. The prompt therefore builds only the closest honest personal consolation tool.

What does the Expensify build prompt cover?

The prompt starts with this scope: Build a private expense management ledger that imports user-supplied CSV files, categorizes entries, reconciles balances, and exports reports. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: tax and accounting rule updates; audited security and recovery; multi-user controls and accountant workflows. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.

How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?

Start with the Expensify prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.

How long will this Expensify project take?

The catalogue estimate is not a true replacement; consolation build in one to two days for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.

What would I give up by replacing Expensify?

tax and accounting rule updates; audited security and recovery; multi-user controls and accountant workflows; bank, payment, tax, and reconciliation integrations; live bank feeds and payment rails. Expensify: People pay because errors touch real money. Bank connections, reconciliation, tax changes, evidence, security, and support are the product.

What price is this guide comparing against?

The recorded Collect plan is $5/mo per seat (per member per month), checked 2026-07-31. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.

What can I use instead of building Expensify?

The prior-art section lists Actual Budget, Invoice Ninja as starting points. Review their current scope, license and maintenance before adopting one.

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