Lago vs Metronome: Which is right for you? (1970)
TL;DR
- Choose Lago if keeping fees low matters most.
- Choose Metronome if your stack already leans in that direction.
- Both work for: saas, usage_based.
Lago
Self-hosted: free. Cloud: from $100/month
Open source Stripe Billing alternative with powerful metering and usage-based pricing. Self-hostable (free) or cloud. Built for AI apps and SaaS with complex pricing models.
Metronome
Custom pricing (enterprise)
Enterprise usage-based billing with real-time metering. Used by Databricks, Notion, and similar scale companies. Not for early-stage.
Pricing comparison
Feature comparison
Best for
Lago is best for SaaS, AI products, Usage-based pricing, open source, developers, self hosted. Metronome is best for Enterprise, SaaS, Usage-based pricing, B2B, Teams scaling up, web.
FAQ
Is Lago better than Metronome?
Neither is universally better. Lago is the right pick if keeping fees low matters most; Metronome wins if your stack already leans in that direction.
Which is cheaper, Lago or Metronome?
Lago ranks higher on fee competitiveness (5/5). Lago pricing: Self-hosted: free. Cloud: from $100/month. Metronome pricing: Custom pricing (enterprise).
Can I switch from Lago to Metronome?
Yes — most subscription and billing tools support migration via CSV import or API. Expect to reconfigure webhooks, paywalls, and entitlements. Check both vendors' migration docs before committing.
Does Lago handle sales tax?
No. Lago does not handle tax registrations — you handle those yourself or via a separate tool.
Not sure which tool fits your project?
Answer 3 questions and get a personalized monetization stack recommendation.
Start the wizard→