1. Stripe: Powerful, but Proprietary
Stripe is world-class for payment processing and global payouts, but it locks you into its ecosystem:
- No self-hosting or offline mode
- Custom business logic only via Stripe apps
- All customer data, invoices, and taxes stored on Stripe's servers
- AI or autonomous agents cannot call Stripe directly
If you want total control of your billing stack, that's a limitation.
2. Billing.net: The Open Billing Layer
Billing.net separates billing logic from payment processors.
You can still use Stripe for card payments — but Billing.net handles the rest:
- Pricing rules, usage metering, and tax calculations
- Invoicing and reminders
- Multi-provider routing
- MCP endpoint for AI agents and automation tools
Your customers, invoices, and configuration live in your database.
3. The MCP Orchestration Advantage
Both Stripe and Billing.net have MCP servers, but only Billing.net orchestrates other MCPs.
What This Means:
Billing.net can call Stripe's MCP server, plus PayPal MCP, LemonSqueezy MCP, Paddle MCP, and 7 more. One interface gives AI agents access to 11+ billing MCPs with 150+ total tools.
Stripe MCP can only call Stripe. Billing.net MCP can call everyone.
4. Why Developers Switch
🔓 Open Source Freedom
Fork it, host it, audit it
🔄 Zero Lock-In
Switch providers anytime
🤖 AI-Ready
Agents issue invoice.create directly
💰 Lower Costs
No transaction markup; flat tiers
4. Real-World Example
SaaS Founder Scenario:
You run a usage-based SaaS and use Stripe for cards + PayPal for backup. With Billing.net:
- Agents call the MCP server with
usage.record - Billing.net aggregates and invoices customers monthly
- Stripe and PayPal handle payments automatically
- Data syncs back into your accounting system
5. The Future: Open Billing Infrastructure
The world is moving toward open, portable billing — just like open-source databases and LLMs.
Billing.net gives developers and companies a common, open interface for all billing operations.
Conclusion
You don't need to replace Stripe — you just need to own the layer above it.
Billing.net is that layer.