Medius and ApprovalMax both bring automation and control to finance workflows, but the scope and structure of the two platforms differ. We look at the areas where they compete directly, the features that sit outside that overlap, and the differences finance teams are likely to notice in practice.
ApprovalMax brings invoice capture, purchasing, matching, approvals and payments into a connected AP process for businesses using Xero, QuickBooks Online or NetSuite. Medius also automates AP, sold as separate applications within a wider spend suite. ApprovalMax prices its Xero and QuickBooks Online plans per organisation, with additional organisations available as you grow.
Bring supplier invoices and their supporting decisions together, with clear responsibility from purchase request through payment.
Key takeaways
- ApprovalMax has fixed Xero and QuickBooks Online plan prices from US$50 per organisation per month and a free trial; Medius requires a custom quote and offers demonstrations.
- Medius AP Essentials covers one entity and AP 360 covers three, while ApprovalMax prices per organisation.
- Medius supports multi-way matching against orders, receipts or contracts, broader than bill-to-PO matching for service-based spend.
- Both include unlimited users, so approver headcount alone does not favour either offer.
ApprovalMax vs Medius at a glance
| |
ApprovalMax |
Medius |
| Invoice capture |
ApprovalMax Capture reads supplier invoices automatically, which reduces manual entry. Included in current Xero and QuickBooks Online plans. |
Automated invoice capture and processing |
| Purchasing before spending |
Raise and approve purchase orders before a supplier starts work, so nothing arrives unannounced. Included from Standard on Xero and QuickBooks Online. |
Procurement offered as an additional application |
| Invoice checks and matching |
Check the bill against what you agreed to buy and catch differences before payment. Bill-to-PO matching and budget checks on Advanced and Premium; three-way matching on NetSuite. |
Multi-way matching against orders, receipts or contracts |
| Approval speed and flexibility |
Independent reviewers approve at the same time instead of queueing, with substitutes and reminders so absence never stalls a bill. |
Invoice processing and approval within the AP product |
| Supplier payments |
ApprovalMax Pay sends approved bills in 35 currencies across 150+ countries, in batches of up to 200. Available to UK businesses using Xero. |
Payments offered as a separate application |
| Customer invoicing |
Create, approve and send customer invoices on every plan, so errors are caught before a client sees them. Sales quotes, and invoicing from an approved quote, on Xero Advanced and Premium. |
Focused on payables and procurement |
| Accounting integrations |
Xero, QuickBooks Online and NetSuite, each with its own product and document coverage. |
Certified hybrid SuiteApp for NetSuite and OneWorld |
| Pricing and included participation |
From US$50 per organisation per month billed yearly (Standard Small, Xero and QuickBooks Online, excluding tax), with unlimited active approvers. Overage limits apply (rates). NetSuite quoted separately. |
AP Essentials (one entity) and AP 360 (three entities), quoted; unlimited users |
Product and pricing sources: ApprovalMax Xero plans; ApprovalMax QuickBooks Online plans; ApprovalMax NetSuite scope; Medius product and package scope; Medius AP automation; Medius NetSuite integration.
What is the difference between ApprovalMax and Medius?
ApprovalMax connects invoice capture, purchasing, checks, approvals and payments, with customer-invoice workflows alongside AP. Medius combines AP automation with separate applications for wider spend requirements.
ApprovalMax prices by organisation, plan and approved-document allowance, with a 14-day trial. Medius prices its configuration by quote; AP Essentials includes one entity and AP 360 includes three.
How do approval workflows compare?
ApprovalMax supports multiple approval steps in sequence or in parallel, with conditions such as amount, supplier and department. Medius handles invoice processing and approval within its AP product.
The test a generic "multi-level approvals" label cannot settle is whether your team can explain and maintain the rule applying to each request. A routine renewal below £2,000 in one entity might need the service owner and department manager; the same renewal above £2,000 adds the finance director; in a second entity it needs the local general manager and a finance reviewer instead. ApprovalMax expresses those as conditions on the fields its accounting connection supports.
ApprovalMax Advanced and Premium include a Review step for Xero and QuickBooks Online, so accounting details can be checked before formal approval begins. The Xero offer also includes Editing on Approval, allowing authorised corrections during review. This helps finance resolve coding issues before final sign-off.
ApprovalMax has dedicated products for Xero, QuickBooks Online and NetSuite. Medius supports a certified hybrid SuiteApp compatible with NetSuite and OneWorld.
ApprovalMax's NetSuite product also covers journals, sales orders and customer invoices, keeping more financial decisions in one application. Medius integrates with NetSuite and OneWorld.
ApprovalMax has dedicated Xero and QuickBooks Online products with clear plan choices, included Capture and unlimited approvers.
How do purchase orders and matching compare?
ApprovalMax includes purchase order workflows in its Xero and QuickBooks Online feature plans, with bill-to-PO matching on Advanced and Premium and three-way matching available for NetSuite. Medius supports multi-way matching, checking invoice lines against orders, receipts or contracts.
Medius can match invoice lines against contracts. In ApprovalMax, finance can route a service invoice to the person responsible for confirming delivery and keep that decision with the bill. For a three-milestone £18,000 project, a £9,000 first invoice needs an explanation against the agreed schedule before payment.
On NetSuite, ApprovalMax's three-way matching checks the bill, PO and recorded receipt. The approved PO records the original commitment; matching helps finance check the subsequent charge and delivery.
How does invoice capture compare?
Both automate invoice capture. ApprovalMax Capture is included from Standard on Xero and QuickBooks Online, reducing manual entry within the same subscription as bill and PO approvals.
How do supplier payments compare?
Medius offers payments as a separate application. ApprovalMax Pay sends approved bills in 35 currencies across 150+ countries in batches of up to 200, available to UK businesses using Xero.
What audit trail does each leave?
ApprovalMax provides approval history and audit reporting, with an Auditor role and monitoring functions depending on the connected platform and configuration. Medius holds invoice and approval records within its AP product.
ApprovalMax keeps the document, reviewers, decisions and explanations together. Finance can answer an audit question about a supplier bill or another supported record without reconstructing the approval history.
ApprovalMax vs Medius pricing
ApprovalMax has fixed Xero and QuickBooks Online plan prices; Medius requests a custom quote. ApprovalMax Standard Small starts at US$50 per organisation per month billed yearly, or US$60 billed monthly, excluding tax, with unlimited active approvers at every Xero/QBO size.
Size follows document volume: Small includes 100 approved documents per month, Medium 300 and Large 500, with annual billing pooling 12 times the monthly allowance. Standard covers multi-step approval rules, bill and purchase-order workflows, accounting sync and ApprovalMax Capture; Advanced and Premium add bill-to-PO matching and budget checking. ApprovalMax for NetSuite is quoted separately and its subscription price is available by quote.
Medius offers AP Essentials and AP 360, both with unlimited users, covering one entity and three entities respectively. Since both products include unlimited users, entity structure and document volume, not approver headcount, are what actually move the cost. ApprovalMax prices per organisation. Each additional organisation therefore belongs in the subscription total, even when approvers are included.
Try ApprovalMax free for 14 days to see its approval workflow with your team.
Which should you choose?
Choose ApprovalMax if:
- Xero or QuickBooks Online is your ledger and approval control is the project.
- You want to run your own invoices in ApprovalMax before subscribing.
- Your entity count exceeds what a fixed AP package covers.
- Journals, sales invoices or sales orders need the same approval discipline as bills.
- Accounting details should be corrected before authorisation completes.
Medius may suit if:
- Service and contract spend dominates and you need invoice lines matched against contracts, not just orders and receipts.
- Sourcing, supplier onboarding and expenses belong in the same suite as AP.
Choose ApprovalMax to connect supplier invoice processing, purchasing and payment decisions, with customer-invoice workflows in the same platform and a 14-day trial.
ApprovalMax vs Medius FAQs
Is ApprovalMax an alternative to Medius?
Yes. ApprovalMax connects invoice capture, purchasing, checks, approvals and payments with Xero, QuickBooks Online and NetSuite, and also supports customer invoicing. Medius combines AP automation with wider spend applications. ApprovalMax's Xero and QuickBooks Online plans include Capture and unlimited approvers.
Do both products work with NetSuite?
Yes. Medius supports a certified hybrid SuiteApp compatible with NetSuite and OneWorld. ApprovalMax has a dedicated NetSuite product, separately quoted, whose plan explicitly covers journals, sales orders and customer invoices alongside bills and purchase orders, with three-way matching included.
Can ApprovalMax approve purchase orders?
Yes. Purchase order workflows are included in the ApprovalMax Xero and QuickBooks Online feature plans, letting staff obtain approval for a commitment before the order reaches the supplier. Bill-to-PO matching is available on Advanced and Premium, with three-way matching available for NetSuite.
Does ApprovalMax support invoice matching?
Yes. Bill-to-PO matching is available on Advanced and Premium for Xero and QuickBooks Online, and three-way matching of bills, purchase orders and receipts is available for NetSuite. Medius supports multi-way matching, which also checks invoice lines against contracts.
Is ApprovalMax cheaper than Medius?
ApprovalMax's Xero and QuickBooks Online plans start at US$50 per organisation per month billed yearly, excluding tax. Medius requests a custom quote for AP Essentials and AP 360. Since both include unlimited users, the comparison turns on entity count, document volume and which applications the quote includes.
Can ApprovalMax handle approvals outside accounts payable?
Yes. Depending on the integration and plan, ApprovalMax supports approval workflows for journals, sales invoices and sales orders as well as bills and purchase orders. That keeps records currently approved by email or informal check inside the same audited process.
Does ApprovalMax charge for each approver?
No. Current ApprovalMax plans for Xero and QuickBooks Online include unlimited active approvers, so adding a reviewer adds no seat charge. Price is set by feature plan, organisation count and approved-document volume rather than by the number of people involved.
Bring your AP process together
Bring invoice capture, purchasing, checks, approvals and payments together with ApprovalMax, with customer-invoice workflows alongside AP.
See how ApprovalMax handles your approvals
Bring the right managers into bill and purchase approvals while finance keeps control of the accounting process.
Bring your AP process together. Start your 14-day ApprovalMax trial.
Product and pricing details checked on 14 September 2026. NetSuite terms are quoted separately and existing accounts may hold different contract terms.
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