Best Open Source Alternatives to Stripe Billing in 2026
What Stripe Billing Actually Costs
Stripe's payment processing fee is 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (3.4% + $0.30 as of early 2026 for some account types). That's the baseline — the cost of accepting a credit card payment. On top of that, Stripe Billing adds its own layer:
- Starter tier: 0.5% of billing volume for basic subscription management
- Scale tier: 0.8% of billing volume for advanced features like revenue recovery and quotes
At $100K monthly recurring revenue, Stripe Billing alone costs $500-$800/month — before you pay the 2.9% processing fee. At $1M MRR, you're handing over $5,000-$8,000/month just for the subscription management layer. And that's not counting international card surcharges (+1.5%), currency conversion (+1%), or chargebacks ($15 each).
Here's what matters: most open source billing tools don't replace Stripe's payment processing. They replace the Stripe Billing layer — the subscription management, usage metering, invoicing, and pricing logic — while still using Stripe (or other processors) for the actual card charges. You keep Stripe's reliable payment infrastructure and drop the 0.5-0.8% billing tax.
The 2.9% processing fee is hard to avoid without negotiating enterprise rates or switching processors. The 0.5-0.8% billing fee is where open source saves real money.
TL;DR
Lago is the strongest overall Stripe Billing alternative — AGPL-licensed, built for usage-based billing, and the most complete open source billing platform available today. If you need enterprise-grade flexibility with a plugin architecture that's been battle-tested since 2010, Kill Bill is the veteran choice. For teams focused specifically on metering AI and API usage, OpenMeter is purpose-built and lightweight. Hyperswitch solves a different problem — payment orchestration across multiple processors — and pairs well with any billing tool on this list. Stigg is the best option for teams that want to iterate on pricing and packaging without touching billing code, though it's a commercial SaaS product, not open source.
Key Takeaways
- Lago (9.3K+ stars, AGPL-3.0) handles usage-based billing, subscriptions, invoicing, and prepaid credits. Processes up to 15,000 events/second. Self-hosts with Docker, PostgreSQL, and Redis.
- Kill Bill (4.5K+ stars, Apache-2.0) is the most mature platform on this list — enterprise-grade subscription billing since 2010. Java-based with a modular plugin architecture. Trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
- OpenMeter (Apache-2.0) specializes in real-time usage metering for AI, API, and DevOps workloads. Lightweight, composable, and designed to feed data into your billing system.
- Hyperswitch (14K+ stars, Apache-2.0) is a payment orchestration layer that routes transactions across 50+ processors. Reduces Stripe dependency by enabling multi-processor strategies.
- Stigg is a commercial pricing and packaging management platform (not open source). Useful for rapid pricing experiments, but starts at $5,376/year.
- Most tools on this list work with Stripe, not instead of it. They replace the billing logic layer while Stripe handles payment processing.
- Self-hosting billing infrastructure requires strong operational discipline — billing bugs mean revenue loss.
Quick Comparison
| Tool | GitHub Stars | License | Billing Models | Stripe Integration | Self-Host Complexity | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lago | 9.3K+ | AGPL-3.0 | Subscription, usage-based, hybrid, prepaid | Yes (payment processor) | Medium (Docker + Postgres + Redis) | Usage-based billing at scale |
| Kill Bill | 4.5K+ | Apache-2.0 | Subscription, usage-based, one-time, hybrid | Yes (via plugin) | High (Java + MySQL/MariaDB) | Enterprise with complex billing logic |
| OpenMeter | — | Apache-2.0 | Usage metering (pairs with billing system) | Yes (via integration) | Medium (Kubernetes/Helm) | AI/API usage metering |
| Hyperswitch | 14K+ | Apache-2.0 | Payment routing (not billing) | Yes (as one of 50+ processors) | Medium (Docker + Postgres + Redis) | Multi-processor payment orchestration |
| Stigg | N/A | Commercial SaaS | Pricing/packaging management | Yes (syncs pricing to Stripe) | None (cloud-only) | Pricing experiments without code changes |
Lago — Best Overall Stripe Billing Alternative
Lago is the most complete open source billing platform available in 2026. Built by a YC-backed team, it handles the full billing lifecycle: usage metering, subscription management, invoicing, prepaid credits, and payment orchestration. If you're paying Stripe Billing's 0.5-0.8% fee primarily for subscription and usage-based billing, Lago can replace that layer entirely.
What It Does Well
Usage-based billing at scale. Lago is event-based: if you can track it, you can charge for it. The platform processes up to 15,000 events per second, making it suitable for high-volume API, AI, and infrastructure billing. Define custom meters, aggregate events in real-time, and generate invoices automatically.
Flexible pricing models. Subscriptions, pay-as-you-go, prepaid credits, hybrid models, add-ons, and volume-based tiers. Lago handles the combinatorial pricing complexity that forces most teams onto Stripe Billing in the first place.
Automatic invoicing. Lago calculates per-customer charges across all their plans, coupons, and usage, then generates compliant invoices. It integrates with Stripe, GoCardless, and Adyen for payment collection.
Prepaid credits. A first-class system for credit-based billing — useful for AI/API companies selling token packages or compute credits.
Billing Models Supported
Subscription (flat-rate, tiered), usage-based (per-event, per-unit, volume, graduated), hybrid (subscription + overages), prepaid credits, one-time add-ons, and minimum commitments.
Self-Hosting Requirements
Docker Compose deployment with PostgreSQL and Redis. Can run on Railway for $5-$10/month or on any VPS with Docker. For production, expect to allocate at least 4 GB RAM and set up proper backup procedures for the PostgreSQL database.
Stripe Integration
Lago uses Stripe as a payment processor — it sends invoices and collects payment through Stripe's API. You keep Stripe for card processing (paying the 2.9% + $0.30) but eliminate the Stripe Billing fee (0.5-0.8%).
Limitations
AGPL-3.0 license requires sharing source code if you modify Lago and offer it as a service — fine for internal use, but review the terms if you're building a billing SaaS. The self-hosted version may lag behind Lago Cloud in features. Real-time event processing at very high volumes requires proper infrastructure sizing.
Best for: SaaS and API companies with usage-based or hybrid billing models who want to eliminate the Stripe Billing fee while keeping Stripe for payment processing.
Kill Bill — Enterprise-Grade Billing Since 2010
Kill Bill is the oldest and most battle-tested open source billing platform. Developed under the Apache License 2.0 and trusted by companies from growth-stage startups to Fortune 500 enterprises, it processes billions in revenue. Where Lago is optimized for modern usage-based billing, Kill Bill is built for the full complexity of enterprise billing — multi-tenant platforms, complex plan hierarchies, custom invoice templates, and deep payment gateway integrations.
What It Does Well
Plugin architecture. Kill Bill is not an all-in-one monolith. It's a modular platform where you enable, disable, or replace functionality. Payment gateway plugins (Stripe, Adyen, Braintree, PayPal), tax engine plugins, notification plugins, analytics plugins. Build your own with the open plugin framework.
Data sovereignty. Billing data never leaves your infrastructure. Deploy on-premises or in your own cloud with complete network isolation. For regulated industries — healthcare, finance, government — this is a hard requirement.
Mature and stable. Fourteen years of production usage means edge cases are handled and the API surface is well-documented. The codebase handles billing scenarios that newer tools haven't encountered yet.
Billing Models Supported
Subscription (with trials, phases, and plan changes), usage-based (metered), one-time charges, recurring add-ons, and hybrid models. Supports complex plan structures with multiple phases (e.g., 30-day free trial, then monthly, then annual discount).
Self-Hosting Requirements
Java-based (JDK 11+). Requires MySQL or MariaDB (also tested against PostgreSQL). Production deployment uses Docker containers for Kill Bill, Kaui (admin UI), and the database. Recommended: at least 2 instances behind a load balancer with master-slave database replication. The operational overhead is higher than Lago or OpenMeter.
Stripe Integration
Kill Bill connects to Stripe via its payment plugin system. Stripe is one of many supported processors — Kill Bill's plugin architecture also supports Adyen, Braintree, PayPal, and dozens of others. This makes Kill Bill a natural choice if you want processor flexibility.
Limitations
Java ecosystem means heavier resource requirements and a steeper learning curve for teams without JVM experience. The admin UI (Kaui) is functional but dated compared to Lago's dashboard. Documentation is comprehensive but dense. Initial setup takes more time than any other tool on this list.
Best for: Enterprises with complex billing requirements, regulated industries that need on-premises deployment, and teams that want maximum flexibility through a plugin architecture.
OpenMeter — Purpose-Built Usage Metering
OpenMeter solves one problem extremely well: real-time usage metering. If you're an AI company billing per token, an API platform billing per request, or a DevOps tool billing per compute minute, OpenMeter collects, aggregates, and reports usage events at scale. It's not a full billing platform — it's the metering layer that feeds into your billing system.
What It Does Well
Real-time event processing. Built to handle millions of events per second with low latency. SDKs for Node.js, Python, and Go make instrumentation straightforward. CloudEvents-compatible event format means standardized event schemas.
Composable architecture. OpenMeter handles metering. Pair it with Stripe for payment processing, Lago or Kill Bill for invoicing, and your own pricing logic. It doesn't try to do everything — it does metering well and integrates cleanly.
Usage limit enforcement. Real-time usage tracking enables real-time limits — cut off API access at the plan limit, send overage warnings, or throttle requests. Critical for API and AI products.
SOC2 compliance. The managed cloud offering includes RBAC, SSO, and audit logging. Relevant for enterprise sales.
Billing Models Supported
OpenMeter is a metering tool, not a billing tool. It provides the usage data that feeds into usage-based, prepaid, and hybrid billing models. You still need a billing layer (Lago, Kill Bill, Stripe Billing, or custom) to generate invoices.
Self-Hosting Requirements
Kubernetes deployment via Helm chart. The open source version (Apache-2.0) covers metering, product catalog, and invoicing. More operationally demanding than Docker Compose — assumes your team is comfortable with Kubernetes.
Stripe Integration
OpenMeter integrates with Stripe to sync usage data into Stripe's metering system, or it can feed data into alternative billing platforms. It's a usage data source, not a Stripe replacement.
Limitations
Not a standalone billing platform — you need a separate system for invoicing, subscription management, and payment collection. Kubernetes requirement raises the self-hosting bar. Smaller community than Lago or Kill Bill.
Best for: AI, API, and DevOps companies that need high-performance usage metering and want to choose their own billing and payment layers independently.
Hyperswitch — Multi-Processor Payment Orchestration
Hyperswitch solves a different problem than the other tools on this list. While Lago, Kill Bill, and OpenMeter replace Stripe Billing's subscription and metering layer, Hyperswitch reduces dependence on Stripe as a payment processor. It's an open source payment orchestration layer — a single API that routes transactions across 50+ payment processors (including Stripe) based on cost, success rate, geography, and payment method.
What It Does Well
Smart routing. Route transactions to the cheapest or highest-converting processor automatically. If Stripe declines a card, retry with Adyen. Process European cards through a local acquirer at lower rates. This directly reduces the effective processing fee below Stripe's standard 2.9%.
Single integration, many processors. One API integration gives you access to Stripe, Adyen, Braintree, PayPal, Checkout.com, and dozens more. Add or remove processors without changing your codebase.
Written in Rust. High performance, low latency, memory-safe. The payment router handles high transaction volumes without the overhead of JVM or interpreted languages.
Visual workflow builder. The Control Center provides a no-code interface for configuring routing rules, retry logic, and processor priority.
Billing Models Supported
Hyperswitch is not a billing tool — it handles payment processing, not subscriptions or metering. Pair it with Lago or Kill Bill for billing, or use it alongside Stripe Billing if you want to keep Stripe for billing but route some payments through cheaper processors.
Self-Hosting Requirements
Docker deployment with PostgreSQL and Redis. Three components: the Rust backend, the Control Center (web UI), and the SDK. Docker Compose brings everything up. Rust compilation can take around 15 minutes if building from source, but pre-built Docker images are available.
Stripe Integration
Stripe is one of many supported processors. Hyperswitch sits in front of Stripe, routing transactions to Stripe when it's the best option and to alternatives when it's not. You can start with 100% Stripe routing and gradually shift traffic as you add processors.
Limitations
Adds a layer between your application and payment processors — another potential point of failure. Requires operational maturity to manage routing rules and monitor processor health. Doesn't handle billing, invoicing, or subscriptions. The 14K+ GitHub stars reflect strong community interest, but the project is younger than Kill Bill.
Best for: Companies processing enough volume to benefit from multi-processor routing, teams that want to reduce Stripe processing fees through smart routing, and businesses expanding internationally where local processors offer better rates.
Stigg — Pricing and Packaging Management (Commercial)
Stigg is not open source, but it's included here because it solves a problem adjacent to billing that many teams face: how to change pricing and packaging without rewriting code. Stigg is a commercial SaaS platform that manages entitlements, feature flags tied to pricing tiers, and plan configurations — syncing changes to Stripe and other billing providers automatically.
What It Does Well
No-code pricing changes. Update plan limits, add features to tiers, create new SKUs, or run pricing experiments without deploying code. Stigg keeps your product, billing provider (Stripe), CRM, and data warehouse in sync.
Entitlements as a system of record. Define what each plan includes (API calls, seats, features) in Stigg, and enforce those limits in your application via API. When a plan changes, entitlements update everywhere.
Migration at scale. Move millions of existing customers to a new pricing configuration in minutes. For teams that need to iterate on monetization strategy frequently, this is the core value proposition.
Billing Models Supported
Stigg manages pricing and packaging — flat-rate tiers, per-seat, usage-based limits, feature gating, and custom enterprise plans. It syncs pricing changes to Stripe Billing, Chargebee, or other providers. It does not process payments or generate invoices itself.
Self-Hosting Requirements
None. Stigg is cloud-only SaaS. Pricing starts at $5,376/year.
Stripe Integration
Deep Stripe integration — Stigg syncs plans, prices, entitlements, and customer data to your Stripe account. It sits on top of Stripe Billing, adding a pricing management layer.
Limitations
Not open source. Cloud-only — no self-hosting option. Pricing starts above $5K/year, making it relevant for growth-stage and larger companies. You still need Stripe Billing (and its fees) underneath. Stigg adds a management layer; it doesn't reduce your Stripe bill.
Best for: SaaS companies iterating on pricing strategy who want to decouple packaging decisions from engineering releases.
How to Choose
"I want to eliminate Stripe Billing fees while keeping Stripe for payments" — Lago. The most direct Stripe Billing replacement. Move subscription management and metering in-house, keep Stripe for card processing.
"I need enterprise-grade billing with maximum flexibility" — Kill Bill. Fourteen years of production usage, plugin architecture, and data sovereignty. Higher setup cost, highest ceiling.
"I need to meter AI/API usage before choosing a billing system" — OpenMeter. Purpose-built metering that feeds into any billing platform. Start here, add billing later.
"I want to reduce payment processing fees by using multiple processors" — Hyperswitch. Smart routing across 50+ processors. Pair with any billing tool.
"I need to change pricing without touching code" — Stigg. Commercial SaaS, not open source, but the best pricing management layer available.
"I want the full stack — billing, metering, and payment orchestration" — Combine Lago (billing + metering) with Hyperswitch (payment routing). Open source billing with multi-processor flexibility.
Cost Comparison: Stripe Billing vs Self-Hosted
The economics of self-hosted billing improve dramatically with scale. At $50K MRR, savings are modest. At $500K+ MRR, self-hosting pays for an entire engineering headcount.
Stripe Billing Costs (Monthly)
| MRR | Processing (2.9% + $0.30) | Billing Fee (0.7%) | Total Stripe Cost | Billing Fee Alone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50K | ~$1,600 | $350 | ~$1,950 | $350/mo |
| $100K | ~$3,100 | $700 | ~$3,800 | $700/mo |
| $500K | ~$15,000 | $3,500 | ~$18,500 | $3,500/mo |
| $1M | ~$30,000 | $7,000 | ~$37,000 | $7,000/mo |
Self-Hosted Billing (Lago or Kill Bill)
| Cost | Monthly Estimate |
|---|---|
| VPS / Cloud (8 GB RAM, 4 vCPU) | $40-$80 |
| Managed PostgreSQL | $30-$100 |
| Managed Redis | $15-$30 |
| Engineering time (setup: 40-80 hrs, ongoing: 4-8 hrs/mo at $100/hr) | $400-$800/mo ongoing |
| Monitoring and backups | $20-$50 |
| Total (ongoing) | $505-$1,060/month |
At $100K MRR, self-hosting saves roughly $0-$200/month after factoring in engineering time — barely break-even. At $500K MRR, you save $2,400-$3,000/month ($29K-$36K/year). At $1M MRR, savings reach $5,900-$6,500/month ($71K-$78K/year).
You still pay Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee regardless. Self-hosting only eliminates the 0.5-0.8% Billing layer fee. Add Hyperswitch for multi-processor routing to potentially reduce the processing fee as well.
The real value isn't just cost savings — it's control. Custom billing logic, usage-based models that Stripe Billing doesn't support natively, and the ability to switch payment processors without rebuilding your billing system.
Methodology
We evaluated these tools based on:
- Stripe Billing feature coverage — Subscription management, usage-based billing, invoicing, metering, prepaid credits, and pricing flexibility.
- Self-hosting viability — Docker/Kubernetes availability, infrastructure requirements, documentation quality, and real-world deployment complexity.
- Stripe compatibility — Whether the tool works alongside Stripe for payment processing, reducing lock-in without requiring a full migration.
- Community health — GitHub stars, commit frequency, issue responsiveness, backer funding, and contributor activity as of March 2026.
- Billing model flexibility — Support for subscription, usage-based, hybrid, prepaid, and enterprise billing models.
We did not accept payment or sponsorship from any project listed. Tools were evaluated through documentation review, self-hosted deployments, and managed cloud offerings where available.
Find Your Alternative
Stripe Billing is convenient, but that convenience costs 0.5-0.8% of your revenue — a fee that scales linearly as you grow. Open source alternatives give you the same subscription management and metering capabilities with cost predictability, data ownership, and billing logic you fully control.
Browse all Stripe Billing alternatives on OSSAlt to see detailed feature comparisons, deployment guides, and community reviews — and find the right billing infrastructure for your business.