UniBee
unibee.dev
What it is
UniBee is an open-source subscription billing platform offered as self-hosted software or a managed cloud service. It handles one-time purchases, recurring charges, usage-based billing, tiered prices, promotions, and flexible billing frequencies. Its metering can track measures such as API calls, storage, compute time, or custom metrics and bill against actual use. Subscription tools cover plan changes, pauses, upgrades, downgrades, trials, add-ons, and lifecycle automation. UniBee can generate invoices, customize templates, handle taxes, and send invoices by email or make them available as PDFs. Payment options include gateways such as Stripe and PayPal, with routing and fallback options. The service lists more than 25 integrations and analytics for MRR, ARR, churn, and customer lifetime value. Open-source is free but self-hosted, requires manual setup, and has community support. Starter costs $99 a month; Business costs $399 a month. Advanced offers cloud or on-prem deployment, with pricing available by conversation.
Spec sheet
- What it does
- UniBee is an open-source, gateway-agnostic subscription billing platform with self-hosted and managed-cloud deployment.Read 20 Oct 2026 · unibee.dev
- Product
- UniBee is an open-source, gateway-agnostic subscription billing platform with a free self-hosted edition and a managed cloud option.Read 30 Sep 2026 · unibee.dev
- Intended users
- The subscription management page describes UniBee as built for international subscription businesses and names mid-market SaaS and AI companies through established enterprises as users.Read 30 Sep 2026 · unibee.dev
- Deployment
- Customers can use a fully managed cloud deployment or self-host the open-source billing engine; the Advanced plan also offers on-prem deployment.Read 30 Sep 2026 · unibee.dev
- Integrations
- The site lists more than 25 integrations, including Mixpanel, MailChimp, HubSpot, Twilio, Xero, Stripe, QuickBooks, PayPal and Zapier.Read 20 Oct 2026 · unibee.dev
- Support
- The Starter plan includes community-level support, Business includes dedicated technical support, and Open-source support is via the community only.Read 30 Sep 2026 · unibee.dev
- License
- The standalone UniBee deployment, API and portals are licensed under GNU AGPLv3.Read 20 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Headquarters
- The official site footer says UniBee is built in Tallinn.Read 20 Oct 2026 · unibee.dev
- Analytics
- Dashboards report MRR, ARR, churn, lifetime value and other revenue metrics with export capability.Read 20 Oct 2026 · unibee.dev
- Billing models
- It supports one-time purchases, recurring billing, usage-based billing, tiered pricing, promotions, and flexible billing frequencies.Read 30 Sep 2026 · unibee.dev
- Company size
- LinkedIn lists UniBee as privately held with 2–10 employees.Read 20 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
- Coupons
- Coupon rules support percentage or fixed discounts, expiration dates, usage limits and product or plan targeting.Read 20 Oct 2026 · unibee.dev
- Documentation depth
- The documentation includes API reference pages with cURL, Python, JavaScript, PHP, Go, Java and Ruby examples plus schemas and sandbox URLs.Read 20 Oct 2026 · docs.unibee.dev
- Dunning
- Lifecycle automation includes trial conversion, renewal reminders, intelligent retries and dunning workflows.Read 20 Oct 2026 · unibee.dev
- Entitlements
- Entitlements can be assigned to plans or customers and checked through real-time API calls.Read 20 Oct 2026 · unibee.dev
- External gateway limitation
- External Gateway integrations do not process payments inside UniBee; the customer's backend must build and maintain that integration.Read 20 Oct 2026 · unibee.dev
- Free trial
- The pricing page offers a free trial link for the Starter and Business plans, but does not state a trial duration.Read 30 Sep 2026 · unibee.dev
- GetApp integrations
- GetApp lists Google Analytics 360, Segment, PayPal Checkout, Stripe Billing and Google Pay as integrations.Read 20 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
- Go SDK
- The Go client is generated from UniBee's OpenAPI specification and documents API endpoint classes.Read 20 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Hybrid billing
- UniBee combines a subscription base with automated overage charges on one billing flow.Read 20 Oct 2026 · unibee.dev
- Invoicing
- The system generates invoices automatically, supports custom templates and taxes, and can email or produce PDF invoices.Read 20 Oct 2026 · unibee.dev
- Legal entity
- UniBee's privacy policy identifies the operator as AAA Abmer OÜ, doing business as UniBee.Read 20 Oct 2026 · unibee.dev
- Limit: Capterra reporting
- A Capterra hospitality reviewer said reporting customization and filtering could be deeper.Read 20 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
- Limit: G2 regional gateways
- One G2 reviewer requested MercadoPago support for Latin American payment methods.Read 20 Oct 2026 · g2.com
- Limit: G2 reporting
- Several G2 reviewers want more flexible advanced reporting, custom dashboards and deeper customization.Read 20 Oct 2026 · g2.com
- Metering
- Its usage metering can track API calls, storage, compute time, or custom metrics and bill customers based on actual usage.Read 30 Sep 2026 · unibee.dev
- Multi-phase update
- An April 2, 2026 product update added multi-stage subscriptions with phase-specific rules, durations and prices.Read 20 Oct 2026 · unibee.dev
- Node SDK
- The Node.js SDK is installable from npm, requires Node.js 16 or newer, and is MIT licensed.Read 20 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Payment gateways
- UniBee advertises Stripe, PayPal, Adyen, cryptocurrency and other gateways, with simultaneous multi-gateway support.Read 20 Oct 2026 · unibee.dev
- Payments
- UniBee says it supports multiple payment gateways, including Stripe and PayPal, with payment routing and fallback options.Read 30 Sep 2026 · unibee.dev
- PCI claim
- UniBee markets PCI DSS compliance, encryption and fraud-detection mechanisms for payment processing.Read 20 Oct 2026 · unibee.dev
- Praise: Capterra affordability
- A Capterra SaaS reviewer praised the starter plan's affordability and handling of usage-based tiered pricing.Read 20 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
- Praise: G2 automation
- Reviewers repeatedly praise intuitive setup, automated workflows, subscription tracking, invoicing and reduced manual effort.Read 20 Oct 2026 · g2.com
- Pricing limits
- The pricing FAQ says UniBee charges fixed pricing without a percentage of revenue or hidden platform fees.Read 30 Sep 2026 · unibee.dev
- Pricing models
- Supported models include flat-rate, tiered, volume, usage-based, per-seat, add-ons and free trials.Read 20 Oct 2026 · unibee.dev
- Privacy compliance
- The privacy policy names GDPR, LGPD, CCPA/CPRA, PIPEDA and several other regional privacy laws.Read 20 Oct 2026 · unibee.dev
- Public API
- The API uses authenticated REST endpoints with Bearer API keys and separate production and sandbox hosts.Read 20 Oct 2026 · docs.unibee.dev
- Rating on Capterra
- 5.0 out of 5 from 3 reviewsRead 20 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
- Rating on G2
- 5 out of 5 from 6 reviewsRead 20 Oct 2026 · g2.com
- Rating on GetApp
- 5.0 out of 5 from 3 reviewsRead 20 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
- Recurring billing
- The platform supports recurring plans, prorations, custom billing cycles and automated invoicing.Read 20 Oct 2026 · unibee.dev
- SDKs
- Official public clients are available for Node.js/TypeScript, Go, Java, PHP, Python and Ruby.Read 20 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Security and privacy
- UniBee’s privacy policy says it uses organizational safeguards, security measures, and encrypted connections when personal data is involved.Read 30 Sep 2026 · unibee.dev
- Security claims
- UniBee claims encrypted browser connections, organizational safeguards and required security measures for processors.Read 20 Oct 2026 · unibee.dev
- Self-hosting requirements
- Standalone deployment instructions require Docker, Docker Compose and Git, then run docker-compose up.Read 20 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Subscription management
- The platform supports plan changes, subscription pauses, upgrades, downgrades, trials, add-ons, and lifecycle automation.Read 30 Sep 2026 · unibee.dev
- Usage metering
- Usage can be metered in real time for metrics such as tokens, API calls, events and credits.Read 20 Oct 2026 · unibee.dev
- Webhooks
- Documentation exposes webhook endpoints, including an authenticated endpoint for retrieving a webhook secret.Read 20 Oct 2026 · docs.unibee.dev
- Zapier
- Zapier can provide more than 3,000 additional integrations.Read 20 Oct 2026 · unibee.dev
Plans and prices
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Supports one-time, recurring, and usage-based billing
- Metering can use custom metrics
- Invoices can be emailed or downloaded as PDFs
- Lists more than 25 integrations
- No percentage-of-revenue or hidden platform fees
Limits
- Free edition requires manual setup
- Open-source support is community-only
- Starter is limited to 5 billing admins
- Business costs $399 a month
Who it suits
UniBee is aimed at international subscription businesses, including mid-market SaaS and AI companies through established enterprises. The self-hosted edition suits teams prepared to set up and maintain their own deployment; managed plans provide cloud hosting.
UniBee in depth
Read the full write-up
UniBee is billing software for subscription businesses that need to combine recurring plans with charges based on customer usage. It suits technical SaaS and AI teams that can manage a self-hosted system or justify a paid cloud plan; the free edition trades setup work for lower cost.
Overview
UniBee spans one-time purchases, recurring subscriptions, usage-based billing, tiered prices, promotions, and flexible billing frequencies. That range is useful for businesses selling both fixed plans and variable consumption in one system. Its gateway-agnostic approach and self-hosted option offer room to shape the deployment, but the free edition requires manual setup and community support rather than a managed service.
Key features
Usage metering can track API calls, storage, compute time, or custom metrics and bill against actual consumption. This is a meaningful fit for SaaS and AI products whose customers use different amounts of a service, though it may be more billing capability than a business with only simple flat subscriptions needs. Subscription management covers trials, add-ons, pauses, plan changes, upgrades, downgrades, and lifecycle automation. Proration controls and dunning automation add support for changing plans and following up on payments.
UniBee can generate invoices automatically, customize templates, handle taxes, and deliver invoices by email or as PDF downloads. Payment support includes multiple gateways such as Stripe and PayPal, with routing and fallback options. More than 25 integrations are listed, including Mixpanel, MailChimp, Hubspot, Twilio, Xero, QuickBooks, TaxJar, Payssion, and Zapier. Revenue analytics track MRR, ARR, churn, and customer lifetime value, with export and BI-tool integration options. Together, these functions make UniBee broader than a billing engine focused solely on collecting subscription payments.
Pricing
The Open-source plan costs nothing and is self-hosted and customizable, with manual setup and community-only support. It is the cost-conscious choice for teams able to operate the billing engine themselves; it is not the right choice for buyers seeking a managed free tier.
Starter costs $99 a month and includes cloud hosting, core billing, built-in financial analytics, advanced integrations, and community-level support, with up to 5 billing admins. It is the entry point for teams that want UniBee managed in the cloud and can work within that admin limit. Business costs $399 a month and raises the limit to 20 billing admins, with the same core cloud features and dedicated technical support.
Advanced uses custom pricing and offers custom admin roles, cloud or on-prem deployment, core billing, analytics, advanced integrations, dedicated support, and custom deployment. It is aimed at organizations that need deployment or role arrangements beyond the standard plans. Paid plans use fixed pricing without a revenue percentage or hidden platform fees.
Platforms
UniBee is available through an API and web interface, with either self-hosted deployment or managed cloud. Advanced also supports on-prem deployment. Those choices suit businesses balancing operational control against the convenience of managed hosting.
Who it's for
UniBee is aimed at international subscription businesses, including mid-market SaaS and AI companies through established enterprises. It is strongest for teams combining recurring revenue with metered usage, multiple gateways, or more involved invoicing. Smaller businesses with uncomplicated subscriptions may find the breadth unnecessary, while teams unable to handle manual setup should budget for cloud hosting.
Pros and cons
Pros: Multiple billing models, detailed usage metering, subscription lifecycle tools, invoicing, payment routing, and revenue analytics sit in one platform.
Pros: Self-hosted, cloud, and Advanced on-prem deployment options give organizations different levels of infrastructure control.
Pros: Fixed plan pricing avoids revenue-share charges, and paid tiers state clear billing-admin limits.
Cons: The free edition requires manual self-hosting and offers community support only, so it is not a ready-to-use cloud option.
Cons: Cloud service starts at $99 a month, while dedicated technical support begins at the $399 a month Business tier.
Cons: The standard paid tiers cap billing admins at 5 and 20 respectively; teams needing custom roles or on-prem deployment must consider custom-priced Advanced.
Alternatives
For another free option, OpenBRM offers a hosted SaaS trial with sample data; its stated trial duration is not given. NovaBilling may suit teams wanting a self-hosted community edition with all features, unlimited tenants and customers, and six payment providers.
Pabbly Subscriptions is an alternative for a smaller customer base: its free plan supports up to 50 customers, with revenue limits and no team-member or affiliate module. Quitlo is narrower, focusing on payment recovery through a performance plan charging 15% of recovered MRR. SubJolt is aimed at cancellation flows, with a free starter plan capped at 50 cancel sessions per month.
Airwallex Billing is a consideration for teams focused on invoicing or per-transaction usage billing, with free invoice creation and usage billing priced at $0.50 transaction. Lago offers a free, AGPLv3-licensed self-hosted open-source edition; its Premium option is custom-priced for cloud or self-hosted deployment. Readers comparing broader categories can also browse Dunning Management Software and Subscription Billing Software.
Verdict
Choose UniBee if your subscription business needs usage metering alongside recurring billing and you value payment, deployment, and invoicing flexibility. Its self-hosted edition keeps the software free, while the paid tiers offer a clear path to managed cloud service. Look elsewhere if you need a free managed plan, or if your billing needs are simple enough that the cloud starting price and operational breadth are hard to justify.
Verdict
UniBee covers billing, metering, invoicing, payment routing, and revenue analytics, with self-hosted and managed deployment choices. The free edition requires manual setup; cloud plans start at $99 a month.
Where Specifiction places it
- Subscription Management Software#7 of 248.5
- Dunning Management Software#14 of 468.5
- Subscription Billing Software#19 of 498.5