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Software · head to head

Airbase vs Kudos

Airbase logo

Airbase

Software

The first all-in-one spend management platform

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Kudos logo

Kudos

Software

Employee recognition that drives performance

From
$5/month
Rated
-

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.; Kudos kudos publishes no price for any of its three tiers (Basic, Plus, Enterprise); the entire plans page gates every tier behind "Request a Demo" or "Request a Trial" with only a discount for not-for-profit organizations over 100 employees mentioned, no figures given (archived plans page, 22 February 2021)
  • They diverge on capability: Airbase covers Corporate cards, Kudos covers Peer-to-peer recognition.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airbase and Kudos actually diverge.

Attributes where Airbase and Kudos differ
AttributeAirbaseKudos
Starting price$29/month$5/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20172010

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 Kudos

  • Peer-to-peer recognition
  • Manager recognition
  • Social recognition wall
  • Points & rewards
  • Awards & nominations
  • Anniversary celebrations
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Company values alignment

Both cover

  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Airbase

  • Spend managementnot Kudos
  • Expense reportingnot Kudos
  • Vendor paymentsnot Kudos

Kudos

  • Employee recognitionnot Airbase
  • Culture buildingnot Airbase
  • Employee engagementnot Airbase
  • Retention improvementnot Airbase
  • Values reinforcementnot Airbase

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.

Kudos

  • Kudos publishes no price for any of its three tiers (Basic, Plus, Enterprise); the entire plans page gates every tier behind "Request a Demo" or "Request a Trial" with only a discount for not-for-profit organizations over 100 employees mentioned, no figures given (archived plans page, 22 February 2021)

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

Kudos

$5/month
  • Plus$5/month
    • Peer recognition
    • Social recognition wall
    • Points system
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Awards & nominations
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Airbase if

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

Choose Kudos if

  • You need peer-to-peer recognition.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want manager recognition.

Questions people ask

Is Airbase or Kudos better?
Neither clearly leads. Airbase starts at $29/month and Kudos at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airbase or Kudos?
Airbase starts at $29/month and Kudos at $5/month.
Does Airbase or Kudos run on more platforms?
Airbase runs on Web, Ios, Android. Kudos runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
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 Kudos is typically brought in for.
What can Airbase do that Kudos cannot?
Airbase covers Corporate cards, Bill payments, Expense management, Procurement. Kudos covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Manager recognition, Social recognition wall, Points & rewards. Both handle Slack.

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