Head to head · 2026
BILL vs Melio
Quick answer
BILL is the better fit for US small businesses paying dozens of vendor bills a month. Melio is the better fit for US small businesses paying vendors by ACH or check today. On our scores Melio comes out ahead overall (4.5 out of 5).
BILL
BILL is one of the most complete finance automation suites for US small and mid-sized businesses. Spend & Expense with the BILL Divvy Card costs nothing in software fees, while AP and AR start at $49 per user per month plus per-payment fees. It earns its price when bills and approvals pile up, but the per-user cost and transaction fees add up for larger teams.
- ✓Spend & Expense has no subscription or per-user software fee
- ✓Credit lines from $1,000 to $5M, subject to approval
- ✓Unlimited physical and virtual cards with budgets and controls
- –AP/AR is priced per user, from $49 to $89/user/month before Enterprise
- –Per-payment fees apply, such as $0.59 per ACH and $1.99 per mailed check
Melio
Melio is one of the easiest ways for a US small business to pay bills online: vendors do not need an account, you can pay by card when the vendor only accepts checks, and payments sync to QuickBooks or Xero. The free plan works for light use, and paid plans are reasonably priced. Fees on card, fast and international payments add up, and it is built for US businesses.
- ✓Free Go plan with 5 free ACH payments a month
- ✓Vendors get paid without signing up for Melio
- ✓Pay by card where cards are not accepted; Melio sends ACH or a check to the vendor
- –Card payments cost 2.9%, and fast or instant options cost 1% (up to $75)
- –ACH beyond the free allowance is $0.50 each; checks are $1.50
Side by side
| BILL | Melio | |
|---|---|---|
| Brent score | 4.3 | 4.5 |
| Features | 4.6 | 4.4 |
| Ease of use | 4.2 | 4.7 |
| Value | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Support | 4.1 | 4.1 |
| Price | Spend & Expense $0; AP/AR from $49/user/month (USD) | Free plan; paid from $20/month (USD, billed annually) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | US small businesses paying dozens of vendor bills a month | US small businesses paying vendors by ACH or check today |
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Compared on Brent Technologies using the same scoring method for both products.