Accounting · head to head
Melio vs Spendbase
Spendbase
Accounting
SaaS and cloud spend management that charges a share of the savings it finds rather than a licence
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Melio card payments incur flat 2.9% fee on all plans; Spendbase charging a share of savings gives the vendor an interest in defining savings generously, and the customer cannot verify a counterfactual price it never saw.
- They diverge on capability: Melio covers Vendor payments, Spendbase covers Subscription visibility.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Melio and Spendbase actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Melio
- Vendor payments
- Card to check
- Payment scheduling
- Approval workflows
- QuickBooks sync
- QuickBooks
- Xero
- FreshBooks
Only in Spendbase
- Subscription visibility
- Discount marketplace
- Virtual cards
- Cashback
- Renewal management
- Savings-share billing
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Melio
- Accounts payable automationnot Spendbase
- Bill management and payment schedulingnot Spendbase
- Multi-vendor payment processingnot Spendbase
- Invoice receivables and payment collectionnot Spendbase
Spendbase
- A startup with no procurement function that wants renewal dates and subscription owners in one placenot Melio
- A company with heavy Azure or cloud spend that can use pre-negotiated credit allocationsnot Melio
- Issuing virtual cards per subscription so a forgotten trial cannot renew silentlynot Melio
- A finance lead who wants software cost reduction without hiring anyone to do itnot Melio
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Spendbase
- Charging a share of savings gives the vendor an interest in defining savings generously, and the customer cannot verify a counterfactual price it never saw.
- The savings share is reported at around 25 percent but is not published on the pricing page, so the actual commercial terms only appear in a contract.
- Spendbase is both a banking provider and your software negotiator, so a company using both concentrates operating cash and vendor relationships in one small, young company.
- Banking is delivered through partners rather than held directly, meaning deposit protection and service continuity depend on those partners rather than on Spendbase.
- It is scoped for startups and small companies, so organisations needing approval workflows, purchase orders or ERP integration will find it thin against a real procurement platform.
Pricing, plan by plan
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
- $64/month with annual billing
- NetSuite sync
Spendbase
Free- Digital bankingFree
- No monthly fee per user
- Up to 100 virtual cards
- EUR and GBP account details
- Spend management$undefined/year
- Everything in the free tier
- Reported share of roughly 25 percent of savings achieved
- 200 percent return guarantee against a deposit
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.
Choose Spendbase if
- You need subscription visibility.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want discount marketplace.
Questions people ask
- Is Melio or Spendbase better?
- Neither clearly leads. Melio starts at Free and Spendbase at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Melio or Spendbase?
- Melio starts at Free and Spendbase at Free.
- Does Melio or Spendbase run on more platforms?
- Melio runs on Web, Mobile app. Spendbase runs on Web.
- Can I use Melio for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Spendbase is typically brought in for.
- What can Melio do that Spendbase cannot?
- Melio covers Vendor payments, Card to check, Payment scheduling, Approval workflows. Spendbase covers Subscription visibility, Discount marketplace, Virtual cards, Cashback.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
SourceSpendbase: Is Spendbase free?
The card and banking tier is genuinely free with no per-user fee. The spend management service is paid from a share of the savings it finds, reported at around 25 percent.
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%.
SourceSpendbase: How is a saving calculated?
The methodology is not published. Agree the baseline, the measurement period and what counts as a saving in writing before signing.
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.
SourceSpendbase: Does Spendbase hold my money?
Banking is provided through regulated partners including Moorwand in the UK and EEA and Sutton Bank in the US, with Mastercard issuing the cards.
Spendbase: Is it suitable for an enterprise?
No. There are no purchase orders, approval hierarchies or ERP integration; it is built for startups.
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