AP automation solutions compared: Tipalti vs Airbase vs Stampli

Choosing an accounts payable (AP) automation solution can be tough. The right AP solution can speed up your invoice processes, eliminate late supplier payments, detect and prevent fraud and errors, and build stronger vendor relationships.

Leading accounts payable automation solutions make complex manual processes simple and intuitive. Every AP solution provider promises to deliver a wide range of features, greater efficiency, cost savings, and optimized procure-to-pay processes. However, four key criteria separate the best AP solutions from the rest:

• Ease of Use
• Collaboration and Communication
• Invoice Approval Confidence
• Product Performance

When you’re choosing the right AP partner from the many offerings in the marketplace, look for one who consistently delivers on these criteria. Stampli, Tipalti, and Airbase are leading AP automation solutions with features like streamlined invoice processing and verification, ERP integration, and more. 

In this article, we’ll compare all three solutions’ capabilities, reputation, and features and help you decide which one best meets your needs.

The comparison: Tipalti vs Airbase vs Stampli

Each of the three solutions we’re exploring brings a lot to the table. Let’s take a quick look at each one.

Who is Stampli?

Stampli, established in 2015, is the leading solution for accounts payable process automation – and the only one designed for AP. It’s perfect for accounting teams wanting to implement AP automation without having to rework their ERP or AP workflows. Stampli leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to learn your company’s patterns and optimize your peer-to-peer (P2P) workflows.

Who is Tipalti?

Tipalti was established in 2010 as a cloud-based payment automation solution provider. It offers a suite of services that include invoice automation, spend management, regulatory compliance, and payment processing. Tipalti’s platform is designed for mid-market companies and enterprise-level businesses aiming to streamline their financial processes.

Who is Airbase?

Airbase is a spend management platform. Founded in 2017, it offers credit cards, employee expense management tools, and payment processing services. While Airbase has historically focused on employee expense management, it has recently expanded its offerings to include accounts payable and procurement management features.

Continue reading to explore each solution’s main features.

Tipalti vs Airbase vs Stampli: Key features

Stampli key features

Stampli provides finance teams with complete control over every step of the P2P process by simplifying invoice processing, data entry and GL coding, approval routing, and payment processing. It enhances cash flow management and transforms Accounts Payable into a strategic driver. 

Stampli offers Stampli Direct Pay to give businesses better control over expenses. Direct Pay integrates payment automation into Stampli’s AP automation solution to unite ACH, wire transfers, checks, and credit cards into a single payment solution.

• Seamless pre-built integration with over 70 ERPs, finance systems, and accounting software platforms, including Sage Intacct, QuickBooks Online, SAP S4/HANA, Oracle NetSuite, QuickBooks Desktop, Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance, and Microsoft Dynamics Business Central.
• Supports advanced approval policies with custom routing and multiple approvers.
• Stampli Insights provides real-time AP reports and dashboards for improved visibility into performance and financial data.
• Prevents errors and fraud with automated 3-way matching, duplicate invoice detection, and audit trail creation.
• Simplified vendor onboarding, management, and collection and maintenance of vendor information such as payment methods, bank account details, and address.
• Won’t contact your vendors to pressure them into accepting payment methods.
• Handles complex invoice approval processes (multi-approver, multi-location, multi-category, and multi-subsidiary).
• International payment capabilities let you pay suppliers in over 150+ countries in USD or local currency with integrated currency risk management tools.
• Custom user roles with automated enforcement of internal controls and segregation of duties.

Tipalti key features

Tipalti offers payment and AP automation with customizable features, internal financial controls, tax compliance, fraud detection, and global vendor payment capabilities.

• Automated touchless invoice processing, PO matching, approvals, supplier payments, and payment reconciliation.
• Automated enforcement of policies and internal controls, audit trail, error detection, and role-based security to prevent errors and fraud.
• Proactively engages vendors to promote payment methods.
• PO requisition management to help companies manage purchase orders and control spending.

Airbase key features

Airbase combines modules for guided procurement, corporate cards, expense management, and accounts payable in three service tiers: 

• Standard (up to 200 employees): Basic functionality with limited access to special features.
• Premium (up to 500 employees): Enhanced functionality without enterprise-level features.
• Enterprise (up to 5,000 employees): Full functionality and all features.

Pricing models

• Stampli offers simple monthly or annual pricing with unlimited users, vendors, and training.
• Tipalti charges a monthly fee for access to its basic platform. It charges additional fees for added modules, features, and advanced functionality. Tipalti also requires payment automation customers to pre-fund a payment account before they can pay vendors.
• Airbase offers three service packages. Certain features and modules are only available at higher-priced tiers, and pricing for each tier is customized according to customers’ needs.

It’s important to consider pricing as you search for the right AP automation solution for your business. However, many providers don’t publish their pricing model or only offer partial pricing information, making it challenging to make an informed purchase decision. It’s essential to have access to complete and transparent pricing information to make the best choice for your business.

When deciding on an AP automation platform for business, ask for details about their pricing to get a complete picture of the costs, such as how the pricing is applied (per month/user/invoice), the length of the contract (monthly vs yearly), how many users, locations, or entities are included, what services are included, and what fees they charge for additional services. 

Customer satisfaction

The G2 Satisfaction Score for AP Automation measures customer satisfaction with AP automation solutions. Based on reviews from real customers, it evaluates how well solution providers satisfy users’ needs. 

The score measures customer satisfaction in four categories:

• Implementation: How easily can you implement the solution?
• Usability: How easy is the solution to use?
• Relationship: How well does the solution provider build customer relationships?
• Results: How well does the solution deliver results?

By comparing each AP automation provider’s Satisfaction Scores, you can quickly identify the product that provides the best customer experience based on feedback from actual AP automation users.

Let’s look at the scores for Tipalti, Airbase, and Stampli.

Implementation Index

The Implementation Index comprises three scores: Ease of Setup, User Adoption, and Time to Go Live.

Of the three competitors, Stampli scored significantly higher in Ease of Setup, indicating it is the easiest solution to implement. Stampli also scored higher than the AP automation industry average for User Adoption and Time to Go Live – reinforcing its industry-leading reputation for fast deployment, implementation, and user adoption.

Usability Index 

Stampli is also a leader in the Usability Index, scoring higher than Tipalti and Airbase for Ease of Admin and at the top of the industry in Ease of Use, another indication of Stampli’s popularity among AP teams.

Relationship Index 

Stampli scored highest in Quality of Support and Ease of Doing Business, and higher than the industry average for Likelihood to Recommend, indicating that Stampli is a leader in building strong customer relationships.

Results Index

Stampli scored above the industry average for its estimated return on investment and how well it meets customer requirements, reflecting that Stampli’s AP automation consistently delivers results for customers.

When to choose Stampli

If you are looking for a user-friendly accounts payable solution, Stampli is the ideal choice. It offers industry-leading customer service, proven automation capabilities, industry expertise, and a track record of delivering results. Stampli won’t interfere with your vendor relationships by pressuring them to accept specific payment methods.

You need seamless integration with your ERP

Stampli’s philosophy of ERP integration stands in contrast to its competitors. Stampli builds ERP integrations in-house with the flexibility to support businesses in every industry, including complex multi-entity and multi-location organizations and businesses in highly regulated industries like healthcare. Stampli’s integrations can be deployed in days, not weeks, and you won’t need to hire developers, rework your ERP, or adapt your existing processes. Stampli can also support migration from one ERP to another without disrupting service.

Stampli provides quick implementation with live setup assistance and 24/7 customer support from AP and ERP experts. It offers three types of ERP integrations:

Pre-built integration: Fast and easy no-code integration via an application programming interface (API) that’s great for cloud applications. 

File integration: Uses customized file templates (created by Stampli) to import and export files easily with any on-premise or cloud ERP or accounting system.

Process integration: Support for existing processes requiring manual data entry or other specialized workflows.

You want best-in-class customer support

An industry leader in Accounts Payable automation software, Stampli consistently ranks at the top of the G2 Grid® for AP Automation software. Stampli has been awarded for customer service, corporate citizenship, and excellence, including: 

• No. 2 in the G2 list of Best Accounting and Finance Products for 2023.
• Recognized By Forbes as one of America’s Best Startup Employers Of 2023.
• Best Accounts Payable Automation Solution, 2022 Fintech Awards.

Numerous case studies from happy customers and independent user reviews recognize Stampli for excellence in areas such as:

• Easy to use with an intuitive interface.
• Fast implementation and onboarding.
• Good AI/OCR for extracting invoice data.
• Integration with accounting software like NetSuite and QuickBooks.
• Streamlined workflows and approvals.
• Audit trail providing transparency.
• Reporting capabilities.
• Excellent customer support.

You want simplified and centralized invoice management

Stampli’s AI assistant, Billy the Bot™, is designed to learn your Accounts Payable workflows and reduce the burden of manual processes through automation. It supports AP teams throughout the entire invoice lifecycle, from invoice capture to coding, three-way matching, approvals, and fraud detection. All communications, documents, and tasks are centralized on top of your invoices, giving you more control over your AP processes.

In addition to its AP automation solution, Stampli offers a range of advanced features to optimize your entire accounts payable workflow. These include virtual cards (Stampli Card), domestic and international payment solutions (Stampli Direct Pay), and employee expense management (Stampli Expenses).

When to choose Tipalti

Tipalti streamlines mass payment processing and accounts payable workflows. It provides businesses with a simple interface, internal controls for tax compliance, and global payment processing capabilities to enhance their AP processing efficiency.

You are expanding into global markets

Tipalti offers automated global payment services for businesses needing to pay vendors overseas. Their solution includes centralized payment processing, transfers to 196 countries, internal controls, and a range of electronic payment methods. However, Tipalti requires customers to pre-fund payment accounts before they can make payments – you may want to consider an alternative platform that leaves more cash in your pockets.

Tipalti also offers a basic currency hedging feature that helps protect customers from foreign exchange risk. For more control over currency risk exposure, consider a flexible FX risk management solution like Stampli International Payments.

You want a customizable AP automation solution

Tipalti’s solution can be customized according to your needs. It comes with various features, such as a brandable vendor portal, automated vendor communications, ERP integration, and customer invoice approval routing. However, some customers have left reviews on Capterra and G2, citing slow implementations, a steep learning curve, and difficulty integrating ERP and business systems with the platform. If you prioritize user-friendliness, you may want to consider exploring alternative solutions.

When to choose Airbase

Airbase offers spend management capabilities, a comprehensive corporate card program, and flexible service packages. Its automated expense management and accounts payable automation platform helps businesses control spending, manage risks, and simplify accounting processes.

Certain spend management features, such as purchase orders, multi-subsidiary support, or customizable approval workflows, are only available at higher pricing tiers.

You need employee expense management capabilities

Airbase’s spend management capabilities include the ability for employees to submit expense reports from their desktop or mobile device, automated approval workflows, expense policy enforcement to block out of policy spend, and expense reporting and analytics. If you want to manage employee expenses and accounts payable spending together in a single platform, you may want to consider a solution that includes robust AP processing and analytics capabilities to give more control over AP spending.

You need integrations with human resources systems

Airbase specializes in employee expense management and integrates with several Human Resource Information System (HRIS) platforms like Okta, Workday, and Rippling. It also integrates with communication platforms (such as Slack), procurement and travel management solutions, and provides credit card integration with American Express and Silicon Valley Bank. 

Airbase also offers accounting integrations with ERPs and accounting software. However, if you need full support and flexibility, consider alternative platforms that offer a greater depth and variety of integrations. For example, Stampli offers no-code API integration with over 70 ERPs.

Stampli: The #1 choice for AP automation

Are you tired of dealing with workarounds? Stampli’s AI-powered solution replaces spreadsheets, ERP work, and manual data entry with an efficient, powerful solution. With Stampli you can enjoy streamlined, seamless workflows without changing your business processes. Stampli centralizes all communications, tasks, and documents on the invoice so you have all the information you need in one place.

Billy the Bot™ streamlines and optimizes manual tasks and gives you real-time visibility and control over your entire AP process. By working alongside your AP team, Billy helps you stay on top of cash management and effortlessly manage AP tasks.

Stampli’s versatile suite of integrated products and compatibility with over 70 ERPs make for swift deployment, helping companies like Beyer Mechanical reduce invoice lifecycles to 48 hours.

Want to learn more about how Stampli can help your invoice and payment management workflow? Contact us today for a free demo and see why Stampli is the best choice for AP automation.