Airbase Reviews: 4.8/5 — Highly Rated
Airbase is a modern finance and expense management platform that automates and streamlines financial processes. It offers a suite of features that include virtual cards, spend management, and real-time expense tracking. Additionally, Airbase integrates with various other business tools such as payroll, accounting, and invoicing systems, making it a one-stop-shop for all finance needs.
| Capabilities |
API
|
|---|---|
| Segment |
Small Business
Mid Market
Enterprise
|
| Deployment | Cloud / SaaS / Web-Based, Mobile Android, Mobile iPad, Mobile iPhone |
| Training | Documentation |
| Languages | English |
Airbase is now Airbase by Paylocity, and airbase.com/pricing redirects to Paylocity’s pricing page. Paylocity completed the $325 million acquisition on 1 October 2024, and the product has been absorbed into its HCM platform. That single fact matters more than any feature comparison, because virtually every review you will find describes a standalone company that no longer sells to you on its own terms.
- What it is: A spend management platform covering corporate cards, bill pay, expense management, and procurement, now part of Paylocity.
- Best for: Mid-market companies that also want Paylocity’s payroll and HR, so spend and payroll sit on one platform.
- Pricing: No longer published separately. Airbase’s pricing page now serves Paylocity’s, which is quote-only via a demo request form.
- The honest catch: Older reviews, comparisons, and pricing guides describe pre-acquisition Airbase and should not be relied on.
What Happened to Airbase
Paylocity announced its agreement to acquire Airbase on 4 September 2024 and completed the deal on 1 October 2024 for approximately $325 million, funded through its revolving credit facility. Both companies confirmed the completion publicly.
The strategic logic was explicit: Paylocity sells HR and payroll, Airbase sold spend management, and the combination lets a company manage payroll and non-payroll spend on one platform. Paylocity described the goal as a single pane of glass across all company spending, with real-time visibility and a faster financial close.
The practical consequences for a buyer in 2026 are concrete. The airbase.com homepage now identifies the product as “Airbase by Paylocity”. The pricing page redirects to paylocity.com. And Paylocity does not publish prices — its pricing page is a demo request form asking for your employee count, job title, and business zip code.
The product has not been discontinued. But it is no longer a standalone purchase in the way it was, and the evaluation you run should be an evaluation of Paylocity.
What Airbase Does
The underlying capability is well regarded and was the reason for the acquisition price:
- Corporate cards with policy controls applied at the point of purchase.
- Bill pay and AP automation, which was Airbase’s strongest area and a genuine differentiator against card-first competitors.
- Expense management with receipt capture, coding, and reimbursement.
- Procurement and intake, covering purchase requests and approvals before spend happens.
- Approval workflows across all of the above, which is what distinguished it from simpler card products.
- Accounting integration for close automation.
That combination — cards plus AP plus procurement in one approval framework — is what mid-market finance teams valued, and it remains the substance of what Paylocity now sells under the Airbase name.
Airbase Pricing
There is no published Airbase pricing to report. Its pricing URL serves Paylocity’s page, which offers “Request Pricing with a Free Demo” and collects your details rather than displaying rates.
This is a meaningful downgrade in transparency for evaluation purposes. Pre-acquisition, Airbase published tiered plans. Now:
- Every price is quoted. You cannot compare Airbase against Ramp or Brex without a sales conversation, and both of those publish or offer free entry tiers.
- Pricing is likely bundled with Paylocity. The commercial logic of the acquisition is cross-selling into HCM customers, so quotes may be structured around the wider platform rather than spend management alone.
- Your negotiating position is weaker. With no list price and no comparable public figures, you have no anchor.
- Ask directly whether Airbase can be bought standalone, and on what terms, before investing time in a demo. That is the question the website no longer answers.
Who Should Use Airbase Now
- Existing Paylocity customers. The clearest case by a distance. If your payroll and HR already run on Paylocity, adding spend management on the same platform is exactly the integration the acquisition was built to deliver.
- Companies evaluating Paylocity anyway. Bundling spend management into that decision may produce a better commercial outcome than buying separately.
- Mid-market finance teams needing AP depth. Airbase’s bill pay and procurement capability genuinely exceeds what card-first competitors offer.
It fits poorly for companies that want spend management alone, where Ramp and Brex are simpler to buy and publish more; for startups, where both of those have free entry tiers; and for anyone unwilling to enter a sales process to learn a price.
Honest Pros and Cons
Strengths
- Genuinely strong AP and procurement. The deepest part of the product and the reason it commanded $325 million.
- Unified approval workflows. Cards, bills, and purchase requests under one policy framework.
- Now integrated with payroll. A real advantage if you run Paylocity, and the whole point of the deal.
- Backed by a larger company. Paylocity brings scale and stability a standalone spend startup could not.
- Mid-market fit. Built for companies with real finance processes rather than a founder with a card.
Limitations
- No published pricing at all. Quote-only through Paylocity’s demo form.
- No longer straightforward to buy standalone. The commercial model now points toward the HCM platform.
- Existing reviews are out of date. Almost everything written about Airbase predates the acquisition.
- Competitors are free at entry. Ramp and Brex both offer $0 tiers; Airbase does not.
- Integration is still settling. Product direction under new ownership takes time to become clear.
Airbase Alternatives and How It Compares
- Ramp is the leading independent alternative, free at entry, with strong AP capability and a savings-oriented positioning.
- Brex is free at entry too, though it was itself acquired by Capital One in April 2026 — worth knowing that both major alternatives now sit inside larger financial institutions.
- Bill.com focuses specifically on accounts payable, which was Airbase’s strongest area, and is often the closest functional match.
- SAP Concur is the enterprise incumbent for expense and travel, heavier and more expensive.
- Zoho Expense is dramatically cheaper for expense reporting alone, with published pricing.
- Rippling offers a comparable payroll-plus-spend combination if the unified platform is what appeals.
For a broader survey, browse our expense management directory.
The Verdict
Airbase was a good product and remains one, but in 2026 the question is not whether Airbase is worth buying — it is whether Paylocity is. The acquisition completed on 1 October 2024, the pricing page now belongs to Paylocity, and the commercial model has shifted from a standalone spend management purchase to a module within an HCM platform. Evaluate it on that basis and you will not be surprised later.
For existing Paylocity customers this is straightforwardly good news. Spend management on the same platform as payroll is a genuine operational advantage, the AP and procurement capability is stronger than most card-first competitors offer, and the integration is precisely what the $325 million was spent to achieve. If Paylocity already runs your payroll, this should be on your shortlist and may well win.
For everyone else, be deliberate. Ramp and Brex are both free at entry and considerably easier to evaluate, and Bill.com covers the AP strength that was Airbase’s best feature. The absence of any published pricing means you cannot compare without a sales process, which is a real cost in itself. Before booking a demo, ask directly whether Airbase can still be purchased standalone and on what terms — that is the question the website no longer answers, and the answer determines whether this is a shortlist candidate or a Paylocity upsell.
One practical caution that applies to research rather than the product: treat any Airbase review, comparison, or pricing guide that does not mention Paylocity as out of date. A great deal of what is published still describes the independent company and its former published plans, and none of that is what you would be buying.
FAQ
Was Airbase acquired?
Yes. Paylocity announced a definitive agreement on 4 September 2024 and completed the acquisition on 1 October 2024 for approximately $325 million, funded through its revolving credit facility. Both companies confirmed completion publicly. The product now trades as “Airbase by Paylocity” and its pricing page redirects to Paylocity’s website.
How much does Airbase cost?
There is no published price. Airbase’s pricing URL now serves Paylocity’s pricing page, which is a demo request form collecting your business email, employee count, and job title rather than displaying rates. Pre-acquisition Airbase published tiered plans, but those figures no longer reflect what is on offer, and any current cost has to be obtained through a sales conversation.
Is Airbase still available as a standalone product?
It has not been discontinued, and the capability still exists under the Airbase name. But the commercial model now runs through Paylocity, whose strategic rationale for the purchase was combining payroll and non-payroll spend on one platform. Whether a standalone purchase remains straightforward is a question worth asking Paylocity directly before beginning an evaluation.
What are the best alternatives to Airbase?
Ramp and Brex are the leading independent alternatives, both free at entry and much easier to evaluate without a sales process — though Brex was itself acquired by Capital One in April 2026. Bill.com is the closest match for Airbase’s accounts payable strength. Zoho Expense is far cheaper for expense reporting alone, and SAP Concur is the enterprise option.
Should I trust older Airbase reviews?
Treat them with caution. Most published reviews, comparisons, and pricing guides describe the independent company as it operated before October 2024, including plan structures and prices that no longer apply. If a review does not mention Paylocity, it predates the acquisition and does not describe what you would actually be buying today.
Compare Airbase with other popular tools in the same category.
I consider the ability of Airbase to analyze, align and automate spend management best in class. Its tops. Its made procurement, payment, compliance and closing a breeze like never before. its a tomorrow platform! The Ultimate Spend Manager.
Its got everything going for it now. Where it had hitches before, they've been smoothed over dor sure. Reason why its top ranking. No problems with it.
It is a platform that's answering procurement, pay,, spend, compliance and accountability questions. Now more than ever, we're better equipped to navigate those waters.
The visibility of spend all in one place
The requirement to now have upfront deposits in place to fund the card programs
One platform that manages all of our spend and integrates nicely with our ERP. Have automated signature matrix approvals and immediate visibility to all costs at whatever level I want (detailed or consolidated)
I love the ability to create digital card's I like the easy of use, deployment and the user interface The mobile app is helpful for uploading receipt and automatically scanning them. The app clearly shows the status for approval and payment
The receipt upload workflow has a couple more clicks than I would necessary like. Those click add up when I'm expensing things on a trip
Good platform for expense reimbursements
Ease of use! No lengthy training is needed for users -- everything is fairly self explaintory in how to use Airbase. Our company has defined practice policies that we need to be aware of, but outside of that its easy for me to go into the platform to request payment for my programs.
Only feature that is missing, from my view, is a history of approved purchase order requests. I have to dig around for what I'm looking for vs the virtual cards shows a summary of pending, approved, denied, and archived.
Making it easier for users to request, receive approval and make payment for program funds.
My favorite part of Airbase is how seamlessly we have AP integrated into NetSuite. I'm able to process AP quicker than I ever have before. Their expense reimbursement module is also extremely easy to use and saves so much time. I use Airbase all day, every day, and it is my favorite!
The only downside with Airbase is their turn around time for fixing any engineering issues. We receive quick responses from Customer Support, but if the issue requires something on the back end, we do not get very quick response times in that regard.
Airbase has really helped us solve the manual labor issue we had with Procurement. Using Airbase's Procure to Pay module, we have all the contracts and information in one place being approved and revised. It really helps keep things organized all in one place!
The system is easy to use, and the great thing is that we can record 90% of our expenses automatically. Also, we are very happy with the cashback option.
Honestly, I didn't find anything disliking about the system.
Spend Management AP Automation Expense Management Invoice Management / Billing
Easy to use, user freindly, and not bulky
Being able to edit the home page to what I would like to be able to see
Being able to approve expenses and add receipts helps us keep track of our paper trails for automatic payments for the systems we use
Airbase allows me to pay vendors ahead of time. It detects errors rapidly before making payments by matching POs, receivables and invoices. It has a mobile application that has all the features available on cloud-based solution.
Uploading receipts sometimes make the mobile application to buffer mainly when using mobile data.
Airbase makes it a breeze to manage spend, expenses, invoices and vendor in real-time. Controlling finances is made a breeze which help eradicate fraud.
intuitive interface for end users. easy to tell who might be holding up a reimbursement so I know who to follow up with. being able to email the receipt is especially helpful
nothing has stood out for a dislike. no notes
historically getting reiumbursed has taken an eternity. this has been fast and is easy to pinpoint exactly who I need to be following up with if it is taking longer than expected
First, Airbase makes it really simple for folks to review and approve invoices. The A/P streamlining is very good, and also user-friendly on the admin side. That's easily it's biggest strength. The Corporate card feature is pretty useful, as you can create cards on an as-need basis for employees. Another great thing about Airbase is that it's clear they are working on new features and updates constantly. We adopted Airbase in early 2022 and have seen many improvements and quality of life updates throughout it. Customer support is pretty decent overall, and ease of integration was surprisinigly simple.
I would say that currently expense management for employees isn't great, but I know a re-work is being released currently. I would also say that the constant updates, while a good thing, can also make things a little confusing at times if you aren't aware of that changes that they are making. For example, if I run a certain report and manipulate the data into a different spreadsheet to make it easier to read/use, the other spreadsheet has a set format that I created. They often are adding new elements and dimensions into reporting, which make the different spreadsheet have trouble reading the data without making further edits. Still, I'd rather have better reporting and more dimensions than not, so while it's not a bad thing necessarily, it just makes it a little tough at times.
Our A/P process was lengthy and controls were not as strong as they could have been. Fortunately, Airbase has really helped in both of these departments greatly.
Airbase was the benchmark when we were scouting for options for US. Automatic syncs with QuickBooks and Netsuite, automation of vendor bill accounting, approvals and payment processing, reporting solutions, virtual card offering, ease of use and navigation - all of these offerings on a single platform; there is nothing more one could ask for!
Initially, it was a little confusing to understand, but you eventually get the hang of it.
Literally, everything that I've mentioned under 'what I like best.'
- Straightforward user interface - Intuitive flow from creation to payments - Automatic field population when uploading invoices, forms, etc. - Excellent custom rules implementation; for example, based on tags, types can be redirected to the correct person for approval. - Automatic funds management converts it from a mere tracking tool into an end-to-end solution. - Resposive mobile app - Have ability just to email the invoices and the app takes care of everything from interpreting the data to creating drafts.
- The system converts the amount based on the exchange rate on the day of reimbursement initiation rather than the invoice date when making payments in currencies other than the invoice currency.
Reimbursement to employees spread across the globe.
We have been using Airbase for over a year now to manage our AP and expense reimbursements. Its an easy to use product, allows us to create virtual cards quickly and easily and also integrates with our accounting setup. Cashback on total spend is a sweetner of course. It was also easy to implement and very easy for all users and vendors tou se.
Expense reimbuirsement was for each line item but I just got notified that the product is being upgraded so people can put expense reports rather than each line item going as a separate expense reimbursement request.
AP management; expense reimbursements
keeps you aware of the process along its journey
nothing off the top of my head, all so simple and easy
easy reinbursement
I really like that virtual cards can be created for each specific supplier, allowing us to process and pay suppliers faster.
Airbase is the perfect product for a fast-growing company looking to better manage its corporate spending without slowing it down.
Our finance team is the main department using Airbase, but our entire organization has implemented it to better control our corporate spending.
I like how easy Airbase is to navigate and find everything you're looking for and the fact that I don't need to do an expense report.
The only thing I don;t like about Airbase is when it is not working.
I can easily send the requests without having to bother management.
The best part about Airbase for our team has been making payments to our vendors by just following a few simple steps. Get a card , add it and the payments are made.Company payments are a worry of the past!
Honestly, I have not faced any issues or pain point with the tool.Smooth invoicing and billing procedures keeps our relationships with our vendors intact!
Airbase primarily solves the below for my team 1)Corporate Cards 2)Bill Payments 3)Employee reimbursements While using airbase, I do not have to worry about the payments , employee reimbursements procedure is user friendly for both the approver and user.
Airbase makes spend management so easy, and it helps keep our company more secure. The ability to create approval chains for each type of request in Airbase is crucial. No stone is left unturned in our procurement process. I have a feeling that Airbase really listens to customer feedback and gets things right when they release new features.
The only thing I dislike about Airbase is that I wish more software was as easy to use and full featured.
Airbase solves the spend management problem. Having individual cards for each SaaS we're spending on lets non-finance folks get granular with budgeting and spend and gives the keys to department leaders to be able to manage their spend appropriately.
The user friendly platform. It is very easy to navigate Airbase. I also love that there are so many suggestion sand prefilled boxes.
Nothing, I love the application. This is the best expense platform I've used.
Time saving and it keeps me organized.
Airbase is easy to use, whether it be on the app or on an internet browser. Easy to navigate, easy to track the status of the reimburement. Easy for everyone all around honestly! Thank you for making getting reimbursed by my company so simple!
Really no negatives that I have seen using Airbase and I have been using it for about a year and a half.
Being able to book travel through work and easily being able to submit for reimbursement!
The most helpful aspect of Airbase is the app. We use airbase every month, to submit for reimbursements. Having a friendly interface makes submitting these requests quick and easy.
Virtual cards are not accessible in the App.
Quick and easy reimbursement from the employer.
What I like best about Airbase is its user-friendly interface and efficiency. It's incredibly easy to use and understand, making managing finances a breeze.
I genuinely appreciate using Airbase, and I can honestly say that I don't have any dislikes about the platform.
Airbase has been a game-changer for our vendor management team. It's made expense management a breeze, giving us more time to focus on what really matters.
I like how it automatically reads receipts, and also how easy the review and approval processes.
Sometimes it's hard to find reports that are specific in terms of time period and types of expense.
East department having its own budget is easy to enforce and make sure people aren't overspending.
I love the fact that it works well both for my own personal reimbursements, but also people on my team who I approve. I've used platforms in the past where personal reimbursement was easy, but it was difficult when trying to monitor/approve for other people on my team. Airbase is clean and simple regardless of what you're doing in it. On-demand reimbursements are fast to process, as you can simply upload the receipt and it will scan it for you (and it's very accurate, otherwise it defeats the whole purpose obviously.) You can also email directly to a personal email address rather than uploading, although I haven't done that yet. The virtual cards work seamlessly, and it's nice that you can do one-off or recurring purchases. Finally, when working on approving expenses for team members, everything is right there to streamline the process - you don't have to click around various screens to see the details, then go back to an approval screen, then to the next person, then their approval screen, and back and forth. You can just hover over the item for pretty much everything you need without wasting time. All around, I love it.
It's rare that I can find something that I can't even nitpick in the slightest, but Airbase seems to be that for me. It's straightforward and simple, and everything is clean in the dashboard - truly nothing comes to mind for improvement.
I said most of it earlier, hate to repeat myself, but it's great to have a platform work so well and more importantly - quickly, for something as dreaded as expense reimbursement. Makes it just a "to-do item" rather than something that gets put off for a long time because it works so well.
Is very easy to use, from desktop or mobile applications. To report expenses and submit receipts is very easy and fast and it is a real game changer to handle company-related expenses.
On the webpage, it is possible to log in using multiple methods. The one I need to use is utilizing a one-time code that I have to receive in the email, so then check the email, copy the code and use it to log in. It is a bit tedious.
Manage company-related expenses in an easy way. Now I don't have to worry about expense things by using my own credit cards and reporting them. By using Airbase everything is automatic and much easy to communicate or get approval.
I love the mobile app (so easy to use and submit receipts while I'm on the road) and how easy it is to email my receipts to Airbase, which can then be auto-populated and submitted for reimbursement in less than a minute. I don't need to create Expense Reports as a "container" for my receipts, which has always been a pain in other systems I've used, like Expensify, SAP / Concur, and even Brix. The receipts are then reviewed and approved by my manager and AP one at a time, so I get my reimbursements way faster than I have with other systems. This makes for less interest payments on my personal credit cards!! I also like the Virtual Card feature. Previously, it has always been a hassle sharing a credit card across a team or asking a manager or executive for their credit card details for recurring or one-off purchases, not to mention not very secure (often, people are emailing credit card numbers and CVC codes or attaching pictures of cards to texts, etc.). The Virtual Card feature makes it much easier, FASTER, and safer to set purchasing limits and make approved purchases without a lot of steps and red tape. Finally, I LOVE seeing the total amount to be reimbursed, highlighted in orange in big numbers at the top right of the screen, so I know where I stand at any given time. Other systems I've used, it was difficult to tell what reimbursements were still pending and how much overall, especially since they were grouped by expense reports.
The "Request a Reimbursement For" pop-up screen when you first open / log in to Airbase on your desktop browser is annoying. I log in for different reasons, sometimes just to upload a receipt or to check the status of approvals and reimbursements, and the first few times, it took me a minute to figure out I just needed to close that window. I just want to login and do what I need to do. A small nit and very right-hand centric critique: When in the Approved tab on the home page, I would prefer the "Search by Vendor" field to be on the right vs. the left. For some reason it throws me off and I feel lost when what I really want is the Unpaid / In Progress / Paid buttons.
As a frequent business traveler in sales, Airbase is a gem. Expense reports used to be so painful for me and I would let them languish for weeks, accruing interest charges on my personal credit cards because I hated logging in to previous systems and having to split hairs to create expense reports, map receipts to reports, itemize hotel charges, etc. Airbase is so simple and FAST and actually pleasant to use (good UI). I haven't had an interest charge or a late payment fee on my personal credit cards in the 7 months it has been rolled out at our company. I also don't spend as much of my nights and weekends trying to enter a bunch of receipts--I can quickly scan them in the mobile app as I travel, or email them to Airbase using the designated Airbase email address. While other systems do these things too, I always had issues with the emails getting lost or not being routed correctly, or the UI to scan a receipt on the fly required too much manual entry.
I like the user-friendly approach and intuitivness of the app. It allows me to easily manage my expenses, pay invoices, etc.
I do not like that cards get locked for not uploading reciepts or not using them.
It is allows us to not have to have a controller or accountant on site, in order to pay invoices and manage expenses.
It is user friendly. Processing invoices and bills can be monitored on a day to day basis. It is useful as well in integrating it in Quickbooks. Easy to implement. Customer support are very helpful 24/7.
I do not see any disadvantages in using Airbase 100%
Monitoring payments, vendor payments.
The ease of use from an Admin and end user perspective.
Nothing as of yet. They constantly evovle the product.
Direct integration with NetSuite. Having Expenses and employee reimbusrmeents in one system.
How easy it is to upload receipts and navigate through the mobile app, Airbase also does an excellent job auto scanning receipts
There are features I'm not sure how to use it. As an example, i see there is a "Transactions" tab on my mobile app, but not sure what it does
Reimbursement can take a long time, and Airbase make this process much shorter by auto scanning the receipts and it works really well