The verdict
For a small team selling software or digital products worldwide, I would pick Lemon Squeezy. You start selling quickly and the tax question is handled. Read what the vendor says about its future under Stripe before you build on it.
If pricing is part of your strategy, pick Chargebee. Usage charges, credits, several plans, custom enterprise terms and quotes are where it earns its place, and you can change pricing without engineering work. It also suits teams that want to keep their own gateway.
If you have only a few flat plans, neither may be right. A simpler tool such as Stripe Billing can do the job.
Side by side
| 8 points compared | ||
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $99/mo | |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server | Yes | |
| Dunning & churn recovery | Yes | Yes |
| Hosted self-serve checkout | Yes | Yes |
| Merchant of record | No | Yes |
| Usage-based metering | Yes | Yes |
| Links |
Plans and pricing
Chargebee
- Flow (Billing)$99/mo
- CPQ LiteFree
- Growth StarterFree
Lemon Squeezy
- Email MarketingFree
Who each is for
Choose Chargebee if…
Pick Chargebee if you run subscriptions with complex or changing pricing and a finance or revenue team that needs billing, quoting and revenue recognition handled by one vendor. It supports tiered, volume, usage-based and flat-fee models, and lists integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, QuickBooks Online and Xero.
It is sold as several products, each priced separately, and some plans carry a fee that scales with invoiced volume. Start with billing and add the rest when you feel the need. You stay responsible for tax, because Chargebee is not the merchant of record.
Choose Lemon Squeezy if…
Pick Lemon Squeezy if you are an indie developer, a small SaaS team or a digital creator who sells globally and does not want to set up tax compliance. It covers checkout, subscriptions, licence keys, digital downloads and discount codes, plus an email marketing tool.
There is no monthly fee for the store, and the fee on each sale includes the tax handling. At high volume that percentage adds up. It is built for digital products only, and the company is now part of Stripe, so ask what changes for existing sellers. Check how invoices and refunds work for your accounting.
Other options worth a look
Bills digital products as merchant of record, handling subscriptions, usage metering, tax compliance and payouts.
Handle global subscriptions, payments and tax compliance without managing VAT registration across 300+ markets.
Send invoices, track expenses, reconcile banks and prepare VAT returns for Dutch small businesses.
Ties agency projects, time, budgets and profitability together in one place for managing client work.
