25 September 2025 · 4 min read
Stripe Open Source Alternative
Billing gets messy fast: free trials, seats for teams, orgs, usage, credits. Stripe Billing helps at the start, but it becomes complex and costly. We built Lumen Payments as an open source alternative that gives you control, is easier to integrate, and costs less. It also handles AI usage and credit models in a clean way.
Comparison: Lumen Payments vs Stripe Billing
| Feature | Lumen Payments | Stripe Billing |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Self-hosting | Yes (free) | No |
| Pricing fee on billing | No | 0.7% of processed volume |
| Seats & orgs | Built-in | Custom work |
| AI usage & credits | Native | Complex setup |
| Time to integrate | Hours | Days |
Why it’s easier
- Fewer steps, clear examples, minimal webhooks.
- Works locally with one command and seed data.
- You can extend flows in code instead of fighting a dashboard.
Cost
- Stripe Billingadds 0.7% on top of payment fees.
- Lumen self-host: no billing fee.
- Lumen cloud: significantly cheaper than Stripe Billing.
AI usage and credits
Track tokens or calls, price by model, use credit wallets per user or org, define rollover rules in code, and keep an audit trail. Fixes and backfills are simple.
Who should use Lumen
- SaaS with trials, seats, orgs
- AI products with usage and credits
- Teams that want control and lower costs
FAQ
Is there an open source alternative to Stripe Billing?
Yes, Lumen Payments.
Is Lumen cheaper than Stripe Billing?
Yes. No 0.7% fee; self-host is free; cloud is still cheaper.
Does Lumen support trials, seats, orgs, usage, and credits?
Yes.
Is it easier to integrate than Stripe, Paddle, or Adyen?
Yes.
We built Lumen to be a developer-first, open source billing platform that you can self-host or run in our managed cloud.
Ramon Garate
Founder of Lumen