AvidXchange vs Melio (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Melio grades higher than AvidXchange: 2.8 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Melio grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Melio
Bill pay and invoicing for small US businesses, with a free plan
Which one is for you
Pick AvidXchange if
- Fits if you pay many supplier invoices and want them automated
- Works for companies that run NetSuite, Sage or QuickBooks
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want employee expense reports or company cards
- Watch out: no prices are published, only a demo request
- Tight if your ERP is not listed, since integration depth varies by ERP
- Skip it if you want a free plan or a trial, as neither is listed
Pick Melio if
- Fits if you pay a few bills a month and want to do it free
- Works for accounting firms paying bills for clients
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you pay more than 5 bills a month on Go, at $0.50 for each extra ACH payment
- Not for you if you want company cards for your staff, as Melio doesn't issue any
- Pricey if you put bills on a card often, at 2.9% a payment
- Watch out: checks cost $1.50, wires $10, and international USD transfers a flat $20
- Pricey if you add people on Core or Boost, at $8 a user a month yearly, $10 monthly
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAAvidXchangeWeak | 2.8GPAMelioGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo prices are published and the site routes visitors to a demo request. It sits in the middle by default. | BGraded against its bill pay alternatives. A ten-person company paying 20 supplier bills a month pays $7.50 on the free Go plan: 5 free ACH payments, then $0.50 each. Core at $20 a month yearly makes all 20 free. That beats BILL and Plooto, but Nickel and Ramp send ACH for nothing. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free: no free plan and no trial are on record for this listing. | BGo is free for good: one user, 5 free ACH payments a month, card, check and wire payments, invoices and up to 10 QuickBooks or Xero syncs. The paid plans are free for the first 90 days with no card needed. |
| Features | CInvoice, purchase order and payment automation plus AP as a service, but it covers payables rather than employee expense reports or company cards. | CBill pay is done fully: AI bill capture, approvals on paid plans, payments to 80+ countries, invoices, W-9s and 1099s. It's the smaller job, though, and Melio issues no cards: its expense tool works with cards you already hold. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. ERP connections and approval flows take setting up. | B4.6 from 1,485 App Store ratings. Bills come into their own inbox and get read for you, though you'll want the accounting sync set up early. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only on the listing, with NetSuite, QuickBooks, Microsoft, Sage, Acumatica and Blackbaud. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with QuickBooks Online and Desktop, Xero, NetSuite, Tax1099 and Amazon Business. No desktop app is listed, and NetSuite sync needs Unlimited at $64 a month. |
| Best for | accounts payable automation and supplier payments | paying a handful of supplier bills for free |
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: AvidXchange and Melio. How we grade
Where they differ
- AvidXchange also covers workflow automation and reports.
- Melio also covers invoicing and expense tracking.
At a glance
| AvidXchange | Melio | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $20 per month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | Go: 1 user, 5 free ACH payments a month ($0.50 each after), payments by card, check or wire, international payments, invoices and payment links, and up to 10 QuickBooks or Xero syncs. |
| Free trial | None listed | First 90 days of Core, Boost or Unlimited free, no credit card needed; then the account moves to Go |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | AvidXchange | Melio Solutions Inc. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | melio.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
AvidXchange
- No prices are published; the site routes visitors to a demo request.
- It covers payables rather than employee expense reports or company cards.
- A pricing page did not exist at the usual address when checked.
- Integration depth varies by ERP; check the integrations list for yours.
Melio
- ACH payments beyond the plan's free allowance cost $0.50 each, checks $1.50, wires $10 and paying a bill by card 2.9%.
- International USD transfers cost a flat $20 (fast ones 1%, $30 to $95); local-currency payments carry a currency conversion rate instead.
- Melio does not issue cards: the expense tool works with the cards a business already holds. Pay over time loans are made by Lead Bank.
- Melio says it serves businesses across the United States; extra users cost $10 a month ($8 yearly) on Core and Boost.
Key features
AvidXchange
- Invoice automation
- Captures invoices and routes them through customizable approval workflows with a full audit trail.
- Purchase order automation
- Purchase order handling that sits alongside invoice processing in the same AP flow.
- Payment automation
- Pays suppliers by virtual card, AvidPay Direct or mailed check through the AvidXchange Supplier Hub.
- Accounts Payable as a Service
- A managed AP setup that ERPs and accounting systems can embed so they need not build their own.
- Industry integrations
- Connections for NetSuite, QuickBooks, Microsoft, Sage, Acumatica, Yardi, MRI and others.
Melio
- Pay bills any way
- Pay by ACH, paper check, wire or same-day transfer, or put a bill on a credit or debit card even when the vendor only takes bank payments.
- Bill capture and approvals
- Bills arrive in a dedicated inbox or by upload and are read by AI. Paid plans route them through approvals by amount, vendor or user.
- Invoices and payment links
- Every plan sends invoices and payment links. Customers pay by card or bank transfer, and the card fee can be passed on to them.
- International payments
- Pay vendors in more than 80 countries in US dollars or their local currency, by bank transfer or Visa and Mastercard.
- Expense receipts
- Connect the cards a business already uses; each purchase triggers a text or email asking for the receipt, which is coded and synced to Xero or QuickBooks.
- Accounting sync and 1099s
- Two-way sync with QuickBooks Online and Xero from Core, QuickBooks Desktop from Boost and NetSuite on Unlimited, with W-9 collection and 1099s through Tax1099.
Plans
AvidXchange
Pricing could not be confirmed. See avidxchange.com.
Melio
Go$0
1 user and 5 free ACH payments a month. Pay by ACH, card, check or wire, capture bills with AI, send invoices and payment links.
Core$20
per month for 1 user, billed annually ($25 billed monthly)
20 free ACH payments a month, QuickBooks Online and Xero sync, batch payments, approvals, W-9s and 1099 sync. Extra users $8 a month ($10 monthly).
Boost$44
per month for 1 user, billed annually ($55 billed monthly)
50 free ACH payments a month, advanced user roles, QuickBooks Desktop sync, classes and locations, and phone support. Extra users $8 a month ($10 monthly).
Unlimited$64
per month for unlimited users, billed annually ($80 billed monthly)
Unlimited free ACH payments and users, NetSuite sync, premium phone support and onboarding.
PlatinumCustom
Invite-only, for businesses paying over $300,000 a month by card: custom transaction and card fees, API access and an account manager.
Ways to pay less
AvidXchange
No public discounts listed.
Melio
- Annual discount
Save 20% with yearly billing
Core costs $20 a month billed yearly instead of $25, Boost $44 instead of $55 and Unlimited $64 instead of $80; extra users drop from $10 to $8.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, AvidXchange or Melio?
As of Nov 12, 2026, AvidXchange has no price we could confirm, and Melio starts at $20 per month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, AvidXchange or Melio?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Melio has a free plan. AvidXchange does not.
Which platforms do AvidXchange and Melio run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Melio 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.