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Accounting · head to head

Adyen vs Chargebee

Adyen logo

Adyen

Accounting

The payments platform built for growth

From
$0.13/per-transaction
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Chargebee logo

Chargebee

Accounting

Subscription billing & revenue management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Chargebee has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Adyen there is a minimum monthly invoice, set by industry and business model and only disclosed through the sales team, so small volumes are not economic; Chargebee priced as a percentage of billing, 0.80 percent on pay-as-you-go or 0.65 percent plus $99 a month on the committed plan, so the fee rises with revenue
  • They diverge on capability: Adyen covers Payment processing, Chargebee covers Subscription management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adyen and Chargebee actually diverge.

Attributes where Adyen and Chargebee differ
AttributeAdyenChargebee
Starting price$0.13/per-transactionFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Api, PosWeb, Api
Founded20062011

Identical on both: pricing model (usage-based), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Accounting).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Adyen

  • Payment processing
  • Risk management
  • Unified commerce
  • Issuing
  • Platform payments
  • SAP
  • Oracle
  • PCI DSS Level 1

Only in Chargebee

  • Subscription management
  • Recurring billing
  • Revenue recognition
  • Dunning management
  • Checkout pages
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • NetSuite

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • SOC 2
  • Web support
  • Api support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Adyen

  • Card acquiring with interchange plus pricing for larger merchantsnot Chargebee
  • Accepting local payment methods across multiple countriesnot Chargebee
  • Settling in several currencies through linked bank accountsnot Chargebee
  • Unified online and in-person paymentsnot Chargebee

Chargebee

  • Subscription billingnot Adyen
  • Revenue operationsnot Adyen
  • Pricing experimentationnot Adyen

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Adyen

  • There is a minimum monthly invoice, set by industry and business model and only disclosed through the sales team, so small volumes are not economic
  • Published fees are indicative rather than a rate card, with real pricing negotiated
  • Interchange++ means the card cost varies per transaction rather than being a single predictable percentage
  • Alternative payment methods carry their own rates on top, such as 3.3 percent plus $0.10 for American Express in North America

Chargebee

  • Priced as a percentage of billing, 0.80 percent on pay-as-you-go or 0.65 percent plus $99 a month on the committed plan, so the fee rises with revenue
  • Split into four separate product lines, Billing, CPQ, RevRec and Growth, each with its own tiers and most quote-only
  • CPQ Lite is free only for the first 50 quotes
  • Revenue recognition pricing is demo-only
  • Enterprise Plus requires an annual commitment

Pricing, plan by plan

Adyen

$0.13/per-transaction
  • Transaction-Based Pricing$undefined/mo
    • Fixed $0.13 USD per transaction
    • Variable fee determined by payment method
    • No setup fees

Chargebee

Free
  • Flow (Billing)Free
    • Usage-based billing: $0.80% for first $20K invoicing volume
    • Then $99 + 0.65% for higher volumes
    • Includes 100M usage events per month
  • CPQ LiteFree
    • Free for first 50 quotes
  • Growth (Starter)Free
    • Free exclusively for Chargebee Billing customers

Which should you pick?

Choose Adyen if

  • You need payment processing.
  • You work on Web, Api, Pos.
  • You also want risk management.
Adyen review

Choose Chargebee if

  • You need subscription management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want recurring billing.
Chargebee review

Questions people ask

Is Adyen or Chargebee better?
Neither clearly leads. Adyen starts at $0.13/per-transaction and Chargebee at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adyen or Chargebee?
Chargebee has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $0.13/per-transaction for Adyen and Free for Chargebee.
Does Adyen or Chargebee run on more platforms?
Adyen runs on Web, Api, Pos. Chargebee runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Chargebee for free?
Yes. Chargebee has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Adyen starts at $0.13/per-transaction.
What is Adyen best used for?
Adyen is most often used for card acquiring with interchange plus pricing for larger merchants, accepting local payment methods across multiple countries, settling in several currencies through linked bank accounts, unified online and in-person payments. Of those, card acquiring with interchange plus pricing for larger merchants and accepting local payment methods across multiple countries are not what Chargebee is typically brought in for.
What can Adyen do that Chargebee cannot?
Adyen covers Payment processing, Risk management, Unified commerce, Issuing. Chargebee covers Subscription management, Recurring billing, Revenue recognition, Dunning management. Both handle Salesforce, SOC 2, Web support, Api support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Adyen: How much does Adyen charge per transaction?

Adyen charges a fixed $0.13 USD per transaction plus a variable fee based on the payment method used. Credit cards typically cost $0.13 + 0.60% + interchange, while digital wallets and BNPL options cost between $0.13 + 0.99% to $0.13 + 4.99%+, depending on the specific method and region.

Source
Chargebee: What does Chargebee Billing cost?

Chargebee Billing (Flow plan) starts free with usage-based fees: 0.80% for the first $20K in monthly invoicing volume, then $99 monthly + 0.65% for higher volumes. Includes 100M usage events per month.

Source
Adyen: Does Adyen have monthly subscription or setup fees?

No, Adyen has no setup fees or monthly recurring charges. You pay only for each transaction processed. The transaction fee structure remains the same regardless of transaction volume or business size.

Source
Chargebee: Can I try Chargebee for free?

Yes. Chargebee Billing Flow plan starts at $0 with usage-based fees. CPQ Lite is free for the first 50 quotes. Growth (Starter) is free for Chargebee Billing customers.

Source
Adyen: What's Adyen's Interchange++ pricing option?

Adyen offers an Interchange++ transparent pricing model that passes interchange and scheme fees directly to merchants instead of bundling them into a percentage rate. This allows visibility into exact costs for each payment method.

Source
Chargebee: How much does Chargebee's advanced modules cost?

RevRec and Enterprise CPQ require booking a demo or requesting a quote. No list pricing is published for these modules.

Source
Adyen: Can I process payments in multiple currencies with Adyen?

Yes, Adyen supports 100+ payment methods across multiple currencies. You can link multiple bank accounts in different currencies to avoid currency conversion fees on international transactions.

Source
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