Chargebee
Subscription billing and revenue management for recurring businesses
Kill Bill
Open-source subscription billing and payments platform for SaaS
Self-hosted subscription billing and payment infrastructure with real-time analytics, flexible pricing models, and modular architecture. Scale without vendor lock-in.
Overview
Scale Your Billing Infrastructure Without Vendor Lock-In
Kill Bill is a battle-tested subscription billing and payments platform built for SaaS and e-commerce businesses that need control over their financial infrastructure. For over a decade, it has powered billing operations for organizations of all sizes, from startups testing pricing models to large enterprises processing millions of transactions.
Flexible, Modular Architecture
Unlike monolithic SaaS solutions, Kill Bill offers a highly modular design that lets you enable only the functionality you need. Test multiple subscription models, run promotional trials, manage complex discount schedules, and access real-time analytics—all while maintaining full ownership of your business and customer data. The platform integrates seamlessly with existing systems or operates as a complete billing solution.
Deploy On Your Terms
Whether on-premises or in the cloud, Kill Bill scales with your business. Start in one area and expand incrementally as needs evolve. The Apache 2.0 licensed platform provides SaaS-like subscription management capabilities with the flexibility and transparency of open source, supported by comprehensive documentation and one-click AWS deployment options.
Highlights
Modular architecture—enable, disable, or replace components as needed
Real-time analytics and financial reporting out of the box
Flexible subscription models with trials, discounts, and promotional pricing
Self-hosted deployment eliminates vendor lock-in and third-party dependencies
Pros
- Full control over billing data and infrastructure
- Proven reliability with 10+ years of production use at scale
- Highly extensible framework for custom business logic
- Apache 2.0 license with no vendor lock-in
Considerations
- Requires infrastructure management and operational expertise
- Java-based stack may not suit all development environments
- Self-hosting means responsibility for uptime and security
- Steeper learning curve compared to turnkey SaaS solutions
Managed products teams compare with
When teams consider Kill Bill, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.
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Fit guide
Great for
- SaaS companies needing custom subscription billing logic
- E-commerce platforms with complex pricing and discount models
- Enterprises requiring data sovereignty and regulatory compliance
- Businesses scaling beyond limitations of third-party billing providers
Not ideal when
- Teams without infrastructure or DevOps resources
- Early-stage startups prioritizing speed over customization
- Organizations preferring fully managed SaaS solutions
- Projects requiring non-Java technology stacks
How teams use it
Multi-Tier SaaS Subscription Testing
Rapidly test and iterate on pricing models, trial periods, and promotional discounts to identify the most profitable subscription structure without vendor constraints.
Enterprise Billing Migration
Incrementally migrate billing operations from legacy systems or third-party providers while maintaining full control over customer data and financial reporting.
E-Commerce Payment Infrastructure
Build scalable payment processing for online stores with complex discount schedules, seasonal promotions, and real-time revenue analytics.
Regulated Industry Compliance
Deploy on-premises billing infrastructure to meet data sovereignty, privacy regulations, and audit requirements while avoiding third-party data sharing.
Tech snapshot
Java98%
JavaScript1%
CSS1%
Shell1%
HTML1%
PLpgSQL1%
Frequently asked questions
What license does Kill Bill use?
Kill Bill is licensed under Apache License 2.0, allowing free commercial use, modification, and distribution.
Can I deploy Kill Bill in the cloud?
Yes, Kill Bill supports both on-premises and cloud deployments. AWS one-click deployment is available, and free hosted sandboxes are offered at cloud.killbill.io.
What programming language is Kill Bill built with?
Kill Bill is primarily built in Java, with components written in JavaScript, Ruby, and other languages across its modular architecture.
Does Kill Bill replace my entire payment stack?
Not necessarily. Kill Bill's modular design lets you use only the components you need and integrate with existing systems rather than forcing an all-in-one replacement.
Is Kill Bill suitable for large-scale operations?
Yes, Kill Bill has been proven in production with large SaaS and e-commerce organizations over the past 10 years, demonstrating reliability at scale.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 5,282
- Watchers
- 5,282
- Forks
- 890
LicenseApache-2.0
Repo age13 years old
Last commit2 months ago
Self-hostingSupported
Primary languageJava
Last synced 12 hours ago