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Accounting · head to head

Lago vs Invoice2go

Lago logo

Lago

Accounting

Open-source billing infrastructure for usage-based models

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Invoice2go logo

Invoice2go

Accounting

Mobile-first invoicing app for small businesses and freelancers

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Lago has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Lago free tier limited to 10,000 entities per month with 5M event cap; Invoice2go starter plan caps invoices at just 30 per year, forcing an upgrade for most active businesses.
  • They diverge on capability: Lago covers Real-time usage metering, Invoice2go covers Invoice creation and customization.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lago and Invoice2go actually diverge.

Attributes where Lago and Invoice2go differ
AttributeLagoInvoice2go
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFreemium with optional paid tierssubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hosted, On-premise, VPCweb, ios, android

Identical on both: 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 Lago

  • Real-time usage metering
  • Multiple pricing models
  • Automated invoicing
  • Prepaid credits
  • Entitlements
  • Multi-currency support
  • Payment orchestration
  • Revenue analytics

Only in Invoice2go

  • Invoice creation and customization
  • Estimates and projects
  • In-app payments
  • Automated reminders
  • Accounting integrations
  • Team member access

What people use each for

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

Lago

  • Building usage-based billing for high-volume APIs and infrastructurenot Invoice2go
  • Implementing metered billing for AI and tokenized servicesnot Invoice2go
  • Creating subscription and hybrid pricing modelsnot Invoice2go
  • Managing multi-currency billing for global companiesnot Invoice2go
  • Maintaining billing infrastructure without vendor lock-innot Invoice2go

Invoice2go

  • Freelancers invoicing clients from a mobile devicenot Lago
  • Small service businesses tracking estimates and projectsnot Lago
  • Businesses wanting integrated card and ACH paymentsnot Lago
  • Businesses syncing invoices with QuickBooks or Xeronot Lago

Where each one falls short

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

Lago

  • Free tier limited to 10,000 entities per month with 5M event cap
  • No specific pricing published for Pro annual plan or Scale plan
  • Self-hosted and on-premise deployments require engineering resources
  • Community support only on free tier
  • Scale plan requires annual contracts and sales engagement

Invoice2go

  • Starter plan caps invoices at just 30 per year, forcing an upgrade for most active businesses.
  • Card processing fees are higher than some dedicated payment processors.
  • Accounting integrations are limited to QuickBooks and Xero, excluding other platforms.
  • Premium plan requires roughly $100k+/year revenue to be cost-effective, per its own positioning.

Pricing, plan by plan

Lago

Free
  • Build (Free)Free
    • 10,000 managed entities per month
    • 5M usage events per month
    • 1K events per second rate limit
  • Pro$399/month
    • 10,000 entities included (graduated pricing to 100K)
    • 25M usage events included (to 500M with graduated rates)
    • 10K events per second (upgradeable to 100K)
  • Scale$null/custom
    • Custom entity and event volumes
    • 50K events per second (upgradeable to 100K)
    • RBAC and SSO (SAML)

Invoice2go

On request
  • Starter$undefined/month
    • 30 invoices/year
    • 3.5% card payment fee
    • Free ACH bank transfers
  • Professional$undefined/month
    • 100 invoices/year
    • 3% card payment fee
    • QuickBooks/Xero integration
  • Premium$undefined/month
    • Unlimited invoices
    • 2.9% card payment fee
    • Recurring invoices

Which should you pick?

Choose Lago if

  • You need real-time usage metering.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted, On-premise, VPC.
  • You also want multiple pricing models.
Lago review

Choose Invoice2go if

  • You need invoice creation and customization.
  • You work on web, ios, android.
  • You also want estimates and projects.
Invoice2go review

Questions people ask

Is Lago or Invoice2go better?
Neither clearly leads. Lago starts at Free and Invoice2go at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lago or Invoice2go?
Lago has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Lago and On request for Invoice2go.
Does Lago or Invoice2go run on more platforms?
Lago runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted, On-premise, VPC. Invoice2go runs on web, ios, android.
Can I use Lago for free?
Yes. Lago has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Invoice2go starts at On request.
What is Lago best used for?
Lago is most often used for building usage-based billing for high-volume apis and infrastructure, implementing metered billing for ai and tokenized services, creating subscription and hybrid pricing models, managing multi-currency billing for global companies. Of those, building usage-based billing for high-volume apis and infrastructure and implementing metered billing for ai and tokenized services are not what Invoice2go is typically brought in for.
What can Lago do that Invoice2go cannot?
Lago covers Real-time usage metering, Multiple pricing models, Automated invoicing, Prepaid credits. Invoice2go covers Invoice creation and customization, Estimates and projects, In-app payments, Automated reminders.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lago: Can I use Lago open-source for free?

Yes, Lago is open-source under the AGPLv3 license and can be self-hosted. The cloud-based Build plan is also free with limits of 10,000 entities and 5M events per month.

Source
Invoice2go: What does Invoice2go cost?

Invoice2go offers three tiers - Starter (30 invoices/year), Professional (100 invoices/year), and Premium (unlimited invoices) - distinguished by invoice volume and card processing fees from 3.5% down to 2.9%.

Source
Lago: What payment providers does Lago integrate with?

Lago integrates with Stripe and Adyen for payment processing. It is not a payment processor itself but orchestrates payments through these providers.

Source
Invoice2go: Is there a free trial?

Yes, Invoice2go offers a 30-day free trial that requires a credit card but includes a 100% money-back guarantee if canceled within 30 days.

Source
Lago: Does Lago support multiple currencies?

Yes, Lago supports multi-currency billing with automatic currency conversion for global businesses.

Source
Invoice2go: Does Invoice2go integrate with accounting software?

Yes, the Professional and Premium plans include integration with QuickBooks and Xero.

Source
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