Accounts payables teams used to be surrounded by too-full filing cabinets, stacks of paper receipts, and checkbooks. All the manual work involved in the procurement process meant that AP experts, no matter what organization they worked for, had to do a lot of the heavy lifting on their own. They had to process invoices, verify their accuracy, send them for approval, and submit payments to vendors.
Now, AP teams are still doing the same thing, but with a lot fewer paper checks and unorganized filing cabinets. Thanks to AP automation software available to businesses today, many of those manual processes can be automated entirely or at least streamlined by using technology. To meet the needs of such a multi-dimensional function, AP automation tools need to be versatile, adaptable, and impactful.
Expected to reach a value of $5.3 billion by 2028, the AP automation market is filled with different SaaS solutions and technology platforms designed to make AP tasks more efficient. Two tools, Tipalti and Stampli, have been tested in different business environments and industries, and have risen to the top amongst AP experts. In this buyer’s guide, we’ll look at Tipalti vs. Stampli, assess the features each of the tools brings to the table, and help you decide which one is the best investment. Let’s get started.
For a deeper dive into the foundational financial processes that tools like Tipalti and Stampli aim to streamline, check out our article on "What is Account Reconciliation?" at Nanonets. It provides crucial context for understanding how these tools can fit into your financial workflow.
Tipalti vs. Stampli At a Glance
On the surface, the Tipalti AP automation platform and the Stampli software solution look very similar. Both tools make it easy to process invoices, conduct 2-way or 3-way matching, submit the invoice for approval, and disburse funds to the vendor or supplier that your team needs to pay. However, some of the nuances or small details in each tool vary.
Tipalti is an amazing solution for complex businesses with complex AP needs. It can support multiple entities, currencies, and customizations within each transaction. For businesses that do a lot of work globally, Tipalti can make a world of difference when it comes to keeping vendors and payments straight. The tool also offers a tax compliance module that can be used no matter how many countries you conduct business in.
When it comes to Tipalti alternatives, Stampli is at the top of the list. Stampli has a lot of the same functionality as Tipalti, but it can be deployed in a number of days instead of weeks or months. Further setting itself apart, Stampli has been committed to the AP function in its entirety since the very beginning. Many AP automation companies focused on automating the payment process and then branched into AP automation, but with Stampli, complete AP automation has been the priority since the start.
Tipalti vs. Stampli Quick Comparison
Nanonets: A Powerful Alternative to Stampli and Tipalti
If at the end of this buyer’s guide, you find yourself feeling like Stampli and Tipalti didn’t quite meet your needs, Nanonets is a powerful Tipalti and Stampli alternative. Nanonets AP automation tool, called “Flow,” connects with your existing business systems -- such as manufacturing ERPs and accounting software – for a smooth integration. Our solution was designed for AP teams, but since then, we’ve grown into supporting the accounts receivable cycle, reconciliation automation, expense management, and more.
The top three advantages that set Nanonets apart from its competitors are:
- Advantage 1: No Code NeededMany automation tools come with advanced features, fancy data models, and complex algorithms that require a seasoned team of technical experts to maintain and use. While these tools offer impressive features, the technical skillset required creates a massive barrier to entry for people who are experienced AP team members. With Nanonets, your AP team can do everything they need – no matter how “cutting-edge” something is – without any technical expertise or coding experience.
- Advantage 2: Advanced Optical Character RecognitionOptical Character Recognition (OCR) is a technology used by many AP automation tools to read invoices, gather critical information, and record that information in your business systems. While this technology is great in concept, not every solution utilizes it well. Some require standard invoice submission templates or specific file types to glean information from the invoice. However, at Nanonets, we’ve embedded the best OCR technology into our tool as possible. It can pick up information from any invoice, no matter where it comes from or how it’s structured. Your vendors and business partners might love this feature even more than you do.
- Advantage 3: Easy Customization Across the Board
Working to standardize processes while also being flexible enough to meet businesses where they are is a near-impossible feat. Thanks to the experienced product team, Nanonets walks that line with ease. If you need a custom report? No problem. A unique payment structure? Not an issue. We developed our solution to be robust enough to make an impact right away while being flexible enough to adapt to your specific needs. Not all businesses are the same; AP tools shouldn’t treat them as if they are.
Tipalti In-Depth
With so many AP automation solutions out there, understanding the nitty-gritty of Tipalti vs. Stampli requires that we point out key features of each, assess customer reviews, and understand drawbacks that exist. Before you start searching for a Tipalti alternative, let’s see if it has what you need.
What is Tipalti?
When Tipalti started out, it looked at the current state of the procurement practices that were widely used around the world and began to alleviate pain points within the procure-to-pay process. Seeing that businesses operate in complex environments, often with multiple subsidiaries and international clients, the team at Tipalti knew their solution had to be flexible enough to accommodate those complexities. When it came to life, Tipalti’s features like tax compliance support, international transaction processing, and easy corporate expense management caught the eye of its early customers.
Tipalti’s Advantages for AP Teams
When looking at Tipalti vs. Stampli, comb through the positives and negatives of both tools so you know exactly what you’re signing up for when you make your decision. From our perspective, Tipalti stands out with a few key features:
- Vendors from around the world can access the self-service portal all on their own. No more go-between contacts or email threads to get a quick question answered; these vendors can see their order history, upcoming bills, and more.
- Automated account reconciliation helps keep your GL in check. If a number looks wrong in Tipalti, our system can flag the error, suggest possible causes, and help rectify it in minutes.
- Payments can be made across 196 countries with 120 currencies. No amount of distance can get in the way of your business when you have Tipalti on your side.
Tipalti’s Weaknesses for AP Teams
Before writing off looking at Tipalti alternatives, you should have a clear understanding of the ways in which this tool’s weaknesses may impact your business.
- With any AP automation tool, a solid NetSuite integration is a prerequisite for most companies. Though Tipalti does offer the integration, customers have noticed that it lags and experiences sync errors regularly.
- Being able to process transactions from all over the world is no easy feat, but the price of making payments in foreign currencies with Tipalti has been cost-prohibitive to some users.
- Once an invoice has been entered into the system, the data on the invoice is almost impossible to edit. Having to go back in and delete invoices and create new ones because of a simple error is inconvenient and frustrating, but it happens.
Tipalti User Ratings & Reviews
On popular technology review site, G2, Tipalti boasts 4.5/5 stars. Many customers commented that Tipalti was one of the first AP systems that could actually handle the structure of their business. Others noted that the tax compliance support found on Tipalti is an undervalued part of the tool. It’s clear that Tipalti saves time due to improved invoice processing, reduced data errors, and automatic reconciliation, but, like any tool, it has room for improvement.
Users have shared that they felt the integration support wasn’t up to the standard they expected, and once the initial setup is complete, the support slows down. The reduced support makes it hard to achieve long-term success with Tipalti because of how complex the tool can be. New users need a bit more handholding with this one, and according to G2, they don’t always get it.
Tipalti Pricing Overview
Starting at $149 per month, the Tipalti pricing structure is as flexible as the tool itself. Customers pick and choose what they need, and the team at Tipalti creates a custom package. If you don’t need some of the advanced features of the tool, you can simply keep those modules out of your subscription, and of course, out of the cost associated with the platform.
Top Reasons Teams Might Choose Tipalti over Stampli
Tipalti stands out as the AP automation choice for businesses and teams with the following characteristics. Do any of these fit your situation? If so, Tipalti might just be your solution.
Reason 1: You Have an International Book of Business
With the globalization of the world we live in, international business grows more common every single day. Even if you sell within one country, if your supplies come from another, you’ll need to be able to conduct transactions in multiple currencies. Tipalti is one of the only AP automation platforms that supports extensive currency types and can process payments made from anywhere.
Reason 2: Tax Compliance is a Top Priority
Another unique feature that can be found in the Tipalti platform is the support for all things taxes. You can find filing paperwork, access compliance requirements, and even get help when it’s time to file – all with Tipalti.
Reason 3: You Need Your Systems to Talk to Each Other
With a two-way relationship with other business systems, Tipalti can communicate with the platforms it needs to. If it finds a GL error in your ERP, it can flag the issue and rectify it in a matter of minutes.
Stampli In-Depth
When businesses go through a digital transformation, it’s often a multi-layered, strategic approach to future-proofing the finance function. It can take years and years to complete, involve changing or adjusting ERP configurations, or finding new ERPs entirely. Sometimes, the resources needed just to implement a new tool make it not worth the return. With Stampli, digital transformation is made accessible. This Tipalti alternative and well-respected AP automation tool prides itself on simple integration setups, long-lasting support structures, and no major ERP overhauls.
What is Stampli?
Like its AP automation counterpart, Stampli was created for complex, multi-entity organizations to automate AP processes. However, in a major diversion from the way Tipalti works, Stampli is simple to set up and won’t become the reason for an entire systemic overhaul within your finance and accounting function. Still offering key features such as vendor management, invoice processing, and automated approval workflows, Stampli competes with the best without asking too much of its users.
Stampli’s Advantages for AP Teams
When looking at Stampli vs. Tipalti, it’s no secret that Stampli brings some unique advantages to the table. If the following items are important to you, Stampli might be the solution for you.
- Stampli’s “Billy the Bot” is an AI chatbot embedded in the platform that provides assistance and answers questions throughout the invoice lifecycle. No matter how long it takes to close an invoice out, this feature is an added support mechanism for your employees and vendors.
- Because Stampli works with any ERP and doesn’t require complex configuration steps, it can be up and running in a matter of hours – much less time than Tipalti or similar tools.
- Where some platforms don’t build a long-lasting partnership with their customers, Stampli provides its enterprise accounts with a dedicated customer support manager and team training sessions at any time.
Stampli’s Weaknesses for AP Teams
Let’s get honest about the not-so-glamorous parts of Stampli. If you are making a list of possible concern items, these should be on it:
- A few AP automation tools have an impressive vendor network, making it so their users don’t need to manually enter and verify vendor details, saving a ton of time. Unfortunately, Stampli doesn’t offer a vendor network; every vendor’s details need to be collected and verified manually.
- Stampli only accepts PDF invoices by email. For online transactions that result in an HTML confirmation, the AP team has to convert the confirmation to a PDF or attach a screenshot of the email confirmation separately.
- There is no place to build custom reports or edit existing reports to fit your business needs. With bare-bones reporting features, Stampli comes up short in this area.
Stampli User Ratings & Reviews
With more than 1,000 reviews on G2, Stampli’s rating is sitting at 4.7. One customer said, “You can tell that Stampli has been designed and improved by AP professionals. Every time you think, ‘It would be nice if…’ Stampli has probably already addressed it.” Stampli’s tool was built to be a full AP automation platform and its customers notice. The training and support provided by the Stampli team make a world of difference in successful adoption.
However, customers feel that the payment process for vendors is a bit too complicated as a one-click solution isn’t offered even though that’s become the norm. When looking at the internal lift when adopting this tool, there are a lot of little aspects that can create frustration. Manual receiving requirements, unhelpful reporting tools, and limited currency support are some of the most mentioned drawbacks of Stampli.
Stampli Pricing Overview
A simple, all-inclusive pricing model is what you can expect with Stampli. Though the prices aren’t listed on the platform’s website – you’ll have to reach out to the team for a quote – there are plenty of highlighted features that you can access with Stampli. Contract flexibility, unlimited entities and vendors, as well as a 90-second support response pledge are just a few of the perks included in the Stampli cost.
Top Reasons Teams Might Choose Stampli Over Tipalti
Tipalti vs. Stampli is by no means an easy decision, but both AP automation platforms have earned their spot as respected solutions for AP teams. You may find yourself leaning toward Stampli if:
Reason 1: Legacy ERP Requirements
For businesses that use a legacy ERP or are tied to their specific ERP configuration for a specific reason, Stampli is one of the most hassle-free approaches to AP automation. The platform doesn’t require any changes to your infrastructure and can work with many, many ERPs.
Reason 2: Employee Training is a Priority
With a committed customer success manager for each organization, as well as accessible employee training resources and support, the Stampli experience sets everyone in your organization up for success. Unlike many AP automation companies that seem to vanish after the implementation process, Stampli wants to be a part of your AP digital journey.
Reason 3: In Search of Corporate Cards
One underrated feature of choosing Stampli is the access that you’ll get to corporate credit and debit cards. These cards make expense and spend management easier than ever, for both your AP team and the rest of your organization.
Nanonets: A Third Alternative to Tipalti and Stampli
If you’re intrigued by AP automation but feel like you want to look at Stampli alternatives or Tipalti alternatives, start with Nanonets. Nanonets is an AP automation tool that goes above and beyond in many different ways. First, Nanonet’s advanced OCR technology makes it one of the best tools for actually capturing the information on each invoice. Next, Nanonets comes equipped with a series of reporting templates, putting it ahead of its peers when it comes to providing data-driven insights that improve your AP processes.
With its reliable connection to your ERPs and other business systems, Nanonets will become a part of your financial ecosystem with speed and ease. With Nanonets in your arsenal, vendors can send invoices, those invoices can get verified and validated, payment approvals can be processed, and the EDI payment can be sent – all without human intervention.
When looking at Tipalti vs. Stampli, do yourself a favor and add Nanonets into the mix. You’ll be impressed by the myriad of cutting-edge features and revolutionary AP tools. With a platform like this doing the heavy lifting, your AP team can focus more on relationship building, strategic planning, and cost reduction efforts. Reach out to our team to learn more.
Nanonets is a Better AP Solution for Your Company IF
If you’ve gotten to the end of this Tipalti vs. Stampli guide and are still left with questions or concerns, maybe you need a different tool entirely. If one of the following items rings true for your organization, we’re confident that Nanonets can serve your needs well.
You process high volumes of invoices from a plethora of sources.
With many AP automation platforms, a specific invoice template is required to ensure all necessary data can be captured accurately. Not with Nanonets; no matter where the invoice number, date, price, or vendor information is listed on the invoice, our platform can pick through all the text, record what’s necessary, and move the invoice processing cycle along.
Your AP team wants to go paperless.
We see so many teams who are eager to finally do it -- finally get rid of the binders, finally send reports electronically – but so often, these teams are limited by the tools they have access to. Nanonets makes going paperless easy and our team will be there to support your team every step of the way.
Reporting is a key priority for accounts payable success in your organization.
The feedback for multiple AP automation solutions is that they lack sufficient AP reporting capabilities. With reporting as a top priority, Nanonets has built-in templates as well as custom report-building capabilities. If you want your own, specific report, design it with our tool. But, if you’re looking for a report that gets the job done without much lift, we’ve got your back, too.
Whatever You Choose, Prioritize Your People
At the end of the day, the Tipalti vs. Stampli discussion isn’t about which tool is better, it’s about which tool has the right features for your needs. Every business is different, every team is different, and every client is different. Which one will help your business reach its current goals and jump to the next level? Only you can decide.
Stampli, Tipalti, BILL, Nanonets, or something else, the answer you’re looking for probably isn’t in any one tool. Digital transformation for AP teams starts with people. Will your vendors be able to keep up with the changes? Can your AP team change the way they work? Will your company leadership adapt their requests and needs to satisfy a new way of working? The best tools in the world can’t answer that question, only you can. Whatever technology you move forward with, don’t forget that people play an even more important role at every step of the way.
