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7 Best Free HourGlass Alternatives in 2026

Explore 7 alternatives to HourGlass — vetted by our editors with real user reviews, pricing, and feature comparisons.

The top free HourGlass alternatives, at a glance

Quick answer

Want the short version? The top HourGlass alternatives are Emburse Certify, PEX and Replicon Expense. Emburse Certify leads with a SpotScore of 9 and a 4.6★ rating. See the full comparison of all 7 on score, rating, and price below.

A tool that fits one team can frustrate another, so if HourGlass is frustrating yours, these 7 expense management software free alternatives are worth a look. We rank them by SpotScore, which combines verified user satisfaction with market presence, then ratings and pricing. The table gives a quick side-by-side; the sections below explain each pick.

ProductSpotScoreRatingPricingBest for
Emburse CertifyStreamline expenses. Simplify reimbursements.9★★★★★ 4.6(18)FreeFree Trial · Subscription · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
PEXTrack, Audit, Settle - All with Ease.8.6★★★★★ 4.7(13)FreeFree Trial · Subscription · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
Replicon ExpenseStreamline your expenses and save money.8.2Not yet ratedFreeFree Trial · Subscription · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
TAGGUNStreamline expenses, boost productivity.8.1Not yet ratedFreeFree Trial · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
Dext PrepareStreamline your expenses with effortless ease.8★★★★★ 4.6(229)FreeFree Trial · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
WellyBoxStreamline your finances with WellyBox's intelligent receipt management.7.9Not yet ratedFreefrom $9/moteams of all sizes
ExpeniEffortlessly manage expenses with Expeni.7.3★★★★☆ 4(66)FreeFree Trial · Subscription · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes

9.0

SpotScore

Emburse Certify

Emburse Certify

Streamline expenses. Simplify reimbursements.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.6

18 verified reviews

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What is Emburse Certify?

Emburse Certify makes it easier for HR, Finance and Accounting teams to manage expenses and reimbursements with two integrated modules: Expense Management and Travel Reimbursement. Clients love how easy Emburse Certify is to use, that it saves time and money for organizations, and does it all ...

Read more about Emburse Certify
Free TrialTry Free →·

Emburse Certify offers custom pricing plan

8.6

SpotScore

PEX

PEX

Track, Audit, Settle - All with Ease.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.7

13 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is PEX?

PEX is an expense management platform designed for decentralized organizations. The software helps to easily track business expenses, while enabling easy auditing and settlement. It rely on blockchain technology to provide a secure and decentralized solution for the expense report. Use PEX to ...

Read more about PEX
Free TrialTry Free →·

PEX offers custom pricing plan

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8.2

SpotScore

Replicon Expense

Replicon Expense

Streamline your expenses and save money.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is Replicon Expense?

Replicon Expense is a web-based expense reporting solution for finance and HR teams at mid-size companies who need to automate employee expense submission, approval, and reimbursement workflows. It handles the full cycle from claim submission to final reimbursement, reducing the administrative ...

Read more about Replicon Expense
Free TrialTry Free →·

Replicon Expense offers custom pricing plan

8.1

SpotScore

TAGGUN

TAGGUN

Streamline expenses, boost productivity.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is TAGGUN?

TAGGUN is an expense submission tool for employees and operations teams looking to reduce manual paperwork around business expense reporting. Employees submit expenses with a single click, and the platform reduces administrative overhead by handling timesheet and receipt processing digitally. ...

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Free TrialTry Free →

8.0

SpotScore

Dext Prepare - Expense Management Software

Dext Prepare

Streamline your expenses with effortless ease.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.6

229 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is Dext Prepare?

Dext Prepare is an expense management software that is easy to use and flexible to meet the unique business requirements. Dext Prepare has a simple user interface that allows to enter, approve, and pay expenses easily. It features the ability to make automatic payments, email and SMS ...

Read more about Dext Prepare
Free TrialTry Free →

7.9

SpotScore

WellyBox - Expense Management Software

WellyBox

Streamline your finances with WellyBox's intelligent receipt management.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is WellyBox?

WellyBox is an automated receipt management solution that utilizes deep learning-based engine and GPT-3 technology combined with OCR recognition to process documents faster than ever. Its advanced features offer businesses a reliable and efficient way to keep their finances in order, saving ...

Read more about WellyBox
Free Trial

7.3

SpotScore

Expeni

Expeni

Effortlessly manage expenses with Expeni.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.0

66 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is Expeni?

Expense Management can be a challenging task for a small business or even for personal use. This Expense management software is the easy solution to ensure all expenses are recorded and properly authorized. It can help eliminate or drastically reduce the ability to remove or alter expense items ...

Read more about Expeni
Free TrialTry Free →·

Expeni offers custom pricing plan

What earned each HourGlass alternative its spot

Emburse Certify9Best for teams of all sizes

Easy to use platform for expense reporting.

Watch for: May lack certain advanced features like setting hard expense limits on specific types.

PEX8.6Best for teams of all sizes

Decentralized expense tracking

Watch for: Complex setup process

Replicon Expense8.2Best for teams of all sizes

Automated expense reporting

Watch for: Limited integration with other tools

TAGGUN8.1Best for teams of all sizes

One-click expense submission

Watch for: Limited integrations

Dext Prepare8Best for teams of all sizes

User-friendly interface

Watch for: Limited advanced features

WellyBox7.9Best for teams of all sizes

Automated receipt management

Watch for: Limited to receipt management

Expeni7.3Best for teams of all sizes

Easy expense recording

Watch for: Limited features for personal use

Why teams look for a HourGlass alternative

Teams usually start looking for a HourGlass alternative for a few concrete reasons:

  • Learning curve for new users
  • Limited mobile functionality
  • Can be costly for small businesses

Key things to look for in a HourGlass alternative

On price, ratings, and standout strengths, the 7 free alternatives compare like this: 7 offer a free tier; paid plans run $9, with WellyBox the cheapest entry point; and PEX is the highest rated at 4.7★ across 13 reviews.

How we rank, in short.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Stuck on something? We're here to help with all the questions and answers in one place.

The top-rated alternatives to HourGlass are PEX (4.7★), Emburse Certify (4.6★), Dext Prepare (4.6★). Compare all 7 alternatives side-by-side above.

When evaluating alternatives to HourGlass, prioritize: Time & Expense Tracking, Third-party Integration, Expense Approval, transparent pricing, free trial availability, and integrations with your existing tools. Use the filters above to compare by feature, budget, and team size.

Migration difficulty depends on how deeply HourGlass is integrated into your workflows. Most alternatives offer data export/import tools and dedicated onboarding support. We recommend shortlisting 2–3 options, running a free trial, and checking each vendor's migration guides before committing.

How to narrow down your HourGlass alternative

  • On a budget / just exploring: start with a free tier — Emburse Certify, PEX and Replicon Expense let you evaluate without paying upfront.
  • If real-user ratings matter most: PEX has the strongest star rating (4.7★) among the options with verified reviews.
  • Want the safest pick: Emburse Certify has the highest Spotsaas Score (9) in this list — a strong default if you're unsure.

Before you switch from HourGlass

To replace HourGlass smoothly, treat data first. Export it, confirm the new tool can import it, and check feature parity for the work you actually do. Pilot on a free tier before rolling out, and keep HourGlass running until everything has moved over cleanly.

Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].