APIs · head to head
Basis Theory vs Melio
Basis Theory
APIs
Developer tokenisation platform that holds card and sensitive data inside a PCI Level 1 environment you do not operate
- From
- $995/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Melio has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Basis Theory the Starter plan is 995 US dollars a month before any volume, which is a real floor for an early stage company and puts the product out of reach of teams tokenising a few thousand records.; Melio card payments incur flat 2.9% fee on all plans
- They diverge on capability: Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API, Melio covers Vendor payments.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Basis Theory and Melio actually diverge.
| Attribute | Basis Theory | Melio |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $995/month | Free |
| Pricing model | Per month by token volume | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, Linux | Web, Mobile app |
| Category | APIs | Accounting |
| Founded | Unknown | 2018 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Basis Theory
- Tokenisation API
- Hosted elements
- Outbound proxy
- PCI attestation of compliance
- Processor portability
- Reactors
- Access controls and audit
- PII and PHI options
Only in Melio
- Vendor payments
- Card to check
- Payment scheduling
- Approval workflows
- QuickBooks sync
- QuickBooks
- Xero
- FreshBooks
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Basis Theory
- A payments company that wants card on file without bringing its own infrastructure into PCI scope and paying for the assessment that followsnot Melio
- A merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirernot Melio
- A fintech collecting bank account and identity data that needs it isolated from its application database before an enterprise security reviewnot Melio
- A team that needs to send stored card data to a third party for a one-off integration without that data traversing its own serversnot Melio
Melio
- Accounts payable automationnot Basis Theory
- Bill management and payment schedulingnot Basis Theory
- Multi-vendor payment processingnot Basis Theory
- Invoice receivables and payment collectionnot Basis Theory
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Basis Theory
- The Starter plan is 995 US dollars a month before any volume, which is a real floor for an early stage company and puts the product out of reach of teams tokenising a few thousand records.
- Starter is limited to the US region, so a company with European data residency requirements is pushed into a quoted Scale or Enterprise agreement immediately.
- Log retention on Starter is 24 hours, which is well below what most security teams expect for a system holding cardholder data and forces an upgrade for reasons unrelated to volume.
- Migrating away means moving card data out of the vault, which requires processor and assessor involvement and is slow, so the portability argument that attracts buyers cuts against them at exit.
- An attestation of compliance covers the vendor environment, not your assessment; your assessor still decides what is in scope, and buyers occasionally discover their integration pattern pulled systems back into scope anyway.
Melio
- Card payments incur flat 2.9% fee on all plans
- International payments charged $20 flat fee or 2.9% conversion rate plus international fees
- Paper checks cost $1.50 per check
- Wire transfers cost $10 standard or up to 1% plus $10 for same-day processing
- Core and Boost plans charged $10/month per additional user beyond base
Pricing, plan by plan
Basis Theory
$995/month- Starter$995/month
- 20,000 tokens included
- Production PCI Level 1 environment
- US region only
- Scale$undefined/month
- Quoted
- Higher token volumes
- Additional regions
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Quoted
- Additional compliance options for PII and PHI
- Responses for 95 percent of PCI SAQ D
Melio
Free- GoFree
- 5 free ACH payments per month
- Pay by card, wire, or check
- Basic invoicing
- Core$25/month
- 20 free ACH payments per month
- $20/month with annual billing
- QuickBooks Online and Xero sync
- Boost$55/month
- 50 free ACH payments per month
- $44/month with annual billing
- QuickBooks Desktop sync
- Unlimited$80/month
- Unlimited free ACH payments
- $64/month with annual billing
- NetSuite sync
Which should you pick?
Choose Basis Theory if
- You need tokenisation api.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
- You also want hosted elements.
Choose Melio if
- You need vendor payments.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile app.
- You also want card to check.
Questions people ask
- Is Basis Theory or Melio better?
- Neither clearly leads. Basis Theory starts at $995/month and Melio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Basis Theory or Melio?
- Melio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $995/month for Basis Theory and Free for Melio.
- Does Basis Theory or Melio run on more platforms?
- Basis Theory runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux. Melio runs on Web, Mobile app.
- Can I use Melio for free?
- Yes. Melio has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Basis Theory starts at $995/month.
- What is Basis Theory best used for?
- Basis Theory is most often used for a payments company that wants card on file without bringing its own infrastructure into pci scope and paying for the assessment that follows, a merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirer, a fintech collecting bank account and identity data that needs it isolated from its application database before an enterprise security review, a team that needs to send stored card data to a third party for a one-off integration without that data traversing its own servers. Of those, a payments company that wants card on file without bringing its own infrastructure into pci scope and paying for the assessment that follows and a merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirer are not what Melio is typically brought in for.
- What can Basis Theory do that Melio cannot?
- Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API, Hosted elements, Outbound proxy, PCI attestation of compliance. Melio covers Vendor payments, Card to check, Payment scheduling, Approval workflows.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Basis Theory: Does this make us PCI compliant?
It removes cardholder data from your systems and gives you an AOC plus documented responses for most of a SAQ D. Your assessor still determines your scope, and a careless integration can pull systems back in.
Melio: What does Melio charge for ACH payments?
Melio's free Go tier includes 5 free ACH payments per month. Core tier provides 20 free ACH payments per month at $25/month. Boost offers 50 free ACH payments at $55/month. Unlimited tier at $80/month includes unlimited free ACH payments.
SourceBasis Theory: What does it cost to start?
995 US dollars a month on Starter, including 20,000 tokens, a production PCI Level 1 environment and US hosting. Higher tiers are quoted.
Melio: Does Melio charge fees for card payments?
Yes, Melio charges a flat 2.9% fee on all card payments. International card payments also include currency conversion charges and international fees beyond the base 2.9%.
SourceBasis Theory: Can we switch payment processors without re-collecting cards?
Yes, that is the main non-compliance reason to buy it. You hold the tokens and detokenise into whichever processor you route to.
Melio: Can I use Melio for free?
Yes, Melio's free Go tier allows 5 free ACH payments per month with no subscription cost. Users can pay by card, wire, or check and access basic invoicing and payment link features.
SourceBasis Theory: Is data stored outside the United States?
Not on Starter, which is US only. Other regions require a Scale or Enterprise agreement.
Related pages
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