Airbase vs. Tipalti vs. Stampli: Comparison of Features, Ease of Use, Integrations & More

You know the common procurement challenges, such as manual data entry errors, delayed approvals, and limited spending visibility. In this situation, your best bet is to get procurement software. With automation, real-time insights and a centralized platform, it can reduce errors, speed up decision-making, and, overall, improve efficiency in procurement operations. But which one to get?

In this article, we focus on Airbase, Tipalti, and Stampli, solutions that can give any best procurement software a run for their money. We’ll explore the fundamental capabilities of Airbase, Tipalti, and Stampli and analyze their performance in key areas such as procurement process automation, expense management, and reporting, helping you decide which solution best aligns with your needs.

Procurement leaders faced ongoing economic challenges in 2023, prompting pioneering organizations to excel by adopting category-specific strategies and cross-disciplinary approaches. These difficulties have strained many procurement functions, emphasizing the need for a resilient and value-driven approach, with procurement leaders at the forefront of the company’s response, safeguarding margins and promoting cross-functional collaboration through increased investments in talent and systems to ensure sustainable success.

Thanks to modern procurement software, the challenges are not insurmountable. The procurement software market, including the one for small businesses, will grow from $7.41 billion in 2023 to $12.04 billion by 2028, a 10.20% CAGR, which shows that more managers are turning to tech (Mordor Intelligence, 2023). Emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, mature e-procurement solutions, government policies, and increasing cross-border transactions are driving this growth. At the same time, challenges include infrastructure limitations and a shortage of skilled personnel in organizations.

1. Airbase

Airbase is a top-rated AP automation and spend management solution designed to provide unparalleled visibility and control for purchasing managers and employees in mid-market companies. It offers features like guided procurement to streamline the buying process globally, accounts payable automation for diverse payment needs, user-friendly vendor management, and an employee-friendly expense reporting and reimbursement system.

Additionally, Airbase offers a versatile corporate card program that secures pre-approvals and seamlessly integrates purchase details into the general ledger, accommodating both virtual and physical cards and supporting existing card programs like AMEX and SVB on the Airbase platform.

2. Tipalti

Tipalti stands out as an AP automation platform renowned for its global scalability, offering payments in 196 countries and 120 currencies through various methods like ACH, wire transfers, PayPal, checks, and prepaid debit cards. Its key features include machine learning-based OCR for precise data capture, 2- and 3-way PO matching with tolerance thresholds, AI-driven payee monitoring for fraud detection, rigorous OFAC and sanctions list screening before payments, efficient currency conversion solutions, and a KPMG-approved tax engine that covers digital tax forms, IRS tax form collection and validation, tax prep reports, and comprehensive tax validation rules.

3. Stampli

Stampli allows you to automate AP without reworking your ERP, supporting all native functionality for 70+ ERPs, including NetSuite, Oracle, Sage, SAP, and QuickBooks. It centralizes all AP-related communication, documentation, and workflows, ensuring complete visibility and control over the entire invoice lifecycle. Key features include Billy the Bot™, reducing manual tasks across the invoice process, user-friendly design with setup assistance and 24/7 support, integrated products for payments, physical and virtual credit card programs, and vendor management. Stampli streamlines AP operations and enhances efficiency without requiring ERP modifications.

Comparison of Key Features

Approval Workflows

Approval workflows in procurement software increase efficiency, reduce manual intervention, minimize errors, and enhance compliance with company policies and industry regulations. As expected, all three solutions have this feature front and center.

Airbase offers robust rule-based approval automation, while allowing for highly customizable approval routing based on factors like employee department, GL categories, and type of expense, in addition to facilitating approval groups with various configurations. Moreover, it also supports multi-channel communication and provides guidance through Guided Procurement for comprehensive control over spending.

Similarly, Tipalti provides rule-based approvals routing based on organizational structure and custom rules and the ability to involve legal, finance, or IT through the consult feature. On the other hand, Stampli focuses on accounts payable automation, streamlining invoice approvals and centralizing communication and documentation, resulting in enhanced visibility and control.

Verdict: Among the three, Airbase stands out for its flexibility and guidance in managing complex approval workflows, positioning itself as a slightly better option for organizations seeking a high degree of customization and control. For instance, it has physical card approval workflows that Tipalti lacks and sequential and parallel department approvals not found in Stampli.

AP Automation

A critical feature to avoid arrears and surcharges, AP (Accounts Payable) automation reduces invoice processing times, leading to faster vendor payments and improved cash flow management.

All three software solutions offer basic bill payments, 2-way and 3-way PO matching, international payment capabilities. Notably, Airbase and Tipalti support a wider range of countries and currencies than Stampli. All three have payment runs and amortization features, with Stampli integrating with NetSuite for this functionality.

Airbase and Stampli go a step further by enabling recurring payments via ACH, virtual cards, checks, and vendor credit. This feature is absent in Tipalti.

When comparing Airbase to Stampli, Airbase provides an edge by offering additional features via NetSuite integration, including line-level amortization, editable posting periods, cashback incentives for virtual card payments, the ability to skip approvals for bills matched to POs, and managing vendor credits effectively.

Verdict: While all three solutions cover fundamental AP automation needs, Airbase’s integration with NetSuite and the inclusion of recurring payment options give it an edge over the two.

Expense Management

This feature helps you to track and control corporate spending, resulting in cost savings and improved financial visibility.

In terms of expense management, both Tipalti and Airbase offer basic expense workflows and standard policies and rules. Still, Airbase goes beyond with advanced expense policies for time, budget, and field-based scenarios, mileage expenses, and a receipt inbox for effective receipt management. Airbase further stands out with features like card auto-lock, temporary limits, multi-currency limit controls, and receipt auto-matching, which are not present in Tipalti.

Meanwhile, Tipalti excels in its global payment infrastructure, ensuring fast, secure, and reliable payments to 196 countries in over 120 currencies. Stampli, on the other hand, offers fewer expense management features, leveraging its Stampli Card within its AP automation. All three solutions provide virtual cards, but Airbase and Stampli also offer physical cards for offline spending, something Tipalti could use.

Verdict: Tipalti’s global payment capabilities make it ideal for companies with remote teams, while Airbase’s extensive feature set positions it as a slightly more comprehensive choice for expense management.

Guided Procurement

Guided procurement in Airbase offers efficient, compliant, well-documented spending processes, ensuring employees readily adopt procurement policies and adhere to spending and risk controls. Unlike Tipalti and Stampli, Airbase excels in providing features such as dynamic conditions based on custom form responses, milestone steps for department approvals, and a vacation mode for approvers, tailoring the platform to meet stakeholder requirements directly within the software they already use.

Tipalti and Stampli, while not falling short of expectations, provide standard procure-to-pay automation, simplifying processes for purchasing managers and employees. They include rule-based approvals routing, automated PO generation, and strong ERP integration capabilities. Stampli, in particular, stands out for its extensive native ERP support, including Oracle Netsuite, Sage, Microsoft, SAP S/4HANA, QuickBooks, and others, making it an appealing choice for organizations with well-established ERP systems.

Verdict: In terms of feature depth, Airbase has a more focused guided procurement process than Tipalti, but if you already have an ERP you don’t want to reinvent, Stampli is the ideal solution.

Reporting

Tipalti and Airbase both offer robust reporting features, encompassing team and individual reporting, departmental reporting, and open PO reporting for accrual workflows. However, Airbase takes it further with real-time reporting for all non-payroll spending. In contrast, Stampli provides department, team, and individual reporting suitable for smaller operations.

Verdict: Airbase and Tipalti can handle larger procurement requirements, while Stampli suits small businesses that may do away with advanced features.

Which One Fits the Bill?

Airbase, Tipalti, and Stampli offer valuable procurement and finance management features. Each has its strengths and is suited to different organizational needs. However, Airbase stands out as a comprehensive solution with its advanced expense policies, real-time reporting, and the innovative Guided Procurement feature.

And why not take your research further? We recommend considering Airbase’s free demo and benchmark it against your demo experience with Tipalti and Stampli.

By Louie Andre

B2B & SaaS market analyst and senior writer for FinancesOnline. He is most interested in project management solutions, believing all businesses are a work in progress. From pitch deck to exit strategy, he is no stranger to project business hiccups and essentials. He has been involved in a few internet startups including a digital route planner for a triple A affiliate. His advice to vendors and users alike? "Think of benefits, not features."