Best Recurring Billing Software (2026): 10 Tools Compared

The first time you invoice a customer by hand, it feels fine. By the fifth month you're copying the previous invoice, changing the date and hoping you haven't forgotten anyone. Recurring billing software takes that job over, so the right customers are charged on the right day and you spend less time chasing.

Here's a list of ten recurring billing tools, in no particular order, sorted alphabetically. A few are familiar names and the rest are smaller or more specialised. I've taken every description from each tool's own website, so check the current details on each site before you move customers across. If you're still working out what to look for, my list of subscription billing software features is a handy checklist.

Recurring billing tools at a glance

In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site describes a permanent free plan or open-source software. Trial only means a free trial but no ongoing free plan, and No means neither is described, usually because you book a demo or use pay-as-you-go terms. Free options often suit testing or low volumes, so check the limits.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
Billsby	Subscription billing platform	Plans, trials and recurring invoices	Yes
Chargebee	Subscription billing suite	Subscriptions, invoicing and renewals	Trial only
ChargeOver	B2B recurring billing	Recurring invoices and customer portals	Trial only
Flexprice	Usage-based billing	Metered and subscription charges together	Yes
Kill Bill	Open-source billing engine	Self-hosted subscription billing	Yes
Lago	Open-source billing platform	Usage-based and subscription billing	Yes
Maxio	B2B SaaS billing	Finance reporting built into the system	No
Rebilly	Billing and payments platform	Subscriptions with payment routing	Trial only
Recurly	Subscription billing	Recurring payments and failed-payment recovery	Trial only
Stripe Billing	Add-on from a payment provider	Subscriptions on top of existing payments	No

Ten tools for charging customers on repeat

Billsby

Best for: Small subscription businesses who want to build and test their plans fully before launching to customers.

Chargebee

Best for: Growing subscription businesses who want a widely used billing platform with many integrations.

ChargeOver

Best for: Businesses that bill other businesses on repeat and want invoices and a customer portal.

Flexprice

Best for: Software companies that charge by usage as well as by subscription and want open-source options.

Kill Bill

Best for: Technical teams who want to run open-source billing and payment logic on their own servers.

Lago

Best for: Product teams who want open-source billing with flexible plans, usage tracking and invoicing.

Maxio

Best for: B2B software businesses who want billing and finance reporting handled by the same system.

Rebilly

Best for: Online merchants who want billing, payment gateways and retry rules managed in one place.

Recurly

Best for: Subscription businesses focused on keeping renewals going and recovering failed payments.

Stripe Billing

Best for: Owners who already take payments with the same provider and want subscriptions added on top.

What recurring billing software should handle

Taking the same payment each month sounds simple. The hard parts are everything around it: upgrades, cancellations, failed cards and records.

• Plans and changes. Customers move up, move down, pause and cancel. The system should work out what happens next without you recalculating.
• Failed payments. Cards expire. Look for automatic retries and reminder emails before an account is cancelled.
• Invoices and receipts. Each charge should produce a document your customer can download and your accountant can read.
• Tax settings. Check how it handles VAT or sales tax for the places you sell, and ask your accountant how to set it up.
• Payment methods. Cards, direct debit and bank transfers all behave differently, so check which ones are supported.
• Reports. You'll want to see renewals, cancellations and expected income without exporting to a spreadsheet.

Which kind of billing tool suits which business?

• Software subscriptions usually need plans, trials and upgrades handled automatically.
• Businesses billing other businesses often want invoices, purchase order details and a customer portal.
• Usage-based products need metering, so look for tools built around counting what customers use.
• Technical teams may prefer open-source billing they can host and shape themselves.
• Shops and memberships sometimes get on fine with the billing features inside their payment provider.

If you sell memberships, my roundup of tools for creating a membership site covers the other half of the set-up.

Recurring billing, tax and customer data

This page isn't tax or accounting advice. How you record income, charge VAT or sales tax and issue invoices depends on where you and your customers are, so check with an accountant and the tax authority, such as HMRC or the IRS, for your own situation. Billing systems also hold customer names and payment details, so ask each provider where data is stored and how card details are handled. Many pass card data to a payment provider rather than keeping it themselves.

Questions to ask before you move customers to a billing tool

• Which payment providers and payment methods does it work with?
• How does it handle failed payments, and can I customise the reminders?
• Can I import existing subscribers without asking them to sign up again?
• What happens when a customer changes plan halfway through a period?
• Can customers update their own card and download their invoices?
• How would I export my customer and invoice history if I left?

Why a smaller billing tool can be a smart pick

Smaller billing tools usually set up quickly and speak plainly to owners who aren't finance specialists. Open-source options give you control and a way to look inside. Before you commit, check the product is still being updated, test a full cycle of sign-up, renewal and cancellation, and confirm how it handles a failed card.

Do you make recurring billing or subscription management software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

Trying out your shortlist of billing tools

Pick two or three, then set up the same plan in each with a test customer. Run through a sign-up, a plan change and a failed payment to see what happens. Keep the one that makes the whole cycle clearest and note anything you'd like to ask the maker.

Late payers are a separate problem from billing itself, and my story of using AI to chase late invoices shows one way I'd tackle that.

Frequently asked questions

What is recurring billing software?

It's software that charges customers automatically on a schedule, such as monthly or yearly. It usually handles plans, invoices, failed payments, upgrades and cancellations.

Do I need dedicated billing software for subscriptions?

Not at the start. Once you have a growing number of subscribers, plan changes and failed cards, a dedicated system saves time and avoids billing mistakes.

Can billing software handle failed payments?

Many retry failed cards automatically and send reminders. Check how each tool handles retries, and whether you can change the schedule.

Is there free recurring billing software?

Some tools have a free plan or open-source software, and others offer a free trial. Free options often suit testing or small volumes, so check the limits.

Does billing software handle tax?

Some tools help with VAT or sales tax settings, but this isn't tax advice. Check with an accountant and the tax authority, such as HMRC or the IRS, for your own situation.