For any SaaS startup, recurring revenue is king. But as your customer base grows and pricing tiers evolve, manually managing billing becomes a recipe for error, frustration — and churn.
That’s where SaaS billing software comes in. These platforms help you automate everything from subscription billing to invoicing, dunning management, taxes, and revenue recognition, all while scaling smoothly.
In this guide, we’ll explore the top SaaS billing platforms for startups in 2025 — including tools designed to simplify operations and improve customer experience.
Why SaaS Startups Need Billing Automation
Whether you’re charging monthly, yearly, or per API call, SaaS billing isn’t just about sending invoices. It involves:
Usage-based pricing
Tiered or custom plans
Free trials and promotional discounts
Failed payment recovery (dunning)
Compliance (e.g., PCI, tax/VAT, ASC 606)
Doing all this manually leads to errors, revenue leakage, and poor UX. Modern billing platforms solve this with automation, real-time analytics, and integrations with your tech stack.
1. Chargebee
Chargebee is one of the most popular subscription billing platforms for SaaS companies, especially early-stage to growth-stage startups.
Best for: B2B SaaS and product-led startups
Key features:
Support for metered, flat-rate, and tiered billing
Dunning management and payment retries
Integration with Stripe, PayPal, Xero, Salesforce
Global tax compliance and localization
Custom checkout pages and coupon handling
Pricing: Free plan up to $100K revenue/year; paid starts at $249/month
Bonus: Strong API + webhooks for developers
Perfect for: Founders scaling from MVP to Series A.
2. Paddle
Paddle is an all-in-one payment infrastructure tailored to SaaS and software businesses selling globally.
Best for: Startups with international customers
Key features:
Merchant of record model (Paddle handles VAT, invoicing, fraud)
Subscription management + flexible billing models
Built-in tax and compliance engine
Support for multiple currencies and payment methods
Checkout and license delivery included
Pricing: No monthly fees; takes a % of revenue
Unique: No need to worry about global sales tax
Ideal for: Global SaaS startups that want to stay lean.
3. Recurly
Recurly focuses on optimizing recurring revenue with subscription analytics and churn management.
Best for: SaaS platforms with complex billing or high-volume customers
Key features:
Intelligent retry and churn reduction
Multiple subscription models
Revenue recognition tools (ASC 606 compliant)
A/B testing for pricing and offers
Integrates with HubSpot, Salesforce, NetSuite
Pricing: From $249/month + transaction fees
Advantage: Excellent enterprise-grade analytics
Recommended for: Startups entering mid-market SaaS.
4. Zoho Subscriptions
Part of the Zoho suite, this solution is ideal for small startups using other Zoho tools or looking for budget-friendly billing automation.
Best for: Bootstrapped startups and solopreneurs
Key features:
Recurring billing and usage-based plans
Payment retry automation
Integration with Zoho Books, Stripe, Razorpay
Hosted payment pages
Email notifications and analytics dashboard
Pricing: Starts at $49/month
Bonus: Seamless with other Zoho apps (CRM, accounting, helpdesk)
Great for: Startups looking for a unified business tool ecosystem.
5. Stripe Billing
Stripe Billing is built on Stripe’s powerful infrastructure, offering customizable and developer-friendly billing features.
Best for: Developer-led SaaS products and platforms
Key features:
Flexible APIs for custom billing flows
Usage-based billing and metered charges
Smart retries and failed payment workflows
Advanced invoice logic and tax support
Native integration with Stripe Payments, Radar, and Revenue Recognition
Pricing: 0.5% on recurring charges (custom enterprise pricing available)
Strength: Most customizable billing stack available
Top choice for: Startups with technical teams and custom UX needs.
6. ProfitWell Retain + Metrics
ProfitWell isn’t a billing platform itself but works with Stripe, Chargebee, etc., to improve retention and revenue intelligence.
Best for: Startups focused on reducing churn and understanding metrics
Key features:
Churn recovery automation
Subscription analytics dashboard
Real-time SaaS metrics (MRR, CAC, LTV)
Segmentation by plan, region, cohort
Behavioral email follow-ups
Pricing: ProfitWell Metrics is free; Retain is performance-based
Bonus: Adds value to any existing billing stack
Ideal for: Founders who want to scale smarter, not just faster.
Key Considerations When Choosing a SaaS Billing Platform
Before choosing, consider:
How complex is your pricing model (flat, tiered, usage-based)?
Do you need global tax compliance (e.g., VAT, GST)?
Will you need dunning, trial support, and failed payment handling?
Are you selling to individuals, businesses, or both?
How involved is your dev team in the billing process?
Choose a solution that helps you reduce churn, increase MRR, and stay compliant — all while supporting your growth.