Airbase vs Extend (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Extend grades higher than Airbase: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Airbase grades higher on features. Extend grades higher on the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Extend
Virtual cards and expense tracking on top of your own bank cards
Which one is for you
Pick Airbase if
- Fits if you want expenses, cards and payables from one finance vendor
- Works for finance teams that already use Paylocity
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: Airbase is now a Paylocity company and the site points to Paylocity for Finance
- Watch out: no prices are published, only a demo request
- Skip it if you want a free plan or a trial, as neither is listed
Pick Extend if
- Fits if you want virtual cards layered on a bank or Amex card you already hold
- Works for teams of up to 5 that can live with one expense category for free
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay on Starter, as it stops at 5 users and one expense category
- Pricey if you are a small paid team, as Pro bills for at least 10 users
- Watch out: it only works with the card issuers it lists, so check yours is one of them
- Not for you if you need more than 500 active virtual cards on Pro
- Watch out: the pricing page showed no figures when we read it, so these prices come from the listing
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAAirbaseWeak | 2.2GPAExtendFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo prices are published and the Paylocity pages need a demo request. It sits in the middle by default. | CPro is $8.99 per user a month billed annually ($11.99 monthly), above the category's cheapest quarter of $7.50 and under its middle of $12. Pro bills a minimum of 10 users, so the floor is about $90 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free: no free plan and no trial are on record for this listing. | CStarter is free for up to 5 users with up to 100 virtual cards, one expense category and receipt upload. A small team can start on it, but you will hit the one-category cap. |
| Features | BExpense management, corporate cards, AP automation, guided procurement, spend analytics and fraud detection. | CVirtual cards, receipts and expense reports, an AI policy assistant, accounting syncs and a card API. The listing shows caps: 500 active virtual cards on Pro and a list of banks and Amex that it works with. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Cards, approvals and accounting links are set up by the company. | CNo store rating on record. You connect an existing card issuer and an accounting system before it is useful. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only on the listing, with no integrations named. | BWeb plus iPhone and Android apps, a virtual card API and five accounting integrations on record. |
| Best for | spend management, now Paylocity for Finance | virtual cards with expense tracking |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Airbase and Extend. How we grade
Where they differ
- Airbase also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| Airbase | Extend | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $8.99 per user / month, billed annually ($11.99 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | Starter plan: free for up to 5 users, with up to 100 active virtual cards, 1 expense category and receipt upload. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Paylocity | Extend Enterprises, Inc. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | paywithextend.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Airbase
- Airbase is now a Paylocity company, and the site points to Paylocity for Finance.
- No prices are published, and the Paylocity pages need a demo request.
- Product details here come from short pages that load mostly through JavaScript.
- Check whether new customers buy Airbase or Paylocity for Finance.
Extend
- Pro bills for at least 10 users, and the Starter plan stops at 5 users and 1 expense category.
- Extend says some company cards qualify for discounted pricing; a checker on the pricing page tests the first 6 card digits.
- Pro is capped at 500 active virtual cards, and Enterprise also lists up to 500 virtual cards created per month.
- The site lists American Express and nine banks as participating, so check that your card issuer is among them.
Key features
Airbase
- Expense management
- Listed first among Paylocity's finance products, covering employee expenses and policy compliance.
- Corporate cards
- Company cards sit alongside expenses in the finance product list.
- AP automation
- Paylocity lists AP automation and vendor management as part of finance.
- Guided procurement
- A purchase-intake product that feeds the same spend records.
- Spend analytics and fraud detection
- Capabilities listed under Paylocity for Finance include spend analytics, fraud detection and accounting automation.
Extend
- Virtual cards
- Issue virtual cards for vendors, subscriptions or employees from an existing company card, with limits and budgets set per card.
- Receipts and expense reports
- Receipts can be uploaded and managed, with a lost-receipt workflow and automated expense reports on the Pro plan.
- AI Policy Assistant
- Pro and Enterprise include an AI assistant for spend policy, and the site lists AI categorization of transactions.
- Accounting syncs
- QuickBooks, Xero and Sage Intacct integrations are listed for Pro; NetSuite and Dynamics Business Central appear in the Enterprise column.
- Virtual card API
- A card-issuing API and AI toolkit are offered, and Enterprise lists card issuance automated with an API key.
Plans
Airbase
Pricing could not be confirmed. See airbase.com.
Extend
Starter$0
Up to 5 users, 100 active virtual cards, 1 expense category, receipt upload and up to 10 guest seats.
Pro$8.99
per user / month, billed annually ($11.99 billed monthly)
10-user minimum. Up to 500 active virtual cards, AI Policy Assistant, expanded categories and automated expense reports.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited users and active virtual cards, API-key card issuance and a NetSuite integration. Contact sales for pricing.
Ways to pay less
Airbase
No public discounts listed.
Extend
- Annual discount
Save 25% with annual billing
The pricing page shows Pro at $8.99 per user per month billed annually, against $11.99 billed monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Airbase or Extend?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Airbase has no price we could confirm, and Extend starts at $8.99 per user / month, billed annually ($11.99 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Airbase or Extend?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Extend has a free plan. Airbase does not.
Which platforms do Airbase and Extend run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Extend lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.