SkyBill Utility Billing vs Zero Friction
SkyBill Utility Billing
skybill.euZero Friction
zerofriction.coSide by side
| Figure | SkyBill Utility Billing | Zero Friction |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | €155/mo | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 3 |
| Spec score · Utility Billing Software | 8.8 (#1) | 7.7 (#9) |
| Billing | It calculates periodic bills using meter readings or flat rates and supports configurable tariffs for services, customers, properties, quantities and time periods. | The platform supports invoicing based on fixed or consumption-related rates and cost distribution, with invoices sent by email or post. |
| Company headquarters | LinkedIn lists Riga, Latvia as headquarters, with additional locations in Nicosia and Wilmington. | LinkedIn lists headquarters in Ghent, Flemish Region, Belgium. |
| Company size | LinkedIn lists SkyBill as privately held with 51–200 employees. | LinkedIn lists Zero Friction as a privately held software-development company with 11–50 employees. |
| Customer portal | The white-label portal lets customers view bills, balances and consumption, submit readings, message support and pay through a connected gateway. | An optional self-service portal lets end customers manage moves, view consumption and access invoices. |
| Founded | 2016 | LinkedIn lists the company as founded in 2018. |
| Headquarters | Riga, Latvia | Ghent, Belgium |
| Integrations | Listed integrations include Dynamics 365 API, Outlook, Power BI, Power Automate, Stripe, PayPal and other local gateways. | The integration catalog covers meter-data management, CRM, ERP, banking, reporting, payment, customer-service, accountancy, communication and e-invoicing systems. |
| Meter data | The system can integrate with external meter-reading gateways for automatic data upload and validates data for incomplete entries or unusual usage differences. | It accepts meter data through API, (S)FTP, or email and supports standard hourly metering data. |
| Payments | The customer portal page lists Stripe, PayPal, Payzee and First Data as payment gateways, with others available on request. | Payment features include direct debits, manual transfers, QR codes or payment links, automated reminders, and payment plans. |
| Scale | SkyBill says typical customers have 20,000–50,000 customers or tenants, while deployments can scale from about 1,000 to 1 million customers. | Zero Friction states that it has no maximum connection limit and is designed to support high connection volumes. |
| Security | The company says its SaaS environment is in a European Tier III data center and that it provides server infrastructure, backups and related cybersecurity measures. | Zero Friction states that it is ISO 27001 certified and performs annual penetration testing. |
| Support | SkyBill says it offers everyday production support through an online ticketing system and provides client training. | Support is included in monthly pricing, with 24/7 self-service and contact with support by chat, phone, or email during CET office hours. |
| What it does | SkyBill is a meter-to-cash utility billing and customer-information platform covering meter data, tariffs, invoices, payments, collections and reporting. | Zero Friction is a SaaS meter-to-cash platform for district-heating, communal-heating and cooling suppliers, building managers and service providers. |
Plans
SkyBill Utility Billing
- Basic€155 a month
- PRO subscriptionPrice not published
Zero Friction
- BPO EnterprisePriced on request
- BPO StandardPriced on request
- SaaSPriced on request
In their own words
SkyBill Utility Billing
SkyBill Utility Billing is utility management, billing and customer information software for utility providers, property managers and municipalities. It calculates periodic bills from meter readings or flat rates, with configurable tariffs for services, customers, properties, quantities and time periods. External meter-reading gateways can send data automatically, and the system checks for incomplete entries and unusual usage differences. Customers can use the portal to review bills, consumption and payment histories, enter meter readings, contact their provider and optionally pay online. Listed payment gateways include Stripe, PayPal, Payzee and First Data; others are available on request. Integrations include ERP, bank gateways, SMS messaging, debt collection and client portals. SkyBill is offered as cloud SaaS, with on-premises deployment available on request. The company says its SaaS environment is in a European Tier III data center and that it provides backups and cybersecurity measures. Its free trial is limited to one user, 100 meter points or agreements and five external web solution users; access may end after 30 days without system use. The billing product does not itself provide SMS delivery.
Zero Friction
Zero Friction has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.