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Software · head to head

Melio vs BlackLine

Melio logo

Melio

Software

Simple business payments

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
BlackLine logo

BlackLine

Software

Finance & accounting automation

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Melio has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Melio go (free) plan limited to one user only; BlackLine listed on UK G-Cloud 13 at £1,150 to £2,160 per user per year for the public sector, with no free trial offered, per BlackLine's Finance Operations Management Solution pricing document
  • They diverge on capability: Melio covers Vendor payments, BlackLine covers Account reconciliation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Melio and BlackLine actually diverge.

Attributes where Melio and BlackLine differ
AttributeMelioBlackLine
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile appWeb
Founded20182001

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

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 Melio

  • Vendor payments
  • Card to check
  • Payment scheduling
  • Approval workflows
  • QuickBooks sync
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero
  • FreshBooks

Only in BlackLine

  • Account reconciliation
  • Journal entries
  • Task management
  • Variance analysis
  • Financial close
  • SAP
  • Oracle
  • NetSuite

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Melio

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

BlackLine

  • Financial closenot Melio
  • Reconciliationnot Melio
  • Continuous accountingnot Melio

Where each one falls short

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

Melio

  • Go (free) plan limited to one user only
  • ACH charges £0.50 per transaction beyond monthly allowance (5-50 free depending on plan)
  • Card payment fees range from 2.9% to 2.9% plus £75 maximum
  • International payments limited to select currencies only
  • NetSuite integration only available in Unlimited plan (£80/month minimum)

BlackLine

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud 13 at £1,150 to £2,160 per user per year for the public sector, with no free trial offered, per BlackLine's Finance Operations Management Solution pricing document

Pricing, plan by plan

Melio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Melio review.

BlackLine

$29/month
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Custom pricing
    • Account reconciliation
    • Task management

Which should you pick?

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

Choose BlackLine if

  • You need account reconciliation.
  • You also want journal entries.
BlackLine review

Questions people ask

Is Melio or BlackLine better?
Neither clearly leads. Melio starts at Free and BlackLine at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Melio or BlackLine?
Melio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Melio and $29/month for BlackLine.
Does Melio or BlackLine run on more platforms?
Melio runs on Web, Mobile app. BlackLine runs on Web.
Can I use Melio for free?
Yes. Melio has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. BlackLine starts at $29/month.
What is Melio best used for?
Melio is most often used for accounts payable automation, bill management and payment scheduling, multi-vendor payment processing, invoice receivables and payment collection. Of those, accounts payable automation and bill management and payment scheduling are not what BlackLine is typically brought in for.
What can Melio do that BlackLine cannot?
Melio covers Vendor payments, Card to check, Payment scheduling, Approval workflows. BlackLine covers Account reconciliation, Journal entries, Task management, Variance analysis. Both handle Web support.
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