Melio vs Bill.com

Introduction

As a small business owner, you have a lot on your plate.  From managing your finances to servicing your clients, there are countless tasks to juggle on a daily basis.

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Having said that, one important aspect of running your small business that cannot be overlooked is choosing the right payment and invoicing software.  The right choice will streamline your financial processes and make your life easier.

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With so many options available, it can be tough to decide which platform is the best fit for your business and which one is trusted by others in your industry.   That’s where Melio and Bill.com come in. 

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These two platforms are popular choices among small business owners, but they have key differences that make them better suited to some businesses over others.  In this article, we’ll take a look at the features, benefits and drawbacks of each platform to help you make an informed decision. 

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An Overview of Melio and Bill

Melio

Melio.com

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Based in New York, Melio believes that by enabling more payment choices and simplifying the way businesses interact with one another, they can level the B2B commerce playing field and keep small businesses in business.

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With this in mind, they created a digital B2B payment platform that not only saves time but also improves cash flow. With Melio, you can choose exactly how you pay and get paid.  Melio has a growing community of small businesses that spend more time on their customer and less time on their accounting functions.

Bill.com

Bill.com

Bill.com’s mission is to make it simple to connect and do business.  They have made paper-based manual translation processing obsolete by transforming how their customers manage their cash flow. Their objective is to free up their customers to run their businesses. 

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They help companies to streamline their financial workflow, generate invoices and approve them online.  BILL has a leadership team with top-notch skills in automation and financial processes and uses this expertise to benefit its customers.  400 000 businesses use BILL to help automate their financial operations.

Snapshot of Melio and Bill.com Features

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Bill.com

Meliopayments.com

Entry Level - Pricing

$45 a month (Essentials package)

Free

Features

Batch processing, payment scheduling, automated workflow, self-service portals and mobile app, invoice payment, matching, tracking and reporting, notification of overdue payments, prevention of duplicate payments

Batch processing, payment scheduling, automated workflow, self-service portals and mobile app, invoice payment, matching, tracking and reporting, notification of overdue payments, prevention of duplicate payments

Integration

Wide range of accounting software and ERP systems

Quickbooks Online, MS Dynamics, Freshbooks

Security

PCI, P2PE, SSL Encryption, SOC, SOX

PCI, P2PE, SSL Encryption, SOC

Cloud storage

Yes

Yes

Interface 

SaaS/Web/Cloud/Mobile

SaaS/Web/Cloud/Mobile

Customer Support

Yes

Email and live chat

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 [1]

4.7 out of 5 [2]

Melio vs. Bill.com:  Detailed Comparison of Key Features

1. Automation of Data Entry

Melio makes it possible to upload your bills and invoices by taking a photo and creating a PDF or JPEG from it. Vendors can email invoices directly to your Melio address.  The bill is automatically read by Ai technology and payment is scheduled for your approval.

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BILL artificial intelligence will automatically capture and enter invoice information and then send it to you for review.  They have a special focus on automation, and their platform has powerful Ai and machine learning capabilities.

2. Dashboard

Melio provides an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface. From the dashboard, you can manage all your financial information. As a small business owner, this stops you from searching around for information which saves time and decreases mental effort.

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BILL allows you to see pending approvals, sent invoices, and payment activity at a glance.  This increases the control that you have over the accounting function and ensures that you miss nothing whilst you focus on your business.

3. Payable Features

Accounts payable software that allows you to integrate with your current software and automates the task of the accounts payable is a huge plus to increase efficiency. Recurring payments and the approval process are easily taken care of with both Melio and Bill.com

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With Melio, you can take a photo of your bill or invoice and sync it with your accounting software or send them directly to your Pay inbox. Then select a payment method and Melio will send you a bank transfer or a check. Manage all your approvals by setting up additional users with roles and permissions.  Further features are:

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• Pay multiple bills together
• Split one bill into more than 1 payment
• Make payments across borders

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Bill.com promises that you will spend 50% less time on paying bills with their platform. Their process has four steps:

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1. Capture using automated processes, including their mobile app 

2. Approve online with approval workflow

3. Pay using multiple payment methods across their vast network

4. Sync with your current system

4. Integrations

Melio syncs easily with QuickBooks Online, MS Dynamics 365 and Freshbooks.  They also planning integration with Xero in the coming months. Their website will guide you through the process of connecting your current software to theirs. 

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BILL syncs with top accounting software keeping your processes streamlined and speeding up reconciliation. Quickbooks, Sage Intacct, Oracle Netsuite and Xero, are just some of the software easily integrated with BILL.

Pexels

5. Payment Options

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Melio will help you to pay your bills with bank transfers for free.  You can also use a credit card there is no sign-up needed for your vendors. Melio will send your vendor a check within 5-7 business days and have a fast check option that cuts the time to 3 days. 

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With BILL, you can pay your vendors how you want to pay, including ACH, credit card, check, and international wire transfer. You can easily connect with the growing network BILL network, which has 4.7m members to date.

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6. Security

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Melio uses state-of-the-art cryptographic algorithms and is AIPCA SOC 2 compliant. PCI DSS certification protects your sensitive data, and all employees are trained to spot fraudulent transactions.

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BILL has multi-layered security that protects you against payment fraud and network security breaches.  They are AICPA SOC 2 compliant and HIPAA compliant.  They do not allow third-parties to issue payments on their behalf. 

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7. Claim to fame

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Melio’s website claims that companies that use their platform have reduced payment handling time by 90%, saved 8 hours of work per month on bill paying and spent 30% less time each year on audits. 

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Bill.com reports having 4.7 million network members and 400 000 customers that use their software. Among these customers, they have some top global companies. These companies report that they have digitized 19 000 payments, consolidated 39 locations on one system, and saved 50% of their time a week on accounts payable

Considerations Before Making a Final Decision

Here is a list of questions you can use to make a pros and cons list.  If you haven’t been able to make a final decision, this list can help. 

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• How easy will it be for you to purchase and start using the software?
• How many users need to access the system?
• Does the features of the software meet your list of needs?
• Will the software easily integrate with your current accounting software?
• Can you quickly and easily access your data?
• Is the platform safe and secure?
• What do the reviews of other customers say about the software?

Conclusion

According to small business reviewers, Melio suited their needs better than Bill.com.  It won the vote in setup, ease of use and administration.  It also scored better in ongoing innovation and future updates and features. Finally, the quality of the support received from Melio, rated higher than Bill.com

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Bill.com scored much higher in accounts payable automation.  The company has put a great deal of focus into improving this area of the software, and it's paid off.  They also scored high for customer support, yet reading the reviews, you get mixed reactions about the quality of the support.

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The industries that find Melio more suitable are accounting, marketing and advertising.  Whereas, Bill.com services accounting, non-profit, computing and financial services companies. 

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Try both platforms by signing up for a free trial.  You can also request a product demo to test specific functions. 

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Both platforms come highly recommended and with the information provided, you are well on your way to making a great choice.   

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Footnotes:

1. https://www.g2.com

2. https://www.g2.com