Chargebee alternatives: 9 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank All subscription billing software

Top picks

Best overall
Recurly
Starting price: $249 a month + 0.9% of billing volume (Starter)
Best free option
Lemon Squeezy
Free
Best open source
Lago
Open source

Common reasons people leave Chargebee: several integrations and features are paid add-ons on higher tiers, and volume-based pricing grows with your revenue. We ranked 9 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Chargebee, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Recurly currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#	App	Pricing	Verified price	Open source	Platforms	Verified facts	Score
1	Recurly	Paid	$249 a month + 0.9% of billing volume (Starter)	No	Web	6 of 6	68.8
2	Stripe Billing	Paid	$10 per month	No	Web	5 of 5	64.8
3	Paddle	Paid	—	No	Web	6 of 6	52.6
4	Lemon Squeezy	Free	—	No	Web	4 of 4	51.2
5	Zoho Books	Free plan + paid	$15 per org/month billed annually (Standard)	No	Web, Windows, macOS +2	8 of 8	50.0
6	Zoho Billing	Paid	$39 per organization/month, billed annually	No	Web, Windows, macOS +2	7 of 7	42.3
7	RevenueCat	Free plan + paid	Up to $2,500 monthly tracked revenue	No	Web, iOS, Android	5 of 5	42.3
8	Orb	Paid	$6 per credit (Business)	No	Web	5 of 5	42.3
9	Lago	Open source	—	Yes	Web, Self-hosted	3 of 3	42.3

1. RecurlyTop pick
Best for: Consumer and SaaS subscription businesses that want to cut failed-payment churn
PaidWeb
68.8
score / 100
Why switch from Chargebee
Long-standing subscription billing rival, strong on churn reduction and running several gateways at once.
Pros
Runs several payment gateways side by side
Strong dunning and churn-recovery tools
Long free trial on the entry plan
Cons
Monthly base fee plus a share of billing volume
Advanced retention and revenue recognition are separate products
Larger plans need a sales quote
Visit Recurly Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.3100
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Recurly a good Chargebee alternative?
Verified facts
6 of 6 verified
Starting price
$249 a month + 0.9% of billing volume (Starter)
Checked Nov 8, 2026recurly.com(opens source in a new tab)
Free trial
90 days (Starter)
Checked Nov 8, 2026recurly.com(opens source in a new tab)
Currencies
140+
Checked Nov 8, 2026recurly.com(opens source in a new tab)
Payment gateways
20+ on Starter
Checked Nov 8, 2026recurly.com(opens source in a new tab)
Engage add-on
From $1,600 a month, billed annually
Checked Nov 8, 2026recurly.com(opens source in a new tab)
RevRec add-on
From $850 a month, billed annually
Checked Nov 8, 2026recurly.com(opens source in a new tab)
2. Stripe Billing
Best for: Startups and developer-led teams already processing payments with Stripe
PaidWeb
64.8
score / 100
Why switch from Chargebee
Billing built into Stripe payments, simplest if you already process cards with Stripe.
Pros
No separate vendor if you already use Stripe payments
Pay-as-you-go pricing with no monthly fee
Smart Retries recover failed card payments automatically
Cons
Tied to Stripe as the payment processor
Percentage fee on billing volume adds up at scale
Many setups need developer time through the API
Visit Stripe Billing Compare with Chargebee Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.387
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Stripe Billing a good Chargebee alternative?
Verified facts
5 of 5 verified
Pay-as-you-go fee
0.7% of billing volume
Checked Nov 8, 2026stripe.com(opens source in a new tab)
Failed payment retries
Smart Retries (machine learning)
Checked Nov 8, 2026stripe.com(opens source in a new tab)
Usage-based billing
Yes, via Metronome
Checked Nov 8, 2026stripe.com(opens source in a new tab)
Pay-as-you-go pricing
0.7% of billing volume, no recurring fees
Checked Nov 8, 2026stripe.com(opens source in a new tab)
Custom domain price
$10 per month
Checked Nov 8, 2026stripe.com(opens source in a new tab)
3. Paddle
Best for: SaaS and app companies that want payments and global sales tax handled by a merchant of record.
PaidWeb
52.6
score / 100
Why switch from Chargebee
Merchant of record that also handles global sales tax, so you don't register for VAT yourself.
Pros
Takes on global sales tax and VAT collection and filing
No monthly fee; you pay per transaction
Subscriptions, invoicing and dunning in one platform
Cons
Per-transaction fee is higher than a plain payment processor
Built for software and digital goods, not physical products
Low-value products need a custom pricing conversation
Visit Paddle Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.346
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Paddle a good Chargebee alternative?
Verified facts
6 of 6 verified
Transaction fee
5% + 50¢ per checkout transaction
Checked Nov 8, 2026paddle.com(opens source in a new tab)
Monthly fee
None
Checked Nov 8, 2026paddle.com(opens source in a new tab)
Merchant of record
Yes
Checked Nov 8, 2026paddle.com(opens source in a new tab)
Tax coverage
100+ jurisdictions
Checked Nov 8, 2026paddle.com(opens source in a new tab)
Currencies
20+
Checked Nov 8, 2026paddle.com(opens source in a new tab)
Enterprise plan
Custom pricing for high-volume businesses
Checked Nov 8, 2026paddle.com(opens source in a new tab)
4. Lemon Squeezy
Best for: Indie software makers who want global tax handled for them
FreeWeb
51.2
score / 100
Why switch from Chargebee
Merchant-of-record checkout and subscriptions aimed at indie software sellers.
Pros
Handles global sales tax and VAT as merchant of record
Subscriptions and licence keys built in
No monthly fee
Cons
Per-transaction fees higher than plain payment processing
Future direction uncertain after the Stripe acquisition
Storefront options are basic
Visit Lemon Squeezy Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.341
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Lemon Squeezy a good Chargebee alternative?
Verified facts
4 of 4 verified
Transaction fee
5% + 50¢
Checked Nov 8, 2026lemonsqueezy.com(opens source in a new tab)
Monthly fee
None for ecommerce features
Checked Nov 8, 2026lemonsqueezy.com(opens source in a new tab)
Merchant of record
Yes
Checked Nov 8, 2026lemonsqueezy.com(opens source in a new tab)
Stripe update
Migration path to Stripe Managed Payments
Checked Nov 8, 2026lemonsqueezy.com(opens source in a new tab)
5. Zoho Books
Best for: Cost-conscious small businesses, especially those already using other Zoho apps
Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
50.0
score / 100
Why switch from Chargebee
Zoho's billing and accounting tools cover simple recurring invoices for smaller businesses.
Pros
Free plan plus low per-organisation pricing
Automation rules and custom fields at small-business prices
Works closely with Zoho CRM, Inventory and Payroll
Cons
Fewer accountants know it than QuickBooks or Xero
Features and pricing vary by country edition
Interface can feel crowded
Visit Zoho Books Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.338
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Zoho Books a good Chargebee alternative?
Verified facts
8 of 8 verified
Free plan
Yes, while yearly revenue stays under $50K
Checked Nov 8, 2026zoho.com(opens source in a new tab)
Free plan users
1 user + 1 accountant
Checked Nov 8, 2026zoho.com(opens source in a new tab)
Standard plan
$15/org/month billed annually
Checked Nov 8, 2026zoho.com(opens source in a new tab)
Professional plan
$40 per org/month billed annually
Checked Nov 8, 2026zoho.com(opens source in a new tab)
Apps
Mobile and desktop
Checked Nov 8, 2026zoho.com(opens source in a new tab)
Starting price
$15 per org/month billed annually (Standard)
Checked Nov 8, 2026zoho.com(opens source in a new tab)
Premium plan
$60 per org/month billed annually
Checked Nov 8, 2026zoho.com(opens source in a new tab)
Extra users
$3 per user/month, or $2.50 billed annually
Checked Nov 8, 2026zoho.com(opens source in a new tab)
6. Zoho Billing
Best for: Small SaaS and service businesses that want subscription billing inside the Zoho suite
PaidWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
42.3
score / 100
Why switch from Chargebee
Cheaper subscription billing that plugs into Zoho Books and Zoho CRM.
Pros
Handles one-time, recurring and usage-based billing
Dunning management for failed payments
Tight links with Zoho Books and Zoho CRM
Cons
Subscription features need the Premium plan
Lower plans cap yearly invoices and billed revenue
Fewer revenue analytics than Chargebee or Recurly
Visit Zoho Billing Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.312
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Zoho Billing a good Chargebee alternative?
Verified facts
7 of 7 verified
Free trial
14 days
Checked Nov 8, 2026zoho.com(opens source in a new tab)
Usage-based billing
Yes, on Premium
Checked Nov 8, 2026zoho.com(opens source in a new tab)
Dunning
Yes
Checked Nov 8, 2026zoho.com(opens source in a new tab)
Invoice limit
100,000 per year on Standard and Premium
Checked Nov 2, 2026zoho.com(opens source in a new tab)
Starting price
$39 per organization/month, billed annually
Checked Nov 8, 2026zoho.com(opens source in a new tab)
Standard plan
$50 per organization/month, billed monthly
Checked Nov 8, 2026zoho.com(opens source in a new tab)
Premium plan
$100 per organization/month, or $79 billed annually
Checked Nov 8, 2026zoho.com(opens source in a new tab)
7. RevenueCat
Best for: Mobile app teams that want subscriptions, paywalls and revenue metrics without building a billing backend
Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android
42.3
score / 100
Why switch from Chargebee
Built for mobile in-app subscriptions, with paywalls, experiments and cross-platform entitlements.
Pros
Open-source SDKs for native, cross-platform and web apps
Free until your app earns real revenue
Paywall editor and A/B tests change offers without app releases
Large integration list for analytics and attribution tools
Cons
Percentage-of-revenue fee grows with your app's success
Free threshold is lower than Adapty's or Qonversion's
Entitlement checks depend on a third-party service being up
Visit RevenueCat Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.312
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is RevenueCat a good Chargebee alternative?
Verified facts
5 of 5 verified
Free tier
Up to $2,500 monthly tracked revenue
Checked Nov 8, 2026revenuecat.com(opens source in a new tab)
Paid pricing
1% of tracked revenue
Checked Nov 8, 2026revenuecat.com(opens source in a new tab)
SDKs
Open source
Checked Nov 8, 2026revenuecat.com(opens source in a new tab)
License (iOS SDK)
MIT
Checked Nov 3, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
Supported platforms
iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter, Unity, web and more
Checked Nov 8, 2026revenuecat.com(opens source in a new tab)
8. Orb
Best for: AI, API and infrastructure companies with usage-based or hybrid pricing
PaidWeb
42.3
score / 100
Why switch from Chargebee
Built for usage-based and hybrid pricing, with raw-event metering and backdated price changes.
Pros
Bills from raw events, so pricing changes can be backdated or simulated
Handles prepaid credits, commitments and hybrid seat-plus-usage plans
Self-serve Business plan with free starter credits
Cons
Fees scale with billing volume, which adds up for high-revenue companies
NetSuite, Salesforce and revenue recognition reports need the Enterprise plan
Hosted only, unlike open-source options such as Lago
Visit Orb Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.312
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Orb a good Chargebee alternative?
Verified facts
5 of 5 verified
Starting price
$6 per credit (Business)
Checked Nov 8, 2026withorb.com(opens source in a new tab)
Credit cost
0.60% of billing volume plus metered usage
Checked Nov 8, 2026withorb.com(opens source in a new tab)
Free credits
100 on sign-up
Checked Nov 8, 2026withorb.com(opens source in a new tab)
Payments integrations
Stripe, Adyen
Checked Nov 8, 2026withorb.com(opens source in a new tab)
Ingestion scale
250,000+ events per second
Checked Nov 8, 2026withorb.com(opens source in a new tab)
9. Lago
Best for: API and AI companies with usage-based pricing that want to own their billing system.
Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted
42.3
score / 100
Why switch from Chargebee
Open-source and self-hostable, better suited to metered, usage-based pricing.
Pros
Self-hostable under the AGPL
Built for usage metering and hybrid pricing
No percentage-of-revenue fee when self-hosted
Cons
Needs a separate payment processor
Self-hosting means running and upgrading it yourself
Premium features require a paid licence
Visit Lago Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.312
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Lago a good Chargebee alternative?
Verified facts
3 of 3 verified
License
AGPL-3.0
Checked Nov 8, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
Self-hosting
Yes
Checked Nov 8, 2026getlago.com(opens source in a new tab)
Paid tier
Lago Premium
Checked Nov 8, 2026getlago.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Chargebee alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Best Chargebee alternative for most people

Recurly

Long-standing subscription billing rival, strong on churn reduction and running several gateways at once.

Best Chargebee alternative for a free option

Lemon Squeezy

Merchant-of-record checkout and subscriptions aimed at indie software sellers.

Best Chargebee alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Zoho Books

Zoho's billing and accounting tools cover simple recurring invoices for smaller businesses.

Best Chargebee alternative for open source

Lago

Open-source and self-hostable, better suited to metered, usage-based pricing.

Best Chargebee alternative for self-hosting

Lago

Open-source and self-hostable, better suited to metered, usage-based pricing.

Best Chargebee alternative for Mac

Zoho Billing

Cheaper subscription billing that plugs into Zoho Books and Zoho CRM.

Best Chargebee alternative for Windows

Zoho Books

Zoho's billing and accounting tools cover simple recurring invoices for smaller businesses.

Best Chargebee alternative for iPhone and Android

RevenueCat

Built for mobile in-app subscriptions, with paywalls, experiments and cross-platform entitlements.

Best Chargebee alternative for working in the browser

Stripe Billing

Billing built into Stripe payments, simplest if you already process cards with Stripe.

Chargebee alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Chargebee?

Recurly ranks first right now. Long-standing subscription billing rival, strong on churn reduction and running several gateways at once. Stripe Billing and Paddle follow it in our ranking.

Chargebee vs Recurly: what's the difference?

Chargebee is free with paid plans; Recurly is a paid product. Verified prices: Chargebee $99 a month + 0.65% of billing, Recurly $249 a month + 0.9% of billing volume (Starter). Both run on Web.

Is Chargebee free?

Chargebee is free with paid plans. Starting price: $0 + 0.80% of billing (Billing); Billing paid tier: $99 a month + 0.65% of billing; Growth Starter plan: $0 for Chargebee Billing customers. Checked on Chargebee's own site, November 2026.

How much do Chargebee alternatives cost?

Verified prices for the top-ranked Chargebee alternatives: Recurly, $249 a month + 0.9% of billing volume (Starter); Stripe Billing, $10 per month; Zoho Books, $15 per org/month billed annually (Standard); Zoho Billing, $39 per organization/month, billed annually; RevenueCat, Up to $2,500 monthly tracked revenue. Each price was checked on the app's own site; see each card below for the date and source.

Is there a free alternative to Chargebee?

Yes. Lemon Squeezy (free), Zoho Books (free plan + paid), RevenueCat (free plan + paid) and Lago (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Chargebee?

Yes: Lago. Lago can also be self-hosted.

Why do people switch from Chargebee?

The complaints we hear most: several integrations and features are paid add-ons on higher tiers; volume-based pricing grows with your revenue; more setup than billing built into a payment processor.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Chargebee, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.

Top picks

Quick comparison

1. RecurlyTop pick

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

2. Stripe Billing

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

3. Paddle

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

4. Lemon Squeezy

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

5. Zoho Books

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

6. Zoho Billing

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

7. RevenueCat

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

8. Orb

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

9. Lago

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

The best Chargebee alternative for…

Best Chargebee alternative for most people

Best Chargebee alternative for a free option

Best Chargebee alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Best Chargebee alternative for open source

Best Chargebee alternative for self-hosting

Best Chargebee alternative for Mac

Best Chargebee alternative for Windows

Best Chargebee alternative for iPhone and Android

Best Chargebee alternative for working in the browser

Chargebee alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Chargebee?

Chargebee vs Recurly: what's the difference?

Is Chargebee free?

How much do Chargebee alternatives cost?

Is there a free alternative to Chargebee?

Is there an open-source alternative to Chargebee?

Why do people switch from Chargebee?

How is this list ranked?