Comparison
October 15, 2026
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6 min read
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Last updated
October 27, 2026

Best Xpence Alternatives in the UAE (2026)

TL;DR

  • Why switch now: Xpence merged into Limitless Payments in September 2025, and the brand is winding down.
  • Mamo (best overall): free Growth plan or AED 99/month Premium, unlimited free Visa cards, no FX fee on card spend and up to 2% cashback, plus payment acceptance. Regulated by the DFSA.
  • Alaan: the deepest AI expense tooling, at AED 499/month with a 3.68% fee on international card payments.
  • Pemo: free Starter plan or AED 399/month Premium; cashback on international spend only.
  • Pluto: procure-to-pay depth; free for up to 5 users or $99/month for 30.
  • Only Mamo: also lets you accept customer payments.

Why Are Businesses Looking for Xpence Alternatives?

In September 2025, Xpence, a UAE-based corporate spend management platform founded in 2017–2018, merged into Limitless Payments, a newly formed Riyadh-headquartered entity that also incorporates GC Partners (a UK/UAE/Hong Kong FX firm) and Numito. The combined entity launched with an initial fund of $100 million, with Xpence co-founder Saad Ansari as CEO.

As of October 2026, the xpence.com website is suspended. Whether the original Xpence product, corporate Visa cards, spend management, multi-currency wallets, will continue under Limitless Payments, and on what terms, has not been publicly clarified.

For businesses that were using Xpence, or that were evaluating it before the website suspension, this guide provides an honest, up-to-date comparison of the four most credible UAE alternatives in 2026.

The Four Best Xpence Alternatives at a Glance

PlatformBest ForMonthly FeeRegulatory StatusCashback
MamoPayment acceptance + corporate cardsAED 0 (Growth) / AED 99 (Premium)DFSA-regulated0.5% AED / 2% non-AED
AlaanDeep expense automationAED 499UAE activeNot listed
PemoFree starting tierAED 0 (Starter) / AED 399 (Premium)CBUAE in-principle SVFNot listed
PlutoProcure-to-pay depth$0 / $99/month (Growth)DFSA in-principleNot listed

1. Mamo, Best Overall UAE Alternative to Xpence

Why it tops this list: Mamo is the only platform in this comparison that combines a full payment gateway (for accepting payments from customers) with corporate cards and expense management, all within a single DFSA-regulated entity. For businesses that used Xpence for spend management and relied on a separate tool for payment acceptance, Mamo consolidates both under one regulated roof.

What Mamo Offers

Payment gateway:

  • Online checkout, payment links, and QR codes
  • Accepts Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Jaywan (UAE local), Tabby (BNPL), mada, Apple Pay, Google Pay
  • Published pricing: 2.7% + AED 0.80 per transaction (Premium) or 2.9% + AED 1.00 (Growth)
  • Growth plan: no monthly fee; Premium plan: AED 99/month
  • Same-day settlement available at an additional fee of +0.5% (Premium) or +0.75% (Growth), not the standard rate; standard settlement is 2–5 business days

Corporate cards:

  • Physical and virtual Visa Mamo Cards
  • Per-card spend controls and approval workflows
  • Receipt capture, expense categorisation
  • Global payouts
  • Cashback: up to 0.5% on AED (unlimited) spend, up to 2% on non-AED (unlimited) spend (promotional rates up to 8%)

Regulatory status: DFSA-regulated (DIFC, Dubai), the strongest active regulatory footing on this list.

Mamo vs What Xpence Offered

MamoXpence (as it was)
Regulatory licenceDFSA (active)None confirmed, BIN sponsorship
Payment gatewayYes (own)Via Paymob partnership only
Corporate Visa cardsYesYes
Monthly feeAED 0 (Growth) / AED 99 (Premium)Not published
Cashback0.5% AED / 2% non-AEDNone confirmed
Published pricingYesNo
Same-day settlementYes (+0.5–0.75% additional fee)Not confirmed

Best for: UAE businesses needing payment acceptance + corporate card spend management under one regulated roof, with transparent pricing and no monthly overhead.

Everything Xpence did, plus payments.

Corporate cards, expenses and payouts, and a payment gateway, all on one account.

2. Alaan, Best for Comprehensive Expense Automation

Alaan is the most feature-rich dedicated expense management platform in the UAE, backed by $55 million in funding and built for teams that need deep automation across the entire expense cycle.

What Alaan Offers

  • AI-powered receipt capture and automatic categorisation
  • Multi-layer approval workflows configurable by team and spend type
  • Real-time spend visibility with granular analytics dashboards
  • Physical and virtual corporate Visa cards with per-card limits
  • Published pricing: AED 499/month (contact for enterprise plans)
  • Named accounting software integrations for ERP connectivity
  • Well-resourced for ongoing product development

Who Should Choose Alaan

Alaan suits mid-market and enterprise finance teams with complex approval hierarchies, large card programmes, and high volumes of receipts and invoices that benefit from automation. The AED 499/month fee reflects product depth that delivers real value for teams generating meaningful savings through reduced manual work.

3. Pemo, Best for Businesses Starting Free

Pemo is purpose-built for SMEs and startups in the UAE and MENA who want to begin managing corporate spend without upfront fees, then scale up as the business grows.

What Pemo Offers

  • Free Starter plan, no monthly fee, physical and virtual corporate Visa cards
  • Premium plan: AED 399/month, adds deeper spend controls, integrations, and analytics
  • Receipt capture, approval workflows, real-time spend tracking
  • CBUAE in-principle SVF licence, regulatory progress toward a stored value facility authorisation
  • Active across UAE and MENA markets

Who Should Choose Pemo

Pemo is the right choice for early-stage startups and SMEs that want to replace an ad-hoc expense process with a proper corporate card programme, without committing to a monthly subscription from day one. As the business grows, the Premium tier adds the controls needed for larger teams.

4. Pluto, Best for Procure-to-Pay Depth

Pluto positions itself as a full procure-to-pay platform, going deeper than standard corporate card management to include purchase orders, vendor management, and multi-entity consolidation.

What Pluto Offers

  • Free plan ($0) with core card and expense management
  • Growth plan: $99/month with full procure-to-pay features
  • Physical and virtual Visa corporate cards
  • Purchase order management, vendor onboarding, multi-entity support
  • DFSA in-principle approval, regulatory progress alongside Mamo's full active DFSA licence
  • Built for companies with a dedicated procurement function

Who Should Choose Pluto

Pluto is ideal for finance teams at growth-stage companies that have outgrown basic expense management and need purchase order controls, vendor management, and multi-entity visibility, particularly those with an active procurement team.

Full Platform Comparison

FeatureMamoAlaanPemoPluto
Monthly feeAED 0 (Growth) / AED 99 (Premium)AED 499AED 0 / AED 399$0 / $99
Corporate cardsYesYesYesYes
Payment gatewayYesNoNoNo
Cashback0.5% AED / 2% non-AEDNot listedNot listedNot listed
Regulatory statusDFSA (active)UAE activeCBUAE in-principleDFSA in-principle
Best forPayments + cardsDeep automationFree startProcure-to-pay
Funding—$55MFundedFunded

Make the switch from Xpence.

Mamo gives you DFSA regulation, published pricing and the only built-in payment gateway in this comparison.

How to Choose the Right Xpence Alternative for Your Business

Not every business needs the same platform. Here is a practical decision framework:

Choose Mamo if:

  • You accept payments from customers (online, QR, payment links) and also need corporate cards
  • Regulatory status (DFSA) matters for your industry or compliance requirements
  • You want transparent published pricing (Growth plan: no monthly fee; Premium: AED 99/month)
  • Cashback on card spend is a meaningful benefit

Choose Alaan if:

  • You have a large team with complex approval workflows and high receipt volumes
  • Deep, named accounting software integrations are critical
  • You can justify AED 499/month through measurable reduction in manual finance work

Choose Pemo if:

  • You are an SME or startup wanting a zero-cost entry point
  • You are setting up a corporate card programme for the first time
  • MENA multi-market support is important to your expansion plans

Choose Pluto if:

  • You have a procurement function and need purchase order management
  • Multi-entity consolidation is a finance requirement
  • You want DFSA in-principle regulatory footing at $0 to start

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Xpence no longer available?

Xpence merged into Limitless Payments in September 2025, combining with GC Partners (an FX firm) and Numito under a Riyadh-headquartered entity with $100 million in initial funding. As of October 2026, xpence.com is suspended, and it is unclear whether the Xpence product will continue in its original form under Limitless Payments.

What is the best Xpence alternative in the UAE in 2026?

Mamo is the best overall alternative for most UAE businesses, DFSA-regulated, Growth plan: no monthly fee (Premium: AED 99/month), built-in payment gateway, corporate cards with cashback, and published pricing. For deep expense automation, Alaan is the strongest; for a free starting point, Pemo; for procure-to-pay, Pluto.

Is there a free alternative to Xpence?

Yes. Pemo offers a free Starter plan with physical and virtual corporate cards and no monthly fee. Pluto also offers a $0 free tier. Mamo's Growth plan has no monthly fee and applies transaction fees only on payment acceptance volume; the Premium plan costs AED 99/month.

Which Xpence alternatives are DFSA-regulated?

Mamo holds an active DFSA licence. Pluto has DFSA in-principle approval. Pemo holds a CBUAE in-principle SVF licence. Always verify current regulatory status directly with any platform before onboarding.

Do any Xpence alternatives offer cashback?

Mamo offers up to 0.5% unlimited cashback on AED spend and up to 2% on non-AED (unlimited) spend, with promotional rates up to 8%.

The Bottom Line

If you're moving off Xpence, Mamo is the best overall alternative. It has a free Growth plan, no FX fee on card spend, up to 2% cashback, and payment acceptance, all regulated by the DFSA.

Alaan suits larger teams that want deep AI expense tooling and can absorb AED 499/month. Pemo and Pluto are lower-cost ways to keep pure spend management.

Start free on Mamo.

The Growth plan has no monthly fee and includes unlimited free Visa cards.

Building and scaling Mamo: the UAE's only full-stack digital payments and spend management platform for businesses of all sizes.

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