Top 8 Airbase competitors for spend management and accounting automation

While Airbase offers spend management and expense control solutions, growing organizations often find their needs evolving beyond its capabilities. Understanding when to explore alternatives ensures your financial operations remain efficient and scalable as your business expands.

Let's explore four key reasons why you might need to consider switching from Airbase to a different spend management solution.

Growing beyond Airbase's capabilities

High-growth companies often require more sophisticated features and greater flexibility in their financial operations. While Airbase works well for many small or midsized businesses, larger organizations may find themselves constrained by its limitations. For instance, companies with complex international operations might struggle with Airbase's limited multi-currency support and cross-border payment capabilities. Additionally, enterprises with multiple subsidiaries often need more robust consolidation features than what Airbase currently offers.

Missing critical integrations for your tech stack

Most businesses today rely on multiple tools for their financial operations, so integration and interoperability are key. While Airbase offers some basic integrations, you might find that it doesn't connect with all the specialized software your company uses. This can be particularly problematic if you rely on industry-specific ERP platforms or custom-built internal tools to manage critical workflows. The lack of proper integration can create too many manual workarounds, increase data entry errors, and reduce productivity across your finance team.

Need for more comprehensive approval workflows

As organizations become more complex, so do their approval requirements. Airbase's approval workflows, while functional for basic needs, may lack the flexibility required for sophisticated business processes. For example, you might need dynamic approval chains that adjust based on specific criteria, department-specific rules, or complex multi-level authorizations that go beyond what Airbase can handle. When approvals become a bottleneck rather than a safeguard, it's time to consider alternatives.

Looking for more competitive pricing structures

Airbase offers custom pricing based on your company’s needs across all three of its packages. Some companies may benefit from this approach, but others might find better value elsewhere, especially as their transaction volumes grow. Organizations tend to discover that their spending patterns don't align well with Airbase's pricing model, resulting in higher-than-necessary costs. Additionally, as new players enter the market, they often offer more flexible pricing structures or better rewards programs that could provide big-time savings for your business.

If you're experiencing any of these challenges with Airbase, it might be time to explore alternative solutions. In the following section, we'll examine the top eight Airbase alternatives and help you find the spend management platform that best fits your organization's needs.

A comprehensive spend management and financial platform designed for high-growth companies, Brex combines corporate cards, expense management, bill payments, and business banking in one integrated solution. Brex transforms cash management by combining modern checking, treasury, and vault banking features with a powerful spend management software solution. The platform also stands out for its ability to scale with businesses from startup through enterprise, offering robust controls and automation while maintaining user-friendly operations.

Key features

• Corporate cards with up to 20x higher credit limits, custom controls, and no personal guarantee
• Real-time expense tracking with auto-generated receipts and memos
• Global payments and multi-currency support without foreign exchange (FX) markups
• Advanced, multi-level approval workflows with dynamic rules and parallel approvals
• Accounting automation with direct, two-way ERP integrations, including QuickBooks and NetSuite
• Built-in vendor management and contract tracking
• AP automation software that streamlines AP workflows from invoice capture to payment to reconciliation
• Corporate card rewards program tailored to business spending categories with up to 7x back on every purchase
• Five-star, full-featured mobile app

Why people prefer Brex over Airbase

Companies often choose Brex for its more comprehensive financial toolkit and superior user experience. While Airbase focuses primarily on spend management, Brex provides a complete financial stack including business banking and international payments. With Brex, you can control all your spend with one corporate card program, track budgets in real time, and advanced reporting for comprehensive visibility into business spending. You also can improve your accounts payable reconciliation processes. Users particularly value Brex's intuitive interface, fast implementation process, and ability to handle complex organizational structures without sacrificing ease of use. Brex’s mobile app has a 4.9 rating out of 5 in the Apple App Store, while Airbase only has a 2.8 rating.

A Pacific Northwest brand experience agency recently switched to Brex from Airbase because Airbase couldn’t keep up with its modern, fast-paced business. One of the agency’s key financial stakeholders said: “Airbase budgets have less real-time functionality, they are not user-friendly, and you can’t create complex structures. Managing expenses was confusing. Also, it was too difficult to get in touch with Airbase for strategic and tech support, and cards would lock automatically without usage, leading to declines within the organization.”

Get more details on why Brex is the top Airbase alternative: Airbase vs Brex.

Pricing

Brex offers flexible, transparent pricing designed to grow with your business. The Essentials plan starts at $0 per user per month, giving you access to global corporate cards and core expense management features. As your needs evolve, you can easily add advanced capabilities like in-app travel booking and customizable expense policies in the Premium or Enterprise plans. All plans feature straightforward per-seat pricing with no hidden fees or annual commitments, unlike competitors who may charge additional fees based on transaction volume. Visit the Brex pricing page for more details.

Who should consider Brex

Brex is ideal for high-growth companies, particularly startups and scale-ups that need a comprehensive financial stack with global capabilities. It's especially well-suited for venture-backed companies, tech firms, and organizations operating internationally that want to combine corporate cards, expense management, and banking in one platform. Companies requiring a robust NetSuite integration as well as accounting automation also will benefit from Brex.

Who Brex is not for

Brex is not for small businesses without steady revenue or VC backing, companies looking for just basic expense tracking, or organizations that prefer traditional banking relationships with physical branch access.

Procurify specializes in purchase order management and procurement automation, offering a robust platform that streamlines purchasing workflows and spend tracking. Unlike Airbase's broader spend management approach, Procurify excels in providing detailed purchasing controls and supplier relationship management tools that appeal to organizations with complex procurement needs.

Key features

• Mobile procurement app for on-the-go purchasing and approvals
• Advanced vendor management portal with performance tracking
• Real-time budget tracking and department-specific spend analytics
• Custom approval matrices with multi-level authorization workflows
• Detailed audit trails and compliance reporting

Why people prefer Procurify over Airbase

Organizations often choose Procurify when they need deeper procurement functionality and more granular purchasing controls than Airbase provides. The platform's focus on purchase order management and supplier relationships makes it particularly attractive to companies with high-volume purchasing operations or those in industries with strict procurement regulations.

Pricing

Procurify implements a custom pricing model based on your organization's needs, features required, and transaction volumes. While pricing isn't publicly listed, small businesses typically can expect plans starting around $1,000 per month, with midsized companies starting around $2,000 per month. Enterprise clients receive custom quotes based on their specific requirements. In addition to the base platform cost, Procurify charges transaction fees that vary by payment type: ACH transfers cost $0.60 per transaction for US customers, wire transfers are $20 per transaction, check processing is $2.50 per check, and Canadian customers pay $0.90 for electronic funds transfers (EFT). These transaction fees should be carefully considered when evaluating the total cost of ownership, particularly for organizations with high transaction volumes. For detailed pricing information tailored to your business, contact Procurify's sales team directly.

Who should consider Procurify

Procurify is best suited for organizations with complex procurement needs, particularly midsized to large companies with high-volume purchasing operations. It's ideal for businesses in regulated industries that require detailed audit trails and organizations needing granular control over purchasing workflows.

Who Procurify is not for

Procurify is not for small businesses with simple purchasing needs, companies primarily seeking expense management or corporate cards, or organizations that don't require extensive procurement controls.

Spendesk positions itself as an all-in-one spend management solution with a strong focus on European markets. The platform combines expense management, corporate cards, and invoice processing with particular attention to EU compliance requirements and international payment needs. This European focus sets it apart from Airbase's primarily US-centric approach.

Key features

• Physical and virtual corporate cards with real-time spending controls
• Invoice capture and processing with automated approval workflows
• Expense management with built-in compliance checks for EU regulations
• Multi-entity management for international organizations
• Advanced spend analytics and custom reporting tools

Why people prefer Spendesk over Airbase

Companies, particularly those with significant European operations, often choose Spendesk for its strong understanding of EU business requirements and local payment methods. The platform's ability to handle complex international transactions and multi-entity structures, combined with its native support for European languages and currencies, makes it especially attractive for companies operating across multiple EU countries.

Pricing

Spendesk utilizes a custom pricing model tailored to each organization's needs and scale. While pricing isn't publicly available, the platform offers three main tiers: Essentials for growing businesses, Scale for mid-market companies, and Premium for larger organizations. Each plan includes core spend management features, with additional capabilities and support levels varying by tier. All plans are billed annually and priced on a per-user basis, with factors such as number of users, required features, and payment volume influencing the final cost. For detailed pricing information, contact Spendesk's sales team for a custom quote based on your specific requirements.

Who should consider Spendesk

Spendesk is ideal for European-based companies or organizations with significant European operations. It's particularly useful for businesses needing multi-entity management across EU countries and those requiring strict compliance with European regulations.

Who Spendesk is not for

Spendesk is less ideal for US-only businesses, companies without European operations, or organizations seeking comprehensive banking services beyond spend management.

Tipalti specializes in global accounts payable automation and mass payment processing, offering a more focused solution than Airbase's broader spend management platform. The platform excels at handling complex payment operations, making it particularly valuable for companies dealing with high-volume transactions, multiple payment methods, and international payees.

Key features

• Advanced accounts payable automation with OCR-powered invoice processing
• Global mass payment capabilities supporting 196 countries and 120 currencies
• Built-in tax compliance and regulatory screening
• Supplier management portal with self-service onboarding
• Multi-entity support with consolidated reporting

Why people prefer Tipalti over Airbase

Organizations typically choose Tipalti when they need robust accounts payable and payment processing capabilities than Airbase provides. The platform's ability to handle complex international payments, combined with its comprehensive tax compliance features and supplier management tools, makes it particularly attractive for companies with extensive global payment operations or those dealing with large numbers of vendors and contractors.

Pricing

Tipalti's pricing structure is comprehensive, with several components that affect the total cost. The platform typically starts with a monthly fee of $500-$600 (though discounted rates of $150-$250 are sometimes available), plus a one-time implementation fee that can range from $0-$5,000 depending on negotiation. Additional entities cost extra, usually matching the base platform fee. Transaction fees vary significantly by payment type, from $1 for standard ACH transfers to $15-$36 for international wire transfers. The platform also charges for invoice processing ($1.00-$1.50 per invoice) and applies FX fees for international payments ranging from 1.9% to 3.5% depending on transaction size. For detailed pricing tailored to your organization's needs and volume, contact Tipalti's sales team directly.

Who should consider Tipalti

Tipalti is ideal for organizations managing high-volume global payments, particularly companies paying large numbers of contractors, freelancers, or international vendors. It's especially valuable for marketplaces, digital platforms, and businesses with complex accounts payable needs across multiple countries.

Who Tipalti is not for

Tipalti is not for small businesses with simple payment needs, companies operating primarily domestically, or organizations looking for a full-service expense management solution.

Pleo delivers a smart corporate card and expense management solution with a strong European market presence. The platform emphasizes automated expense tracking and real-time spending visibility, with particular attention to user experience and mobile functionality. Unlike Airbase's complex spend management approach, Pleo focuses on making expense management and employee spending as frictionless as possible.

Key features

• Corporate cards with instant virtual card creation
• Real-time spending alerts and custom spending limits
• Built-in mileage tracking and per diem management
• Automated expense reports and accounting sync
• Advanced analytics with custom reporting capabilities

Why people prefer Pleo over Airbase

Companies often choose Pleo for its exceptional user experience and simplified approach to expense management. The platform's focus on employee-first features, combined with its strong mobile app and European market expertise, makes it particularly attractive for organizations looking to minimize the administrative burden of expense management while maintaining proper controls.

Pricing

Pleo offers four distinct pricing tiers with transparent per-user pricing. The Starter plan is free for up to 2 users (£9.50/month per additional user up to 3 users), including basic expense management features and accounting integrations. The Essential plan starts at £45 per month for 3 users (£11/additional user) and adds capabilities like reimbursements, mileage tracking, and vendor management. The Advanced plan begins at £99 per month for 3 users (£14.50/additional user), introducing features like multi-entity management and advanced controls, plus 0.5% cash back for eligible customers. For larger organizations, the Beyond plan starts at £199 per month for 5 users (£17.50/additional user) and includes the most comprehensive feature set. All plans include core features like virtual credit cards and real-time expense tracking, with additional capabilities added at each tier.

Who should consider Pleo

Pleo is best for European small to medium-sized businesses that prioritize user experience and simple expense management. It's particularly well-suited for companies that want to empower employees with easy-to-use spending tools while maintaining control.

Who Pleo is not for

Pleo is not ideal for large enterprises needing complex approval workflows, US-focused companies, or organizations requiring comprehensive treasury management features.

Kyriba is an enterprise-grade treasury management and financial software platform that goes beyond traditional spend management. The platform specializes in helping large organizations manage complex financial operations, including cash management, risk management, and payments. While Airbase focuses on spend management, Kyriba provides a comprehensive treasury and liquidity management solution.

Key features

• Advanced cash forecasting and liquidity planning tools
• Risk management capabilities including FX hedging
• Bank connectivity with multi-bank reporting and reconciliation
• Supply chain finance and dynamic discounting solutions
• Global payment hub supporting multiple payment types and currencies

Why people prefer Kyriba over Airbase

Organizations typically choose Kyriba when they need sophisticated treasury management capabilities beyond basic spend control. The platform's ability to handle complex financial operations, combined with its robust risk management and forecasting tools, makes it particularly attractive for large enterprises with significant cash management and treasury needs. Many global companies specifically select Kyriba for its ability to manage international banking relationships and complex payment operations.

Pricing

Kyriba utilizes an enterprise pricing model based on the organization's size, complexity, and selected modules. While pricing isn't publicly available, customers can expect a significant investment starting in the six figures annually for the full platform. Pricing typically includes a base platform fee, module-specific charges, and implementation costs. The total cost varies based on factors such as the number of users, selected features, number of bank connections, and payment volumes. For detailed pricing information, contact Kyriba's sales team for a custom quote tailored to their specific requirements.

Who should consider Kyriba

Kyriba is ideal for large enterprises and multinational corporations looking to better manage sophisticated treasury management and financial operations. It's particularly valuable for organizations managing complex banking relationships, international cash positions, and significant FX exposure.

Kyriba is not for

Kyriba is not for small to medium-sized businesses, companies seeking basic spend management, or organizations without complex treasury needs.

Bill.com specializes in accounts payable and accounts receivable automation, with a particular focus on simplifying payment processing for small and medium-sized businesses. While Airbase offers broader spend management capabilities, Bill.com excels in streamlining core billing and payment workflows, making it a go-to solution for companies primarily focused on optimizing their payment processes.

Key features

• AI-powered invoice processing and data capture
• Automated approval workflows with mobile access
• International payments in multiple currencies
• Seamless integration with major accounting software
• Advanced payment scheduling and cash flow management

Why people prefer Bill.com over Airbase

Organizations often choose Bill.com for its straightforward approach to payment automation and a strong focus on core AP/AR functionality. The platform's extensive history in payment processing and deep integration with accounting platforms like QuickBooks and Xero make it particularly attractive for businesses that want a reliable, specialized solution rather than a full spend management platform.

Pricing

Bill.com offers four distinct pricing tiers designed for different business needs. The Essentials plan starts at $45 per user per month, providing basic payment automation features. The Team plan at $55 per user per month adds more automation capabilities and integrations. The Corporate plan at $79 per user per month includes advanced features like automated workflows and syncing with accounting software. The Enterprise plan offers custom pricing and includes premium features like advanced permissions and API access. While base transaction fees with a bank account or BILL balance start low ($0.49 for ACH, $1.69 for checks), costs can escalate quickly with premium services like expedited payments, international transfers, instant payments, and credit card processing fees, making it essential to carefully evaluate your payment needs and volumes.

Who should consider Bill.com

Bill.com is perfect for small to medium-sized businesses focused on streamlining their accounts payable and receivable processes. It's especially suitable for companies deeply integrated with QuickBooks or Xero seeking to automate payment workflows.

Who Bill.com is not for

Bill.com is less ideal for large enterprises needing comprehensive spend management, organizations requiring sophisticated treasury features, or companies seeking extensive corporate card programs should look at Bill.com competitors.

Stampli focuses on accounts payable automation, emphasizing collaboration and communication around invoice processing. The platform stands out for its unique approach to AP automation, centering all relevant invoice information, documents, and team conversations in one easily accessible interface. Unlike Airbase's broader spend management approach, Stampli specializes in making invoice processing and approval workflows more efficient and transparent.

Key features

• AI-powered invoice data capture and coding
• Centralized communication hub for invoice-related discussions
• Advanced approval workflows with automated routing
• Real-time ERP and accounting software synchronization

Why people prefer Stampli over Airbase

Organizations often choose Stampli when they need a more collaborative approach to invoice processing and want to eliminate scattered email chains and lost conversations about payments. The platform's focus on creating a “virtual conversation” around each invoice, combined with its intuitive user interface, makes it particularly attractive for companies dealing with high invoice volumes and complex approval processes that involve multiple stakeholders.

Pricing

Stampli utilizes a private pricing model that isn't publicly disclosed. The platform charges a monthly fee for its core AP automation solution, with additional costs for premium features and capabilities. While pricing details aren't available without contacting their sales team directly, user feedback suggests that Stampli's pricing tends to be on the higher end of the market, particularly when advanced features are included. Organizations interested in implementing Stampli should contact the sales team for a detailed quote based on their specific needs and invoice volume.

Who should consider Stampli

Stampli is ideal for mid-sized companies with high invoice volumes and complex approval processes involving multiple stakeholders. It's particularly valuable for organizations prioritizing collaboration in their AP workflows and those needing detailed audit trails of invoice-related communications.

Who Stampli is not for

Stampli is not for small businesses with simple AP needs, companies seeking comprehensive spend management beyond AP, or organizations requiring extensive corporate card functionality.

While each alternative offers unique strengths, Brex stands out as a comprehensive solution that addresses the core challenges businesses face when outgrowing Airbase. By combining powerful spend management capabilities with a complete financial platform, Brex delivers the flexibility and scalability that growing companies need.

What sets Brex apart is its ability to serve businesses at every stage of growth, in over 120 countries. Whether you're a startup seeking basic expense management or a scaling company requiring sophisticated financial controls, Brex's platform adapts to your evolving needs. The solution scales seamlessly with your business, eliminating the need to switch platforms as your requirements become more complex.

While Airbase focuses primarily on spend management, Brex provides a complete financial stack including corporate cards, expense management automation, bill pay, global payments, accounts payable automation, travel management, and startup banking in one integrated solution. This eliminates the need for multiple tools and reduces administrative overhead. Coupled with Brex's commitment to customer success, this comprehensive approach makes it an ideal choice for organizations looking to streamline their financial operations.

Brex also offers advanced approval workflows, automated invoice processing, faster implementation times, and a superior user experience. Additionally, Brex's rewards program provides industry-leading returns on common business expenses, and the platform seamlessly integrates with popular accounting software to automate key accounting workflows.

One Brex customer, a popular pharmacy benefit manager, said: “We are excited to level up with Brex, we have outgrown Airbase.” A national home improvement company also switched from Airbase to Brex to get a better user experience. Their finance lead said: “Brex has a more user-friendly interface, which was a top priority for our CFO, plus Brex offered a seamless employee experience with fewer steps. Airbase’s credit limits were too low, and we didn’t like Airbase’s pre-funded cards.”

Ready to make the switch from Airbase? Sign up for Brex today and experience the difference a truly integrated financial platform can make.