Melio
Bill pay and invoicing for small US businesses, with a free plan
Melio report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 18, 2026
Best for paying a handful of supplier bills for free
Melio pays supplier and contractor bills by ACH, check, wire or card, and will even put a bill on your card when the vendor only takes bank payments. It sends invoices too. The free Go plan is properly usable for one person, but past 5 ACH payments a month it's $0.50 each, and Melio has no cards of its own.
Who Melio is for
- Great if you pay a few bills a month and want to do it free
- Handy when a supplier only takes bank transfers but you'd rather pay by card
- Good for accounting firms paying bills for clients
Who Melio is not for
- 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
Why Melio gets a 2.8
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- BValue for moneyGraded 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.
- BFree plan and trialGo 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.
- CFeaturesBill 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.
- BEase of use4.6 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.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, 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.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Melio's own pages on 18 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/melio#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/melio.svg" alt="Melio: 2.8 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Melio stands among spend and bill pay tools
Melio's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 5 of the 13 other spend and bill pay tools we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 7 of 13) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $20 a month, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 9 of the 11 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 7 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 14 spend and bill pay tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Melio’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 7 of 13, level with 1
- BFree plan and trialAbove 6 of 13, level with 4
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 13, level with 7
- BEase of useAbove 4 of 13, level with 3
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 13, level with 12
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 13 spend and bill pay tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep Melio, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Melio you would be making money moved between bank accounts, which takes a licensed payments partner. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $240 a year.
What you could make
- Invoicing and expense tracking: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Money moved between bank accounts, which takes a licensed payments partner.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop and Xero among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Melio’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Melio?
Melio pays supplier and contractor bills by ACH, check, wire or card, including card payments to vendors who do not take cards, and sends invoices with payment links. It syncs with QuickBooks, Xero and NetSuite, and its expense tool asks card holders for receipts by text or email. A free plan covers one user and five ACH payments a month; paid plans add more free payments, users and approvals.
Melio has a free plan. Paid plans start at $20 per month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly). See every plan
Good for
- US small businesses that want to pay suppliers by card or ACH
- Owners who pay a few bills a month and want a free plan
- Accounting firms paying bills for clients
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
Melio pricing
- Starts at
- $20 per month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- 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
- First 90 days of Core, Boost or Unlimited free, no credit card needed; then the account moves to Go
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | $20per 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 | $44per 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 | $64per month for unlimited users, billed annually ($80 billed monthly) | Unlimited free ACH payments and users, NetSuite sync, premium phone support and onboarding. |
| Platinum | Custom | Invite-only, for businesses paying over $300,000 a month by card: custom transaction and card fees, API access and an account manager. |
Read from melio.com on Oct 18, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Melio before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountSave 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.
Stated on melio.com
How people rate the Melio app
4.6
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
1,485 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 18, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Works with
- QuickBooks Online
- QuickBooks Desktop
- Xero
- NetSuite
- Tax1099
- Amazon Business
- Meta
Melio alternatives
- Melio vs BILL
Free plan · from $49/mo
- Melio vs Plooto
Free trial · from $9/mo
- Melio vs Nickel
Free plan · from $35/mo
- Melio vs Ramp
Free plan · from $15/mo
- Melio vs Airwallex
Free plan · from $12/mo
Common questions
Is Melio free?
Melio has a free plan. 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. Paid plans start at $20 per month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
How much does Melio cost?
Melio lists 5 plans. Go: $0. Core: $20 per month for 1 user, billed annually ($25 billed monthly). Boost: $44 per month for 1 user, billed annually ($55 billed monthly). Unlimited: $64 per month for unlimited users, billed annually ($80 billed monthly). Platinum: custom pricing. Prices were read from melio.com on Oct 18, 2026.
What platforms does Melio work on?
Melio is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Melio offer any discounts?
Melio publicly lists the following: Save 20% with yearly billing.
How is Melio rated?
Melio's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1,485 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 18, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.
Does Melio have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Melio is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Melio have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Melio is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Melio open source?
Melio is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
What does Melio integrate with?
Melio's listing names QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, Xero, NetSuite, Tax1099, Amazon Business and Meta. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Melio have a free trial?
Yes. First 90 days of Core, Boost or Unlimited free, no credit card needed; then the account moves to Go.
Who makes Melio?
Melio is made by Melio Solutions Inc.
What are the alternatives to Melio?
The closest alternatives to Melio in our directory are BILL, Plooto, Nickel, Ramp and Airwallex. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Melio.
How does Melio compare with other spend and bill pay tools?
Melio's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 5 of the 13 other spend and bill pay tools we grade, and level with 3. It stands best on value for money (B, above 7 of 13) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Is Melio good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Melio B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $20 a month, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 9 of the 11 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 7 tools score higher and cost less.
Could I make my own version of Melio?
To replace Melio you would be making money moved between bank accounts, which takes a licensed payments partner. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. It costs $240 a year. What you could not make: Money moved between bank accounts, which takes a licensed payments partner. A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page. It plugs into other products, QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop and Xero among them. AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 18, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.