Ask HN: Stripe vs. Chargebee vs. Recurly?

[tech_voyager]

Hey folks, I’m evaluating payment platforms and looking for real-world feedback from anyone who has used Stripe, Chargebee, or Recurly. Each seems to have its strengths—Stripe for payments, Chargebee for subscription management, and Recurly somewhere in between—but it’s been tough to decide which fits best for long-term scalability.

I’m curious about:

Which platform handles churn and dunning more effectively?

How does the billing flexibility compare across them?

Any unexpected challenges or limitations you’ve faced?

How reliable is their customer support when things go sideways?

Hidden fees or surprises I should watch out for?

If anyone has insights, comparisons, or tips, I’d love to hear from you! Bonus points for examples of how these platforms impacted your revenue, growth, or headaches down the line.

Thanks in advance!

[josephcsible]

I'd be wary of Stripe, because it seems like every other week there's a new thread here that they froze someone's account with no warning or recourse. E.g., https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41713131 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41663442 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41524399 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41508877 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41314293

[lancecotingkeh]

100% I second this ^ I am a founder myself and had the same unfortunate experience with Stripe. Stripe shut down my previous SaaS without warning or explanation. It was almost a death sentence for my business.

I built OpenPay (getopenpay.com) so businesses can flexibly move from Stripe to another payment processor without losing a cent of revenue. Happy to help anyone on HN get set up. Feel free to reach out to me at lance [at] getopenpay.com

PS we don't have a public pricing page yet but we charge less than Stripe. Stripe charges 0.7% for Stripe billing–we're offering a HN discount for 0.5% so we're cheaper than Stripe and give you the flexibility to move between payment processors