Best Usage-Based Billing Software in 2026: Pricing & Comparison
Compare usage-based billing platforms on published rates, free or open-source options, and fit for metering, hybrid pricing, and enterprise contracts.
TL;DR
- Teams already on Stripe needing basic usage metering: Stripe Billing — 0.7% of billing volume; basic meters included.
- Developers wanting transparent event-based metering: Amberflo — published metering rates from $0.01 per 1,000 events.
- Teams that want to self-host or start free: Lago — free self-hosted under AGPL; managed options available.
- Scale-ups needing advanced usage contracts and portals: Orb — quote-led; now part of Adyen.
- Companies wanting advanced usage inside the Stripe ecosystem: Metronome (Stripe) — published Startup rates plus custom.
Usage-based billing software meters product consumption (API calls, compute hours, seats plus overages, or other events), applies pricing rules, and generates invoices. It supports pure usage, hybrid subscription-plus-usage, credits, and enterprise contracts with minimums and ramps.
Every vendor is evaluated on the same fields: published pricing model (percentage, per-event, free, or quote), free or self-host option, primary metering approach, and main limitation. The order is not a quality ranking. Platforms with a public $0 start or published rate appear first; quote-led tools appear last.
Compared at a glance
| Provider | Published pricing | Primary strength | Best for | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe Billing | 0.7% of Billing volume (pay-as-you-go); higher fixed tiers available | Native Stripe payments + basic meters | Teams already processing payments on Stripe | Visit → |
| Amberflo | Metering from $0.01 per 1,000 events; invoicing percentage | Real-time metering and cost attribution | Developers needing transparent event pricing | Visit → |
| Lago | Free self-hosted (AGPL); managed via partners | Open-source billing with metering | Teams that want to self-host or start at $0 | Visit → |
| Orb | Quote only (Core, Advanced, Enterprise) | Usage billing with customer portals | Scale-ups needing complex usage contracts | Visit → |
| Metronome (Stripe) | Startup: 0.8% of volume + $0.04/1k events; Custom quote | Advanced usage inside Stripe | Stripe customers needing multidimensional usage | Visit → |
Pricing checked 14 October 2026 on official vendor pages. Stripe Billing, Amberflo, Lago, and Metronome publish rates or free options. Orb is quote-led. Confirm current rates and event limits on the live pages.
The five companies in detail
1. Stripe Billing
Best for: teams already using Stripe payments that need straightforward subscriptions with basic usage metering.
| Attribute | Stripe Billing |
|---|---|
| Public pricing | 0.7% of Billing volume (pay-as-you-go); fixed monthly tiers for higher volume |
| Free plan / trial | No separate free plan; basic meters included up to high event counts |
| Primary focus | Recurring billing + native Stripe payments |
| Main limitation | Advanced multidimensional usage routes to Metronome (separate rates) |
- Pay-as-you-go rate of 0.7% of Billing volume covers subscriptions and basic usage via the Meters API.
- Fixed monthly plans available for higher predictable volume (starting around $620/month for up to $100k Billing volume).
- Advanced usage-based features (multidimensional rates, complex commits) are handled by Metronome, a Stripe product, with its own pricing.
2. Amberflo
Best for: developers and product teams that want transparent, event-based metering pricing without a long sales cycle.
| Attribute | Amberflo |
|---|---|
| Public pricing | Metering Cloud: free tier then $0.01 per 1,000 events; Billing Cloud percentage of invoiced amount |
| Free plan / trial | 1 million meter events free; limited free invoices |
| Primary focus | Real-time metering, dashboards, and usage alerts |
| Main limitation | Accelerator packages and high-volume custom pricing require contact |
- Published metering rate of $0.01 per 1,000 events after the free tier.
- Supports real-time dashboards, alerts, and flexible pricing models including hybrid and credits.
- Full billing and invoicing percentages plus enterprise packages are quoted separately.
3. Lago
Best for: teams that prefer open-source software and want to self-host billing and metering at zero license cost.
| Attribute | Lago |
|---|---|
| Public pricing | Free self-hosted under AGPL-3.0; managed cloud via partners |
| Free plan / trial | Free self-hosted; no license fee |
| Primary focus | Open-source usage-based and hybrid billing |
| Main limitation | Self-hosting requires operational ownership; managed options vary by partner |
- Core platform is free to self-host under AGPL-3.0 with metering, invoicing, and credits.
- Supports hybrid pricing, prepaid credits, and integrations with payment providers.
- Managed hosting and enterprise support are available through partners and may carry fees.
4. Orb
Best for: scale-ups that need sophisticated usage contracts, customer portals, and revenue workflows without building from scratch.
| Attribute | Orb |
|---|---|
| Public pricing | Quote only across Core, Advanced, and Enterprise |
| Free plan / trial | No public free plan |
| Primary focus | Usage billing with portals and advanced contracts |
| Main limitation | Pricing requires a sales conversation; acquired by Adyen in 2026 |
- Supports complex usage models, customer-facing portals, and revenue operations workflows.
- Integrates with major payment providers and accounting systems.
- No published list prices; contracts are customized by volume and features.
5. Metronome (Stripe)
Best for: Stripe customers that need advanced multidimensional usage pricing, commits, and marketplace support.
| Attribute | Metronome |
|---|---|
| Public pricing | Startup: 0.8% of billing volume + $0.04 per 1,000 ingest events; Custom quote |
| Free plan / trial | No free allotment currently listed on Startup |
| Primary focus | Advanced usage metering and contract management inside Stripe |
| Main limitation | Separate from basic Stripe Billing meters; percentage plus per-event fees |
- Stripe completed acquisition in January 2026; Metronome extends Stripe’s usage capabilities.
- Startup plan publishes 0.8% of volume plus $0.04 per 1,000 events for advanced metering.
- Custom enterprise plans are quote-led; basic Stripe meters remain under the 0.7% Billing rate.
I’m already on Stripe and need basic usageSimple meters
I want transparent per-event pricingDeveloper-friendly metering
Amberflo publishes a clear rate of $0.01 per 1,000 events after a free tier, plus real-time dashboards.
I prefer to self-host and avoid license feesOpen-source option
Lago is free to self-host under AGPL. You own the infrastructure and can add managed options later.
I need advanced usage contracts and portalsScale-up or enterprise
Orb handles complex usage models and customer portals. Pricing is quote-led.
I need multidimensional usage inside StripeAdvanced Stripe customer
Metronome (a Stripe product) publishes Startup rates of 0.8% plus per-event fees for advanced metering and contracts.
Buying tip
Model both the percentage of billing volume and the per-event fee at your expected event volume. A low percentage can still become expensive at high throughput, and some platforms charge both.
Is Stripe Billing enough for usage-based pricing?
Can I self-host usage-based billing software?
Yes. Lago is free to self-host under AGPL-3.0. Other platforms in this list are cloud-only.
What happened to Metronome and Orb?
Stripe completed its acquisition of Metronome in January 2026. Adyen closed its acquisition of Orb in July 2026. Both continue as distinct products.
Do these platforms charge a percentage of revenue?
Stripe Billing charges 0.7% of Billing volume. Metronome Startup charges 0.8% plus a per-event fee. Amberflo charges a percentage on invoiced amounts in its Billing Cloud. Lago has no license percentage.
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