ControlHub

Overview

ControlHub is procurement software for mid-size companies that want purchasing requests, approvals, receiving, invoice checks, and payments connected in one process. It is strongest for teams formalizing purchasing controls; smaller buyers mainly seeking a lightweight vendor tool may find its full workflow more than they need.

Its practical appeal is the link between approvals and downstream purchasing, with spend visibility and budget tracking alongside policy controls and a request catalog. One important trade-off: company dashboards, reports, and analytics are confined to paid plans.

Key features

Requests, approvals, and purchase orders

Custom approval flows and permissions let organizations shape who can request and approve purchases. The Approvals Plan pairs unlimited purchasing requests and requester users with five advanced users, making it a workable entry tier for broad request intake but a more limited fit where many people need advanced access. Additional advanced users cost $12 each per month.

The Purchasing Plan adds automatic purchase order generation and receiving. That matters to teams that need the process to continue beyond approval rather than stop at authorization. Virtual and physical cards are included in this plan for US-based companies.

Invoice checks and financial visibility

Three-way matching checks whether an invoice aligns with what was requested, approved, and received. That connection can help finance teams catch mismatches before payment. ControlHub also offers spend visibility and budget tracking, but Budgets Management is specifically part of the Full P2P plan, so buyers needing that named capability should consider custom pricing rather than assume the lower tiers include it.

Integrations and administration

Requests and transactions can sync with QuickBooks or NetSuite. Supplier integrations include Amazon, McMaster-Carr, Digi-Key, Uline, and Mouser Electronics, which is useful for teams sourcing through those vendors. Enterprise SSO using SAML/OIDC is a Full P2P feature. Dedicated support and customized assistance are advertised, with contact through the Slack app or a form.

Pricing

ControlHub has a free plan and a 30-day trial, but the plan details that matter for comparison are its monthly paid tiers. Because dashboards, reports, and analytics require a paid plan, the free option is less compelling for managers who need centralized oversight.

• Approvals Plan: $249 a month, billed monthly. It includes unlimited purchasing requests, unlimited requester users, and five advanced users; each additional advanced user is $12. This suits organizations focused on routing and controlling requests without needing the Purchasing Plan additions.
• Purchasing Plan: $599 a month, billed monthly. It includes everything in Approvals plus cards for US-based companies, automatic purchase order generation, and receiving. It is the more complete fit when teams want approved requests to flow into ordering and receipt.
• Full P2P or Custom Plan: custom pricing, billed by contacting ControlHub. It includes everything in Purchasing, with Budgets Management and enterprise SSO among its listed features. It is aimed at organizations that need those broader controls; there is no published monthly price to weigh against the lower tiers.

The lower paid tiers are billed monthly, while no paid-plan seat cap beyond the stated advanced-user allowance is given here.

Platforms

ControlHub supports Android, iOS, and web, giving teams mobile and browser access. Its cards are specifically described as available to US-based companies, so that element is not a universal fit.

Who it's for

ControlHub suits mid-size businesses with a need to govern purchases from request through invoice and payment, particularly where custom approvals, accounting sync, and receiving checks matter. The Approvals Plan is the sensible starting point for request control; the Purchasing Plan is better when purchase orders and receiving are central. Teams that need Budgets Management or enterprise SSO should evaluate the custom tier. Buyers wanting only vendor lifecycle management or a simpler document workflow may prefer a narrower alternative.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Connected procurement stages: Requests, approvals, purchase orders, receiving, invoice matching, and payments cover more of the purchasing path than approval routing alone.
• Flexible controls: Custom approval flows and permissions can reflect differing purchase rules, while unlimited requester users avoid constraining request intake on the Approvals Plan.
• Useful financial connections: QuickBooks and NetSuite syncing, plus three-way invoice matching, tie procurement activity to accounting and receipt checks.

Cons

• Advanced-user costs scale: The entry paid plan includes five advanced users, then charges $12 per additional advanced user each month.
• Oversight is paid-only: Company dashboards, reports, and analytics are unavailable on the free plan, limiting its value for teams that need management visibility.
• Several higher-tier capabilities require a quote: Budgets Management and enterprise SSO sit in the custom Full P2P plan, whose price is not published.
• Cards have a geographic restriction: Purchasing Plan cards are available only for US-based companies.

Alternatives

Procurement Orchestration Software is a category overview for comparing tools in this area.

• Flowie is worth considering for document processing on a free tier: it allows up to 24 documents per month (300 per year), but its free plan has basic processing and no workflows, unlike ControlHub's approval-centered purchasing flow.
• Vendorfi is a better fit for core vendor lifecycle management on a small free allowance: its free plan has three active vendors and two user seats, rather than ControlHub's broader procure-to-pay emphasis.
• VendrNova is another paid web-based option.
• Genie Bazaar is an alternative for asset management, with a Starter plan offering up to 1,000 assets, 10 users, QR code tagging, mobile app, and API access; its plan price is custom.
• Levelpath is a paid web and mobile option with enterprise pricing available upon request and no free version or trial.
• Precoro is a paid procurement alternative: its Core plan is $499 a month billed annually and includes procurement basics, vendor and spend management, integrations, reporting, analytics, and a mobile app.
• Procol Strategic Sourcing offers configurable modules and add-ons with custom quotes for teams focused on strategic sourcing.
• Raindrop Systems is another paid web and API option.

Verdict

ControlHub is a strong choice for mid-size teams that want purchasing governed from request to invoice, especially when approvals, receiving, and accounting sync need to work together. Choose the Approvals Plan for controlled request intake, or pay more for purchase-order generation and receiving; look elsewhere if the free plan must provide management reporting or if your required budgets and SSO features need transparent pricing.