Softwr

Accounting · head to head

Circula vs Stampli

Circula logo

Circula

Accounting

Expense, travel and employee benefit management for German speaking finance teams

From
€15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stampli logo

Stampli

Accounting

AI-powered accounts payable automation

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Circula the module pricing stacks: expenses at fifteen euro per licence plus ninety nine euro for cards plus a hundred and forty nine euro for accounts payable means a fifty person company pays well over a thousand euro a month before add ons.; Stampli no transparent pricing published; quote-based model required
  • They diverge on capability: Circula covers German per diem engine, Stampli covers AI invoice processing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Circula and Stampli actually diverge.

Attributes where Circula and Stampli differ
AttributeCirculaStampli
Starting price€15/month$29/month
Pricing modelPer user per monthsubscription
FoundedUnknown2014

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Accounting).

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 Circula

  • German per diem engine
  • Receipt capture and OCR
  • Corporate credit cards
  • Employee benefits
  • Accounts payable
  • Mileage and travel
  • DATEV and ERP export

Only in Stampli

  • AI invoice processing
  • Vendor management
  • Payment processing
  • Audit trails
  • NetSuite
  • Sage Intacct
  • QuickBooks
  • Microsoft Dynamics

Both cover

  • Approval workflows

What people use each for

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

Circula

  • A German company that must apply statutory per diem rates and meal deductions correctly to avoid payroll tax exposurenot Stampli
  • A finance team wanting card spend, expense claims and benefits in one DATEV exportnot Stampli
  • An employer offering the tax free monthly benefit allowance and needing auditable records of itnot Stampli
  • A mid sized business replacing spreadsheet mileage claims with rule enforced distance calculationsnot Stampli

Stampli

  • Accounts payable automationnot Circula
  • Invoice processing and capturenot Circula
  • Vendor managementnot Circula
  • Expense management and procurementnot Circula

Where each one falls short

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

Circula

  • The module pricing stacks: expenses at fifteen euro per licence plus ninety nine euro for cards plus a hundred and forty nine euro for accounts payable means a fifty person company pays well over a thousand euro a month before add ons.
  • A minimum of ten licences excludes small teams, and the flexible licensing model for occasional claimants makes monthly cost harder to forecast than a flat per seat price.
  • Strength is in German tax rules, so companies with significant operations outside the DACH region gain little from the feature that justifies the price.
  • The accounts payable module includes only a hundred invoices per month, so invoice heavy businesses face metered overage on top of the platform fee.
  • Card issuing carries a per card transaction ceiling and depends on partner issuing, so high value procurement spend can hit limits that a bank issued corporate card would not.

Stampli

  • No transparent pricing published; quote-based model required
  • Specific pricing for individual modules or add-ons not available on pricing page
  • Cost varies based on invoice volume, complexity, and customization needs

Pricing, plan by plan

Circula

€15/month
  • Employee and Travel Expenses$15/month
    • Per licence, billed annually
    • Minimum 10 licences
    • OCR receipt capture
  • Credit Cards$99/month
    • Platform fee, unlimited cards
    • Per card spend limits
    • Transaction limit of EUR 750,000 per card
  • Accounts Payable$149/month
    • Platform fee
    • Includes 100 invoices per month
    • Supplier invoice capture and approval
  • Benefits$1/month
    • Per licence
    • Tax free benefit allowances
    • Mobility and meal benefits

Stampli

$29/month
  • Essential$undefined/month
    • Invoice processing
    • Basic approvals
    • Email notifications
  • Professional$undefined/month
    • AI-powered coding
    • Advanced workflows
    • ERP integrations
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom workflows
    • API access
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose Circula if

  • You need german per diem engine.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want receipt capture and ocr.
Circula review

Choose Stampli if

  • You need ai invoice processing.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want vendor management.
Stampli review

Questions people ask

Is Circula or Stampli better?
Neither clearly leads. Circula starts at €15/month and Stampli at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Circula or Stampli?
Circula starts at €15/month and Stampli at $29/month.
Does Circula or Stampli run on more platforms?
Circula runs on Web, iOS, Android. Stampli runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is Circula best used for?
Circula is most often used for a german company that must apply statutory per diem rates and meal deductions correctly to avoid payroll tax exposure, a finance team wanting card spend, expense claims and benefits in one datev export, an employer offering the tax free monthly benefit allowance and needing auditable records of it, a mid sized business replacing spreadsheet mileage claims with rule enforced distance calculations. Of those, a german company that must apply statutory per diem rates and meal deductions correctly to avoid payroll tax exposure and a finance team wanting card spend, expense claims and benefits in one datev export are not what Stampli is typically brought in for.
What can Circula do that Stampli cannot?
Circula covers German per diem engine, Receipt capture and OCR, Corporate credit cards, Employee benefits. Stampli covers AI invoice processing, Vendor management, Payment processing, Audit trails. Both handle Approval workflows.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Circula: Does Circula calculate German per diems automatically?

Yes, by destination country and trip duration, including meal and accommodation deductions, which is the main reason DACH finance teams buy it.

Stampli: What does Stampli cost?

Stampli does not publish fixed pricing. The company uses a custom quote-based model. Visitors are directed to 'Request a Quote' and meet with an AP expert to discuss pricing based on their specific invoice volume and requirements.

Source
Circula: What does it actually cost for fifty employees?

Roughly seven hundred and fifty euro a month for expense licences alone at the fifteen euro rate, before the ninety nine euro card platform fee and any accounts payable module.

Stampli: What is included in Stampli's standard offering?

Stampli's core accounts payable solution includes unlimited invoice capture, entities/locations, vendors, and PO matching; automated processing via Stampli Cognitive AI; 12 pre-built reports; interactive dashboards; a dedicated Customer Success Manager; and support with under 90-second response time.

Source
Circula: Is there a minimum commitment?

Yes. A minimum of ten licences and annual billing on the published rates.

Stampli: How long does it take to implement Stampli?

Stampli uses a 'fulfillment-first' implementation approach and deploys in weeks versus competitors requiring months or longer.

Source
Stampli: What add-on modules are available with Stampli?

Optional modules include Procurement, Direct Pay functionality, credit card programs, advanced vendor management, and expense management. Pricing for add-ons requires requesting a custom quote.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Circula

More on Stampli

Keep looking

Other head to heads