Software Comparison
Medius vs. Esker
Comprehensive AP automation, AI & payments platform comparison
Choosing an AP platform isn’t just about features. It’s about long-term fit. Medius and Esker both offer automation, AI, and finance workflows, but their philosophies differ. Medius is purpose-built for AP and spend management, delivering deep automation, faster innovation, and seamless scalability. Esker offers a broader finance suite, including AR, with strengths in sourcing and onboarding. Below, we break down the key differences to help you decide which platform moves your business forward.
What is Medius?
Medius is an all-in-one, AI-driven spend management platform designed to bring control, visibility, and efficiency to finance and procurement teams. It supports the entire source-to-pay process, from invoice capture to payment execution, supplier onboarding, and contract handling, all powered by advanced AI, analytics, and configurable workflows that scale globally.
Key benefits with Medius:
Automate complex AP and procurement workflows, eliminating manual bottlenecks
Scale effortlessly across multiple ERPs, business units, and regions
Engage suppliers with AI-powered chatbots for instant query resolution
Protect your business with AI-driven fraud detection and compliance controls
What is Esker?
Esker is a global automation provider offering a suite of AI-powered finance solutions covering source-to-pay (S2P) and order-to-cash (O2C) processes. Esker helps organizations digitize core finance operations, including invoice processing, payments, supplier onboarding, and customer service management.
What to know about Esker:
- Provides a broad finance automation platform with strong AR and sourcing capabilities
- Relies on third-party integrations and customizations that may affect scalability
- Offers global e-invoicing compliance and robotic process automation (RPA) features
At a glance
Medius vs. Esker: Overview comparison
| CATEGORY | MEDIUS | ESKER |
|---|---|---|
| Procure-to-Pay (P2P) |
 End-to-end P2P with deep automation; purpose-built for AP and spend management |
 Broad S2P coverage, but less specialized; requires more customization |
| Order-to-Cash (O2C) |
Available via partners |
Native AR/O2C suite included, but splits product development focus |
| Procurement |
AI-driven procurement automation |
Basic purchasing workflows |
| Contract Management |
Included |
Included |
| Expense Management |
Built-in AI spend controls, corporate card support |
Basic functionality |
| Product Focus & Innovation |
100% focused on AP & Spend Management |
Split focus between AP and AR limits speed of innovation |
| ERP Integrations |
Plug-and-play with Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite, Oracle Fusion, SAP S/4HANA, JD Edwards, Yardi, Infor + REST APIs for more integrations |
Broad ERP support, but upgrades often require custom services |
| Upgrade Model |
Continuous SaaS updates included |
Requires paid upgrade projects and custom development |
| Implementation & Cost |
Fast onboarding, modular pricing, no surprise fees |
Customization drives longer timelines and higher cost of ownership |
| Customer Support |
Proactive, consultative support |
Mixed post-sale experience |
Medius vs. Esker: Feature comparison
| FEATURE | MEDIUS | ESKER |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice Capture & OCR |
AI-powered, self-learning engine with 3-way match |
OCR-based with static templates and rules |
| Touchless Processing |
Near no-touch processing with Copilot and auto-coding |
More manual routing and validation |
| PO Matching |
2- and 3-way matching at line and header levels |
Available, but less flexible |
| Workflow Configuration |
Highly configurable approval routing and logic |
More rigid approval workflows |
| Automation & AI |
AI-driven coding, approvals, fraud detection, supplier communications, and smart guidance via Copilot |
AI for capture, coding, fraud detection |
| Copilot (AI Assistant) |
Embedded assistant for guided decision-making |
 Not available |
| Supplier Conversations |
Generative AI chatbot for real-time supplier interaction |
Categorized email handling; no conversational AI |
| Payment Automation |
Built-in payments, executed through your bank accounts, with global compliance and fraud checks |
U.S. payments handled via third-party; adds complexity and limits control |
| Fraud & Risk Detection |
AI-driven anomaly detection, risk flags, duplicate alerts |
Basic fraud protection; fewer proactive alerts |
| Reporting & Analytics |
Real-time dashboards, Power BI integration, and Excel export |
Graph-based dashboards; limited real-time or exportable views |
Some reports leave you guessing.
AI keeps you in the know
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Choosing the right platform for your finance team
Both Esker and Medius offer AP automation, but they’re built with different priorities in mind.
Choose Medius if you want:
- A full source-to-pay suite with modular options
- Advanced AI-driven automation for AP and payments
- Seamless upgrades and low total cost of ownership
- Modular pricing and fast deployment
- Superior user experience and fraud protection
- Scalable workflows across global entities
- Future-ready features like Copilot and Supplier Conversations
Choose Esker if you need:
- Broader finance automation across AP and AR
- Deep supplier onboarding and sourcing tools
- Familiarity with Esker’s global footprint and legacy customers
- Strong document management and purchasing support
How to know you’re ready for Medius
You might be ready for Medius if:
- You're still manually processing invoices or chasing late approvals
- Your ERP integration struggles with complex AP workflows
- Your team is overwhelmed with month-end close delays
- You're growing globally and need flexibility across entities
- You're ready to reduce fraud risk and automate supplier communications
See Medius in action
"Medius required very little input from IT staff which was greatly appreciated. Now the solution is doing exactly what we want and need."
Arnold Ruijter
Director of IT Transformation, Karl Lagerfeld
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