UniBee
TL;DR
UniBee is an open-source subscription billing platform for SaaS businesses, startups and agencies that automates recurring payments, invoicing and usage-based pricing. It ships three ways — managed cloud, self-hosted open source, and on-premise — with no revenue percentage fees, ever. The AppSumo lifetime deal started at $39 (64% off $108) and is currently sold out.
Key Facts
Free version: UniBee ships as free open-source software (AGPL-3.0) you can self-host via Docker with the full billing engine — no seat limits, but it requires technical setup. The managed cloud starts at $99/month.
Pricing
Starting at Open source / $99/mo cloud, or $39 one-time for the lifetime deal (Tier 1)
Open Source (Self-hosted)
- Full subscription billing engine, self-hosted
- Usage-based, tiered, volume and hybrid pricing
- Automated invoicing with VAT/GST tax management
- Stripe, PayPal and crypto (via Changelly) gateways
- AGPL-3.0 license; requires Docker setup
Starter (Lifetime Deal, Tier 1)
- 1 billing admin workspace
- Subscriptions, add-ons, coupons and prepaid credits
- Automated invoicing and payment reminders
- Usage ingestion, billing webhooks, PDF invoices
- All future Starter plan updates
Additional Pricing Information
UniBee is open-source plus paid cloud. The AppSumo lifetime deal had three tiers: Tier 1 $39 ($108 value), Tier 2 $119 ($228), Tier 3 $289 ($456) — all mapped to Starter (T1) or Business (T2-3) plans with future updates. Cloud pricing otherwise runs $99/mo (Starter) to $399/mo (Business). Note the deal is currently sold out, the product is young (founded Jan 2024, ~200 customers) with only 2 AppSumo reviews, and the open-source edition is AGPL-3.0.
Details
What is UniBee?
UniBee is an open-source, universal subscription billing platform built for SaaS businesses, startups and agencies. It centralizes recurring billing, invoicing, usage metering and payment reminders in one system, with an embeddable checkout widget, multi-currency and multi-entity support, crypto payments and mandatory 2FA. It ships three ways: managed cloud SaaS, a self-hosted open-source edition (AGPL-3.0), and managed on-premise. Founded in 2024 in Tallinn, Estonia by engineers with enterprise billing experience, it launched on AppSumo as a Launchpad pick and positions itself as a cheaper, more flexible alternative to Recurly, Chargebee and Paddle — no revenue percentage fees, ever. The AppSumo lifetime deal (Tier 1 $39, 64% off $108) is currently sold out, and the young product carries a thin independent review base.
Key Features
- *Subscription Management** — create, pause, upgrade, downgrade and cancel plans from one dashboard
- *Usage Metering** — track API calls, storage or any custom metric and bill on actual usage
- *Flexible Pricing Plans** — flat-rate, tiered, volume-based and hybrid models with trials and setup fees
- *Automated Invoicing** — generate, brand and email PDF invoices with grace periods
- *Lifecycle Automation** — automate renewals, prorations and payment reminders
- *Multiple Payment Gateways** — Stripe, PayPal, local providers and crypto via Changelly
- *Checkout Builder** — embed a customizable checkout widget into your product or website
- *SaaS Entitlements** — enforce plan-level access and feature rules for customers
- *Analytics & Reporting** — real-time revenue, MRR, LTV and churn dashboards (beta)
- *Multi-Currency & Multi-Entity** — manage several companies and countries in one account
- *Security** — mandatory two-factor authentication for merchant and admin accounts
- *Tax Management** — VAT and sales tax calculation out of the box
- *Webhooks & API** — real-time event notifications and full developer API
Who is it for?
- SaaS founders and startups that want battle-tested enterprise billing patterns at startup speed
- Engineering teams that want to self-host billing and keep complete control of their data
- Agencies that bill recurring client retainers and need multi-client flexibility
- Global businesses needing multi-currency and multi-entity support without extra tools
- Developers who want an API-first, open-source billing system
Who is it NOT for?
- Non-technical founders who can't self-host and balk at the $99/month cloud entry price
- Solopreneurs who just need a simple payment link — Stripe is far less setup
- Teams that require an established compliance track record (SOC 2, etc.) from a young vendor
- Companies that can't accept AGPL copyleft licensing for embedded commercial use
The Bottom Line
UniBee is a genuinely strong open-source billing platform that undercuts Recurly and Chargebee on price and offers self-hosting most competitors can't — but it's a two-review, one-year-old product with the LTD currently sold out. If AppSumo brings it back, grab the $39 tier as a low-risk bet for future billing needs; if you need live billing this month, don't stake your payment stack on it yet.
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