Top Billing Solutions for SaaS & Startups

Top Billing Solutions for SaaS & Startups

Automate payments, manage subscriptions, and scale revenue with the right billing software. Practical tips to simplify billing and support your growth.

Introduction

When you're just starting out, billing is simple. You send an invoice, you get paid, and that’s it. But as your business grows, things don’t stay that easy. Maybe you start offering subscriptions. Maybe your pricing gets more flexible. Maybe you expand to new markets. Suddenly, you’re dealing with recurring payments, failed transactions, tax rules, and customers expecting a smooth experience.

At that point, managing billing manually is no longer practical. It slows you down, opens the door to mistakes, and eats up valuable time.

This is where billing solutions come in.

A billing solution is simply a tool that helps you automate how you charge customers, collect payments, and manage subscriptions. It takes care of the messy details in the background, so you can stay focused on running your business.

For companies that want to scale smoothly and avoid billing headaches, using the right billing solution is an essential step.

There are plenty of billing platforms out there, each with its own strengths and focus. To help you navigate the options, we’ve selected our top five picks – trusted solutions that cover a wide range of business needs and company sizes.

Zenskar

Zenskar is built for companies whose billing is too complicated for basic tools but not big enough to justify heavy custom-built systems. If you’re running a SaaS or B2B business with subscriptions, usage-based pricing, or a mix of both, and your billing feels like a constant workaround, this platform is worth your attention.

What makes Zenskar different is how much control it gives you. You can design and automate your billing processes around how your business actually works, without needing to bug developers for every change. It also handles revenue recognition, so your finance team stays compliant without extra manual work.

Zenskar is flexible, practical, and designed to help you scale without billing turning into a daily struggle.

Pros ✅

• Works with any pricing model, whether it’s subscriptions, usage, or a combination.
• Business teams can adjust billing rules through a no-code interface, while developers have full API access.
• Automates revenue recognition in line with standards like ASC 606 and IFRS 15.
• Connects with over 100 tools, including CRMs, ERPs, payment gateways, and tax systems.
• Gives you clear, real-time dashboards for revenue and usage insights.
• You can test it out with a free sandbox or pilot before committing.

Cons ❌

• The flexibility comes with a learning curve during setup.
• Some integrations with niche tools might require extra effort.
• Advanced features are powerful but not as deeply customizable as large enterprise systems.
• Depending on your billing complexity, a full rollout can take several weeks.

Pricing 💰

• Startup Plan: $15,000 per year
• Mid-Market Plan: $35,000 per year
• Enterprise Plan: $100,000 per year

Pricing is based on how complex your billing needs are, not on your revenue size. Zenskar offers a free sandbox and pilot program so you can see how it fits before you buy.

Stripe Billing

Stripe Billing is an advanced solution for managing subscriptions and recurring payments, built on top of the Stripe payments platform. If you’re already using Stripe to process payments, adding Billing is a logical next step when you want to automate subscriptions, usage-based pricing, or more complex billing needs.

Stripe is known for its developer-friendly tools, but Billing also offers a clean interface for business teams to manage invoices, track revenue, and reduce failed payments. Whether you’re a fast-growing SaaS startup or a larger company with international customers, Stripe’s global payment reach and flexible billing models make it a solid choice.

Pros ✅

• Provides a powerful dashboard with detailed analytics and real-time transaction tracking.
• Clean, user-friendly interface that makes managing subscriptions and payments straightforward.
• Integrates easily with your existing systems and the wider Stripe ecosystem.
• Supports a wide range of billing models, from simple subscriptions to usage-based and mixed-interval plans.
• Accepts payments in over 135 currencies, covering both local and global methods.
• Automates billing cycles, retries failed payments, and handles dunning communications to reduce churn.
• Fully compliant with PCI DSS Level 1 standards, ensuring high-level security.
• Offers excellent developer resources with detailed documentation and customizable APIs.
• Proven scalability, managing billing for over 300,000 companies and 200 million active subscriptions.

Cons ❌

• The initial setup can feel overwhelming for teams without technical expertise, especially if custom workflows are needed.
• There are no direct alerts when a payment fails, which can lead to delays in following up with customers.
• The pricing structure can be confusing as your billing volume increases, making it hard to predict costs.
• Dispute handling is limited, allowing only one document upload for chargebacks, which might not be enough for complex cases.
• Some users find parts of the interface outdated and missing small but useful features like offline payment support or advanced invoice notes.

Pricing 💰

• Standard Plan: 0.7% of recurring billing volume for new customers (existing customers on 0.5% until June 30, 2025).
• Subscription-Based Option: A fixed monthly fee for businesses with predictable billing volumes.
• Custom Pricing: Available for high-volume businesses with special requirements.
• One-time invoice fees are charged separately from recurring billing.

Stripe Billing is a go-to choice for businesses looking for a flexible, scalable billing solution, especially for those already using Stripe for payment processing. It’s ideal if you want strong automation, global support, and a developer-friendly ecosystem.

Chargebee

Chargebee is built for businesses that run on subscriptions and want to stop patching things together manually. Whether it’s handling upgrades, downgrades, cancellations, free trials, or usage-based billing, Chargebee helps automate the full subscription lifecycle, so your team can focus on growth, not billing admin.

It is especially popular with SaaS companies and subscription-driven businesses that need reliable billing automation, support for global payments, and integrations with their existing business tools. Chargebee connects with your CRMs, payment gateways, and accounting systems, making it easier to stay on top of revenue while staying compliant with tax and privacy regulations.

Pros ✅

• Manages subscription changes smoothly, including upgrades, downgrades, cancellations, renewals, and trial periods.
• Strong API and webhook support for developers, with integrations for payment gateways, CRMs, and accounting platforms.
• Automates key billing processes like invoicing, payment reminders, proration, and dunning management.
• Supports global operations with multi-currency billing, tax compliance, and payment gateway integrations.
• Compliance-ready, with SOC 1 & 2, PCI DSS Level 1, and GDPR certifications.
• Offers a free plan and trial, which is helpful for early-stage startups testing the waters.

Cons ❌

• The interface can be overwhelming and unintuitive, leading to a steep learning curve for new users.
• Users have reported bugs affecting data accuracy, invoice generation, and overall reliability.
• Customer support often receives criticism for being slow and not resolving issues effectively.
• Pricing can be confusing, with hidden fees, unexpected overage charges, and additional costs for integrations and features.
• Key features like consolidated invoicing, advanced reporting, and chargeback automation are locked behind higher-tier plans.

Pricing 💰

• Starter Plan: Free for businesses with up to $100,000 in annual revenue, with basic features.
• Performance Plan: $249 per month, covers businesses up to $600,000 in annual revenue, though some features remain limited.
• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for larger businesses, includes advanced features but can become costly with add-ons.
• Overages & Add-ons: Extra charges apply if you exceed revenue caps, or need premium integrations like Salesforce, NetSuite, or advanced compliance tools.

Chargebee is a strong option for SaaS and subscription-based businesses that need reliable automation and global payment support. Just be aware of the learning curve, feature restrictions in lower tiers, and the potential for unexpected costs as you scale.

Zoho Payments

Zoho Payments is designed for businesses that want a simple and reliable way to collect payments, without the complexity of large enterprise billing systems. It helps manage one-time payments, subscriptions, and recurring billing while seamlessly integrating with the entire Zoho suite, including Zoho Billing, Zoho Books, Zoho CRM, and more.

If your company already relies on Zoho apps for finance, sales, or operations, Zoho Payments fits in naturally. It connects everything from invoicing to payment collection, giving you a unified system that’s easy to manage and affordable to run.

Pros ✅

• Automates recurring billing, invoicing, tax calculations, payment reminders, and dunning workflows.
• Integrates natively with Zoho’s Finance suite, CRM, Inventory, and other apps for smooth data sync.
• Supports multiple payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and Razorpay for global payment collection.
• Flexible billing options including tiered, usage-based, and standard recurring models.
• Provides a customer portal where clients can manage subscriptions and payment details.
• Handles payments in over 135 currencies, with built-in tax compliance features for international transactions.
• More affordable than many other billing platforms, with no per-transaction limits imposed by Zoho.
• Developer-friendly APIs for custom integrations with external tools.
• Mobile apps allow you to track billing and payments on the go.

Cons ❌

• As of 2025, Zoho Payments is officially available only in the US and India (early access), limiting global availability.
• May not offer the same depth of enterprise-level features and customization as higher-end competitors like Chargebee.
• Works best for businesses already using Zoho products; standalone use is less practical.
• ACH Direct Debit is available but only by request and not enabled by default.

Pricing 💰

• Zoho Payments charges transaction fees (details depend on payment method, shown on the Zoho Payments pricing page).
• Zoho Billing is offered as part of the Zoho ecosystem and is priced more competitively than most competitors.
• Bundled pricing available through Zoho One, which includes 45+ apps, starting at $90 per user per month (billed annually) or $105 per user per month (billed monthly).
• Free 30-day trials are available for most Zoho products, including Payments and Billing.

Zoho Payments is a smart choice for SMEs and businesses already using Zoho apps. It offers an affordable, easy-to-use solution for managing payments and subscriptions, without the overhead of more complex platforms.

Recurly

Recurly is a subscription billing platform designed for small and mid-sized businesses that want to automate and simplify how they manage recurring revenue. From customer sign-ups to billing, invoicing, renewals, and dunning (recovering failed payments), Recurly handles the full subscription lifecycle with a focus on ease of use.

For businesses that want to scale subscriptions without dealing with complex, heavy billing systems, Recurly offers a flexible and affordable solution. It integrates well with popular CRMs, payment gateways, and accounting tools, making it a practical choice for teams without large IT departments.

Pros ✅

• Very user-friendly interface, making it easy to navigate even for non-technical teams.
• Supports a variety of billing models, including fixed recurring, usage-based, hybrid, and promotional offers.
• Integrates with over 20 payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal, Amazon) and connects to CRM, marketing, and accounting platforms.
• Automates recurring billing, invoice generation, and dunning processes to minimize churn and manual work.
• Supports international business with over 30 languages and 140 currencies.
• Affordable entry-level pricing tailored for startups and SMBs.
• Provides actionable analytics with over 20 pre-built reports to track subscription metrics and customer behavior.
• Includes tax compliance tools for VAT, sales tax, and other regional requirements.

Cons ❌

• Lacks some advanced features and customization options compared to enterprise-grade platforms.
• While it supports many payment gateways, it does not cover all, so compatibility needs to be checked.
• Reporting is solid but may not offer the depth larger companies need.
• Complex, highly customized billing scenarios may exceed Recurly’s capabilities.
• Charges transaction fees on top of the subscription cost, and certain advanced features may come with extra fees.

Pricing 💰

• Starter Plan: Approximately $238 to $249 per month, with a free three-month trial for new customers.
• Transaction Fees: 1.25% per transaction plus $0.10 on payments via credit card, PayPal, or Amazon.
• Advanced Plans: Custom pricing available for larger businesses with more complex needs.
• Be aware that some advanced features and integrations may incur additional costs, so it’s important to review pricing details carefully.

Recurly is a solid option for small to mid-sized businesses looking for a straightforward, cost-effective subscription billing solution. It’s ideal for companies that need automation and integration without the overhead of larger enterprise platforms.

Conclusion

Billing might seem like a back-office task, but in reality, it touches your revenue, your customer experience, and your ability to grow. Choosing the right solution can save you time, reduce errors, and make sure you get paid on time – without constant manual effort.

It is an investment in scaling your business with fewer headaches.

Need help choosing and setting up the right billing solution?

We help companies implement billing systems that match their business model, integrate smoothly with existing tools, and scale as you grow. If you are not sure where to start or want expert guidance through setup and optimization, let us know.

Get in touch for a consultation and tailored implementation support.