Top Travel Management Software for Small Businesses

Your flight cancels at 10 PM and you've got a 9 AM client meeting 800 miles away. Most booking sites dump 47 rebooking options on you, none filtered by airlines you actually fly or times you can make. Some platforms remember your preferences and curate options automatically. Others require manual search every single trip.

Business travel is growing. 48% growth in expected trips for 2025, while spending increases by 77% in 2024, making the choice between preference-learning tools and manual-search platforms increasingly important.

This guide compares five business travel management solutions to help you find the best fit for your booking frequency, preference-learning needs, and budget.

Detailed Reviews

Each platform below targets different business priorities, from preference-learning automation to transparent pricing models.

1) Otto the Agent: Best for Frequent Travelers Who Value a Personalized Experience

Why it stands out: Otto the Agent asks "I see you never book flights before 8 AM. Should I filter those out?" then remembers your answer. Instead of showing hundreds of irrelevant flights each trip, Otto curates 2-6 options matching your preferences. Otto continuously checks your flight status before departure. When your flight status changes to "cancelled," you get a notification with 2-6 rebooking options already filtered to your preferences. You tap the option you want and Otto books it.

Good to know: Otto is free to the customer for 12 months, so you can evaluate the platform without any upfront costs. Ask Otto how often it checks your flight and how quickly it responds to cancellations during your evaluation.

2) Navan: Manual Search Alternative When Commission Models Are Prohibited

Why it stands out: If your organization prohibits commission-based tools and requires corporate billing, Navan charges $0 for unlimited travel booking when you have 300 or fewer employees. The platform earned the #1 G2 ranking across all company sizes for Travel & Expense Software, with an "A" grade for ease of setup. Navan's rewards program returns up to 15% of travel costs. The company funds these rewards separately while employees simultaneously earn personal airline and hotel loyalty points.

Good to know: You manually search and compare options each trip even with free booking. Navan's expense management costs $15 per user monthly after the first five free users.

3) Perk (TravelPerk): Manual Search Alternative Prioritizing Booking Flexibility

Why it stands out: If cancellation risk concerns outweigh time efficiency, TravelPerk's FlexiPerk feature refunds 80% of cancellations without advance notice requirements. When you cancel through TravelPerk's app, FlexiPerk automatically processes an 80% refund to your payment method within 7-10 business days with no forms or approval needed.

The platform earned a 8/10 rating for ease of use from verified reviewers with specific praise for mobile functionality and 24/7 support responsiveness. TravelPerk's free Starter plan lets you test booking without entering payment information before financial commitment.

Good to know: FlexiPerk addresses cancellation risk but you still spend 30-45 minutes comparing options each booking. TravelPerk doesn't publish transparent pricing for paid tiers, requiring sales engagement for cost estimates.

4) SAP Concur: Manual Search Alternative for Rapid Growth Plans

Why it stands out: If you're scaling beyond 100 employees within two years and need ERP integration without platform migration, SAP Concur charges $9 per user monthly or $54 monthly for up to 15 users, earning the #1 G2 Leader designation for Fall 2025. The platform assigns dedicated implementation project managers and administrator training, with above-average ease of setup ratings. Concur integrates with most ERP, CRM, and accounting systems, allowing growing businesses to scale without platform migration.

Good to know: The C- mobile app rating compounds the manual search problem. You can't efficiently compare hundreds of flight options on a phone interface rated poorly. Yet 40% of business travelers book primarily from smartphones.

5) TravelBank: Manual Search Alternative with Published Pricing Transparency

Why it stands out: If your finance team requires upfront published pricing instead of commission models, TravelBank publishes fully transparent pricing start at $12 per user monthly for its travel module. Multiply by your team size to calculate immediate monthly costs without sales engagement. The straightforward platform combines travel booking and expense reporting in a single interface designed for small businesses under 100 employees with domestic business travel needs.

Good to know: You re-evaluate the same criteria (no 6 AM departures, preferred airlines, hotel proximity to meetings) every single trip. Some users report the platform "lacks depth needed for more complex travel management needs," making it less suitable for complex multi-leg travel or policies requiring pre-approval workflows.

Comparison at a Glance (as of January 2025)

This table summarizes pricing models, mobile app strengths, and key limitations across all five platforms.

Otto the Agent

• Best For: Learns what you prefer for frequent travelers
• Starting Price: Free (for 12 months)
• Mobile App: Otto monitors trips and presents rebooking options
• Key Limitation: Currently supports single traveler bookings only (no leisure travel)

Navan

• Best For: Free travel booking + AI-powered platform
• Starting Price: $0 for travel booking (expense: $15/user/month after first 5 users free)
• Mobile App: Included in #1 G2 ranking across all company sizes
• Key Limitation: Manual searching each trip

Perk (TravelPerk)

• Best For: 80% cancellation refunds with risk-free evaluation
• Starting Price: Free "Starter" plan available
• Mobile App: 8/10 ease of use rating (above category average)
• Key Limitation: Paid tier pricing not published; manual search required

SAP Concur

• Best For: Enterprise scalability with small business pricing
• Starting Price: $9/user or $54/month for up to 15 users
• Mobile App: C- grade (documented as platform's biggest weakness)
• Key Limitation: Mobile app usability significantly lags desktop experience

TravelBank

• Best For: Published pricing transparency with simple travel needs
• Starting Price: $12/user/month (only fully transparent published pricing)
• Mobile App: Simple interface
• Key Limitation: Lacks depth for complex multi-leg travel

Pricing and features current as of December 2025. Verify details on official websites.

How to Choose the Right Solution

Match your booking frequency, billing requirements, and preference-learning priorities to the platform that fits your situation.

• If you take 6+ business trips annually and want to stop manually searching flights: Otto asks about your preferences ("Should I filter out flights before 8 AM?"), remembers your answers, then curates only relevant options. Instead of spending 30-45 minutes comparing hundreds of flights each trip, you review 2-6 pre-filtered options. Otto charges commission when you book. You pay only when you complete a booking.
• If your company prohibits commission-based tools: Navan charges $0 for travel booking when you have fewer than 300 employees, though you'll continue manually searching each trip.
• If your finance team requires upfront published pricing: TravelBank publishes $25 per user monthly pricing. Multiply by your team size to calculate costs immediately. This transparency contrasts with most platforms requiring sales engagement, though some users report TravelBank lacks depth for complex itineraries.
• If you're a small business with limited booking volume: Otto's commission model charges only on completed bookings without volume requirements, making it accessible for companies that can't negotiate better rates with subscription-based platforms. Companies booking 100+ trips annually can negotiate reduced transaction fees, while small companies typically pay premium rates with traditional platforms due to insufficient volume.

Start Choosing Smarter Travel Software Today

Business travel booking splits into two approaches: platforms that learn what you prefer over time, or platforms requiring manual search every trip. The choice affects how you'll book flights for years, either spending 30-45 minutes comparing hundreds of options each trip or reviewing 2-6 pre-filtered choices matching preferences you specified once.

Most booking sites make you re-enter the same criteria every single trip (no 6 AM departures, preferred airlines, hotel proximity to meeting locations). Otto the Agent asks about your preferences once during setup, remembers your answers, and stores your payment details so you can book instantly without filling out any forms. Otto is free for 12 months, so you can evaluate the platform without any upfront costs or monthly fees.

Want to see how Otto can make your flight booking experience better? Sign up with Otto today.