Softwr

Accounting · head to head

Chargebee vs Pleo

Chargebee logo

Chargebee

Accounting

Subscription billing & revenue management

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit ChargebeeFull review
Pleo logo

Pleo

Accounting

Smart company cards for forward-thinking teams

From
£9.5/month
Free plan
No
Visit PleoFull review

The short version

  • Chargebee is a subscription management and recurring billing solution; Pleo is a business spending solution.
  • Chargebee is free; Pleo starts at £9.5/mo.
  • Only Chargebee lists subscription management; only Pleo lists company cards.
  • Where Chargebee falls short: split into four separate product lines, Billing, CPQ, RevRec and Growth, each with its own tiers and most quote-only.
  • Where Pleo falls short: card delays and transaction limits impact usability, with limited regional acceptance in some areas.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chargebee and Pleo actually diverge.

Attributes where Chargebee and Pleo differ
AttributeChargebeePleo
Starting priceFree£9.5/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, APIiOS, Android, Web
Founded20112015

Identical on both: category (Accounting).

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Pleo.

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 Chargebee

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

Only in Pleo

  • Company cards
  • Receipt capture
  • Expense categorization
  • Spend limits
  • Accounting sync
  • Xero
  • QuickBooks
  • Sage

Both cover

  • NetSuite
  • SOC 2
  • PCI DSS
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Chargebee

  • Subscription billingnot Pleo
  • Revenue operationsnot Pleo
  • Pricing experimentationnot Pleo

Pleo

  • Employee expensesnot Chargebee
  • Spending autonomynot Chargebee
  • Expense automationnot Chargebee

Where each one falls short

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

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

Pleo

  • Card delays and transaction limits impact usability, with limited regional acceptance in some areas
  • Receipt capture OCR inaccuracies and upload lag/glitches complicate expense categorization
  • Limited expense categories and tags reduce flexibility for complex accounting structures
  • Transaction approval workflows have minimal customization options
  • Lacks in-built forecasting tools and reporting is basic, providing limited insights into trends

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Pleo

£9.5/month
  • Starter£9.5/mo
    • Company cards
    • Real-time expense tracking
    • Automated reports
  • Essential£39/mo
    • Reimbursements
    • Mileage and per diem
    • Vendor cards
  • Advanced£89/mo
    • Cashback
    • Budgets
    • Multi-entity management
  • Beyond£179/mo
    • Spending insights
    • Sub-wallets
    • Dedicated success manager

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Pleo if

  • You need company cards.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want receipt capture.
Pleo review

Questions people ask

Is Chargebee or Pleo better?
Neither clearly leads. Chargebee starts at Free and Pleo at £9.5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chargebee or Pleo?
Chargebee has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chargebee and £9.5/month for Pleo.
Does Chargebee or Pleo run on more platforms?
Chargebee runs on Web, API. Pleo runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Chargebee for free?
Yes. Chargebee has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Pleo starts at £9.5/month.
What is Chargebee best used for?
Chargebee is most often used for subscription billing, revenue operations, pricing experimentation. Of those, subscription billing and revenue operations are not what Pleo is typically brought in for.
What can Chargebee do that Pleo cannot?
Chargebee covers Subscription management, Recurring billing, Revenue recognition, Dunning management. Pleo covers Company cards, Receipt capture, Expense categorization, Spend limits. Both handle NetSuite, SOC 2, PCI DSS, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Pleo: What are Pleo's pricing tiers?

Pleo offers four pricing tiers: Starter (GBP 9.50/month), Essential (GBP 39.00/month), Advanced (GBP 89.00/month), and Beyond (GBP 179.00/month). Annual billing provides equivalent of two free months.

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
Pleo: Does Pleo have a free tier?

No, Pleo does not offer a free tier or permanent free plan. All plans require payment with a free trial available for evaluation.

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
Pleo: What integrations does Pleo support for accounting?

Pleo integrates directly with Xero and QuickBooks, plus Sage 200, Sage 50, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Datev, and Visma e-conomic. Zapier integrations are also available.

Source
Pleo: What platforms can access Pleo?

Pleo is accessible via iOS and Android mobile apps, and through a web interface. Physical and virtual cards are issued for spending.

Source
Pleo: Does Pleo support multiple currencies?

Yes, Pleo supports multi-currency spending and transactions. The platform is particularly strong for European teams with local payment methods.

Source
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