Chaser vs Paidnice vs Unpaid: Which Invoice Follow-Up Tool Is Right for Your Small Business?
You know you need to automate invoice follow-ups. Chasing late payments manually is exhausting, awkward, and — let's be honest — it rarely works. According to a GoCardless report, 63% of Australian small businesses spend time chasing payments, losing an average of 78 hours per year to the process. Meanwhile, Airwallex research puts the average monthly loss from late payments at AU$2,408 per business — roughly $29,000 a year.
So the question isn't whether you should automate. It's which tool to pick.
Three names come up consistently in the invoice follow-up tool comparison conversation: Chaser, Paidnice, and Unpaid. Each takes a different approach. This guide breaks down how they compare on features, pricing, and suitability — so you can choose the best invoice reminder software for your business.
Quick Overview of Each Tool
Chaser
Chaser is a UK-based accounts receivable automation platform that's been around since 2014. It focuses on the full credit control workflow: automated reminders, payment predictions powered by AI, a customer payment portal, and — as of mid-2025 — automated late fees. It integrates with Xero and QuickBooks, and also supports CSV import for other accounting systems. Chaser is a polished product, but its pricing reflects an enterprise focus — Australian plans start at AUD $399/month (Chaser pricing).
Paidnice
Paidnice is an accounts receivable automation tool that integrates with Xero, QuickBooks, and Stripe. Its standout strength is late fee automation — the ability to automatically apply penalties, interest charges, and early payment discounts based on configurable rules. It also offers email and SMS reminders, automated statements, a customer payment portal, and AR reporting dashboards. Pricing starts at USD $19/month for its Mini plan (G2 pricing data), making it accessible for smaller businesses.
Unpaid
Unpaid is an Australian-built invoice follow-up platform designed specifically for local small businesses. It uses Claude AI to write genuinely personalised reminder emails — not templates — and features a smart 5-stage escalation system, intelligent reply handling that detects disputes and payment promises, and a customer self-service portal. What sets it apart is a suite of Australia-specific features: PTRS risk checking, SOPA compliance for construction, and ABN/GST verification. Pricing starts at A$29/month. Learn more at getunpaid.io.getunpaid.io
Chaser vs Paidnice: Feature Comparison Table
Here's how these three invoice follow-up tools stack up across the features that matter most.
Who Is Each Tool Best For?
No single tool is perfect for everyone. Here's an honest breakdown of who each platform suits best.
Chaser Is Best For: Mid-Market and Enterprise Teams
If you're a larger business with a dedicated finance team and a substantial accounts receivable book, Chaser is built for you. Its multi-entity support, AI payment predictions, and comprehensive credit control workflows shine at scale. The payment portal is well-designed, and the platform's depth of customisation is impressive.
The trade-off is price. At AUD $399/month minimum — and $1,199/month for the Core plan — Chaser is a serious investment. For a sole trader or small team sending fewer than 50 invoices a month, it's likely overkill. But for finance teams managing large receivables portfolios, the ROI can justify the cost.
Paidnice Is Best For: Businesses That Want to Enforce Payment Terms
Paidnice's strongest card is late fee automation. If your biggest pain point is clients who consistently ignore payment terms, and you want to automatically apply penalties and interest charges without lifting a finger, Paidnice handles this exceptionally well. The rules engine lets you set different fee structures for different customer segments, and the early payment discount feature adds a carrot to go with the stick.
Paidnice also offers SMS reminders and a customer portal, which rounds out the feature set. It's a strong choice for businesses that want a systematic, rules-driven approach to accounts receivable and are comfortable with a template-based communication style.
Unpaid Is Best For: Australian Small Businesses That Value Relationships
If you're an Australian small business owner who wants to get paid faster without damaging client relationships, Unpaid is purpose-built for you. The AI-personalised emails sound like you wrote them — not like a collection agency. The smart escalation ramps up tone gradually, and the AI reply handling means you don't need to manually check every response.
The self-service portal lets your clients view invoices, pay online via their accounting provider's payment link, or promise a payment date — giving them agency rather than just pressure. And the Australian-specific features (PTRS risk scoring, SOPA compliance, ABN/GST checks) are genuinely unique in this market.
At A$29/month to start, it's also the most affordable option in Australian dollars.
Why Unpaid Stands Out for Australian Businesses
Chaser and Paidnice are both solid tools. But neither was built with the Australian small business landscape front of mind. Here's where Unpaid's genuine differentiators become clear.
AI That Actually Personalises, Not Just Templates
Both Chaser and Paidnice rely on pre-written templates that insert customer names and invoice numbers. Unpaid takes a fundamentally different approach: Claude AI analyses each customer's history, payment patterns, and the current stage of follow-up to compose a unique email. The result feels human. It's the difference between getting a form letter from a utility company and getting a thoughtful note from someone you do business with.
This matters because, as the GoCardless 2026 report found, 23% of business owners are willing to write off over 6% of annual turnover just to avoid awkward payment conversations. When your reminders sound personal and respectful, those conversations don't need to be awkward.
Australian-Specific Features No One Else Offers
Unpaid's integration with Australian government data is a Chaser alternative advantage you won't find elsewhere:
PTRS Risk Checker — check clients against the Payment Times Reporting Portal, covering 6,000+ large Australian businesses, to assess payment risk before you take on a job.
ABN and GST Verification — automatically verify a client's ABN status, GST registration, and business age. Know who you're dealing with.
SOPA Compliance — for construction businesses, Unpaid auto-generates payment claims that comply with the Security of Payment Act across all eight Australian states and territories.
Government Client Detection — automatically flags government clients and applies appropriate payment terms.
With CreditorWatch reporting that 68% of Australian businesses have up to 30% of invoices paid late (averaging 25 days beyond terms), these risk-assessment tools aren't nice-to-haves — they're essential for protecting your cash flow before the work even begins.
Smart Escalation That Protects Relationships
Unpaid's 5-stage escalation system is designed to balance firmness with respect. It starts with a courtesy reminder before the due date, then progresses through increasingly direct communications at days 3, 7, 14, 21, and 30. At each stage, the AI adjusts both tone and content.
Critically, the system includes smart safeguards. It flags recent contact with a client, recognises trusted customers, and prevents too many emails from going out in a short window. If a client replies with a dispute, reminders pause automatically for seven days. If they ask a question, the system pauses for three days. This means you never accidentally escalate on a client who's already engaged in a conversation with you.
Intelligent Reply Handling — No Manual Inbox Sorting
With both Chaser and Paidnice, when a customer replies to a reminder, someone on your team needs to read that email and decide what to do. With Unpaid, the AI reads the response and categorises it: is this a dispute? A promise to pay? A question about the invoice? Based on the classification, it takes the appropriate action — pausing reminders, logging a promise, or flagging the reply for your attention.
For time-poor small business owners, this is a significant difference. You're not just automating the sending of reminders; you're automating the management of the entire follow-up conversation.
Pricing Built for Small Business
Let's be direct about cost. Chaser's entry point for Australian businesses is AUD $399/month (Chaser pricing). That's $4,788 per year before you even consider the Core or Complete tiers. For a small business losing $29,000 a year to late payments, the maths might work — but it's a significant outlay.
Paidnice's main Essentials plan starts at USD $39/month (150 invoices), with Pro at USD $69/month. That's competitive, but all prices are in US dollars — there's no AUD pricing option.
Unpaid starts at A$29/month (Starter), with Pro at A$49/month and Business at A$129/month. All prices are in Australian dollars. For the majority of Australian small businesses, Unpaid offers the most feature-rich option at a price point that doesn't require a business case to justify.
The Bottom Line
All three tools solve a real problem. Late payments cost Australian small businesses an estimated $76 billion collectively, and any automation is better than chasing invoices manually.
Choose Chaser if you're a mid-market or enterprise business with a dedicated finance team and the budget to match. Its depth and sophistication are unmatched at that tier.
Choose Paidnice if enforcing payment terms with automated late fees and interest charges is your top priority. Its rules engine for penalties is the strongest of the three.
Choose Unpaid if you're an Australian small business that wants AI-personalised follow-ups, relationship-protecting escalation, intelligent reply handling, and Australia-specific compliance tools — all at an affordable price.
Ready to stop chasing invoices and start getting paid? Try Unpaid free at getunpaid.io — set up takes minutes, and your first reminders can go out today.