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Accounting · head to head

Lago vs Invoicely

Lago logo

Lago

Accounting

Open-source billing infrastructure for usage-based models

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Invoicely logo

Invoicely

Accounting

Web-based invoicing app with a free plan for freelancers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Lago free tier limited to 10,000 entities per month with 5M event cap; Invoicely free plan is limited to just 5 invoices and 3 clients per month, and PayPal-only payments.
  • They diverge on capability: Lago covers Real-time usage metering, Invoicely covers Invoice creation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lago and Invoicely actually diverge.

Attributes where Lago and Invoicely differ
AttributeLagoInvoicely
Pricing modelFreemium with optional paid tiersfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hosted, On-premise, VPCweb

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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
  • Payment orchestration
  • Revenue analytics

Only in Invoicely

  • Invoice creation
  • Recurring invoices
  • Time, expense, and mileage tracking
  • Team member access
  • Credit card payments

Both cover

  • Multi-currency support

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 Invoicely
  • Implementing metered billing for AI and tokenized servicesnot Invoicely
  • Creating subscription and hybrid pricing modelsnot Invoicely
  • Managing multi-currency billing for global companiesnot Invoicely
  • Maintaining billing infrastructure without vendor lock-innot Invoicely

Invoicely

  • Freelancers sending a small number of invoices for freenot Lago
  • Small businesses needing recurring billing and time trackingnot Lago
  • Multi-currency invoicing for international clientsnot Lago
  • Teams needing shared access to client invoicingnot 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

Invoicely

  • Free plan is limited to just 5 invoices and 3 clients per month, and PayPal-only payments.
  • No native mobile app mentioned, limiting on-the-go invoicing.
  • Team member limits on lower tiers can be restrictive for growing businesses.
  • No listed integrations with accounting platforms like QuickBooks or Xero.

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)

Invoicely

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 5 monthly invoices
    • 3 saved clients
    • PayPal payments only
  • Basic$9.99/month
    • 100 monthly invoices
    • 25 saved clients
    • Up to 2 team members
  • Professional$19.99/month
    • 250 monthly invoices
    • 100 saved clients
    • Up to 10 team members
  • Enterprise$29.99/month
    • Unlimited monthly invoices
    • Unlimited saved clients
    • Up to 25 team members

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 Invoicely if

  • You need invoice creation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web.
  • You also want recurring invoices.
Invoicely review

Questions people ask

Is Lago or Invoicely better?
Neither clearly leads. Lago starts at Free and Invoicely at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lago or Invoicely?
Lago starts at Free and Invoicely at Free.
Does Lago or Invoicely run on more platforms?
Lago runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted, On-premise, VPC. Invoicely runs on web.
Can I use Lago for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Invoicely is typically brought in for.
What can Lago do that Invoicely cannot?
Lago covers Real-time usage metering, Multiple pricing models, Automated invoicing, Prepaid credits. Invoicely covers Invoice creation, Recurring invoices, Time, expense, and mileage tracking, Team member access. Both handle Multi-currency support.

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
Invoicely: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

Yes, the Free plan allows up to 5 monthly invoices and 3 saved clients, with PayPal-only payments and no team members, and requires no credit card.

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
Invoicely: What does Invoicely cost?

Paid plans start at Basic for $9.99/month, Professional at $19.99/month, and Enterprise at $29.99/month, each raising invoice, client, and team member limits.

Source
Lago: Does Lago support multiple currencies?

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

Source
Invoicely: Can I change or cancel my plan?

Yes, Invoicely allows customers to upgrade or downgrade their subscription level at any time.

Source
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