Softwr

Accounting · head to head

Bill.com vs PayPal

Bill.com logo

Bill.com

Accounting

Automate your financial workflows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PayPal logo

PayPal

Personal Finance

The simpler, safer way to pay and get paid

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bill.com has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bill.com limited customization of approval workflows and user permissions for complex business needs; PayPal currency conversion on international purchases and sends carries a 4.00 percent fee, and 3.00 percent in other conversion scenarios
  • They diverge on capability: Bill.com covers AP automation, PayPal covers PayPal Checkout.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bill.com and PayPal actually diverge.

Attributes where Bill.com and PayPal differ
AttributeBill.comPayPal
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryAccountingPersonal Finance
Founded20061998

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 Bill.com

  • AP automation
  • AR automation
  • Approval workflows
  • Document management
  • Vendor management
  • Cash flow insights
  • Mobile approvals
  • QuickBooks

Only in PayPal

  • PayPal Checkout
  • Invoicing
  • Business debit card
  • Working capital loans
  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce
  • BigCommerce
  • PCI DSS

Both cover

  • Payment processing
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Bill.com

  • Invoice processingnot PayPal
  • Bill paymentsnot PayPal
  • Vendor paymentsnot PayPal
  • Cash flow managementnot PayPal
  • Financial automationnot PayPal

PayPal

  • Paying online merchants without sharing card detailsnot Bill.com
  • Sending money to friends and family domestically and internationallynot Bill.com
  • Holding balances in multiple currencies for cross border purchasesnot Bill.com

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bill.com

  • Limited customization of approval workflows and user permissions for complex business needs
  • Limited international payment capabilities compared to specialists like Tipalti
  • Customer support response times are slow, with agents often lacking product expertise

PayPal

  • Currency conversion on international purchases and sends carries a 4.00 percent fee, and 3.00 percent in other conversion scenarios
  • Instant transfer to a bank or debit card costs 1.75 percent of the amount, with a minimum of 0.25 USD and a maximum of 25.00 USD
  • International personal transactions carry a 5.00 percent fee regardless of payment method, with a minimum of 0.99 USD and a maximum of 4.99 USD
  • Sending domestic personal payments funded by a credit card costs 2.90 percent plus a fixed fee of 0.49 USD
  • Instant transfers are capped at 25,000.00 USD per transaction

Pricing, plan by plan

Bill.com

Free
  • Essentials$49/month
    • Core AP and AR functionality
    • Manual CSV import/export
  • Team$65/month
    • Automatic 2-way sync with QuickBooks Online, Xero
  • Corporate$89/month
    • Procurement features
    • Custom approval policies
    • Sync with NetSuite, Dynamics

PayPal

$29/month
  • Standard$2.99/transaction
    • Card payments
    • PayPal checkout
    • Invoice payments

Which should you pick?

Choose Bill.com if

  • You need ap automation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want ar automation.
Bill.com review

Choose PayPal if

  • You need paypal checkout.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want invoicing.
PayPal review

Questions people ask

Is Bill.com or PayPal better?
Neither clearly leads. Bill.com starts at Free and PayPal at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bill.com or PayPal?
Bill.com has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bill.com and $29/month for PayPal.
Does Bill.com or PayPal run on more platforms?
Bill.com runs on Web. PayPal runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Bill.com for free?
Yes. Bill.com has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PayPal starts at $29/month.
What is Bill.com best used for?
Bill.com is most often used for invoice processing, bill payments, vendor payments, cash flow management. Of those, invoice processing and bill payments are not what PayPal is typically brought in for.
What can Bill.com do that PayPal cannot?
Bill.com covers AP automation, AR automation, Approval workflows, Document management. PayPal covers PayPal Checkout, Invoicing, Business debit card, Working capital loans. Both handle Payment processing, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bill.com: What payment methods does Bill.com support?

Bill.com supports ACH transfers, checks, corporate cards, and international transfers. ACH payments cost $0.59 per transaction, checks cost $1.99, and card payments incur a 2.9% fee.

Source
PayPal: Does PayPal charge fees and when do they apply?

PayPal states that fees apply when converting currency and sending money to accounts in another country. Specific fee amounts are not disclosed on the homepage but are referenced in their published fee schedule.

Source
Bill.com: Does Bill.com offer a free tier?

Yes. Bill.com offers a free Spend & Expense plan for access to credit lines from $1,000-$5M with corporate cards, budgets, and expense tracking.

Source
PayPal: Is there a subscription cost to use PayPal's basic services?

No subscription fees are mentioned on the homepage. PayPal operates on a transaction-based fee structure for money transfers and payments rather than recurring charges.

Source
Bill.com: Which accounting systems does Bill.com integrate with?

Bill.com integrates with QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Enterprise, Oracle NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Microsoft Dynamics, and Xero, with automatic two-way syncing on most plans.

Source
PayPal: Are there restrictions on when I can use buyer protection?

PayPal offers buyer protection for eligible purchases, but coverage limitations exist. A user agreement sets the specific conditions for protection eligibility.

Source
PayPal: What payment methods can I link to PayPal?

PayPal's digital wallet allows storage of multiple payment methods and can be used for secure money transfers, payment requests, and checkout at major retailers.

Source
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