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Software · head to head

Airbase vs Bonsai

Airbase logo

Airbase

Software

The first all-in-one spend management platform

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bonsai logo

Bonsai

Software

All-in-one business management for freelancers and agencies

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Airbase airbase was acquired by Paylocity; its pricing page now redirects to paylocity.com/pricing and the product is marketed as 'Airbase, a Paylocity Company' within Paylocity's HCM platform rather than as a standalone product.; Bonsai elite plan, the only tier with custom permissions, timesheet locking and Xero integration, requires a 3 user minimum at $49/user/month

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airbase and Bonsai actually diverge.

Attributes where Airbase and Bonsai differ
AttributeAirbaseBonsai
Starting price$29/monthOn request
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded2017Unknown

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Airbase

  • Corporate cards
  • Bill payments
  • Expense management
  • Procurement
  • Approvals
  • NetSuite
  • Sage Intacct
  • QuickBooks

Only in Bonsai

Nothing recorded that Airbase does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Airbase

  • Spend managementnot Bonsai
  • Expense reportingnot Bonsai
  • Vendor paymentsnot Bonsai

Bonsai

No use cases recorded yet. See the Bonsai review.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Airbase

  • Airbase was acquired by Paylocity; its pricing page now redirects to paylocity.com/pricing and the product is marketed as 'Airbase, a Paylocity Company' within Paylocity's HCM platform rather than as a standalone product.

Bonsai

  • Elite plan, the only tier with custom permissions, timesheet locking and Xero integration, requires a 3 user minimum at $49/user/month
  • Invoices, proposals, contracts and the client portal are withheld from the entry Basic plan and only unlocked on Essentials at $19/user/month
  • Monthly billing costs noticeably more than annual, for example $15/user/month versus $9/user/month annually on Basic
  • Free trial is limited to 7 days

Pricing, plan by plan

Airbase

$29/month
  • StandardFree
    • Corporate cards
    • Expense reports
    • Bill pay
  • Premium$10/month
    • Advanced approvals
    • NetSuite sync
    • Procurement
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom workflows
    • API access
    • Dedicated support

Bonsai

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Bonsai review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Airbase if

  • You need corporate cards.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want bill payments.
Airbase review

Choose Bonsai if

Nothing in the data separates Bonsai from Airbase on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Bonsai review

Questions people ask

Is Airbase or Bonsai better?
Neither clearly leads. Airbase starts at $29/month and Bonsai at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airbase or Bonsai?
Airbase starts at $29/month and Bonsai at On request.
Does Airbase or Bonsai run on more platforms?
Airbase runs on Web, Ios, Android. Bonsai runs on Web.
What is Airbase best used for?
Airbase is most often used for spend management, expense reporting, vendor payments. Of those, spend management and expense reporting are not what Bonsai is typically brought in for.
What can Airbase do that Bonsai cannot?
Airbase covers Corporate cards, Bill payments, Expense management, Procurement.
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Related pages

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