- Verified 11 Nov 2026Every profile shows where facts came from
- Unknowns labelledGaps are stated, never guessed
- No paid placementNo affiliate links, ratings or reviews
- Not a rankingAlphabetical by default; fit notes, not scores
What is Subscription Billing Software?
Subscription billing software automates recurring invoices, plan changes, proration, dunning and revenue reporting. Usage-based billing platforms meter events such as API calls or AI tokens and turn them into invoices.
Also called Subscription Management
Billing systems sit between your product, payments and accounting, so pricing models and integrations matter.
This category covers SaaS subscription billing (Chargebee, Recurly, Maxio, Stripe Billing, Zoho Billing), enterprise monetisation (Zuora), usage-based billing (Lago, Orb) and invoicing and AP/AR tools (Invoice Ninja, BILL).
Pricing ranges from flat monthly fees to a percentage of billing volume or custom quotes. The profiles below summarise dated 2026 sources and are research aids, not rankings.
Best subscription and usage-based billing software by need.
Shortlists built from what each sourced profile documents, listed alphabetically, not ranked. Open a profile for limits, prices and sources.
Best free subscription and usage-based billing software
3 of 11 profiles document a free plan.
Subscription and usage-based billing software for small businesses
4 of 11 profiles are documented mainly for small and mid-size teams.
Subscription and usage-based billing software for enterprises
6 of 11 profiles are documented for large enterprises.
Subscription Billing Software compared: browse and filter
Search and filters update this list on the page and do not create new URLs, so every profile stays crawlable and linkable.
BILL
BILL · AP and AR automation
Accounts payable and receivable automation for SMBs, from $49 per user a month (Essentials) plus payment fees.
- Per user
- Monthly
- Cloud
- AP / AR
- Independent sources
Best for SMBs and accountants automating bills and receivables
Key capabilities- Essentials
- Team
- Corporate
- Fast ACH
PricingEssentials $49, Team $65, Corporate $89 per user a month; Enterprise quote; payment fees extra.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directlyChargebee
Chargebee · Subscription billing and revenue
A leading subscription billing platform priced as a share of billing: 0.80% on Pay As You Go or $99 a month plus 0.65%.
- No free plan
- % of billing
- Cloud
- SaaS billing
- Independent sources
Best for SaaS companies wanting full-featured subscription billing
Key capabilities- Pay As You Go
- Commit Monthly
- Enterprise Plus
- CPQ
PricingPay As You Go 0.80% of billing; Commit Monthly $99 a month + 0.65%; Enterprise Plus custom.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directlyInvoice Ninja
Invoice Ninja · Invoicing and recurring billing for freelancers
Low-cost invoicing and recurring billing for freelancers and small businesses, free for up to 5 clients and Pro at $14 a month.
- Free plan
- Monthly
- Cloud
- Freelancers
- Independent sources
Best for Freelancers and small businesses needing invoices and recurring billing
Key capabilities- Free
- Ninja Pro
- Enterprise
- Annual
PricingFree (5 clients); Ninja Pro $14 a month; Enterprise $18-$300 a month by users; two months free annually.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directlyLago
Lago · Open-source usage-based billing
An open-source usage-based billing platform, free to self-host under AGPLv3, with custom-priced cloud and enterprise offerings.
- Free self-hosted
- Custom (cloud)
- Self-hosted or cloud
- Open source
- Independent sources
Best for Engineering teams wanting open-source usage billing
Key capabilities- Open source
- Paid
- Licence
- Customer portal
PricingOpen source $0 (AGPLv3, self-hosted); paid cloud and enterprise by custom quote.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly-
Lemon Squeezy
Lemon Squeezy (Stripe) · Merchant of record for SaaS and digital products
A merchant of record for selling software and digital products, charging 5% plus 50¢ per transaction with no monthly fee, owned by Stripe since 2024.
- Free plan
- Cloud
- Independent sources
Best for Indie SaaS founders
Key capabilities- Subscriptions
- Usage billing
- Customer portal
- Hosted checkout
Pricing5% + 50¢ per transaction.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly Maxio
Maxio · B2B SaaS billing and metrics
B2B SaaS billing and financial operations at a flat $599 a month for up to $100,000 in monthly billings (Grow).
- Flat monthly
- Annual cheaper
- Cloud
- B2B SaaS
- Independent sources
Best for B2B SaaS companies wanting flat-fee billing
Key capabilities- Grow
- Scale
- Billing
- Billing
PricingGrow $599 a month up to $100K monthly billings; Scale custom.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directlyOrb
Orb · Usage-based billing infrastructure
Usage-based billing infrastructure for high-volume event data, with custom-priced Core, Advanced and Enterprise tiers.
- Custom pricing
- By billings + events
- Cloud
- Usage billing
- Independent sources
Best for High-volume usage-based companies such as AI and infrastructure
Key capabilities- Core
- Advanced
- Enterprise
- Basis
PricingCore, Advanced, Enterprise all custom; priced on billings and event volume; platform fee on Advanced and Enterprise.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directlyRecurly
Recurly · Subscription billing with strong dunning
Subscription billing known for revenue recovery, with Starter at $249 a month plus 0.9% and the first $40,000 billed each month free.
- Free threshold
- % of billing
- Cloud
- Revenue recovery
- Independent sources
Best for Subscription businesses focused on reducing churn
Key capabilities- Starter
- Free threshold
- All-Access
- Engage
PricingStarter $249 a month + 0.9% (first $40K a month free); All-Access under 1% from $1M annual billing; Engage from $1,600; RevRec from $850.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directlyStripe Billing
Stripe · Subscription billing on Stripe
Stripe's subscription and usage billing at 0.7% of billing volume pay-as-you-go, or annual plans from $620 a month, plus card processing.
- Pay as you go
- % of billing
- Cloud API
- Stripe ecosystem
- Independent sources
Best for Companies already processing payments through Stripe
Key capabilities- Pay as you go
- Annual
- Above $1M/yr band
- Cards
PricingPay as you go 0.7% of billing; annual from $620 a month (to $100K) up to $5,750 (to $1M); processing extra (2.9% + 30c).Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directlyZoho Billing
Zoho Corporation · Affordable subscription billing
Low-cost subscription billing from Zoho, from $39 a month (Standard, annual) for 3 users, capped at $1 million billed a year.
- Flat monthly
- Annual cheaper
- Cloud
- SMB
- Independent sources
Best for Small subscription businesses wanting flat, low-cost billing
Key capabilities- Standard
- Premium
- Enterprise
- Annual billed
PricingStandard $39 ($50 monthly, 3 users); Premium $79 ($100, 10 users); Enterprise custom.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directlyZuora
Zuora · Enterprise monetisation platform
An enterprise subscription and monetisation platform with no published pricing.
- Quote-based
- Annual
- Cloud
- Enterprise
- Independent sources
Best for Large enterprises with complex billing and revenue recognition
Key capabilities- Published
- Route
- Contracts
- Billing
PricingNo published pricing; contact sales.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly
No listings match these filters.
Listings are ordered alphabetically by default. They are not ranked, and there are no user ratings or paid placements.
Subscription Billing Software compared on key criteria.
Summaries come from each profile; open a profile for sources and caveats.
| Product | Pricing model | Starting price | Free tier | Usage billing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BILL | Per user + fees | $49/user/mo | No | No | AP/AR automation |
| Chargebee | % of billing | 0.80% of billing | No (trial) | Yes | SaaS billing |
| Invoice Ninja | Flat monthly | $14/mo | Yes (5 clients) | No | Freelancers |
| Lago | Open source / quote | Free (self-hosted) | Yes | Yes | Usage-based |
| Maxio | Flat fee | $599/mo | No | Yes | B2B SaaS |
| Orb | Custom | Quote | No | Yes | High-volume usage |
| Recurly | Fee + % of billing | $249/mo + 0.9% | First $40K/mo | Yes | Churn reduction |
| Stripe Billing | % of billing | 0.7% of billing | No | Yes | Stripe merchants |
| Zoho Billing | Flat monthly | $39/mo (annual) | No (trial) | Limited | Small subscriptions |
| Zuora | Quote | Quote | No | Yes | Enterprise |
Which Subscription Billing Software option fits which situation.
- BILLMay suit SMBs and accountants automating bills and receivables
- ChargebeeMay suit SaaS companies wanting full-featured subscription billing
- Invoice NinjaMay suit Freelancers and small businesses needing invoices and recurring billing
- LagoMay suit Engineering teams wanting open-source usage billing
- MaxioMay suit B2B SaaS companies wanting flat-fee billing
- OrbMay suit High-volume usage-based companies such as AI and infrastructure
- RecurlyMay suit Subscription businesses focused on reducing churn
- Stripe BillingMay suit Companies already processing payments through Stripe
- Zoho BillingMay suit Small subscription businesses wanting flat, low-cost billing
- ZuoraMay suit Large enterprises with complex billing and revenue recognition
Based on each profile's documented strengths and limits. These are fit notes, not rankings: test options against your own requirements.
Key features and capabilities of Subscription Billing Software.
The capabilities that define the category. Not every product offers all of them, and depth varies a lot between entry-level and enterprise tools.
Plans and pricing models
Flat, tiered, per-seat and usage-based pricing.
Recurring invoicing
Invoices generated automatically each billing period.
Proration and plan changes
Upgrades, downgrades and mid-cycle changes calculated correctly.
Dunning and payment retries
Recover failed payments automatically.
Usage metering
Collect usage data and bill on it.
Customer portal
Customers update cards, plans and invoices themselves.
Revenue recognition
Schedules that recognise revenue as it is earned.
SaaS metrics
MRR, churn and retention reporting.
How businesses use Subscription Billing Software.
- 01
SaaS subscriptions
Bill monthly and annual plans with seats.
- 02
Usage-based billing
Charge for API calls, storage or consumption.
- 03
Subscription boxes and memberships
Charge recurring fees for products or access.
- 04
Failed payment recovery
Retry cards and email customers before cancelling.
- 05
Annual contracts
Invoice enterprise contracts with custom terms.
- 06
Revenue reporting
Track MRR and churn for investors.
Who uses Subscription Billing Software and what problems it solves.
SaaS companies
Automate subscriptions and dunning.
AI and API businesses
Meter usage and bill accurately.
Enterprises
Run quote-to-cash and revenue recognition.
Freelancers and SMBs
Send recurring invoices cheaply.
What Subscription Billing Software changes in practice.
Practical outcomes teams report when the category is implemented well. Results depend on adoption, data quality and process, so we do not quote percentages.
Less involuntary churn
Dunning recovers payments that would otherwise fail.
Pricing flexibility
Launch new plans without engineering work.
Accurate invoices
Proration and usage are calculated consistently.
Audit-ready revenue
Recognition schedules follow the contract.
Self-service for customers
Fewer billing tickets reach support.
Features and criteria to evaluate in Subscription Billing Software.
Pricing model
Percentage of billing versus flat fees.
Usage metering
Event volume and pricing flexibility.
Dunning
Recovering failed payments.
Revenue recognition
ASC 606 / IFRS 15 support.
Integrations
Payments, CRM, ERP and tax.
Migration
Moving subscriptions and payment tokens.
How to choose Subscription Billing Software: a step-by-step approach.
- 1
Model your pricing
Plans, add-ons, usage and discounts.
- 2
Project billing volume
Percentage fees scale with revenue.
- 3
Check gateway support
Your payment processors.
- 4
Test edge cases
Upgrades, proration and refunds.
- 5
Connect accounting
Revenue and tax reporting.
- 6
Plan migration
Subscriptions and card tokens.
Questions to ask before you buy
- Which pricing models can we configure without code?
- How does it handle proration, credits and refunds?
- Which payment gateways does it support?
- Does it produce revenue recognition schedules?
- How is pricing calculated: by revenue, invoices or flat fee?
Common mistakes when choosing Subscription Billing Software.
Ignoring percentage creep
Fees grow as revenue grows.
Building metering in-house
Usage billing is harder than it looks.
Forgetting tax
Billing tools may not file sales tax or VAT.
Overlooking add-on costs
CPQ and RevRec are often separate.
Rushing migration
Test token transfers before switching.
Subscription Billing Software key terms explained.
- MRR
- Monthly recurring revenue.
- Dunning
- Retrying failed payments and notifying customers.
- Proration
- Charging partial amounts when plans change mid-cycle.
- Usage-based billing
- Charging by measured consumption.
- Revenue recognition
- Recording revenue as it is earned.
- CPQ
- Configure, price, quote.
Subscription Billing Software comparisons.
9 side-by-side comparisons with a feature table, pricing, strengths and limits, and best-fit scenarios. No winner is declared in any of them.
Alternatives to popular subscription and usage-based billing software.
Every product in this category has a guide comparing its main alternatives and competitors on pricing, free plan, features and fit.
Subscription Billing Software questions and answers
What is the best free subscription and usage-based billing software?
3 of the 11 subscription and usage-based billing software profiles here document a free plan: Invoice Ninja, Lago and Recurly. Free plans and tiers usually cap users, records or usage, so check each profile for limits. The list is alphabetical, not a ranking.
What is the best subscription and usage-based billing software for small businesses?
Products documented mainly for small and mid-size teams include BILL, Invoice Ninja, Maxio and Zoho Billing. BILL may suit SMBs and accountants automating bills and receivables. Invoice Ninja may suit freelancers and small businesses needing invoices and recurring billing. Maxio may suit B2B SaaS companies wanting flat-fee billing. The best fit depends on your sales or work process and budget, so trial two or three.
Which subscription and usage-based billing software suits large enterprises?
6 profiles are documented for large enterprises: Chargebee, Lago, Orb, Recurly, Stripe Billing and Zuora. Larger rollouts should also check SSO, permissions, audit logs, data residency and contract terms on each profile.
Where can I find alternatives to a specific billing platform?
Every product in this category has its own alternatives guide, for example Chargebee alternatives, Stripe Billing alternatives and Zuora alternatives. Each guide compares the main competitors on pricing, free plan, features and fit.
What is the best subscription billing software?
Chargebee, Recurly and Maxio suit SaaS; Lago and Orb suit usage-based pricing; Zuora suits enterprises. This list is not a ranking.
Chargebee or Recurly?
Chargebee charges 0.80% of billing (or $99 plus 0.65%); Recurly charges $249 a month plus 0.9% with the first $40,000 a month free.
Which billing tools are flat-fee?
Maxio ($599 a month up to $100K billings), Zoho Billing ($39 a month) and Invoice Ninja ($14 a month).
Is there open-source billing?
Lago is open source under AGPLv3 and free to self-host.
Narrow your Subscription Billing Software shortlist.
Open a profile for sources and pricing, read an alternatives guide, or talk to Stack18 if off-the-shelf is not the answer.
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