Top 10 Navan Alternatives for Effortless Business Travel

Every travel platform promises to simplify your next trip. But the real frustration runs deeper: rebuilding your preferences on every booking site, comparing dozens of tabs to find the right flight, and sitting on hold when your connection gets canceled. Pick the wrong tool and you're stuck with those workarounds for years.

This guide compares ten Navan alternatives with short reviews, a decision framework, and FAQs so you can match the right platform to your booking habits, travel frequency, and the level of support you actually need on the road. That choice matters even more as the travel management market keeps growing, projected to jump from $10.27B (2025) to $18.92B (2031).

Detailed Reviews

Each review covers what makes a platform worth a look, plus the honest trade-offs. Platforms are ordered by use-case fit, not ranking.

1) Otto the Agent: Best for Solo Road Warriors Without TMC Access

Otto is a personal travel assistant for business travelers who book their own trips. You tell it what you need, it learns your preferences over time, and you spend less time re-entering the same details on every trip.

Why it stands out: Otto curates 2-6 flight or hotel options instead of burying you in hundreds of results. It auto-applies loyalty numbers, remembers seat preferences, and monitors booked flights for disruptions, suggesting rebooking options you confirm with a tap. Calendar integration with Google, Outlook, and Apple means Otto spots upcoming trips and factors in meeting times.

Good to know: Otto books flights for solo travelers and hotels for one to two guests. It doesn't handle car rentals, group bookings, or approval workflows. Best suited for frequent travelers at smaller companies booking their own trips.

2) TravelPerk: Focus on Mid-Market Flexible Cancellations

TravelPerk pulls flights, hotels, cars, trains, and short-term rentals into one booking interface. It's aimed at mid-market teams that want broad inventory and the option to cancel without losing everything.

Why it stands out: The FlexiTravel add-on gives an 80% refund on last-minute cancellations. That's rare in corporate travel. TravelPerk also connects to common expense and finance tools, so your team doesn't have to rebuild workflows around a single platform.

Good to know: The Starter tier charges a 5% booking fee per transaction, and Premium platform fees aren't published. Pricing and support quality vary by team, so pilot it with a few frequent travelers before committing.

3) SAP Concur: Focus on Complex Policy Requirements

SAP Concur is an enterprise travel and expense platform built for organizations with multi-layered approval chains. If your company already runs SAP for finance or HR, Concur plugs right in.

Why it stands out: Policy enforcement, audit trails, and deep ERP integrations set Concur apart from lighter booking tools. If your travel process touches multiple cost centers or requires strict compliance reporting, Concur matches that level of control.

Good to know: No public pricing. Smaller companies (under 200 employees) often find the platform's complexity and sales-heavy procurement process more than they need.

4) Ramp: Focus on Finance-First Travel Booking

Ramp bundles corporate cards, expense management, and travel booking into one product. Travel is part of a bigger spend management toolkit, not a standalone tool.

Why it stands out: Ramp is the only platform here with a truly free, unlimited tier. Booking, expenses, and cashback come at no per-user or per-booking cost when you use Ramp's corporate card. Your company's travel rules apply automatically at checkout, and expenses auto-categorize from card transactions.

Good to know: The free model requires adopting Ramp's corporate card, so companies locked into existing card contracts face switching costs. Travel inventory depth isn't as well documented as dedicated travel platforms, either.

5) Spotnana: Focus on NDC Airline Content and TMC Modernization

Spotnana works mainly as back-end infrastructure for travel management companies that want to modernize their booking technology. Most travelers won't use it directly.

Why it stands out: TMCs use Spotnana to tap into NDC fares that don't always show up in traditional booking channels. If your company runs travel through a TMC partner and you want access to direct airline offers, Spotnana can power that setup.

Good to know: No public pricing, and implementation timelines depend on how fast your TMC can roll it out.

6) Amex GBT Egencia: Focus on Global Managed Travel Programs

Egencia is a corporate travel platform now owned by American Express Global Business Travel. It covers flights, hotels, car rentals, and rail in a single booking tool with 24/7 agent support and policy controls baked into the booking flow.

Why it stands out: Egencia pairs a self-service booking interface with access to Amex GBT's global supplier network and negotiated rates. Post-booking tools automatically search for lower fares after you book, and the platform plugs into common finance and HR systems for expense reporting.

Good to know: No public pricing. Egencia targets mid-to-large organizations, and the sales process reflects that. Smaller teams may find the onboarding and minimum spend thresholds more than they need.

7) TravelBank: Focus on Mid-Market T&E With Employee Rewards

TravelBank combines travel booking, expense tracking, and card reconciliation in one platform. It's now a U.S. Bank company, which adds banking infrastructure behind the scenes.

Why it stands out: TravelBank's employee rewards program gives travelers incentives to book under budget, so both the company and the traveler win. The platform covers flights, hotels, and car rentals with 24/7 agent support via phone, chat, Slack, or email. NDC integration pulls fares from airlines like American, United, and Lufthansa Group.

Good to know: TravelBank offers three pricing tiers starting with a free plan, but detailed pricing requires a demo. Reporting is thinner than some competitors, and the mobile app can lag during complex bookings.

8) Brex: Focus on Startup Spend Management With Integrated Travel

Brex is a financial platform built for startups and fast-scaling companies. Travel booking lives inside a bigger spend management stack: corporate cards, expense tracking, and bill pay.

Why it stands out: Brex earns 4x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through its travel tool, and claims no setup costs or hidden fees. Travel policies enforce automatically at checkout, and the platform supports NDC connections with carriers like American Airlines and United Airlines.

Good to know: Brex Travel is built on Spotnana's infrastructure but customized for Brex's ecosystem. Eligibility rules can be tight, and some businesses report getting dropped when Brex deems them too small. Travel features aren't as deep as dedicated booking tools.

9) Deem: Focus on Mobile-First Booking for TMC Clients

Deem is a corporate travel booking tool now owned by Travelport. Most companies access it through a TMC partner, not directly, though smaller teams can self-onboard.

Why it stands out: Deem's booking interface (formerly called Etta) is regularly rated one of the easiest to use in corporate travel. It covers flights, hotels, car rentals, and ground transportation, with safety data for destinations and sustainability scoring through EcoCheck.

Good to know: Pricing starts around $20 per user and varies by TMC partner. Deem works best paired with a TMC that handles supplier negotiations and support. Hotel search gets mixed reviews, and some users find location-based filtering clunky.

10) CWT: Focus on Large-Scale Global Travel Management

CWT (formerly Carlson Wagonlit Travel) is one of the world's largest travel management companies, operating in over 145 countries. It's a full-service TMC, not a self-service booking tool.

Why it stands out: CWT covers risk management and duty of care at a level most booking platforms don't touch. If your company sends travelers internationally and needs supplier negotiations, dedicated account management, and global coverage, CWT operates at that scale.

Good to know: CWT was recently acquired by Amex GBT, which could shake up the product roadmap. Pricing requires a custom quote and usually comes with minimum spend commitments. Smaller companies without heavy travel volume won't get the same attention or rates.

Quick Platform Comparison

A scannable cheat sheet highlighting what sets each platform apart.

• Otto: AI assistant that learns your booking habits. Free for 12 months. Solo flights and hotels only.
• TravelPerk: 80% refund on last-minute cancellations via FlexiTravel. Starter tier charges 5% per booking.
• SAP Concur: Deep SAP ecosystem integration for policy-heavy organizations. Custom quote; heavy setup.
• Ramp: Only truly free tier here, bundled with corporate cards. Requires Ramp card adoption.
• Spotnana: Powers TMC booking infrastructure with NDC airline content. Custom quote via TMC partners.
• Amex GBT Egencia: Global supplier network with post-booking fare monitoring. Minimum spend thresholds apply.
• TravelBank: Employee rewards for under-budget bookings. Three tiers starting free; reporting is limited.
• Brex: 4x points on travel with automatic policy enforcement. Restrictive eligibility; Spotnana-powered.
• Deem: Top-rated mobile booking interface for TMC clients. Starts around $20/user.
• CWT: Full-service global TMC with duty-of-care coverage. Recently acquired by Amex GBT.

Pricing and features verified as of February 2025. Check vendor sites for current details.

A Fast Decision Framework

Your travel frequency, company size, and existing tools narrow this list fast. The lines are blurring, too: spend tools are adding booking, and travel platforms are adding expense features. The T&E market is projected to grow from $5.27B (2026) to $11.7B (2031). Four questions cut through the noise.

Who Books Your Trips?

If you book your own flights and your company doesn't have a TMC, Otto fits that gap. If one person books for many travelers each month, a centralized tool with reporting and policy controls matters more.

What Are You Actually Trying to Fix?

If your biggest headache is spend visibility, Ramp and Brex let you add travel to an existing finance stack without a separate vendor. If booking friction or last-minute changes cost you more time than money, pick a travel-first tool.

How Big Is Your Team?

Under 50 employees, self-serve assistants can be enough. Between 50 and 500, you'll usually want travel policy controls and visibility, which is where platforms like TravelPerk, TravelBank, or Egencia start to make sense. Over 500 with a global program, you may end up with an enterprise stack or a TMC relationship through CWT or Amex GBT. Consolidation is pushing that trend, including the NexTravel acquisition.

Keep Control Over Rebooking Decisions

AI is showing up everywhere, but you still want the final say when a trip changes. More than 90% of managers now use AI or generative AI in their programs. That doesn't mean you should accept automatic rebooking without a confirmation step.

Pick the Platform That Matches How You Actually Travel

The right Navan alternative depends less on feature checklists and more on how you book trips day to day. A 15-person startup where everyone books their own flights needs something fundamentally different from a 500-person company with centralized travel management.

If you book independently and value speed over centralized control, Otto fills the gap between consumer booking sites and full corporate travel programs. It already knows your preferences, watches your calendar for upcoming trips, and gives you the final call on every booking and rebooking decision.

Start with Otto to book faster without rebuilding your travel preferences every trip.

FAQ

Common questions about switching from Navan and choosing the right travel platform.

Why do companies look for Navan alternatives?

Common reasons include pricing that doesn't fit smaller teams, the need for tighter integration with existing financial tools, or a mismatch between how people actually book travel and how the platform expects them to work.

What is NDC and why does it matter for business travel booking?

NDC (New Distribution Capability) lets booking platforms pull fares directly from airlines rather than relying solely on traditional distribution systems. That can mean access to different pricing, richer seat selection, and clearer baggage options, depending on the airline and the platform.

How can I quickly find flights that match my schedule without comparing multiple sites?

Otto reads your calendar, matches flights to your meeting windows, and returns a short list filtered by your stored preferences and loyalty programs. You describe the trip in plain language and pick from that list instead of running the same search across multiple tabs.

What's the difference between a booking tool and a TMC?

A booking tool gives you a self-service interface to search, compare, and book travel on your own. A TMC (travel management company) adds human support, supplier negotiations, and managed services on top of that. Some platforms like Deem and Spotnana sit in between, powering the technology that TMCs use to serve their clients.

Is business travel still growing, or are companies cutting back?

Business travel spending has bounced back and is pushing toward new highs in the U.S. The GBTA outlook gives a useful snapshot of that momentum and what it means for travel programs.