Compare / Lago vs FOSSBilling
Lago vs FOSSBilling
Pick Lago if you want usage and subscription billing (the published Chargebee/Paddle/Lemon Squeezy stack — AGPL core, not premium). Pick FOSSBilling if you want that Apache hosting-billing box.
Facts checked 22 Oct 2026. License, language, and GitHub activity come from the catalog or the project's own repo. "Not in the catalog row" means the public catalog dump does not store that number.
Lago in the catalog FOSSBilling in the catalog Start on Railway
How they compare
| Lago | FOSSBilling | |
|---|---|---|
| License | AGPL-3.0 (catalog) source | Apache License 2.0 (catalog) source |
| Language | Go (catalog) | PHP (catalog) |
| GitHub activity | 10,692 stars in the catalog source | 1,717 stars in the catalog source |
| Self-host | Published as /stacks/lago-billing. Usage, plans, invoices. Attach a processor. | Hosting-oriented billing. Official docs at fossbilling.org. |
| Best for | The published Chargebee/Lemon Squeezy engine. | A hosting-billing desk if that is the product you know. |
Self-hosting and resource needs
Lago is /stacks/lago-billing. FOSSBilling is FOSSBilling/FOSSBilling. Kill Bill is the other Apache billing sibling — /compare/lago-vs-killbill. Lemon Squeezy and Paddle merchant-of-record / tax filing are not this box.
FAQ
- Does Lago take the card?
- No. It meters and invoices. A gateway still moves the money. MoR/tax stays behind.
- Where is Kill Bill?
- /compare/lago-vs-killbill.
- Are these free?
- Lago core is AGPL-3.0 (some features are premium). FOSSBilling is Apache License 2.0. You pay hosting.
- How do I deploy Lago?
- Open /stacks/lago-billing. Persist Postgres. Create one plan and one test invoice.
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