Start your shortlist with Egencia, Navan, and SAP Concur, then compare TravelPerk and BCD Travel if your travel program needs more flexibility or heavier service. Egencia is now part of American Express Global Business Travel after its acquisition from Expedia Group in 2021 [source: Amex GBT]. That matters because buyers are not just choosing booking software. They are choosing service depth, reporting quality, traveler support, expense flow, and how much control finance gets.
TLDR: For most mid sized companies, Navan is the easiest choice if speed and user experience matter most, while SAP Concur is stronger for strict expense controls and complex approvals. Egencia fits companies that want a familiar travel management company model with solid global support. For example, a 500 person company booking 120 trips per month could save hours if approvals, policy checks, and receipts move from email to one system. If your team often wastes 10 minutes per booking because people compare flights in three tabs, the right platform pays off quickly.
1. Egencia: Best for managed travel with strong service backing
Egencia is a corporate travel management platform built for companies that want booking tools, policy control, reporting, and traveler support in one place. It works well for teams that need a more traditional travel management setup but still want online booking.
Its biggest strength is service. Companies get access to travel consultants, itinerary support, risk tools, and reporting. That helps when flights get canceled at 9 p.m. and someone needs a real answer, not a chatbot loop.
- Best for: mid market and enterprise travel programs
- Strong points: global support, policy tools, reporting, duty of care
- Weak spot: the interface can feel heavier than newer tools
The slight frustration: booking simple trips can feel slower than it should. If your team mainly wants consumer style speed, Egencia may feel a bit formal.
2. Navan: Best for a modern booking and expense experience
Navan, formerly TripActions, is built for speed. It combines business travel, corporate cards, and expense management. The app feels closer to a consumer travel app than an old enterprise system. That is a big reason many growing companies like it.
Navan is especially useful when employees book their own trips. Policies appear while they search, so there is less back and forth with finance. Receipts, card charges, and approvals can also connect in the same flow.
- Best for: tech firms, sales teams, startups, fast growing companies
- Strong points: clean app, quick booking, card and expense tools
- Weak spot: some companies may want deeper custom service options
Honestly, it feels like Navan was built for people who hate clunky travel portals. That is a compliment. The trade off is that very complex travel programs may still need extra support planning.
3. SAP Concur: Best for expense control and large company rules
SAP Concur is one of the most established names in business travel and expense. It is often chosen by large companies because it can handle detailed approval paths, cost centers, tax needs, and finance controls.
Concur Travel works with Concur Expense, which is the real draw. Finance teams get policy checks, audit trails, reporting, and integrations with ERP systems. For companies already using SAP, it can make sense.
- Best for: enterprises with strict finance and compliance needs
- Strong points: expense workflows, ERP connections, policy control
- Weak spot: user experience can feel dated
It drives me crazy that some simple tasks can still take too many clicks. Travelers may grumble. Finance may still love it. That tension is common with Concur.
4. TravelPerk: Best for flexible travel and smaller teams
TravelPerk is a strong Egencia competitor for small and mid sized businesses that want simple booking, clear pricing, and flexible trip options. Its interface is friendly, and setup is usually less painful than older enterprise tools.
TravelPerk is known for flexibility features, including options that can let travelers cancel trips more easily depending on the plan. It also supports policy rules, approvals, invoices, and traveler tracking.
- Best for: small and mid sized companies
- Strong points: ease of use, flexible booking, simple admin tools
- Weak spot: very large global programs may need more custom handling
If your team has no time for training calls and 40 page admin guides, TravelPerk is appealing. It gets people booking with less drama.
5. BCD Travel: Best for enterprise service and global travel programs
BCD Travel is less about flashy software and more about full travel management at scale. It serves large organizations with complex needs, multiple countries, detailed supplier deals, and high traveler volume.
BCD offers booking tools, consulting, program management, risk services, and reporting. It is a good fit when travel is a serious operating cost, not just an occasional booking need.
- Best for: global enterprises and high volume travel programs
- Strong points: service depth, supplier management, risk support
- Weak spot: may feel too heavy for smaller companies
How to choose the right platform
Do not pick based only on brand name. Match the tool to your travel style.
- Choose Egencia if you want managed travel with reliable service and reporting.
- Choose Navan if employees book often and you want a smoother app experience.
- Choose SAP Concur if finance control, approvals, and expense rules matter most.
- Choose TravelPerk if you want simple setup and flexible travel options.
- Choose BCD Travel if your company needs global service and deep program support.
The best choice is the one your travelers will actually use. A powerful system is useless if employees avoid it and book outside policy. Start with your trip volume, approval needs, support expectations, and expense process. Then test the booking flow. If a normal flight and hotel search takes more than a few minutes, your team will notice.