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Recurly alternatives: 6 apps ranked by verified data

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

Top picks

Common reasons people leave Recurly: monthly base fee plus a share of billing volume, and advanced retention and revenue recognition are separate products. We ranked 6 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Recurly, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Chargebee currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingVerified priceOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Chargebee logoChargebeeFree plan + paid$99 a month + 0.65% of billingNoWeb8 of 868.8
2Stripe Billing logoStripe BillingPaid$10 per monthNoWeb5 of 564.8
3Maxio logoMaxioPaid$599/monthNoWeb4 of 457.5
4Paddle logoPaddlePaid—NoWeb6 of 652.6
5Lemon Squeezy logoLemon SqueezyFree—NoWeb4 of 451.2
6Zoho Billing logoZoho BillingPaid$39 per organization/month, billed annuallyNoWeb, Windows, macOS +27 of 742.3
  1. Chargebee logo

    1. ChargebeeTop pick

    Best for: SaaS and subscription companies that want billing independent of a single payment gateway

    Free plan + paidWeb

    68.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Recurly

    Similar gateway-agnostic billing with broader CPQ and quote tools for sales-led SaaS.

    Pros

    • Works with 40+ payment gateways, so you can switch processors
    • Revenue recognition and CPQ available from the same vendor
    • Native links to Xero, QuickBooks, Salesforce and HubSpot

    Cons

    • 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
    Visit Chargebee 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 Chargebee a good Recurly alternative?

    Verified facts

    8 of 8 verified
    Payment gateways
    40+
    Checked Nov 8, 2026chargebee.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Currencies
    100+
    Checked Nov 8, 2026chargebee.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Accounting integrations
    Xero, QuickBooks
    Checked Nov 8, 2026chargebee.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Revenue recognition
    Yes (add-on)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026chargebee.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $0 + 0.80% of billing (Billing)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026chargebee.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Billing paid tier
    $99 a month + 0.65% of billing
    Checked Nov 8, 2026chargebee.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Growth Starter plan
    $0 for Chargebee Billing customers
    Checked Nov 8, 2026chargebee.com(opens source in a new tab)
    CPQ Lite
    First 50 quotes free
    Checked Nov 8, 2026chargebee.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Stripe Billing logo

    2. Stripe Billing

    Best for: Startups and developer-led teams already processing payments with Stripe

    PaidWeb

    64.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Recurly

    Pay-as-you-go billing inside Stripe, with no monthly base fee for low volumes.

    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 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 Recurly 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. Maxio logo

    3. Maxio

    Best for: B2B SaaS finance teams that want billing and revenue recognition in one system.

    PaidWeb

    57.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Recurly

    Adds ASC 606 revenue recognition and SaaS metrics to billing, for B2B finance teams.

    Pros

    • Billing and ASC 606 revenue recognition together
    • Usage-based billing and metering
    • Connectors for NetSuite, Sage Intacct and QuickBooks

    Cons

    • High starting price for small companies
    • Built for B2B, not consumer subscriptions
    Visit Maxio Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    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 Maxio a good Recurly alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Starting price
    $599/month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026maxio.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Revenue recognition
    ASC 606 / IFRS 15
    Checked Nov 8, 2026maxio.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Accounting integrations
    NetSuite, Sage Intacct, QuickBooks
    Checked Nov 8, 2026maxio.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Usage-based billing
    Yes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026maxio.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Paddle logo

    4. 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 Recurly

    Merchant of record that takes on sales tax and payments compliance for software sellers.

    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 Recurly 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)
  5. Lemon Squeezy logo

    5. Lemon Squeezy

    Best for: Indie software makers who want global tax handled for them

    FreeWeb

    51.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Recurly

    Lighter merchant-of-record subscriptions for indie and small software companies.

    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 Recurly 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)
  6. Zoho Billing logo

    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 Recurly

    Lower-cost recurring and usage billing for smaller teams already using Zoho.

    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 Recurly 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)

The best Recurly alternative for…

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

Chargebee logo

Best Recurly alternative for most people

Chargebee

Similar gateway-agnostic billing with broader CPQ and quote tools for sales-led SaaS.

Lemon Squeezy logo

Best Recurly alternative for a free option

Lemon Squeezy

Lighter merchant-of-record subscriptions for indie and small software companies.

Chargebee logo

Best Recurly alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Chargebee

Similar gateway-agnostic billing with broader CPQ and quote tools for sales-led SaaS.

Zoho Billing logo

Best Recurly alternative for Mac

Zoho Billing

Lower-cost recurring and usage billing for smaller teams already using Zoho.

Zoho Billing logo

Best Recurly alternative for Windows

Zoho Billing

Lower-cost recurring and usage billing for smaller teams already using Zoho.

Zoho Billing logo

Best Recurly alternative for iPhone and Android

Zoho Billing

Lower-cost recurring and usage billing for smaller teams already using Zoho.

Stripe Billing logo

Best Recurly alternative for working in the browser

Stripe Billing

Pay-as-you-go billing inside Stripe, with no monthly base fee for low volumes.

Recurly alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Recurly?

Chargebee ranks first right now. Similar gateway-agnostic billing with broader CPQ and quote tools for sales-led SaaS. Stripe Billing and Maxio follow it in our ranking.

Recurly vs Chargebee: what's the difference?

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

Is Recurly free?

Recurly is a paid product. Starting price: $249 a month + 0.9% of billing volume (Starter); Free trial: 90 days (Starter); Engage add-on: From $1,600 a month, billed annually; RevRec add-on: From $850 a month, billed annually. Checked on Recurly's own site, November 2026.

How much do Recurly alternatives cost?

Verified prices for the top-ranked Recurly alternatives: Chargebee, $99 a month + 0.65% of billing; Stripe Billing, $10 per month; Maxio, $599/month; Zoho Billing, $39 per organization/month, billed annually. 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 Recurly?

Yes. Chargebee (free plan + paid) and Lemon Squeezy (free) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Recurly?

None of the 6 alternatives in this list is open source.

Why do people switch from Recurly?

The complaints we hear most: monthly base fee plus a share of billing volume; advanced retention and revenue recognition are separate products; larger plans need a sales quote.

How is this list ranked?

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