Airbase
Airbase is a comprehensive spend management platform that combines accounts payable automation, corporate cards, and employee expense reimbursements into a single integrated solution to simplify your entire business spending process.
Lightyear
Lightyear is a specialized procurement and accounts payable automation software designed to help you eliminate manual data entry and streamline your entire invoice approval workflow through a centralized cloud-based platform.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Airbase | Lightyear |
|---|---|---|
| Website | airbase.com | lightyear.ai |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Subscription |
| Starting Price | Free | $99/month |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✓ 30 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✓ Has free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2017 | 2017 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, USA | Belfast, United Kingdom |
Overview
Airbase
Airbase gives you a single place to manage every dollar your company spends. Instead of jumping between different tools for credit cards, invoices, and employee reimbursements, you can handle everything from one dashboard. You can set up automated approval workflows that ensure every purchase follows your company policy before the money is even spent.
The platform helps you close your books faster by syncing every transaction directly with your accounting software in real-time. Whether you are a growing startup or a mid-market company, you can eliminate manual data entry and gain total visibility into your department budgets. It replaces fragmented systems with a unified workflow that saves your finance team hours of manual work every month.
Lightyear
Lightyear provides you with a comprehensive automated accounts payable and procurement solution that removes the headache of manual data entry. You can capture data from invoices and receipts with 100% accuracy using its advanced extraction engine, ensuring your financial records are always precise. The platform allows you to create custom, multi-tiered approval workflows so that the right people see the right documents at the right time, preventing payment delays and unauthorized spending.
You can also manage your entire procurement cycle by creating purchase orders that automatically sync with incoming invoices for instant three-way matching. This helps you maintain tight control over your budgets and inventory levels across multiple locations. Whether you are a small business or a large enterprise with complex entity structures, you can integrate Lightyear directly with your existing accounting software to keep your general ledger updated in real-time.
Overview
Airbase Features
- Guided Procurement Direct your employees through a simple intake process that automatically routes requests to the right stakeholders for approval.
- AP Automation Scan invoices with OCR technology and automate your entire accounts payable workflow from bill creation to final payment.
- Corporate Cards Issue physical or virtual cards with built-in spend limits and automated receipt collection to prevent overspending.
- Expense Reimbursements Manage out-of-pocket employee expenses globally and sync them directly to your accounting system for faster payouts.
- Real-time Sync Connect your GL and sync transactions automatically, ensuring your financial data is always accurate and up to date.
- Automated Tax Mapping Categorize your spending automatically based on your chart of accounts to simplify your month-end close process.
Lightyear Features
- Automated Data Extraction. Extract line-item data from invoices and receipts automatically with high precision to eliminate manual typing errors.
- Multi-Tiered Approvals. Set up custom approval rules based on department, project, or price to ensure every expense is authorized.
- Purchase Order Matching. Match incoming invoices against your purchase orders and goods received notes to verify you only pay for what you received.
- Real-Time Inventory Sync. Update your inventory levels automatically as soon as invoices are processed to maintain accurate stock records across locations.
- Statement Reconciliation. Reconcile supplier statements in seconds to identify missing invoices and ensure your accounts are always up to date.
- Mobile Document Capture. Snap photos of receipts and invoices on the go using the mobile app for instant upload to your dashboard.
Pricing Comparison
Airbase Pricing
- Bill Pay functionality
- Corporate card access
- Basic approval workflows
- Standard accounting sync
- Email support
- Everything in Standard, plus:
- Advanced procurement intake
- Purchase order management
- Multi-subsidiary support
- Custom approval routing
- Dedicated account manager
Lightyear Pricing
- Up to 100 documents per month
- Unlimited users
- Automated data extraction
- Standard approval workflows
- Accounting software integration
- Email and chat support
- Everything in Starter, plus:
- Up to 250 documents per month
- Advanced multi-tiered approvals
- Purchase Order matching
- Inventory management features
- Supplier statement reconciliation
Pros & Cons
Airbase
Pros
- Consolidates multiple finance tools into one platform
- Deep integration with NetSuite and Sage Intacct
- Virtual cards make managing SaaS subscriptions easy
- Significantly reduces time spent on month-end close
Cons
- Initial implementation requires significant time investment
- Mobile app has fewer features than desktop
- Custom pricing can be high for smaller teams
Lightyear
Pros
- Extremely accurate line-item data extraction saves hours
- Unlimited user seats allow for company-wide collaboration
- Seamless integration with Xero, QuickBooks, and NetSuite
- Intuitive interface makes it easy for non-finance staff
- Excellent customer support with fast response times
Cons
- Initial setup of complex approval rules takes time
- Mobile app features are more limited than desktop
- Pricing can scale quickly with high document volume