Airbase vs Navan: Which Is Worth It for a 10–50 Person Team?

TL;DR

Airbase is the better choice for managers running 10-50 person teams due to its comprehensive platform covering AP automation, expense management, and corporate cards, saving managers 4+ hours/week on receipt approvals, which translates to $10,900/year. Navan, on the other hand, is more focused on travel and expense management, making it less suitable for teams with diverse spending needs.

The Core Difference

Airbase was built for growing SMBs needing comprehensive spend management beyond just travel, offering strong automation capabilities for invoice processing and approvals, and detailed spend visibility and control. This makes it an ideal choice for managers who need to oversee various aspects of their team's spending, not just travel expenses.

Navan, however, is primarily focused on travel and expense management, providing a seamless travel booking experience, automated expense reporting tied to travel itineraries, and negotiated travel rates and policy enforcement. Contrary to popular opinion, Navan's tight coupling of travel booking integration can actually be a limitation for managers who need more flexibility in their spend management, as it may not be the best fit for teams with low travel volumes, where the cost of the platform may outweigh its benefits.

The Manager's Verdict

As a manager, I need a solution that can handle the complexities of my team's spending, and Airbase delivers, offering a broader solution for SMBs needing control of spending beyond travel, including AP Automation and Corporate Cards, which is generally a better value. With Airbase, I can save 4+ hours/week on receipt approvals, which is a significant reduction in administrative tasks, and its setup takes only 1 day, compared to Navan which can take weeks.

However, for teams with specific needs, such as those already using QuickBooks, NetSuite, Xero, or SAP Concur, a more tailored solution like BlissNeat may be the logical conclusion, as it integrates seamlessly with these platforms, works offline, and offers 1-click approval and real-time spend dashboard, all while saving managers 4+ hours/week on receipt approvals, and with a 30-day free trial, no credit card required, it's an attractive option for managers looking to streamline their expense management, especially in the Japan market where bilingual support is available.