Comparison
Brex vs Mercury
A side-by-side look at Brex and Mercury — pricing, regions, integrations, pros and cons. Use The AI Recommends if you'd rather have an AI pick for you.
Brex
The corporate card built for startups and scale-ups.
Brex pairs a charge card with bill pay, travel and global expense tools — designed for venture-backed companies that need fast underwriting based on cash balance, not credit history.
Mercury
Banking built for startups.
Mercury is a tech-forward business bank for startups, offering checking, savings, treasury, debit cards and the IO charge card with up to 1.5% cashback.
Side-by-side
| Spec | Brex | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | The corporate card built for startups and scale-ups. | Banking built for startups. |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, USA | San Francisco, USA |
| Founded | 2017 | 2017 |
| Regions | US | US |
| Card type | Charge card | Debit + IO Credit |
| Pricing | Free base plan; Brex Premium $12/user/mo; Enterprise custom. | Banking free; Mercury IO requires $25k+ avg balance. |
| Rewards | Up to 7x points on rideshare, 4x on travel, 3x on dining. | 1.5% cashback on Mercury IO. |
| Best for | VC-backed startups, Tech companies, Scale-ups | US-incorporated startups, VC-backed companies, Remote founders |
| Integrations | NetSuite, QuickBooks, Xero, Sage Intacct | QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite |
Brex: pros & cons
- Strong limits for startups with runway
- Excellent NetSuite integration
- Great UX
- US-only issuance
- Pulled SMB segment in 2022
- Premium tier is paid
Mercury: pros & cons
- Best banking UX for startups
- No monthly fees
- Strong treasury product
- US incorporation required
- Not a traditional bank — partner bank model