What is the difference between Forwardly and Melio?

Forwardly is a payments-first platform that automates both accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR) with faster payment options and transparent pricing. Melio focuses on AP automation and bill pay with basic AR tools and scheduled payment methods.

Is Forwardly a good alternative to Melio?

Yes. Forwardly is a strong alternative for businesses that want faster payment speeds, reduced manual work, and transparent pricing without monthly subscriptions.

Does Forwardly support both AP and AR like Melio?

Forwardly supports both AP and AR automation. Melio provides AP automation and bill pay, and offers basic tools for receivables, but does not emphasize full AR automation.

Which platform offers faster payments?

Forwardly offers instant, same-day, next-day, and standard payment speeds. Melio also offers faster payments that can take up to 30 minutes, and scheduled ACH or check payments may take multiple business days to settle.

Does Forwardly charge monthly fees like Melio?

No. Forwardly uses a pay-per-use pricing model with no monthly subscription fees. Melio may charge fees for certain payment types and features.

Which platform reduces more manual work?

Forwardly reduces manual work through automated AI bill capture, workflows, payment execution, and reconciliation across both AP and AR. Melio focuses mainly on simplifying AP tasks.

Melio Alternative for Business Bill Payments

The Melio alternative built for smarter business payments

Forwardly is the modern Melio alternative built for businesses that want faster payments, smarter AP and AR automation, real-time cash flow visibility, and lower payment costs, all while syncing seamlessly with accounting/ERP platform. Move money faster and manage payments with less manual work.

The modern upgrade from Melio Payments

Features	Melio	Forwardly
Monthly subscription fee	$0–$80/month
Standard ACH (3–5 business days)	5 free/month, then $0.50 each	10 free/month, then $0.50 each
Next-day ACH		1% (min $1, max $3)
Same-day ACH	1% ($75 max)	1% (min $1, max $4)
Instant bank transfer	1% ($75 max)	1% (min $1, max $5)
Card payment	2.9%	2.99% + $0.25 ⓘ Processing fee can be passed to clients
Free trial	30 days	30 days
White-glove client migration tool		ⓘ Book an onboarding call to get set up.
AR automation	Limited
AP automation (bill pay and approvals)
AI bill capture with dedicated bill inbox
Approval workflows	Higher plans only
ERP support for high-growth businesses
Works with multiple accounting platforms
Forwardly Business Network
Bulk payment actions	Higher plans only
Recurring invoice schedules
Per-payment audit trail
Unlimited users	Higher plans only
Custom roles and permissions	Higher plans only
Custom volume pricing	Custom pricing available	Enterprise Only

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With Forwardly, move money faster or instantly cut your costs

On Melio, moving a $500 payment there faster costs upto $75. On Forwardly, $5 gets it there instantly.

Payment type	Time to deliver	Your cost	Your savings after switching
Melio Subscription		$25–$80.00/month
Forwardly Subscription		$0.00	$300 to $960.00/year
Melio (Instant)	30 minutes	1% ($75 max)
Forwardly (Next-Day ACH)	1 business day	$3.00 max cap	No equivalent on Melio
Forwardly (Same-Day ACH)	Same business day	$4.00 max cap	Up to $71.00 + 1 bus. day
Forwardly (Instant)	60 seconds	$5.00 max cap	Up to $70.00 + 1 bus. day

All your data synced. Zero manual entry.

Connecting Forwardly takes minutes. Sync your account and your bills and invoices are ready to go. Speak with our team for specialized support and import existing customer payment agreements and vendor banking information; no extra paperwork, no disruption to your team.

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Sync with your books and save fees in real-time

Stay in your accounting platform

Your invoices and bills sync automatically. Nothing changes in how you use QuickBooks, Xero, or your ERP of choice.

Forwardly processes payments faster, for less

Forwardly handles instant payments, same-day ACH, and automated collections without the add-on fee.

Stay easily reconciled

Payments sync back to QuickBooks Online or Xero instantly in real-time. Your books stay clean without any extra work.

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Proof that better payments are possible

I've never had business payments transfer this fast. I have set up multiple clients for automatic payments, and so far, I’ve enjoyed being able to help my clients wait a little longer to pay their bills while still getting paid on time. My payments are fast (mostly same day with some instant). Forwardly team members are great to work with. I highly recommend it!

Catherine P.

Firm owner

The customer service is exceptional! Forwardly is easy to use and dependable. I have not had any major issues. I will continue using Forwardly for all of my client billing into the future as I expand my firm. I am very happy that I stumbled upon the company, and it has been a fantastic journey using them. Again, I will continue using them in the future. Cost is very much a savings and is overall better than the competitors. It was an easy decision to change to Forwardly.

Lisa A. Lewis

Owner, Money Matters Bookkeeping, LLC

Finally a payment platform that is great to use and doesn't sit on our hard earned cash for days, even weeks, on end. Maybe Forwardly can help kick-start the US banking system into actually supporting their customers and their businesses.

Jackie Anthony

Founder, AllCents Consulting

Forwardly is built for businesses that want to grow

Smart, AI-native bill pay

AP done in minutes. Capture invoices in real time, simplify approvals, schedule payments, and save time with touchless reconciliation.

90% less time on manual AR tasks

AI-driven automation handles invoice retrieval, payment initiation, reminders, and reconciliation so your team can focus on clients instead of collections.

Built for scale, not fixed fees

Pay no monthly subscription and lower fees per transaction, so costs scale with your usage, and not against it.

5x faster payments

Remove the payment delays that slow your team down. Instant transfers, same-day ACH, and next-day options, all in one place.

The all-in-one payment solution

Faster payment options

Get paid instantly with instant bank transfers, same-day ACH or earn rewards with credit card payments. Fast, flexible, and built for your business.

Advanced approval workflows with roles and permissions

Assign roles and permissions, set up approval workflows, and keep payments protected. Your team stays in control, and your sensitive data stays safe, risk-free and hassle-free.

Flexible payments

Split bills into partial payments, pay with credit cards, or schedule payments up to 90 days in advance, increasing financial flexibility for timely payments.

AI-powered bill capture and inbox

AI extracts key invoice details automatically, while your dedicated inbox keeps every bill in one place, ready for quick approval and payment.

Seamless accounting sync

Connect Forwardly with QuickBooks, Xero, Zoho Books, or FreshBooks for automatic invoice, bill, and payment updates; no manual entry, no reconciliation headaches.