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Most buyers should pick Online Check Writer.
Online Check Writer is the cheaper starting point: its Pay As You Go plan has a $0 monthly fee, a $30 minimum recharge, and per-transaction charges. Checkbook starts at $2,000 per month for Business, with Enterprise pricing not published. Pick Checkbook when you need payout rails, API access, or white-label marketplace tools. Pick Online Check Writer for check printing and business payments, but price its transaction fees against your volume before switching.
01Side by side
| Checkbook | Online Check Writer | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $2,000/month Business; Enterprise pricing not published | $0 monthly; $30 minimum recharge, then transaction fees |
| Free plan | No free plan | Yes; Pay As You Go has a $0 monthly fee |
| Best for | Businesses needing payout infrastructure, APIs, and marketplace tools | Businesses printing checks and managing everyday payments |
| Core strength | Multiple payout rails, API, and white-label marketplace | Check printing, eChecks, ACH, invoices, and payment links |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations and data | REST API and CSV upload; accounting sync not listed | Accounting sync; API availability not published |
| Team and seat costs | Authorized users included; seat count not published | Pay As You Go includes 3 users and 3 bank accounts |
| Support | Live support and dedicated CSM | Support details not published |
Checkbook Choose Checkbook if
- Choose Checkbook if you need multiple payout methods.
- Choose Checkbook if you need API access or CSV uploads.
- Choose Checkbook if you need white-label marketplace payment flows.
Online Check Writer Choose Online Check Writer if
- Choose Online Check Writer if you want a $0 monthly plan.
- Choose Online Check Writer if you print or mail checks.
- Choose Online Check Writer if accounting-platform sync matters.
02Pricing compared
Online Check Writer is the lower-cost starting point: Pay As You Go has a $0 monthly fee, but requires a $30 minimum recharge. The pricing page lists online check printing and emailed checks at $1 each, plus USPS First Class mailing at $1.25 per check. Other payment methods carry separate charges, including bank-funded ACH at 1% with a $0.50 minimum and $5 maximum.
Checkbook’s Business plan is $2,000 per month. Enterprise pricing is not published, and the page does not list an annual price. That plan price makes Checkbook a poor fit for casual check writing. Online Check Writer’s Enterprise pricing is also custom, so teams with substantial volume should compare a written transaction quote—not just the monthly fee—before switching.
03Features and depth
These products overlap on business payments, but they are built around different needs. Checkbook combines ACH, real-time payments, printed or mailed checks, push-to-card payments, and virtual cards. It also offers a RESTful API for sending check batches, tracking payments, and onboarding customers, plus white-label tools for marketplaces. Its Business and Enterprise plan listings include payments, invoices, multi-party checks, CSV uploads, API access, approvals, and authorized users.
Online Check Writer is more centered on check printing and day-to-day business payments. It supports printed and mailed checks, eChecks, ACH, RTP, wire transfers, invoices, payment links, and credit card payments. It also lists accounting sync and a mobile app. Its Pay As You Go plan includes three bank accounts and three users; Enterprise offers custom account and user counts. The practical distinction: Checkbook’s listed strengths are payout options and embedded payment infrastructure, while Online Check Writer covers a broader set of routine payment and check tasks.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Online Check Writer is described as a cloud-based platform with a mobile app, check printing, payment links, and invoicing. Its Pay As You Go plan is aimed at individuals and small teams, with three bank accounts and three users. The pricing information does not publish setup steps or training requirements, so we can’t say how quickly a team will be up and running.
Checkbook offers an online dashboard with the functionality of its API, as well as API access for teams building payment flows into their own site or platform. That flexibility may suit a marketplace, but API-based setup implies more implementation work than simply using a payment dashboard. Checkbook lists live support and a dedicated customer success manager on both plans.
Questions people ask
Can you use any checkbook to write a check?
If you mean a physical checkbook, that’s different from Checkbook, the payment platform in this comparison. Checkbook describes digital payouts and options including ACH, cards, and printed or mailed checks. Online Check Writer supports printing checks yourself or sending them by mail.
What is the downside of a cashier's check?
The published product information does not cover cashier’s checks, their risks, or their fees, so we can’t make a sourced comparison on that point. Neither product is described as a cashier’s-check service. Online Check Writer does list business check printing and mailing; Checkbook lists digital and other business payout methods.
How to write a check OnlineCheckWriter?
Online Check Writer says users can print checks themselves or send them by mail, but its published product information does not give step-by-step instructions. Its Pay As You Go pricing lists online check printing at $1.00 per check, emailed checks at $1.00, and USPS First Class mailing at $1.25 per check.
What is the best free OnlineCheckWriter?
Online Check Writer’s Pay As You Go plan is the listed option with a $0 monthly fee. It is not cost-free to use: the plan requires a $30 minimum recharge, and listed charges include $1.00 for online check printing or an emailed check. Mailing and payment transactions can add more fees.