Tipalti and AvidXchange can do a lot of the same things. They help you automate accounts payable, manage approvals, and pay vendors on time.
They both promise to streamline financial operations. But they’re built for different types of companies. And the differences matter.
In this guide, we’ll compare Tipalti vs AvidXchange across features, pricing, and reviews.
We’ll also introduce a third option that could be a better fit for fast-growing teams who want control without the complexity.
Tipalti Overview
Tipalti is a leading procurement and accounts payable automation (AP) platform designed for growth-stage and enterprise companies. It’s built for digital marketplaces, SaaS, adtech, affiliate networks, and creator economies.
Tipalti helps you manage your request-to-procure process with unified workflows. The platform offers a global mass payments engine. This allows you to manage payment processing to international suppliers, freelancers, and partners with compliance.
Tipalti Key Features
Here are the key features of Tipalti:
- AP automation: Streamlines the entire accounts payable process by digitizing invoice capture, automating approval workflows, and simplifying global payments.
- AI-powered intake management: Allows employees to submit purchase requests using natural language input, which the system interprets and routes automatically.
- Smart approval workflows: Automatically routes purchase requests through customizable, multi-level approval flows based on rules like department, cost, or category.
- Automated invoice management: Uses AI to extract invoice data, auto-code entries, and detect duplicates.
- Built-in budget controls: Shows real-time budget impact during the request and approval stages.
- Two-way and three-way matching: Automatically matches POs with invoices (and receipts, if needed) before payment.
- Purchase order (PO) creation & management: Converts approved requests into purchase orders with full traceability.
- Global payments: Supports payment processing in 196 countries, 120 currencies, and over 50 payment methods, including ACH, wire transfers, PayPal, and prepaid debit cards.
- Mass payouts: Offers automated payee onboarding, tax compliance, fraud prevention, and reconciliation.
- Compliance: Includes built-in payment protections and multi-jurisdictional tax compliance.
- Integrations: Provides pre-built integrations with major ERPs and accounting systems like QuickBooks, NetSuite, Xero, and SAP Business One.
Tipalti Pricing
Tipalti pricing plans are divided into Accounts Payable and Mass Payments plans:
- Accounts Payable: Starter plan charges $99 per month, but has custom pricing plans for procurement features.
- Mass Payments: You can contact the team for custom pricing.
Tipalti Reviews
What users like about Tipalti:
- Ease of use
- Smooth QuickBooks integration
- Clear approval flows
- Good customer support team
- Fast provider portal setup
What users don’t like about Tipalti:
- Limited payout rule customization
- Missing pay-in functionality
- Reporting requires file downloads
- Lack of pricing transparency before purchase
- High foreign exchange (FX) conversion fees
Here are some user reviews that we found on third-party sites:
Review #1: “Tipalti is easy for vendors to set up and maintain their portals. The sync with QBO is virtually flawless. I also appreciate the multi-level approvals.” – User.
Review #2: “Since procurement and accounts payable are two separate modules, there is sometimes a lack of cohesiveness between the two, as they must be administered separately.” – Benjamin R.
Customer Rating
AvidXchange Overview
AvidXchange is a leading AP automation tool for mid-market to large U.S.-based companies. It helps you digitize invoice processing and payment workflows without overhauling existing systems.
AvidXchange Key Features:
Here are the key features of AvidXchange:
- PO automation: Handles purchase order creation, approval, and matching using AI and visual approval indicators
- Invoice management: Provides AI-powered invoice capture and purchase order matching. This helps procurement and finance teams verify and approve vendor bills quickly.
- Approval workflow automation: Allows teams to set up approval rules to match internal controls.
- Real-time invoice tracking: Provides visibility into invoice statuses, allowing users to monitor and manage approvals.
- AI purchase order matching: Automatically matches invoices to purchase orders to improve the approval process and accuracy.
- Supplier portal: Provides a dedicated portal for suppliers to submit invoices and track payment statuses, improving communication and transparency.
- Integrations: Connects with accounting software and ERP systems directly or through API.
- Reporting: Offers advanced reporting and analytics on AP processes and spend for budget planning and vendor performance tracking.
- User roles & permissions: Allows granular control over who can access, approve, or edit invoice and payment workflows.
AvidXchange Pricing
AvidXchange doesn’t list pricing plans on its website. According to some users, the platform can cost between $5,000 and $13,000 per month, depending on the company’s specific needs.
AvidXchange charges per transaction for each electronic payment a supplier receives through its AvidPay Direct service.
AvidXchange Reviews
What users like about AvidXchange:
- Easy invoice upload and coding
- Invoice history is always available
- Strong integration with accounting software
What users don’t like about AvidXchange:
- Poor or slow customer service
- AvidCapture lacks full functionality
- No real-time payment tracking
Here are some user reviews that we found on third-party sites:
Review #1: “Automation is a key feature that has transformed the way we handle our accounts payable processes. The system automatically routes invoices for approval, tracks their status, and alerts the relevant personnel when action is required…” Michelle D.
Review #2: “Invoice feed does not separate invoices per property, they are all mixed in with each other and cannot be organized on our end. This makes it difficult when you are coding per one chart of accounts.” – Ashley B.
Customer Rating
Tipalti vs AvidXchange: Feature Comparison
Here’s a feature comparison between Tipalti and AvidXchange:
Procure-to-Pay
Tipalti offers a full procure-to-pay system, from purchase requests to global payments, with built-in approvals, PO creation, and invoice matching. AvidXchange focuses more on the AP side, automating invoice processing and payment processing for U.S.-based businesses.
AP Automation
Tipalti automates invoices, approvals, and payments with real-time ERP syncing. AvidXchange offers online AP tools that work well with banking systems. Tipalti is better for global and multi-entity use, while AvidXchange fits finance-focused teams.
Invoice Management
Both Tipalti and AvidXchange use AI to capture data and automate invoice processing. Tipalti can read every item on the invoice in 32 languages, while AvidXchange focuses on fast, high-volume invoice handling.
Self-Service Supplier Management
Both platforms let suppliers manage their details and track payments. Tipalti also handles tax forms and onboarding in one place, while AvidXchange focuses more on giving suppliers clear payment updates and support.
Request Management
Tipalti simplifies submitting purchase requests using an AI-powered form that sorts them automatically. AvidXchange doesn’t list any tools for managing the initial purchase request or intake process.
Approval Workflows
Both platforms offer paperless invoice approval workflows that follow your company’s rules. Tipalti adds 3-way matching with purchase orders and goods received, helping catch errors. AvidXchange focuses more on smooth integration with U.S.-based accounting software.
Real-Time Visibility
Both platforms offer real-time visibility into invoice and payment status. Tipalti includes insights into spend and cash flow across currencies, while AvidXchange gives access to invoice updates on any device.
PO Management
Tipalti offers a fully automated PO lifecycle, from creation to 3-way matching with ERP syncing. AvidXchange integrates PO features with 3-way matching, but it’s more recent and built into its AP suite.
Spend Analytics
Tipalti gives you real-time dashboards to track spending and spot issues quickly. AvidXchange offers AvidAnalytics, a business intelligence tool with customizable reporting to improve spend management.
Global Payments
Tipalti supports payments in 196 countries and 120 currencies with multiple methods. AvidXchange focuses on U.S.-based payments like ACH, checks, and virtual cards.
Security & Compliance
Tipalti includes tax form validation, fraud checks, and audit trails built into the process. AvidXchange offers secure payments and user controls, but doesn’t cover tax compliance features like Tipalti.
Integrations
Both platforms integrate with accounting systems, but in different ways. Tipalti is strong with global, multi-entity ERP setups, while AvidXchange connects well with banking and industry-specific systems. Both have an API that you can connect to for custom integrations.
Quick Feature Comparison Table: Tipalti vs AvidXchange
| Feature | Tipalti | AvidXchange |
| Procure-to-Pay | End-to-end P2P with requests, approvals, POs, payments | AP automation solution for U.S. businesses |
| AP Automation | Automates invoices, approvals, and global payments with ERP sync | Web-based AP tools for finance teams and banks |
| Invoice Management | AI reads each item in 32 languages | Fast, high-volume invoice processing |
| Self-Service Supplier Management | Includes tax forms, onboarding, and self-service | Supplier hub for payment tracking and updates |
| Request Management | AI-powered request form with auto-sorting | No request initiation tools listed |
| Approval Workflows | Supports 3-way matching with PO and goods received | Paperless approvals with U.S. system integration |
| Real-Time Visibility | Real-time insights across currencies and entities | 24/7 access to invoice status on any device |
| PO Management | Full PO lifecycle with ERP sync and 3-way match | Recent PO support with 3-way matching built into the AP suite |
| Spend Analytics | Real-time dashboards with alerts and variance tracking | Customizable BI tool (AvidAnalytics) |
| Global Payments | Supports 196 countries, 120 currencies, and 6 payment methods | U.S.-based payments (ACH, checks, virtual cards) |
| Security & Compliance | Built-in tax validation, fraud checks, and audit trails | Secure payments and user controls; no tax tools listed |
| Integrations | Strong with global, multi-entity ERP setups | Connects with 225+ industry-specific and banking systems |
ProcureDesk: A Better Alternative to Tipalti & AvidXchange
Here’s the problem: For a fast-growing small business, Tipalti and AvidXchange might not be the best fit. That’s where ProcureDesk comes in. ProcureDesk is procurement software built to streamline financial operations for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) with $10M–$100M in annual revenue.
Our software is used in industries like biotech and life sciences, educational institutions, construction and real estate, and nonprofit organizations.
ProcureDesk gives you full visibility into vendor spend, purchase orders, and approvals. It includes features like invoice matching, customizable approval workflows, catalog integration, spend analytics, and strong integrations.
If you handle 100+ POs or invoices per month, ProcureDesk is a great Tipalti and AvidXchange alternative to automate your entire procurement lifecycle. We built ProcureDesk to be a complete automation platform for finance and procurement teams.
Here’s a detailed look at ProcureDesk’s features:
Customizable Workflow for Multi-Level Approvals
ProcureDesk lets you build hierarchical or multi-level workflows tailored to your procurement rules. Instead of approving repetitive purchase requests or sending back-and-forth emails, the software helps you adopt shorter cycles with smart automation.
Compared to AvidXchange and Tipalti, ProcureDesk offers deeper workflow customization that aligns more closely with complex organization structures and procurement policies.
Here’s how it works:
- Configurable approval chains: Your teams can set up approval hierarchies based on your internal structures. This helps automate approvals depending on various parameters like purchase amount thresholds or departmental requirements.
- Automated routing: Our automation platform intelligently routes approval requests to the designated approvers without manual intervention for timely processing.
- Real-time tracking: You have visibility into the status of approval requests from your personalized dashboard. This helps you identify any issues or resolve approvals faster.
- Flexible approval methods: Your teams can execute approvals through various channels, including email, Slack, or the ProcureDesk mobile app.
For example, a K-8 charter school in Pennsylvania used ProcureDesk to replace its manual, paper-based approval system. The software helped the school automate approvals based on role and budget limits that previously required handoffs between teachers, budget managers, and the business office. Approvals that once took a week now take less than a day.
Punchout Catalog Integration for Control
ProcureDesk offers self-hosted and punchout catalog support. You can upload internal catalogs with pre-approved items or integrate directly with suppliers like Amazon Business, Staples, ThermoFisher, and CDW.
This helps companies reduce rogue spending, optimize purchasing, and make sure employees only order from approved vendors.
Catalogs in ProcureDesk can be linked to project codes, departments, or spend thresholds. This gives your finance teams more visibility into how money is spent.
And because catalogs are integrated with your approval workflows, there’s no need for back-and-forth emails or disconnected purchase requests.
This level of control and visibility is ideal for fast-growing companies that need to manage indirect spend across multiple departments without compromising speed or compliance.
Tipalti and AvidXchange don’t offer native catalog integration. You need to manually manage product listings, request forms, and vendor data.
In ProcureDesk, a team member can pick items from a pre-approved catalog, add them to a cart, and submit a PO request.
If there’s a budget rule set, the software will either auto-approve the request or send it to the right manager. Once approved, the system sends the PO to the supplier. The supplier confirms availability through the vendor portal, and an invoice is automatically generated.
Centralized Vendor Management for Better Supplier Deals
ProcureDesk centralizes vendor data like contracts, contact information, payment terms, and performance history in a unified dashboard. This helps procurement teams monitor supplier performance, meet contract compliance, and analyze spending patterns.
Teams can use historical PO reports and contract records to improve supplier evaluation criteria like pricing stability, reliability, and delivery quality.
Unlike most AvidXchange and Tipalti alternatives that treat vendor data as secondary, ProcureDesk ties vendor management directly into your procurement workflows.
For example, a life sciences company sourcing lab reagents can use ProcureDesk to track price trends and delivery timelines across suppliers. If a vendor repeatedly delivers late or raises prices, the team can flag it and compare historical performance. They can then shift orders to a more reliable provider or negotiate better terms based on data.
The platform includes a vendor portal for real-time collaboration and status tracking. Providers can acknowledge purchase orders, submit invoices, provide advance shipping notices (ASNs), and update catalog items directly.
This allows procurement teams to track deliveries, flag backorders, and access up-to-date product listings.
Spend Management for Smarter Budget Control
ProcureDesk allows you to set custom budget limits by department, project, or category. And every purchase request is automatically checked against these limits in real time.
If a request exceeds the budget, the system routes it directly to a supervisor for approval without needing manual checks or email chains.
ProcureDesk also gives teams a real-time view of spend by vendor, category, and department. This helps them spot trends, prevent budget overruns, and make more informed purchasing decisions.
Here’s how ProcureDesk helps procurement teams control budget:
- Tracks committed vs. actual spend automatically
- Flags off-contract purchases and rogue spending
- Offers exportable reports for finance and audits
- Reduces manual work in budget tracking and approvals
- Allows teams to adjust spend strategy mid-quarter based on actuals
- Sends automated alerts when spending exceeds the budget limit
ProcureDesk also provides 15+ pre-built templates for expense management reports. You can directly download these reports to share with your executives or team members for analysis or procurement planning.
Automated Invoices with Three-Way Matching
ProcureDesk automates invoicing digitally through supplier portals or email. The software uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to extract relevant data accurately.
Then, with advanced three-way invoice matching at the line-item level, it links purchase orders, goods receipts, and invoices in real time to flag any mismatches early.
Invoices that match preset rules automatically enter the approval workflow. Once approved, they sync directly with your accounting system. This helps your teams meet timely payments and maintain financial records.
While Tipalti and AvidXchange also support three-way matching, ProcureDesk stands out by combining procurement and payment workflows in one system. This makes the entire process faster and easier for teams.
Purchase Order Management for Controlled Purchase Flow
Unlike other AvidXchange competitors, ProcureDesk simplifies purchase order approval and also handles the post-approval process. This helps procurement teams have more control and visibility into their purchase requests.
Here’s how ProcureDesk optimizes your purchase order management:
- Smart receipt tracking: When an order is marked as delivered, the system prompts users to upload receipt photos and confirm the condition of the goods.
- Automated reminders: If a receipt isn’t uploaded promptly, the software sends automated reminders for timely documentation. This feature reduces delays in invoice processing.
- PO change management: If a team needs to modify an existing PO, such as updating quantities, prices, or delivery timelines, ProcureDesk routes the change through a structured approval flow and logs every step.
- Detailed PO reporting and analytics: The software provides in-depth reporting tools to analyze procurement activities based on suppliers, categories and departments.
Built-in Audit Trails and Activity Logs for Accountability
ProcureDesk records every action, purchase requests, approvals, POs, receipts, and invoices, so teams can track who did what and when.
These logs help meet internal control standards. Auditors can easily review approval flows and access records to check if controls are working as expected. Teams can also quickly search and filter audit data to review specific actions.
Compared to Tipalti’s payment-based audit and AvidXchange’s invoice-level tracking, ProcureDesk tracks the entire procurement flow for compliance.
Configurable Dashboards for Real-Time Insights
ProcureDesk gives procurement teams access to configurable dashboards that display real-time data across the entire purchasing process. You can track key metrics like PO status, pending approvals, budget vs. actual spend, and supplier performance.
These dashboards are role-based, so a department manager sees different insights than a finance controller or procurement lead.
For example, a procurement manager might configure a dashboard to display the average approval time for purchase requests, top suppliers by volume, and budget consumption by department—helping them track compliance and spending without switching between systems. On the other hand, a finance controller might prioritize data on actual vs. budgeted spend and pending invoices.
ProcureDesk Integrations
ProcureDesk integrates with major accounting and ERP platforms, including:
ProcureDesk’s API also lets you set up custom integrations with any other ERP or accounting system that you want to pass data into.
It also supports Slack integration for approval notifications and conversations, plus Single Sign-On (SSO) for easier access management.
Inventory Management
The software provides inventory management tools like real-time stock tracking, reorder alerts, and inventory consumption methods. It also offers valuation reports and integrates inventory data directly with purchase workflows.
Mobile App For Approvals
ProcureDesk offers the best mobile procurement software for teams that need quick approvals. With its built-in app, managers can review, approve, or reject POs, invoices, and expenses directly from their phones.
The app also lets you scan receipts with your camera and receive real-time notifications for incoming requests. This is ideal for field staff teams or traveling managers who need to approve purchases or submit receipts without delays.
ProcureDesk Pros and Cons
Pros
- Has a simple interface with quick setup
- Allows custom multi-level approval workflows
- Offers punchout catalog integration
- Provides real-time budget tracking
- Simplifies internal audits
- Allows receipt tracking and PO change approvals
- Offers 24/7 customer support
- Integrates with third-party platforms
- Automates invoice processing with OCR
- Offers vendor portal, real-time tracking, and contract management
- Offers configurable role-based dashboards
- Supports a native mobile app
Cons
- Advanced features might have a learning curve
- There is an initial setup period – but we’ll onboard your entire team and help set up all of the custom workflows your company needs
ProcureDesk Pricing
ProcureDesk has three pricing plans:
- Purchasing Automation: $598 per month for 10 users
- Purchasing & AP Automation: $948 per month
- Enterprise: You can contact the team for a custom quote
ProcureDesk Reviews
What users like about ProcureDesk:
- Customizable approval workflows
- Overall ease of use
- Real-time status visibility
- Automated approvals save time
- Flexible for unique setups
- Easy multi-line editing
- Email-based approval reminders
- Free onboarding and workflow setup for every new customer
What users don’t like about ProcureDesk:
- Learning curve for new users
- Limited field descriptions
Here are some user reviews that we found on third-party sites:
Review #1: “The speed at which I am able to process invoices is unprecedented. Not only can it link to my inbox to draft invoices, but I can edit multiple lines of account coding at once. The approval process for managers is also a breeze. Customer service is also excellent! The set up and integration with our other finance system was extremely quick with minimum roadblocks.”
Review #2: “ProcureDesk has been amazing at answering questions and making sure we understand the system. The system takes a little bit of understanding but with our weekly cadence calls we have grasped a better understanding on how each part of the system works”
Customer Rating
Comparing ProcureDesk vs Tipalti vs AvidXchange
| Platform | Key Features | Pricing | Overall Rating |
| ProcureDesk | Custom approval workflows, punchout catalog support, real-time spend + PO tracking, strong integrations, native mobile app. Plus free onboarding and workflow setup for every new customer | Starts at $598/month (10 users) | ⭐ 4.8 |
| Tipalti | Global mass payouts (196 countries), AI-powered request intake, tax + compliance automation, multi-entity ERP integrations. | Starts at $99/month (custom for AP features) | ⭐ 4.6 |
| AvidXchange | Strong AP automation solution, supplier portal with invoice visibility, visual invoice approval workflows, 225+ ERP integrations. | Custom pricing (reported $5K–$13K/month) | ⭐ 4.5 |
Tipalti vs AvidXchange: Which Platform is Better?
Choosing between Tipalti and AvidXchange as a procurement and AP automation solution depends on your business needs and size. Although both platforms have almost similar features, they serve unique customers.
Choose Tipalti if:
- You need global mass payouts
- Tax compliance is a must
- You operate across multiple entities
Choose AvidXchange if:
- You only need U.S.-based AP automation
- Your focus is invoice processing, not procurement
Choose ProcureDesk if:
- You manage 100+ POs or invoices monthly
- You want real-time budget control and approval tracking
- You’re scaling and need flexible procurement tools
Moving Beyond Tipalti vs AvidXchange
ProcureDesk is the best procurement and AP automation software for small business and mid-sized teams with 50 to 250 employees and 100+ purchase orders per month. We designed it to handle your entire procurement lifecycle. This includes purchase request creation, punchout catalogs, PO approvals, invoice matching, vendor collaboration, and spend tracking.
You get better control and real-time visibility, with a high-level customization to automate and improve your procurement workflows. We’ll also onboard your entire team and set up all the custom workflows you need for no additional cost.
Book a demo to see how ProcureDesk can streamline your procurement process.
