Chargebee Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Chargebee pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $0 to $5K per month in 2026. Your actual cost depends on the tier you choose, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: No free tier available
- Billing: Monthly and annual (save 15-20%)
- Hidden costs: Add ~35% for implementation, support, and training
Chargebee's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- Recurring invoicing
- Hosted checkout pages
- Coupon management
- Basic subscription management
- Standard reporting
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- Everything in Starter
- Advanced subscription management
- Revenue recognition
- Advanced analytics
- API access
- Multi-gateway support
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| billingVolume | $250K cumulative billing lifetime | Unlimited/Higher |
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like Everything in Starter or Advanced subscription management
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- Chargebee branding may appear on your content or communications
- Support is limited to community forums or email with longer response times
- Export options may be restricted or include watermarks
- API access is typically limited or not available
- Advanced reporting and analytics require paid plans
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs Performance Plan Comparison
| Starter $0 | Performance $599/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 5 included | 6+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Chargebee branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Early-stage startups and businesses testing subscription models | Growing SaaS businesses with recurring revenue models |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Chargebee free?
Yes, Chargebee offers a forever free plan with 5 core features included. However, there are limits on billingvolume that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Chargebee's free plan?
Chargebee's free plan includes: Recurring invoicing, Hosted checkout pages, Coupon management, Basic subscription management, Standard reporting. Key limits include billingVolume: $250K cumulative billing lifetime.
03 What's NOT included in Chargebee's free plan?
The free plan excludes: Everything in Starter, Advanced subscription management, Revenue recognition, Advanced analytics, API access. You'll also have Chargebee branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Chargebee's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like Everything in Starter or Advanced subscription management, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $599/month.
05 Is Chargebee's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Chargebee's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.
Get Chargebee pricing updates
We'll notify you when pricing changes or new free features are added.