Bottomline vs Esker (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Bottomline if

• Fits if you run large payment volumes and want one payments hub
• Works for finance teams that need payee checks and fraud controls

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you need cards or employee expense reports, as it covers neither
• Not for you if you are a small business, since several products target banks and financial institutions
• Pricey if you want to see a figure first, as the UK site routes buyers to a demo
• Watch out: the UK site is one of several regional sites; the North America site was not read

Pick Esker if

• Fits if you want invoices, purchasing and collections handled in one suite
• Works for finance teams that already run an ERP and want to add to it

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you need employee expense reports; they show up only as a mobile approval item
• Not for you if you have no ERP, because it sits beside one rather than replacing it
• Pricey if you want to compare costs first, as no price is published
• Watch out: the site mentions mobile approvals but names no iOS or Android app

Bottomline

• No prices are published; the UK site routes buyers to a demo or to contact sales.
• It is an enterprise payments suite, not a card-based or employee expense-report tool.
• The UK site is one of several regional sites; North America has its own site that was not read.
• Several products are aimed at banks and financial institutions rather than at businesses.

Esker

• No prices are published; the site directs visitors to request a demo or contact sales.
• It is built around invoices, purchasing and collections; employee expense reporting appears only as a mobile approval item.
• It sits beside an ERP rather than replacing one, so a company needs its own accounting system.
• The site mentions mobile functions for approvals, but does not name iOS or Android apps.

Bottomline

Payments Hub

A cloud hub for issuing domestic and international payments, bank-to-bank and intracompany transfers to any bank and currency, with rules set per payment type.

Payouts Automation

Captures a payee's bank details through a secure self-service page and sends a direct credit, aimed at refunds, claims and compensation payments.

Confirmation of Payee

Payouts Automation includes the UK name-checking service, so a payment is checked against the recipient's name before it is sent.

Account tokenisation

Payers' and beneficiaries' bank details are stored in Bottomline's platform and linked to a token, so the customer does not keep them.

Receivables and payments processing

Receivables automation covers single and recurring collections, and payments processing submits UK bank payments for payables and receivables.

Fraud and cash tools

The range includes payments fraud defense, sanctions screening, and a Global Cash Management Hub for viewing and forecasting cash positions.

Esker

Accounts payable automation

AI-driven data capture and electronic workflow for supplier invoices, aimed at touchless processing and a payment approval workflow.

Procurement and contracts

Sourcing, supplier onboarding and risk management, purchase requisitions and a single repository for contracts.

Order-to-cash

Order and claims management, credit approval, invoice delivery, online payment, cash application and collections for the receivables side.

E-invoicing compliance

The site claims e-invoicing compliance in 60+ countries and has dedicated pages for France, Italy and Spain, plus EDI.

ERP integration and mobile

Integrates with over 70 ERP systems rather than replacing them, and has mobile functions for approving requisitions, invoices and expense reports.

Bottomline

Pricing could not be confirmed. See bottomline.com.

Esker

Pricing could not be confirmed. See esker.com.