Top 6 Chargebee alternatives & competitors in 2024

Let’s be clear on something — Chargebee might not be the best fit for every business.

Though many B2B companies have found success using this popular subscription billing management platform, better alternatives have started to appear, especially when it comes to solving modern SaaS billing issues. 

In this article, we’ll analyze the main Chargebee alternatives to give you a bird's eye view of what’s on offer in the billing management software landscape and help you find an alternative that works for your specific business needs. 

A quick summary of the Chargebee competitors we’ll be dissecting today: 

• Orb: User-friendly usage-based billing platform with detailed invoicing features.
• Stripe: Well-rounded payment processing platform with subscription features.
• Recurly: Developer-friendly subscription billing platform for complex recurring billing.
• Sage Intacct: Accounting software with integrated subscription management.
• Zoho Billing: Budget-friendly subscription management for Zoho users.
• Maxio: Feature-rich platform for complex subscriptions and high-growth businesses.

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Why search for a Chargebee alternative?

While Chargebee offers valuable functionalities, here are some reasons why B2B companies might want to explore alternatives to Chargebee:

• Pricing: Chargebee's pricing structure can be complex and may not be cost-effective for smaller B2B businesses or those with specific needs. Some users even report that it can become increasingly expensive as your business grows.
  
  Solution: Go with competitors like Orb or Stripe which feature simple, straightforward, and scaling pricing. 

• Scalability: Chargebee might struggle to accommodate highly complex subscription models or rapid business growth. For businesses with intricate billing scenarios or a large subscriber base, Chargebee may not offer the necessary scalability.
  
  Solution: Choose a competitor like Sage Intacct or Maxio, which are designed with B2B scalability in mind, especially for those struggling with intricate subscription models and high-volume transactions.  

• Ease of use: Many users find the interface complex, particularly for non-technical users. This can lead to a steeper learning curve and potential difficulties in managing subscriptions.
  
  Solution: Opt for platforms like Orb, which features an intuitive dashboard that lets non-technical users monitor every aspect of billing from a single source of truth. 

• Limited integrations: Certain integrations crucial for specific business workflows might not be readily available in Chargebee. This can require additional workarounds or limit functionality compared to competitors offering a wider range of integration options.
  
  Solution: Orb stands out as a great alternative when it comes to integrations. Particularly thanks to its automatic integration with data warehouses (like Redshift and Big Query) and finance tools like QuickBooks. 

• Lack of advanced features: For businesses with highly complex subscription models, Chargebee might lack some advanced features considered a must, such as sophisticated revenue recognition or multi-currency support.
  
  Solution: Options such as Stripe and Recurly shine in this regard. They both offer more feature-rich platforms with better payment orchestration and more robust dunning systems.

Best Chargebee alternatives

#1 Orb — The best overall Chargebee alternative

What is it?

Orb is an easy-to-use billing management platform specializing in usage-based billing designed to streamline the process for B2B businesses of all sizes. 

It offers core features like automated, granular invoicing, robust reporting, and integration with data warehouses like Snowflake, finance tools like Netsuite and Quickbooks, and even has a direct SQL editor.

The best part? It allows you to support numerous SaaS pricing models easily, including hybrid models that combine usage-based models and subscription-based fees. 

How does it beat Chargebee?

• Simplicity in interface design: Orb provides a user-friendly interface that simplifies the billing management process, making it more accessible for non-technical users than Chargebee.
• Superior event ingestion and invoicing: Orb's platform is designed to handle a higher volume of event ingestion and offers better invoicing capabilities, including the ability to show decimal points.
  
  Orb’s invoicing goes a step further, showing you highly detailed usage graphs, timelines, and individual pricing data — all in one single source of truth. This makes Orb’s invoicing vastly superior to Chargebee’s in terms of details and insights.

• Plan versioning without pricing migrations: Orb also has plan versioning, eliminating the need for pricing migrations and making it easier to manage pricing changes, an area where it stands apart from Chargebee.

#2 Stripe — The most popular Chargebee alternative

What is it?

Stripe is a leading payment processing platform offering extensive payment solutions for B2B businesses. 

Its extensive suite of services caters to businesses of all sizes, providing tools for payment processing, billing, invoicing, sales tax automation, and more, all within a developer-friendly environment.

Their developer-friendly approach also means they offer easy-to-use APIs, outstanding SDKs, and 24-hour global support for when you’re having a hard time getting your billing system implemented. 

How does it beat Chargebee?

• Integrated payment processing: Stripe stands out by providing an all-in-one platform for handling both straightforward payment processing and intricate subscription management needs, making it ideal for businesses seeking a unified solution.
• Customization options: Thanks to its developer-centric approach and flexible API, Stripe offers superior customization capabilities over Chargebee. This makes it perfect for businesses with highly specific requirements.
• Designed for growth: Stripe excels in supporting businesses through their growth phases, capable of managing complex payment situations and high-volume transactions with ease.

#3 Recurly — The developer-friendly Chargebee alternative

What is it?

Recurly is a versatile subscription billing platform that makes handling recurring payments easier for businesses. It's great at dealing with various billing needs, such as adjusting charges, providing discounts, and managing different subscription levels.

Recurly offers a robust payment orchestration that supports a wide range of payment gateways. This feature set, combined with fraud management and multi-currency support, makes Recurly a fitting choice for businesses eyeing international growth.

Recurly helps keep subscribers longer and sticks to financial regulations by managing prorated charges, sending reminders, and offering various payment options.

How does it beat Chargebee?

• Revenue insights: Recurly leads with advanced analytics and revenue optimization tools, providing deeper insights into churn and subscription metrics than Chargebee, ideal for strategic planning and reducing revenue loss.​ 
• Support and insights: It provides superior customer support and detailed insights into subscriber activities, outperforming Chargebee in service responsiveness and data clarity​.
• Dunning management: Recurly's dunning system is highly effective at recovering revenue by automatically retrying payments and alerting customers, a key advantage over Chargebee​.

#4 Sage Intacct — The financial-focused Chargebee alternative 

What is it?

Sage Intacct is a cloud accounting and financial management software. Unlike traditional accounting systems, Sage Intacct is designed to adapt to unique B2B business needs, offering a broad suite of tools that go from core financials to advanced financial management and reporting.

It offers advanced accounting with AI automation and integrates payroll and HR solutions for operational efficiency. It connects seamlessly with tools like Salesforce, ensuring frictionless data flow across platforms. 

Sage Intacct scales with your business from startup to full-scale enterprise level. Plus, it’s endorsed by the AICPA for its industry reliability and versatility across various sectors, offering industry-specific solutions​.

How does it beat Chargebee?

• Unified financial management: Sage Intacct offers a unified platform for advanced financial management, including accounting, cash management, and inventory tracking. This all-around approach eliminates the need for separate systems.
• Deep financial features: It’s perfect for meticulous financial management with features covering accounts payable/receivable, cash management, and more. It also stands out for its capabilities in fixed asset management and compliance.
• Scalability and industry-specific solutions: Sage Intacct is designed to scale with businesses of all sizes. This adaptability supports growing organizations with evolving financial data and processes, beating ChargBee by a long shot. 

#5 Zoho Billing — The budget-friendly Chargebee alternative

What is it?

Zoho Billing is a comprehensive billing solution for SMEs, expanding from Zoho Subscriptions to include not only subscription management but also invoicing, expense tracking, and project billing.

It stands out for its billing flexibility. It supports various pricing strategies and automates invoicing and expense management. It also allows for revenue optimization through pricing model experimentation and simplifies discounts and promotions management​.

Zoho Billing enhances payment processes, supporting multiple payment methods and customer lifecycle management from trials to cancellations. It's specially designed to provide insightful business metrics for strategic growth.

How does it beat Chargebee?

• Cost-effectiveness: Zoho Billing starts at $20 per month, significantly lower than Chargebee's $249 per month, offering an affordable solution for SMEs​ looking to manage their billing processes without a substantial upfront investment​.
• Zoho ecosystem integration: If your business already uses Zoho's suite of products, Zoho Billing offers seamless integration across the Zoho ecosystem, enhancing workflow efficiency and data synchronization across platforms.
• Feature set: While Chargebee is known for its extensive features and support, Zoho Billing competes well with a strong feature set including multi-currency support and advanced reporting and analytics. 

#6 Maxio  — The highly-customizable Chargebee alternative

What is it?

Maxio is a specialized billing and financial platform designed for B2B SaaS companies, emphasizing tailored pricing strategies and effective subscription management. It streamlines the order-to-cash cycle and aims to reduce churn.

With a focus on revenue recognition and analytics, Maxio ensures GAAP compliance and supports various growth stages, automating billing workflows and generating financial reports.

Moreover, it offers tools for managing customer lifecycles and revenue optimization, as well as providing both real-time analytics and customizable dashboards for strategic decision-making.

How does it beat Chargebee?

• Advanced billing features: Maxio is great for managing complex billing scenarios with features like revenue recognition and supports multiple currencies, which may surpass Chargebee's offerings in complexity and depth.
• Scalability for high growth: It's designed to support businesses as they scale, efficiently handling large volumes of subscribers and complex billing processes, making it suitable for rapidly growing companies.
• Customization options: Maxio provides more opportunities for customization compared to Chargebee, allowing businesses to tailor the platform to their specific functionalities.

Choosing the right Chargebee alternative

Selecting the ideal Chargebee alternative depends on your specific needs. Here are some key factors to consider:

• Business size and complexity: Are you a small business with basic subscription needs, or a large enterprise with intricate billing models?
• Features required: Identify the essential features you require, such as automated invoicing, dunning management, or advanced analytics.
• Budget: Compare pricing structures and choose a solution that aligns with your budget constraints.
• Ease of use: Evaluate the user interface and consider your team's technical expertise.
• Scalability: Consider your growth projections and choose a platform that can scale with your business.
• Integrations: Ensure the platform integrates seamlessly with your existing business tools.
• Customer support: Evaluate the quality and availability of customer support offered by the platform. Reliable customer support can be crucial for resolving issues and getting the most out of the platform.

Ready to solve billing?

Now that we’ve analyzed the main Chargebee alternatives on the market, you’re ready to make an informed choice and choose a billing platform that suits your specific needs.

If you're seeking a done-for-you, powerful solution for usage-based billing management, consider Orb.

Learn more about Orb’s extensive suite of tools or even try it out for free to discover everything Orb has to offer in their SaaS sandbox without paying a single dollar. You can rest easy knowing that Orb built billing so you don’t have to.