Payment Gateway

Chargebee vs Razorpay: Which is Better in 2026?

Choosing between Chargebee and Razorpay? Both are popular payment gateway tools. Below we compare them on pricing, free tiers, features, and pros & cons so you can pick the right fit for your stack.

Quick verdict

Chargebee is the safer pick if budget matters — it has a free tier, while Razorpay does not. Choose Razorpay when its specific features justify the cost.

Chargebee vs Razorpay — Side by Side

ChargebeeRazorpay
CategoryPayment GatewayPayment Gateway
PricingFreeUsage-based
Starting priceFree tier availablePay-as-you-go
Free tier
Rating4.34.4
Best forPayment Gateway — billing, subscriptionsPayment Gateway — gateway, india

Pros & Cons

  • Powerful subscription/revenue ops
  • Generous free starter tier
  • Integrates with major gateways
  • Great for complex billing
  • Not a merchant of record
  • Overhead for simple use cases
  • Best-in-class for India/UPI
  • No monthly fee
  • Rich payment methods
  • Good developer docs
  • Gateway, not merchant of record
  • India-focused
  • You handle tax compliance

Key Features Compared

Chargebee

  • Recurring billing & invoicing
  • Dunning & retries
  • Works on top of Stripe etc.
  • 0.75% on billing over $250K

Razorpay

  • UPI, cards, netbanking, wallets
  • Subscriptions & payment links
  • Payouts & invoicing
  • Strong India coverage

Choose Chargebee if…

  • You want to start free — Chargebee has a free tier and Razorpay does not.
  • Powerful subscription/revenue ops
  • Generous free starter tier
  • Integrates with major gateways
Chargebee review & pricing

Choose Razorpay if…

  • Best-in-class for India/UPI
  • No monthly fee
  • Rich payment methods
Razorpay review & pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Chargebee better than Razorpay?

Chargebee is the safer pick if budget matters — it has a free tier, while Razorpay does not. Choose Razorpay when its specific features justify the cost.

What is the difference between Chargebee and Razorpay?

Chargebee — Subscription billing and revenue management on top of your payment gateway — free up to $250K billed. Razorpay — Leading Indian payment gateway for accepting payments online — UPI, cards, wallets, and subscriptions. Both are payment gateway tools; the comparison table above breaks down pricing, free tiers, and what each is best for.

Chargebee vs Razorpay: which is cheaper?

Chargebee pricing: Free. Razorpay pricing: Usage-based. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.

Which is rated higher, Chargebee or Razorpay?

In our catalog, Chargebee rates 4.3 out of 5 and Razorpay rates 4.4 out of 5, so Razorpay has a slight edge on reviews.

See more options in our guide to the best payment gateway tools for startups.

Still not sure which to pick?

Get a free, AI-powered tech stack — including the best payment gateway pick for your budget and team — in 60 seconds.

Build my stack free