Melio and Ramp offer distinct approaches to assist small businesses with achieving financial efficiency. Melio excels in simplifying accounts payable (A/R) processes and also offers a basic A/R solution while Ramp places its focus on optimizing expense management through corporate cards and expense tracking tools.
In our Ramp vs Melio comparison, we will explore the unique features of both platforms. This will allow you to make an informed choice that is tailored to your financial needs.
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Best For | Businesses seeking to track and pay bills as well as issue invoices and receive payments | Businesses that want to pay bills and manage expenses through the issuance of virtual credit cards with spending limits and detailed restrictions |
Monthly Platform Fee | $0 | $0 |
Distinctive Features |
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Short-term Financing | 30 days to 12 months | 30 to 90 days |
Audit Trails | ✕ | ✕ |
Approval Workflows | ✓ | ✓ |
Batch Payments | ✓ | ✕ |
Contract Negotiation | ✕ | ✓ |
Mobile App | iOS only | iOS and Android |
Payment in Multiple Currencies | ✕ | ✓ |
Vendor Portal | ✕ | ✓ |
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When To Use
Are you looking for accounting software for your small business? Our evaluation of the best small business accounting software discusses each solution’s pricing and features.
Ramp vs Melio: Pricing (Tie)
Melio | Ramp | |
|---|---|---|
Monthly Pricing | $0 | $0 |
Number of Users | Unlimited | Unlimited |
ePayment/Automated Clearing House (ACH) Transaction Fees | $0 | $0 |
Check Mailing Fee | $1.50 per check payment (first two checks per month are free) | N/A |
Invoice Mailing Fee | N/A | N/A |
Payment by Debit or Credit Card | 2.9% of payment (applies to payer) | $0 |
International Wire Transfer (Local Currency) | N/A | $20 flat fee with current exchange rates |
International Wire Transfer (USD) | $20 flat fee or 2.9% when paying with card | $20 flat fee |
Faster ACH Payments | 1% of payment (up to $30) for same-day delivery | $10 for same-day delivery |
Faster Check Payments | $20 flat fee within three business days | N/A |
Short-term Financing | Fee varies based on repayment terms | Fee varies based on repayment terms |
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Neither Melio nor Ramp charges a platform fee, and they both allow unlimited users. They also don’t charge ACH transaction fees. Melio will also mail checks for you for an additional fee of $1.50 per check while Ramp doesn’t offer this service. You can pay bills with a debit or credit card for free with Ramp. Melio allows you to pay with a credit card even if the vendor accepts only cash or check, but they charge a fee of 2.9%.
A major difference between Melio vs Ramp is that you can process international wire transfers in either USD or local currency with Ramp while Melio is restricted to USD only. Fees for faster ACH payments are also the same, but for same-day delivery of ACH payments, Melio’s fees are 1% of the payment up to $30 while Ramp charges $10.
Ramp vs Melio: Features (Tie)
Melio | Ramp | |
|---|---|---|
A/P and A/R Features | ✓ | ✕ |
Compatible Accounting Software | QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, and Business Central | QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, Sage, and NetSuite |
Approval Workflows | ✓ | ✓ |
International Payments | ✓ | ✓ |
Autocapture Receipts & Bills | ✓ | ✓ |
Corporate Card | ✕ | ✓ |
Payments in Multiple Currencies | ✕ | ✓ |
Audit Trails | ✕ | ✕ |
Mobile App | iOS only | iOS and Android |
Batch Payments | ✓ | ✕ |
Vendor Portal | ✕ | ✓ |
Short-term Financing | 30 days to 12 months | 30 to 90 days |
Contract Negotiation | ✕ | ✓ |
They both offer strong—albeit different—features, so we consider this category a tie. The best for your business is going to depend on the features most important to you. However, only Melio offers both A/R and A/P features while Ramp specializes in A/P and expense management tools like corporate cards and working capital with Ramp Flex, which provides payment extensions with 30-, 60-, or 90-day terms.
Both integrate with QuickBooks, Xero, and FreshBooks, but Melio is also compatible with Business Central, while Ramp also has integration with Sage and NetSuite. Also, they offer approval workflows, international payments, and autocapture of receipts and bills but only Ramp offers a vendor portal and a mobile app for both iOS and Android.
Another difference is that you can only process batch payments with Melio while only Ramp allows for payments in multiple currencies. Also, Ramp will help with contract negotiation while this feature isn’t offered with Melio.
Melio and Ramp have similar short-term financing programs. Ramp’s “Ramp Flex” and Melio’s “Pay-over-time” both allow you to finance vendor bills for a fixed percent of the bill. The fee will be higher for longer repayment terms. Ramp offers repayment terms from 30 to 90 days while Melio offers repayment terms up to 12 months.
Ramp vs Melio: A/P (Tie)
Melio | Ramp | |
|---|---|---|
Bill Approvals | ✓ | ✓ |
1099 Contractor Payments | ✓ | ✓ |
Automatic Bill Capture | ✓ | ✓ |
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) | ✓ | ✓ |
Mail Paper Checks | ✓ | ✕ |
Charge 2.9% Credit Card Fee to Customer | ✓ | ✕ |
A/P Aging Report | ✕ | ✓ |
Corporate Card | ✕ | ✓ |
Recurring Bills | ✓ | ✓ |
As with overall A/P features, we declare a tie in this category as both platforms have great features. The decision depends on whether you’re looking for a corporate card in addition to a traditional bill pay service.
Melio and Ramp are similar. Both systems allow you to import and pay bills electronically, although Melio gives you the additional option of mailing a paper check and passing the 2.9% fee to the customer if they decide to pay your invoice with a credit card.
The biggest advantage of using Ramp over Melio is that Ramp lets you issue and tightly control corporate cards so that employees can pay bills directly. It also lets you download an A/P aging report to forecast outflows and create and customize approval workflows.
Ramp vs Melio: A/R (Melio Wins)
Melio | Ramp | |
|---|---|---|
Invoice Customization | ✕ | N/A |
Recurring Invoices | ✓ | N/A |
Create & Send Invoices | ✓ | N/A |
Sales Tax Tracking | ✕ | N/A |
Melio is the clear winner here because Ramp doesn’t offer A/R features while Melio allows you to create and send either one-time or recurring invoices. While Melio doesn’t let you customize invoices, you can upload a logo and create a payment link for customers.
Ramp vs Melio: Ease of Use (Tie)
Melio | Ramp | |
|---|---|---|
Overall Ease of Use | Easy | Easy |
Accessibility | Cloud | Cloud |
Online Help Section | ✓ | ✓ |
User-friendly Dashboard | ✓ | ✓ |
When we compare Melio vs Ramp for ease of use, we get a tie. Both are cloud-based platforms that are easy to use, with an intuitive user interface. They also both provide an extensive online help section.
Ramp vs Melio: Mobile App (Ramp Wins)
Melio | Ramp | |
|---|---|---|
Accessibility | iOS only | ✓ |
Invoice Customers | ✕ | ✕ |
Send Estimates & Sales Receipts | ✕ | ✕ |
Pay Bills | ✓ | ✓ |
Virtual Card Management | ✕ | ✓ |
Bill/Receipt Scanning | ✕ | ✓ |
Submit Reimbursements | ✕ | ✓ |
Automated Workflows | ✓ | ✓ |
Ramp’s mobile app is much more robust than Melio’s, which is limited to iOS users only. While both providers offer bill payments and allow for automated workflows, Ramp’s additional features include virtual card management, bill and receipt scanning, and the ability to submit expense reimbursements. It is because of these additional features that we consider Ramp the winner in this category.
Melio vs Ramp: Customer Support (Melio Wins)
Melio | Ramp | |
|---|---|---|
Customer Support Hours | Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time | N/A |
Community Support | ✕ | ✕ |
Email Support | ✓ | ✓ |
Live Chat Support | ✓ | ✕ |
Phone Support | ✕ | ✕ |
Searchable Knowledge Base | ✓ | ✓ |
Online Help Resources | ✓ | ✓ |
Neither Melio nor Ramp offers phone support, and Ramp’s customer support is limited to email via a form on its website. Melio offers both email and live chat support, and it provides reasonable customer support hours during the week, which is why we consider it the winner in this category. Both also offer a searchable knowledge base and online help resources, although community support is unavailable.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, Ramp Bill Pay, which is A/P software fully integrated into the Ramp platform, enables you to automate bill entries, approvals, and payments. You can pay bills with ACH, card, check, or international wire.
Yes, Melio integrates with QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, and Business Central.
Ramp’s corporate card is known for its spending controls, which allow businesses to set custom limits and restrictions on employee spending. There are no fees to use the card, and it offers up to 1.5% cashback on purchases.
There are some exceptions to what you can pay with Melio, which include payments from prepaid cards, personal payments, payroll transactions, balance transfers, cash advances, pharmaceuticals, and flammables or explosives.
Bottom Line
Melio is an excellent solution for streamlining accounts payable, simplifying vendor payments, and digitizing bill management. Ramp, on the other hand, offers robust expense management tools, making it an ideal choice for businesses seeking to manage employee spending and enhance financial control. To select the best platform, you must assess your financial priorities and weigh them against the features offered by Melio and Ramp.
