GetPaidHQ vs Lago.
This is the fair fight: two open-source, self-hostable billing engines. Both let you run metered and subscription billing on your own infrastructure. Where they differ is emphasis — GetPaidHQ is built around processor-agnostic routing and payment orchestration across multiple gateways.
Free and open-source under AGPLv3 — self-host today, or talk to us about cloud.
At a glance.
Both are open-source and self-hostable, so this comparison is about focus rather than open vs closed. Evaluate against what your billing actually has to do.
| Capability | GetPaidHQ | Lago |
|---|---|---|
| Open-source & self-hostable | ||
| Managed cloud option | ||
| Usage metering & aggregation | ||
| Subscriptions & hybrid pricing | ||
| Processor-agnostic adapter interface | Core design goal | Bring your own integration |
| Multi-processor routing | Per region, customer, or failover — built in | Not the primary focus |
| Built-in dunning & recovery | ||
| Core stack | Go, PostgreSQL, Temporal, NATS | Ruby & related stack |
Lago is an actively developed, capable project. The points above describe where each tool puts its emphasis — check both against your current requirements before deciding.
Which one is right for you?
Lago is a great choice when…
- Usage metering and a billing engine are the core of what you need.
- You want a well-established open-source project with an active community and cloud option.
- Its stack and data model line up with how your team already works.
- Payment routing across multiple processors is not a central requirement.
GetPaidHQ fits better when…
- Routing charges across multiple processors — per region, per customer, or for failover — is a first-class need.
- You want payment orchestration and subscription billing in one self-hosted engine.
- A Go / PostgreSQL / Temporal stack fits your operating environment.
- You want to keep billing data and processor logic entirely in your own perimeter.
Evaluating both.
Since both are open-source, the best test is to run them. Stand up GetPaidHQ on your own infrastructure, connect the processors you care about through the adapter interface, and put your real pricing and routing through it. The orchestration layer is the clearest place to feel the difference.
GetPaidHQ vs Lago — FAQ.
- Are GetPaidHQ and Lago both open-source?
- Yes. Both are open-source and self-hostable, and both offer a managed cloud option. The comparison is about focus and architecture, not open versus proprietary.
- What is the main difference?
- Emphasis. GetPaidHQ is designed around a processor-agnostic adapter interface and routing charges across multiple gateways — per region, per customer, or for failover — alongside full subscription and usage billing.
- Can both do usage-based billing?
- Yes — metered usage and aggregation are core to both. If usage metering is your only requirement, evaluate them side by side on that specific workflow.
- Which stack does GetPaidHQ use?
- Go, PostgreSQL, Temporal, and NATS — a production-grade stack chosen for reliable, observable billing and dunning workflows.
Open-source billing, with orchestration built in.
Self-host GetPaidHQ for free today, or talk to us about managed Cloud.
Free and open-source under AGPLv3 — self-host today, or talk to us about cloud.