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Software · head to head

Airbase vs Lighthouse

Airbase logo

Airbase

Software

The first all-in-one spend management platform

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lighthouse logo

Lighthouse

Software

Audit web page performance and quality

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Lighthouse has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; Lighthouse described by the vendor as an open-source, automated tool with community contributions welcomed, no commercial edition
  • They diverge on capability: Airbase covers Corporate cards, Lighthouse covers Performance scoring.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airbase and Lighthouse actually diverge.

Attributes where Airbase and Lighthouse differ
AttributeAirbaseLighthouse
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidChrome, Edge
Founded20171998

Identical on both: 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 Lighthouse

  • Performance scoring
  • Accessibility audit
  • SEO check
  • PWA validation
  • Chrome support
  • Edge support

What people use each for

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

Airbase

  • Spend managementnot Lighthouse
  • Expense reportingnot Lighthouse
  • Vendor paymentsnot Lighthouse

Lighthouse

No use cases recorded yet. See the Lighthouse 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.

Lighthouse

  • Described by the vendor as an open-source, automated tool with community contributions welcomed, no commercial edition

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

Lighthouse

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Performance audit
    • Accessibility check
    • SEO analysis

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 Lighthouse if

  • You need performance scoring.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Edge.
  • You also want accessibility audit.
Lighthouse review

Questions people ask

Is Airbase or Lighthouse better?
Neither clearly leads. Airbase starts at $29/month and Lighthouse at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airbase or Lighthouse?
Lighthouse has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Airbase and Free for Lighthouse.
Does Airbase or Lighthouse run on more platforms?
Airbase runs on Web, Ios, Android. Lighthouse runs on Chrome, Edge.
Can I use Lighthouse for free?
Yes. Lighthouse has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Airbase starts at $29/month.
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 Lighthouse is typically brought in for.
What can Airbase do that Lighthouse cannot?
Airbase covers Corporate cards, Bill payments, Expense management, Procurement. Lighthouse covers Performance scoring, Accessibility audit, SEO check, PWA validation.
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