Softwr

Accounting · head to head

Lago vs Ramp

Lago logo

Lago

Accounting

Open-source billing infrastructure for usage-based models

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ramp logo

Ramp

Accounting

The corporate card that helps you spend less

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; Ramp procurement module unavailable on Free plan; available as add-on on Plus
  • They diverge on capability: Lago covers Real-time usage metering, Ramp covers Corporate cards.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lago and Ramp actually diverge.

Attributes where Lago and Ramp differ
AttributeLagoRamp
Pricing modelFreemium with optional paid tierssubscription
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hosted, On-premise, VPCWeb, Mobile apps
FoundedUnknown2019

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
  • Multi-currency support
  • Payment orchestration
  • Revenue analytics

Only in Ramp

  • Corporate cards
  • Expense management
  • Bill pay
  • Accounting automation
  • Spend insights
  • QuickBooks
  • NetSuite
  • Xero

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

Ramp

  • Corporate expense management and automationnot Lago
  • Accounts payable automation with AI invoice processingnot Lago
  • Multi-currency travel and policy managementnot 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

Ramp

  • Procurement module unavailable on Free plan; available as add-on on Plus
  • Workday and Oracle Fusion integrations limited to Enterprise tier only
  • Multi-entity functionality requires Plus tier or higher
  • Local card issuance in 30+ countries limited to Enterprise tier
  • Advanced ERP integrations require higher tier selection

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)

Ramp

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited physical and virtual corporate cards
    • Receipt collection and matching
    • AI-powered OCR invoice capture
  • Plus$15/month
    • All Free plan features
    • Auto-lock cards for compliance violations
    • 24/7 phone support
  • Enterprise$null/year
    • All Plus plan features
    • Custom pricing
    • Workday and Oracle integrations

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 Ramp if

  • You need corporate cards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile apps.
  • You also want expense management.
Ramp review

Questions people ask

Is Lago or Ramp better?
Neither clearly leads. Lago starts at Free and Ramp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lago or Ramp?
Lago starts at Free and Ramp at Free.
Does Lago or Ramp run on more platforms?
Lago runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted, On-premise, VPC. Ramp runs on Web, Mobile apps.
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 Ramp is typically brought in for.
What can Lago do that Ramp cannot?
Lago covers Real-time usage metering, Multiple pricing models, Automated invoicing, Prepaid credits. Ramp covers Corporate cards, Expense management, Bill pay, Accounting automation.

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
Ramp: How much does Ramp Plus plan cost?

Ramp Plus plan costs $15 USD per user per month plus a platform fee based on team size. Annual billing provides a 20% discount compared to monthly billing.

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
Ramp: What accounting systems does Ramp integrate with?

Ramp Free and Plus plans integrate with QuickBooks Online and Xero. Plus plan adds access to additional ERP systems, and Enterprise plan supports Workday, Oracle, and advanced options.

Source
Lago: Does Lago support multiple currencies?

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

Source
Ramp: Does Ramp offer a free plan?

Yes, Ramp Free plan includes unlimited corporate cards, AI invoice capture, receipt collection, multiple payment methods, QuickBooks and Xero integrations, and 24/7 chat support. No pricing is charged for the Free tier.

Source
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