Softwr

Accounting & Finance · head to head

Airbase vs Stripe

Airbase logo

Airbase

Accounting & Finance

The first all-in-one spend management platform

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

Stripe

E-commerce

Financial infrastructure for the internet

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Stripe 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.; Stripe requires developer setup and API integration for most use cases
  • They diverge on capability: Airbase covers Corporate cards, Stripe covers Payment processing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airbase and Stripe actually diverge.

Attributes where Airbase and Stripe differ
AttributeAirbaseStripe
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
CategoryAccounting & FinanceE-commerce
Founded20172010

Identical on both: platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated).

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
  • Sage Intacct
  • SOC 2 Type II
  • PCI DSS

Only in Stripe

  • Payment processing
  • Subscription billing
  • Invoicing
  • Terminal (in-person payments)
  • Fraud prevention
  • 3D Secure
  • Global payouts
  • Financial reporting

Both cover

  • NetSuite
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero
  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Airbase

  • Spend managementnot Stripe
  • Expense reportingnot Stripe
  • Vendor paymentsnot Stripe

Stripe

  • Online paymentsnot Airbase
  • Subscription managementnot Airbase
  • Marketplace paymentsnot Airbase
  • Global expansionnot Airbase
  • Platform monetizationnot 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.

Stripe

  • Requires developer setup and API integration for most use cases
  • Dispute fee of $15 per chargeback is standard industry cost
  • Limited offline payment capabilities

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

Stripe

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Stripe 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 Stripe if

  • You need payment processing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want subscription billing.
Stripe review

Questions people ask

Is Airbase or Stripe better?
Neither clearly leads. Airbase starts at $29/month and Stripe at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airbase or Stripe?
Stripe has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Airbase and Free for Stripe.
Does Airbase or Stripe run on more platforms?
Airbase runs on Web, Ios, Android. Stripe runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Stripe for free?
Yes. Stripe 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 Stripe is typically brought in for.
What can Airbase do that Stripe cannot?
Airbase covers Corporate cards, Bill payments, Expense management, Procurement. Stripe covers Payment processing, Subscription billing, Invoicing, Terminal (in-person payments). Both handle NetSuite, QuickBooks, Xero, Slack.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Stripe: What are Stripe's transaction fees?

Standard US rates are 2.9% plus 30 cents for online card payments, 2.7% plus 5 cents for in-person, 3.4% plus 30 cents for keyed/phone transactions, and 0.8% capped at $5 for ACH payments.

Source
Stripe: How many currencies and countries does it support?

Stripe accepts 135+ currencies and supports payment acceptance in 40+ countries through Stripe Connect, enabling sellers to onboard and receive payouts in minutes.

Source
Stripe: What payment methods are supported?

Stripe supports dozens of payment methods including credit/debit cards, ACH transfers, and local payment options, with additional support through partnerships with Meta and Google.

Source
Stripe: Are there monthly fees or contracts?

No. Stripe charges no monthly fees or contracts, only per-transaction fees and dispute fees, making costs fully transparent and variable.

Source
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