The Melio Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Melio in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Melio
The Insider’s Guide
Bill pay and invoicing for small US businesses, with a free plan
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among spend and bill pay tools, read from Melio’s own pages.
Made by Melio Solutions Inc. · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Melio’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Melio’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 5 of the 13 other spend and bill pay tools we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Melio, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Bills come into their own inbox and get read for you, though you'll want the accounting sync set up early.
- 1
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.
- 2
Paid plans start at $20 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $20 per month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
- 3
There is 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.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 5 of 13
That is against the other spend and bill pay tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
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.
Melio at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $20 per month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- First 90 days of Core, Boost or Unlimited free, no credit card needed; then the account moves to Go
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Melio Solutions Inc.
- Category
- Spend & Bill Pay
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
- Store rating
- 4.6 on the App Store, 1,485 ratings
The report card
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.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Graded 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 | B | Go 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 | C | Bill 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 | B | 4.6 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 | B | Web, 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
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 it 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
Good to know
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$20
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Melio has a free plan. Paid plans start at $20 per month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
Graded against its bill pay alternatives.
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.
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.
The 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.
Trying it first
First 90 days of Core, Boost or Unlimited free, no credit card needed; then the account moves to Go
Read from melio.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on melio.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Bill pay and invoicing for small US businesses, with a free plan. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, invoicing, expense tracking, bill pay.
It's the smaller job, though, and Melio issues no cards: its expense tool works with cards you already hold.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- QuickBooks Online
- QuickBooks Desktop
- Xero
- NetSuite
- Tax1099
- Amazon Business
- Meta
Melio is made by Melio Solutions Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
5/13
Other spend and bill pay tools it is graded above
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
- BFree plan and trialAbove 6 of 13
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 13
- BEase of useAbove 4 of 13
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 13
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 13 spend and bill pay tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Melio is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
BILL, Plooto, Nickel, Ramp and Airwallex
The 5 tools Melio is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
BILL
Free plan · from $49/mo
Bill pay, invoicing and free company cards for small businesses.
- BILL also covers company cards.
- 2.2GPA
Plooto
Free trial · from $9/mo
Bill pay and receivables for businesses in Canada and the US.
- Melio has a free plan. Plooto does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Melio lists iOS and Android apps.
- Melio also covers expense tracking.
- 2.8GPA
Nickel
Free plan · from $35/mo
Free ACH invoicing and bill pay for US businesses.
- Only Melio lists iOS and Android apps.
- Melio also covers expense tracking.
- 3.6GPA
Ramp
Free plan · from $15/mo
Corporate cards, expenses, travel and bill pay, with a free plan.
- Ramp also covers reports and company cards.
- 3.2GPA
Airwallex
Free plan · from $12/mo
Multi-currency business accounts, cards, bill pay and expenses.
- Airwallex also covers company cards.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
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.
How much does Melio cost?
Melio lists 5 plans. Go: $0.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Melio’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. 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.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Melio Solutions Inc. Prices change, so check melio.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,068
Tools graded, in 57 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,068
tools graded
57
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Melio, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/melio
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Melio: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/melio
Know someone choosing between spend and bill pay tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/melio/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded spend and bill pay tools after Melio, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Spend & Bill Pay Insider's GuideEvery one of the 14 spend and bill pay tools we grade, compared
- Brex Insider's GuideCorporate cards, expenses, bill pay and travel for growing companies3.6 GPA
- Ramp Insider's GuideCorporate cards, expenses, travel and bill pay, with a free plan3.6 GPA
- Airwallex Insider's GuideMulti-currency business accounts, cards, bill pay and expenses3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Melio’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Melio is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Melio Solutions Inc. Prices and plans change: check melio.com before you buy.