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Software · head to head

Airbase vs Vertex

Airbase logo

Airbase

Software

The first all-in-one spend management platform

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vertex logo

Vertex

Software

Enterprise tax determination, compliance, and e-invoicing software

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.; Vertex pricing is entirely custom and not published, requiring a sales engagement to get a quote.
  • They diverge on capability: Airbase covers Corporate cards, Vertex covers Real-time tax determination.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airbase and Vertex actually diverge.

Attributes where Airbase and Vertex differ
AttributeAirbaseVertex
Starting price$29/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Androidweb, api
Founded20171978

Identical on both: 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 Vertex

  • Real-time tax determination
  • Global e-invoicing compliance
  • Compliance reporting and filing
  • Exemption certificate management
  • AI-powered compliance workflows
  • ERP integrations

What people use each for

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

Airbase

  • Spend managementnot Vertex
  • Expense reportingnot Vertex
  • Vendor paymentsnot Vertex

Vertex

  • Automating indirect tax calculation for large multinational enterprisesnot Airbase
  • Managing global e-invoicing compliance mandatesnot Airbase
  • Handling exemption certificates for B2B salesnot Airbase
  • Embedding tax logic directly into ERP and e-commerce checkout flowsnot 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.

Vertex

  • Pricing is entirely custom and not published, requiring a sales engagement to get a quote.
  • The platform is built for enterprise-scale tax complexity, which can be more than small businesses need.
  • Implementation typically requires integration work with existing ERP systems, adding setup time and cost.
  • Documentation on self-serve plan tiers or limits is not publicly available, unlike simpler tax tools.

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

Vertex

On request
  • Vertex Cloud$undefined/mo
    • Custom pricing based on business needs
    • Tax determination, e-invoicing, and reporting
    • ERP and e-commerce integrations

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 Vertex if

  • You need real-time tax determination.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want global e-invoicing compliance.
Vertex review

Questions people ask

Is Airbase or Vertex better?
Neither clearly leads. Airbase starts at $29/month and Vertex at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airbase or Vertex?
Airbase starts at $29/month and Vertex at On request.
Does Airbase or Vertex run on more platforms?
Airbase runs on Web, Ios, Android. Vertex runs on web, 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 Vertex is typically brought in for.
What can Airbase do that Vertex cannot?
Airbase covers Corporate cards, Bill payments, Expense management, Procurement. Vertex covers Real-time tax determination, Global e-invoicing compliance, Compliance reporting and filing, Exemption certificate management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Vertex: Is Vertex's tax software pricing publicly available?

No. Vertex does not publish pricing for its Vertex Cloud or enterprise tax platform; costs are determined through a custom quote based on modules, transaction volume, and deployment scope.

Source
Vertex: Roughly what do businesses pay for Vertex?

As reported by third-party buyer guides, not Vertex itself, mid-market companies processing 10,000-50,000 monthly transactions often pay in the $40,000-$100,000 per year range including platform and transaction fees.

Source
Vertex: Who manages Vertex Cloud after it's set up?

With the Vertex Cloud deployment option, ongoing operations such as monitoring, configuration, and state tax correspondence remain the responsibility of the customer's internal team rather than Vertex.

Source
Vertex: What systems does Vertex integrate with?

Vertex integrates with major ERP and e-commerce platforms including SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, Shopify, Workday, and NetSuite to embed real-time indirect tax calculation into existing business systems.

Source
Vertex: How many jurisdictions does Vertex support for tax determination?

Vertex calculates real-time indirect tax rates across 195 countries and more than 20,000 tax jurisdictions worldwide.

Source
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