Stampli
AI-powered accounts payable automation centered on the invoice
About Stampli
Stampli runs every AP task — capture, coding, approvals, payment, vendor communication — directly on the invoice document. Approvers see the invoice, the conversation thread, and the approval history in one place, without toggling between modules. Billy the Bot watches how your team codes invoices over time and starts suggesting GL accounts, cost centers, and approval routes that match your actual patterns, not a generic ruleset. It connects to 70-plus ERPs, including SAP, NetSuite, and Sage Intacct, without requiring you to redesign your chart of accounts or approval hierarchy to fit the software. Stampli fits mid-market companies — roughly 50 to 1,000 employees — that already have an ERP and a defined AP process but are still routing invoices by email or paper. If your team codes 500-plus invoices a month across multiple cost centers and departments, Billy the Bot's learning cycle pays off within a few months of consistent use. Where it falls short: Stampli does only AP. If you also need corporate cards, expense reimbursements, or AR, you are looking at a second platform. Ramp and BILL both cover wider spend management territory. Implementation for complex ERP environments typically runs several weeks, and because pricing is entirely quote-based, budget planning requires a sales call before you can assess fit.
Best for
Mid-market companies wanting AP automation that integrates with their existing ERP without forcing process changes
Key Features
- Invoice-centric AP automation workflow
- Billy the Bot AI learns GL coding patterns
- 70+ ERP integrations without process changes
- Contextual communication and approvals on invoices
Pros & Cons
Pros
- All approvals and vendor communication live directly on the invoice — no separate email threads or lost context.
- Billy the Bot learns your team's actual GL coding decisions and improves suggestions with each invoice processed.
- Connects to 70-plus ERPs, including SAP and NetSuite, without requiring changes to your existing chart of accounts or approval structure.
- Complete audit trail from invoice receipt through payment, with timestamped comments and approvals on each document.
- Handles duplicate invoice detection and flags exceptions before they reach the approval queue.
- Advanced Spend Management module gives real-time budget tracking against committed and actual spend.
- Vendor portal lets suppliers check invoice and payment status without calling your AP team.
Cons
- No public pricing — every quote requires a sales call, making it hard to budget without engaging a rep.
- AP only — no corporate cards, expense reports, or AR, so most mid-market firms will need a second tool alongside it.
- Billy the Bot needs volume to learn; coding suggestions are weak for the first few months on low-invoice-count accounts.
- Complex ERP implementations, particularly SAP and multi-entity NetSuite setups, routinely take four to eight weeks.
- No self-serve trial — the free trial requires scheduling a demo first, unlike BILL or Ramp.
- Switching ERPs after go-live requires re-implementation work that can disrupt the existing audit trail.
Ledger Brief Take
The invoice-centric design genuinely differentiates this from traditional AP tools that force you to jump between modules — everything happens directly on the invoice document itself. Billy the Bot's machine learning approach to GL coding suggestions stands out in a category full of basic OCR solutions, actually getting smarter as your team uses it. This is purpose-built for mid-market companies with established ERP systems who want automation without the disruption of changing their existing accounting workflows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions accountants ask about Stampli.
How does Stampli pricing work and what does it cost?
Stampli does not publish pricing. All plans are custom-quoted based on invoice volume, number of users, ERP type, and payment features needed. Expect a sales conversation before you see any numbers. A free trial is available but also requires a demo call to activate.
How does Stampli integrate with QuickBooks or Xero?
Stampli connects to QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, and Xero via direct integration. GL accounts, vendors, and cost centers sync both ways. You do not remap your chart of accounts to match Stampli — it pulls your existing structure and works within it.
How does Stampli compare to BILL for mid-market AP?
BILL suits smaller businesses and has self-serve pricing. Stampli targets mid-market teams with more complex ERP environments and multi-department approval chains. Stampli's invoice-centric workflow and Billy the Bot's GL learning give it an edge for high-volume, multi-entity operations, but BILL wins on price transparency and faster setup.
Is Stampli suitable for a 20-person company?
Technically yes, but the value proposition is weak at that size. Billy the Bot needs invoice volume to improve, and custom pricing at low volumes is rarely competitive. Stampli fits best at 50-plus employees with at least a few hundred invoices processed monthly across multiple approvers or cost centers.
How does Stampli handle data security and audit compliance?
Stampli stores data in AWS with SOC 2 Type II certification. Every action on an invoice — coding, comments, approvals, rejections — is logged with a timestamp and user ID, creating a full audit trail. Role-based access controls restrict what each user can view, edit, or approve.
Does Stampli handle payments, or just invoice processing?
Stampli processes payments including ACH, check, and virtual card through its Stampli Direct Pay module. Vendors can choose their preferred payment method through the vendor portal. Payment capability is an add-on — not all customers use it, and it requires separate activation during implementation.