AI Tool Comparison
Comparing as AI Expense ManagementExpensify vs Airbase by Paylocity
Expensify
VS
Airbase by Paylocity
Verdict by Category
Detailed category analysis is not available for this comparison.
Detailed Comparison
Feature
Expensify
Airbase by Paylocity
Pricing
FreemiumExpensify offers a free tier (Track & Submit) with unlimited SmartScans, distance tracking, manual entry, and CSV export for individuals and freelancers. Paid business plans: Collect is a flat $5 per member per month (no annual commitment, pay-as-you-go) for teams of 1-10 covering expense tracking, corporate cards, travel booking, and chat. Control is $9 per member per month with the Expensify Card (or $18/member without it) for teams of 10-1,000+, adding multi-level approval workflows, SSO, custom fields, and deeper ERP integrations (NetSuite, Sage Intacct). Control bills only active members who create, submit, approve, reimburse, or export reports in a given month, while Collect bills all unique members. Enterprise/custom pricing is available for large organizations with complex needs.
CustomAirbase by Paylocity does not publish fixed pricing tiers. Pricing is quote-based and depends on company size, which modules are selected (Expense Management, Corporate Cards, AP Automation, Guided Procurement, Headcount Planning), and negotiated terms. Since integration into Paylocity for Finance, spend management is generally billed alongside Paylocity's core per-employee-per-month (PEPM) HCM pricing, with reported PEPM rates commonly ranging from roughly $15.81 to $50 depending on modules and negotiation leverage; Paylocity's broader platform PEPM has been reported in the $22-$32 range. Modules can be adopted individually or bundled, and organizations can add modules over time as needs grow. Prospective customers must contact Paylocity sales for a custom quote; typical mid-market implementations take 5-6 months to onboard.
Categories
AI Business & Finance ToolsAI Productivity Tools
AI Business & Finance Tools
Summary
AI-powered expense management that automates receipts, reports, and reimbursements
AI-powered spend management: expenses, AP, corporate cards, and procurement in one platform
Expensify Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free tier covers unlimited receipt scanning for individuals and freelancers with no team features required
- Concierge AI automates categorization, policy enforcement, and monthly spend analysis with minimal manual work
- Flat, transparent per-member pricing on Collect with no forced annual contract
- Extensive integration library spanning accounting, ERP, travel, and payroll platforms
- Works with cards from any bank rather than requiring a specific corporate card
- MCP support lets finance teams query live expense data from AI assistants they already use
Cons
- Control plan's per-user pricing can get expensive for larger teams with many active expensers
- Legacy pricing structures and active vs. unique member billing rules can be confusing for existing customers
- Advanced compliance and multi-entity features require the higher-cost Control tier
- Some users report the reporting/summary views could offer better monthly rollups
- Enterprise-grade configuration and workflow setup has a learning curve for finance admins
Airbase by Paylocity Pros & Cons
Pros
- Consolidates expenses, AP, corporate cards, and procurement into one platform instead of several point solutions
- Touchless automation significantly reduces manual data entry and coding for finance teams
- Strong fraud detection and audit trail features built into the core product
- Now integrates directly with Paylocity's HCM and payroll data for unified spend and workforce visibility
- Recognized by Gartner and Spend Matters as a leading expense management and AP automation solution
- Supports global reimbursements and multi-currency payments for distributed teams
Cons
- No public pricing; all quotes require a sales conversation, making it harder to comparison shop
- Full platform value is strongest when paired with the broader Paylocity ecosystem, which may not suit companies that only want a standalone spend tool
- Onboarding and implementation can take several months for mid-market deployments
- Legacy Airbase branding is being phased out, which can create confusion for long-time customers during the transition
- Best suited to mid-market and larger organizations; may be more platform than very small businesses need