FreshBooks vs Melio
FreshBooks
Cloud accounting and invoicing for freelancers and small businesses
From$23/mo
LiteVerified Sep 26, 2026
Melio
Free ACH bill pay and vendor payments for small businesses
How they differ
| Feature | FreshBooks | Melio |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $23/moLite | Check price on vendor site |
| Free plan | Not stated | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Not stated |
| Invoicing & payments | ||
| Accounting & bookkeeping | — | |
| Suits | plumbers, HVAC companies, electricians, roofers, landscapers | plumbers, HVAC companies, electricians, roofers, landscapers |
We don't have a verified price for both FreshBooks and Melio yet, so we can't chart the cost by team size. Check each vendor's pricing page.
FreshBooks
Strengths
- 30-day free trial with no credit card required
- Three published monthly tiers, from Lite to Premium
- Promotional discounted pricing available for new subscribers
Drawbacks
- Regular (non-promotional) pricing is noticeably higher than the introductory rate
- Top Select tier is custom/quote-only
Melio
Strengths
- Free ACH bank transfer payments to vendors
- Syncs payment records into QuickBooks and Xero
- Card payments available for vendors who don't accept ACH
Drawbacks
- Exact plan names and tier pricing were unclear on the current pricing page
- Card payments carry a processing fee on top of the free ACH option
Frequently asked questions
What do FreshBooks and Melio have in common?
Both cover invoicing & payments.
Which is cheaper, FreshBooks or Melio?
We can only answer that with prices verified on both vendors' pricing pages, and we don't have that for Melio right now. Check the vendor sites for current prices.