Nickel
Free ACH invoicing and bill pay for US businesses
Nickel report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 18, 2026
Best for free ACH bill pay and invoicing
Nickel sends invoices your customers pay by ACH or card, and pays your own vendors the same way, with ACH free on every plan. The free Core plan does all that for 3 users, with QuickBooks sync. It's web only, though, QuickBooks is the only native sync, and each payment tops out at $25,000 until you pay $35 a month.
Who Nickel is for
- Great if your customers pay big invoices and you'd like them on ACH instead of card
- Handy when you run QuickBooks and want free bill pay that syncs both ways
- Good for teams of up to 3 who pay and get paid mostly by ACH
Who Nickel is not for
- Skip it if you use Xero or NetSuite, as only QuickBooks syncs without Pro
- Tight if single payments go over $25,000 on the free plan
- Not for you if you want expense reports or receipt capture for staff
Why Nickel gets a 2.8
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyGraded against its bill pay alternatives. A ten-person company paying 20 supplier bills a month by ACH pays $0 on the free Core plan, since ACH carries no fee on any plan. Checks are $2 and wires $25 if you need them, and Plus is $35 a month billed yearly.
- BFree plan and trialCore is free with 3 users, unlimited invoices and bills, free ACH, payment links and QuickBooks sync. A small business could live on it. The walls are 3 users and $25,000 a payment, and Plus has a 14-day trial.
- CFeaturesBill pay and getting paid are done fully, with batch payments, approvals and vendor onboarding. But it's a smaller job than the category's: no expense reports or receipt tools are listed, and Xero or NetSuite need custom work on Pro.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. Paying and getting paid by ACH is simple, but there's QuickBooks to connect and vendors to onboard first.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb only, with native sync to QuickBooks Online and Desktop on every plan. Xero, NetSuite and Salesforce need the custom integration that comes with Pro at $300 a month, and so does the API.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Nickel's own pages on 18 October 2026. 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/nickel#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/nickel.svg" alt="Nickel: 2.8 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Nickel stands among spend and bill pay tools
Nickel'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 (A, above 9 of 13) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $35 a month, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 10 of the 11 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 8 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. Nickel’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 9 of 13, level with 4
- BFree plan and trialAbove 6 of 13, level with 4
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 13, level with 7
- CEase of useAbove 0 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 Nickel, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Nickel 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 $420 a year.
What you could make
- Invoicing: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Money moved between bank accounts, which takes a licensed payments partner.
- It plugs into other products, QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Nickel’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 Nickel?
Nickel handles both sides of business payments: it sends invoices and payment links that customers pay by ACH or card, and pays vendors and contractors by ACH, card, wire or check. ACH payments carry no fee on any plan, and money can sit in a Nickel Balance that earns interest. Paid plans add recurring invoices, autopay, an AI assistant called Penny and higher payment limits.
Nickel has a free plan. Paid plans start at $35 per month, billed annually ($45 billed monthly). See every plan
Good for
- US businesses that collect large invoices by ACH
- Teams that want to stop paying card fees by moving customers to bank payments
- QuickBooks users who want free bill pay and receivables
Worth knowing
- Card payments cost 2.9% (another 1% for international cards), and you choose whether you or the customer pays; mailed checks cost $2 and wires $25.
- The free plan stops at 3 users and $25,000 per payment; Plus lifts that to unlimited users and $1 million.
- Native sync is QuickBooks Online and Desktop only; Xero, NetSuite or Salesforce need custom integration, included on Pro.
- Nickel says it is not a bank: banking services and its Visa commercial card are provided by Grasshopper Bank, N.A.
Key features
- Free ACH both ways
- Sending and receiving standard ACH costs nothing on any plan; payments clear in two to three business days, a day faster on paid plans.
- Invoices and payment pages
- Branded payment links, hosted payment pages, QR codes and reminders. Plus adds recurring invoices, saved cards and banks, and autopay.
- Bill pay
- Unlimited bills a month, scheduled ahead or paid in batches, with approval workflows and a secure link that collects vendors' bank and tax details.
- Nickel Balance
- Money received can be held in a Nickel Balance earning 2% APY, where incoming ACH and card payments arrive instantly and expedited ACH is free.
- Penny AI
- From Plus, an AI assistant works from your email inbox, follows up on unpaid invoices and keeps the books reconciled.
- QuickBooks sync
- Native two-way sync with QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop on every plan, including the free one.
Nickel pricing
- Starts at
- $35 per month, billed annually ($45 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Nickel Core: 3 users, unlimited invoices and bills, free ACH, payment links and one payment page, QuickBooks sync and 2% APY on Nickel Balance, with a $25,000 limit per payment.
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial of Nickel Plus
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Nickel Core | $0 | 3 users, $25,000 per-payment limit, invoices, bill pay, vendor onboarding, free ACH and QuickBooks Online and Desktop sync. |
| Nickel Plus | $35per month, billed annually ($45 billed monthly) | Unlimited users, $1M per-payment limit, faster payouts, recurring invoices, autopay, 1099 filing and the Penny AI assistant. |
| Nickel Pro | $300per month, billed annually ($375 billed monthly) | Adds API access, vendor verification, single sign-on, the option to turn off card payments and a dedicated account manager. |
| Enterprise | Custom | Multi-entity support, custom ERP and data warehouse integrations, custom per-payment pricing and a dedicated support line. |
Read from nickel.com on Oct 18, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Nickel before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountSave 20% with yearly billing
Nickel Plus costs $35 a month billed yearly instead of $45 monthly, and Nickel Pro $300 instead of $375.
Stated on nickel.com
Works with
Nickel alternatives
- Nickel vs Melio
Free plan · from $20/mo
- Nickel vs BILL
Free plan · from $49/mo
- Nickel vs Plooto
Free trial · from $9/mo
- Nickel vs Ramp
Free plan · from $15/mo
Common questions
Is Nickel free?
Nickel has a free plan. Nickel Core: 3 users, unlimited invoices and bills, free ACH, payment links and one payment page, QuickBooks sync and 2% APY on Nickel Balance, with a $25,000 limit per payment. Paid plans start at $35 per month, billed annually ($45 billed monthly).
How much does Nickel cost?
Nickel lists 4 plans. Nickel Core: $0. Nickel Plus: $35 per month, billed annually ($45 billed monthly). Nickel Pro: $300 per month, billed annually ($375 billed monthly). Enterprise: custom pricing. Prices were read from nickel.com on Oct 18, 2026.
What platforms does Nickel work on?
Nickel is available on Web.
Does Nickel offer any discounts?
Nickel publicly lists the following: Save 20% with yearly billing.
Does Nickel have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Nickel is listed for Web.
Does Nickel have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Nickel is listed for Web.
Is Nickel open source?
Nickel is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does Nickel have an API?
Yes. Nickel offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Nickel integrate with?
Nickel's listing names QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Nickel have a free trial?
Yes. 14-day free trial of Nickel Plus.
Who makes Nickel?
Nickel is made by Nickel Technology Inc.
What are the alternatives to Nickel?
The closest alternatives to Nickel in our directory are Melio, BILL, Plooto and Ramp. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Nickel.
How does Nickel compare with other spend and bill pay tools?
Nickel'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 (A, above 9 of 13) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Is Nickel good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Nickel A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $35 a month, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 10 of the 11 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 8 tools score higher and cost less.
Could I make my own version of Nickel?
To replace Nickel 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 $420 a year. What you could not make: Money moved between bank accounts, which takes a licensed payments partner. It plugs into other products, QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop among them, and has an API. 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.