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Accounting · head to head

Lago vs Moxie

Lago logo

Lago

Accounting

Open-source billing infrastructure for usage-based models

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Moxie logo

Moxie

Proposals

Freelance business management with proposals, contracts, time tracking and invoicing in one subscription

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; Moxie each module is weaker than the specialist product it replaces, so a freelancer with a demanding requirement in any one area will find the bundled version limiting.
  • They diverge on capability: Lago covers Real-time usage metering, Moxie covers Proposals with e signature.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lago and Moxie actually diverge.

Attributes where Lago and Moxie differ
AttributeLagoMoxie
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFreemium with optional paid tiersquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hosted, On-premise, VPCWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryAccountingProposals

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Moxie

  • Proposals with e signature
  • Contracts
  • Time tracking
  • Invoicing and payments
  • Client portal
  • Project and task management
  • Scheduling link

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

Moxie

  • A solo consultant replacing four separate subscriptions for proposals, contracts, time and invoicingnot Lago
  • A freelancer who needs a signed contract and a deposit invoice to follow proposal acceptance automaticallynot Lago
  • Retainer work where tracked hours must reconcile against a fixed monthly fee on the same invoicenot Lago
  • A designer who wants one client portal for files, approvals and payment rather than email threadsnot 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

Moxie

  • Each module is weaker than the specialist product it replaces, so a freelancer with a demanding requirement in any one area will find the bundled version limiting.
  • The shared data model that makes the bundle convenient also makes leaving expensive, because proposals, time entries and invoices come out as one tangled export rather than as separable tools.
  • It is designed around a solo operator, so adding subcontractors, splitting revenue or managing a small team runs into limits quickly.
  • Client payments are processed through a third party gateway, so the card processing fee applies on top of the subscription and should be modelled into the true cost per invoice.
  • A large amount of published review material still refers to the product as Hectic, which makes independent research harder and dates much of what is written about it.

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)

Moxie

On request
  • Moxie$undefined/year
    • Proposals, contracts and electronic signature
    • Time tracking and invoicing
    • Client portal

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 Moxie if

  • You need proposals with e signature.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want contracts.
Moxie review

Questions people ask

Is Lago or Moxie better?
Neither clearly leads. Lago starts at Free and Moxie at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lago or Moxie?
Lago has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Lago and On request for Moxie.
Does Lago or Moxie run on more platforms?
Lago runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted, On-premise, VPC. Moxie runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Lago for free?
Yes. Lago has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Moxie 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 Moxie is typically brought in for.
What can Lago do that Moxie cannot?
Lago covers Real-time usage metering, Multiple pricing models, Automated invoicing, Prepaid credits. Moxie covers Proposals with e signature, Contracts, Time tracking, Invoicing and payments.

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
Moxie: Is Moxie the same product as Hectic?

Yes. It was renamed in 2022. Older reviews under the Hectic name describe the same software at an earlier stage.

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
Moxie: Does it take a percentage of my invoices?

The payment processor takes its standard card fee. Model that separately from the subscription when comparing total cost.

Lago: Does Lago support multiple currencies?

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

Source
Moxie: Can I use it with a team?

It is built for a solo operator. Subcontractors and multi person billing are handled awkwardly.

Moxie: Can I keep my accountant in the loop?

Yes, through the accounting integration, though most freelancers still reconcile manually at year end.

Moxie: What is the exit path?

Exports exist, but the linked proposal, time and invoice data does not map cleanly onto separate replacement tools.

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