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Accounting · head to head

Medius Expense vs Melio

Medius Expense logo

Medius Expense

Accounting

Expense management, formerly Expensya, now the expense module of the Medius spend platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Melio logo

Melio

Accounting

Simple business payments

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Melio has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Medius Expense the Expensya name is being retired, so contracts, logins and support articles change identity mid-relationship and internal documentation has to be rewritten.; Melio card payments incur flat 2.9% fee on all plans
  • They diverge on capability: Medius Expense covers Receipt OCR, Melio covers Vendor payments.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Medius Expense and Melio actually diverge.

Attributes where Medius Expense and Melio differ
AttributeMedius ExpenseMelio
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile app
FoundedUnknown2018

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Accounting).

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 Medius Expense

  • Receipt OCR
  • Mileage and per diem
  • VAT recovery
  • Card reconciliation
  • AP suite integration

Only in Melio

  • Vendor payments
  • Card to check
  • Payment scheduling
  • QuickBooks sync
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero
  • FreshBooks
  • SOC 2

Both cover

  • Approval workflows

What people use each for

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

Medius Expense

  • A French or Spanish employer needing VAT-compliant receipt capture in local formats and languagesnot Melio
  • A company already running Medius for supplier invoices that wants employee spend on the same platformnot Melio
  • A finance team with heavy mileage claims needing statutory rates applied without spreadsheetsnot Melio
  • A group consolidating several country expense tools into one European platformnot Melio

Melio

  • Accounts payable automationnot Medius Expense
  • Bill management and payment schedulingnot Medius Expense
  • Multi-vendor payment processingnot Medius Expense
  • Invoice receivables and payment collectionnot Medius Expense

Where each one falls short

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

Medius Expense

  • The Expensya name is being retired, so contracts, logins and support articles change identity mid-relationship and internal documentation has to be rewritten.
  • It is now a module inside an accounts payable suite, so expense-specific roadmap items compete with supplier invoice work for engineering time.
  • Pricing is not published and is discounted against bundling with Medius AP, which makes standalone expense quotes less competitive than they look.
  • Strength is concentrated in Europe and the Maghreb; North American and Asian tax and mileage handling are thinner than the European coverage.
  • It does not issue cards, so real-time spend controls are absent and it relies on card feed reconciliation after the fact.

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

Medius Expense

On request
  • Medius Expense$undefined/year
    • Per-user subscription, quoted not published
    • Tiering by feature set and entity count
    • Implementation and OCR configuration fees

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 Medius Expense if

  • You need receipt ocr.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want mileage and per diem.
Medius Expense review

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.
Melio review

Questions people ask

Is Medius Expense or Melio better?
Neither clearly leads. Medius Expense starts at On request and Melio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Medius Expense or Melio?
Melio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Medius Expense and Free for Melio.
Does Medius Expense or Melio run on more platforms?
Medius Expense runs on Web, iOS, Android. 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. Medius Expense starts at On request.
What is Medius Expense best used for?
Medius Expense is most often used for a french or spanish employer needing vat-compliant receipt capture in local formats and languages, a company already running medius for supplier invoices that wants employee spend on the same platform, a finance team with heavy mileage claims needing statutory rates applied without spreadsheets, a group consolidating several country expense tools into one european platform. Of those, a french or spanish employer needing vat-compliant receipt capture in local formats and languages and a company already running medius for supplier invoices that wants employee spend on the same platform are not what Melio is typically brought in for.
What can Medius Expense do that Melio cannot?
Medius Expense covers Receipt OCR, Mileage and per diem, VAT recovery, Card reconciliation. Melio covers Vendor payments, Card to check, Payment scheduling, QuickBooks sync. Both handle Approval workflows.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Medius Expense: Is Expensya still available?

Under that name, no. The product continues as Medius Expense, with the branding cutover on 30 September 2026 and no change to features or data.

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.

Source
Medius Expense: Do I have to buy Medius AP as well?

No, but the commercial terms improve materially if you do, which is worth testing during negotiation.

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%.

Source
Medius Expense: Does it issue corporate cards?

No. It reconciles existing card feeds rather than issuing its own cards.

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.

Source
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