6 Top Zuora Competitors and Alternatives: In-Depth 2023 Guide --

 Zuora can be described as a recurring billing and monetization solution to:

• Controlling subscriptions
• Revenue recognition
• Collection of payments
• Quotes
• and more...

 But, Zuora has one main flaw: it can't manage sales tax or transaction liability for you.

Most countries, states, as well as provinces, have rules for how transactions need to be conducted. In the case of a firm that does business with India, the Reserve Bank of India limits the amount of automatic transactions to Rs15,000 (approximately $180) and anything more than that amount has to be approved manually by the buyer. If you use a service like Zuora, you'll be on your own to know about and adhere to these laws and regulations.

In addition, the majority of states and countries also have guidelines regarding the form and amount of indirect taxes (e.g. the sales tax or VAT or GST) that needs to be collected as well as the method by which those taxes are paid. In particular, nations such as Taiwan, Indonesia, Nigeria, Vietnam, and others are requiring you to file income tax as well as to indirect tax when you conduct business in the country. Also, Zuora leaves you on your own to determine and follow these tax laws.

If your company sells physical items and/or products,you'll need additional software as well as a headcount for managing the tax on sales and transactions. In the following section, we'll show you the ease of integrating each software with the other programs.

In contrast, if your company offers digital goods, our payment platform, , provides a solution for everything from payment processing to managing subscriptions -- and assumes the responsibility for transactions for you.

In this article this guide, we begin with an extensive review of . After that, we will cover five other Zuora competitors.

 Zuora Alternatives

•   Zoho Subscriptions
•   Salesforce Revenue Cloud
•   Stripe
•   Chargify
•   Oracle NetSuite

Pay-per-click: End-to End Payment Platform for SaaS

Below are a few instances of other SaaS or digital products firms have gained from working with :

In the next section in the next section, we look into what the process looks like to use .

Let Collect and Remit Sales Tax as well as GST, VAT and Sales Tax for You

Software companies haven't always been obliged to collect and transfer the sales tax and VAT, and GST, however, this is rapidly changing. Many countries are requiring software companies to pay and collect any indirect tax. As an example, over the last few months, Canada, Thailand, Puerto Rico, Ukraine, Israel, and Pakistan (just to mention some) have passed new taxes that are specifically targeted at foreign-based companies that sell digital products.

These software companies have to:

• Stay up-to-date on the tax laws of each jurisdiction they do business with. These tax laws are constantly changing so it is very challenging to keep track of the latest tax laws.
• Implement processes for calculating and gathering the correct amount and kind in indirect taxes. There is SaaS tax software to help you do this, however, most solutions have limitations and are not suitable for collection of taxes from abroad.
• Remit those taxes in the right manner and at the correct time. Remitting sales tax (or VAT or GST) isn't as simple as filling in a form and sending a wire transfer. For example, some jurisdictions will only accept the payment in the event that there is a local representative handling your taxes for you.

Plus, many jurisdictions are required to be compliant beyond simply gathering and paying the right amount and type in indirect taxes. In particular, certain nations require that you:

• File income taxin the same way as indirect tax.
• Fill out tax forms even if you're eligible to be tax exempt.
• Provide electronic invoicing of any transaction. (The EU is rolling out the universal requirements for electronic invoicing by 2028. )

Staying on top of the procedures and regulations to remain up to date is a major task and most companies need an entire staff committed to this task.

 This isn't an issue for our clients since we take the initiative on everything related to it.

We collect the exact amount (and the correct type) in indirect taxes when you check out (including tax-exempt transactions in the US as well as 0% reverse charges, if applicable).

We remit those taxes for your benefit at the correct time and ensure all necessary factors are in place to ensure full respect.

Finally, if a country or state asks you questions about tax compliance, we can often offer the ability to copy and paste your responses.

Manage All Subscriptions from One Platform While Staying Compliant to Transaction Laws and Regulations

It offers an array of subscription management options specially designed for SaaS companies -- and your team won't have to write code to use these models. (You can also gain access to our API and webhooks library for even more custom options.)

You can set up:

• Automatic weekly, monthly, or even yearly recurring bill.
• The prorated billing system allows for upgrade and downgrades during the cycle.
• Trials for free or paid of any length.
• Trials with or without collecting payment details (by by not collecting the payment information there is less friction during check-out, which usually leads to higher percentages of sales).
• Manual or automatic renewal.
• One-time add-ons, and discounts.
• Plus much and more...

 In deciding on your model of subscription, one major consideration which is often overlooked is whether or not your recurring billing model follows local laws and regulations regarding transactions.

We mentioned previously that certain nations require manual approval to certain transactions, the establishment of specific privacy policies to be in place in addition to other. For instance, in Canada as well as Korea consumers are entitled under the law to receive an amount of money that is prorated when they decide to cancel their membership prior to the close of the period for payment.

If you don't follow these laws and regulations, you could face fines or lose your ability to conduct business in that jurisdiction. Certain payment services claim to assist you in keeping up with these laws and regulations However, they usually only help by publishing community updates if/when they learn regarding new legislation but you're in charge of the compliance of these laws.

 At , we take it a step further and assume transaction liability on your behalf by:

• Continuously keeping up-to-date with all pertinent legal matters.
• Ensuring all the necessary processes have been put implemented.
• Taking the lead on audits.
• Individual guidance regarding how to remain compliant.

Easily Manage B2B Quotes and Invoicing with the help of Digital Invoicing.

Certain companies may require additional software to manage B2B transactions in addition to B2C transactions.

lets you control B2B orders as well as B2C transactions with one platform by providing our subscription management tools described above as well as our digital invoicing feature.

• Create quotes from inbound leads and customize price. You can even make custom discounts, define expiration dates, and more.
• Offer your customers a a self-serve quote portal. This is particularly beneficial when your customers require management approval before purchasing.

• Give your customers the possibility of creating an invoice instead of entering specific payment information. This is useful when companies have an accounting procedure that needs an invoice.

With all of these options, you can track the purchase process and automate fulfillment of orders, make updates, and more, all in real-time.

Expand globally overnight with Localized Checkout as well as Multiple Payment Gateways

Every payment processor has specific countries, payment methods, and currencies that they support. As an example, a processor might accept Amazon Pay within the United States but they won't process payments from Brazil. Or a payment processor may be able to support Union Pay in China but does not offer payment options that are commonly used in Canada.

Eventually, SaaS companies end up using several payment processors to:

• Accept more payment methods.
• Increase authorization rates in international transaction.
• Accept payments from more nations.

For most payment systems require you to manage and manually connect to every payment processor individually. Additionally, you have to code automatic processes which send out payments to those payment gateways that have the highest rates of authorization for the particular area. Not only is this a drain on your time and effort and time, but it also creates a challenge to grow fast.

 There are a variety of ways to make it easier to extend globally:

• You automatically have access to several payment processors. Our team handles the whole setup and administration of every payment gateway, which means you do not have to. Each transaction is transferred to the payment gateway that has the highest approval rates in the area. (Note: If the payment is unsuccessful due to any of the reasons, it automatically gets routed to another payment gateway, reducing the chance of a failed payment.)

• Transactions are filtered through Sift for the most advanced fraud detection. International payments come with greater risk. That is why it's important to choose a business which is knowledgeable and skilled in fighting the risk. Sift is a world-class leader in the field of risk analysis and prevention. It uses machines learning as well as AI to study millions of transactions across the globe each month, to detect risky transactions with higher accuracy. ( Note: they are the ones who lead charges and resolves any fraudulent issues that may occur.)

Eliminate Involuntary Churn through an intuitive customer portal and Active Dunning

It's easy for companies to lose customers simply because the subscription was cancelled and was difficult to get them back into the subscription. As an example, suppose the payment method of a client expires without them knowing that the transaction doesn't be processed. They attempt to resolve the problem only to realize that they can only update the information about the payment by calling the sales representative. They keep pushing off the phone call and eventually completely forget about it.

 assists you in avoiding these situations and prevent your customers from becoming churned with:

• Proactive reminders. With , you can set up automated email reminders which notify users of forthcoming installments and soon-to-be-expired payment options. This gives customers the opportunity to prepare for future payments so that the subscription does not expire.
• Multiple Follow-up reminds. Some customer management software will allow you to send out an automatic notification in the event of a failed payment but we've discovered that the sending of multiple reminders is more effective. You are able to set up automated reminders that are sent out in two, five, seven, fourteen and twenty-one days after a payment is unsuccessful.

• Self-service portals for clients. A self-serve portal lowers stress and makes it really easy for users to edit their account information, pay their bills and monitor their account without contacting the sales department. B2B customers can also handle invoices and quotes from the website.

Make informed choices with Detailed Reports and Analytics

Analytics and Reporting is a powerful function that is built within your dashboard. It automatically tracks key performance indicators and translates them into meaningful reports to help you understand:

• Which products are the most effective in generating your annual and monthly revenue.
• During the course of their lives, customers will be more likely to be churning.
• What coupon or promotion is in effect (or are they not?).
• Which subscription models have the highest rate of conversion.
• In which area do you have the largest number of customers and the highest-paying customers live.
• Which payment options and currencies do clients prefer over the other.
• Plus there's More...

There are two primary analytics dashboards: The Revenue Overviewdashboard as well as the Subscription Overview dashboard. However there are a variety of reports and views that are available. If you don't see the report you require within these dashboards, you can build custom reports and save them. You can also reach out to our team to help discover (or create) the report you need.

Any report can be viewed on your dashboard, or downloaded in an CSV or PNG file. an XLSX format file.

Manage Your Entire Payment Lifecycle in one flat-rate fee

With most payment platforms (like Zuora), software companies have to pile on software after software in order to create out all of the pieces they require for a comprehensive payment solution. Plus, many of these payment systems have tiered pricing or charge an extra fee for specific features. All of this can add up to the cost of a large amount. Plus, it makes it difficult to determine the amount you'll pay.

On the other hand, 's pricing is straightforward: All features mentioned above, including multiple payment options, payment liability assistance and more. They are available at a flat rate based on the volume of transactions you conduct . And, you'll only be charged once transactions occur.

We also provide personal help (at at no fee). Our team can help you configure to be the most suitable payment method for your needs and are always available to answer any questions you need to ask.

A few companies offer individual support for their biggest clients , while ignoring smaller businesses. We believe that every business deserves the same level of attention and consideration.

Note: provides an API for easy integration with various software.

Five Alternative Zuora Alternatives

Zoho Subscriptions: A Better Alternative to Zuora Billing

Zoho has cloud-based services for most aspects of your business , from management of social media to online transactions. Zoho Subscriptions is the solution they offer for subscription management.

Zoho has so many different options that businesses may discover it unnecessary to connect with many other software applications. In reality, you can integrate Zoho with the majority of programs.

It's also worth noting that every aspect of Zoho's platform is priced separately. Zoho service is priced individually, including Zoho Subscriptions. So, it can be expensive and difficult to create an entire payment platform.

Organizations that are already making use of the Zoho platform could benefit by making use of this service, but the majority of new users feel that it is a difficult learning process.

A few highlights of Zoho Subscription billing include:

• Multiple pricing models
• Invoices with tax-compliant customization
• Converting currencies in multiple currencies
• 30+ pre-built reports to keep track of each phase of the subscription lifecycle
• Cash and check payments (in combination with credit card payments)
• Out-of-the-box integrations with other billing solutions (e.g., PayPal)
• The tools can be used to design customized workflow rules

Salesforce Revenue Cloud: A replacement for Zuora CPQ

Revenue Cloud from Salesforce is designed to let you manage all aspects of your revenue cycle from the same system your sales team utilizes to track sales and leads. Salesforce offers out-of-the-box integrations to payment gateways so that it can handle credit card and ACH transactions. They also offer solutions for subscription management as well as a way to configure price quotes and even billing.

Salesforce is another platform that offers several software solutions for businesses. Salesforce also offers an API to integrate.

Highlights of Revenue Cloud are:

• A step-by-step guide to help sales reps create the best deal.
• Automated renewal, upsells and cross-sells.
• Ability to combine several charges on one invoice.
• Metrics for tracking the lifetime value of a customer.
• Support for subscription-based and one-time products.

Stripe: Alternative for Zuora Collect

Stripe is a payment processing and billing platform utilized by numerous SaaS and non-SaaS companies (from businesses that are just starting out to those with a long history). Although it is a great choice for many companies selling physicalgoods and services, it could not be the ideal solution for those selling digital goods.

Stripe provides a number of integrated integrations with other software and can be manually integrated into many other applications.

If you are interested in Stripe, here are a couple of features of Stripe's:

• Customizable UI and pre-built checkout flows
• Simple management of subscriptions
• Fraud prevention and risk management
• Flexible billing logic for automation of billing
• Online invoice
• Payments in person

Chargify is an alternative to Zuora Revenue

Chargify is in the process of integrating with SaaSOptics to provide an application for managing subscriptions and revenue management in an all-in-one billing platform (however they don't provide the ability to process payments on their platform; instead, they incorporate with Stripe billing to process payments).

Chargify is focusing much more on their billing system for B2B SaaS businesses, but, they do provide support for B2C transactions. The company also claims to support any ecommerce go-to-market method.

Chargify offers a library of software that they can integrate with an API.

Here are some highlights of Chargify's platform for businesses that subscribe to it:

• Global and usage-based billing
• Billing management and revenue recognition instruments
• Analytics and metrics for the billing system
• Integrations built-in to different software (e.g. accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero)
• International payment gateways

Oracle NetSuite: Alternative for Zuora Monetization Platform

Oracle NetSuite is more than a subscription management platform. It offers options for the accounting process, B2B and B2C ecommerce, ERP, CRM and more.

Oracle NetSuite may be a good option for companies seeking to completely replace Zuora platform (however, SaaS companies will still have to handle the tax liabilities for sales and transaction independently).

NetSuite makes it possible for developers to connect their applications to almost every third-party application.

Here are a few of the highlights of Oracle NetSuite's payments services:

• It is possible to integrate flat, tiered, and consumption-based subscriptions , with promotional offers as well as discounts
• Support for multiple pricing models
• Automation and consolidation of bills
• Recognition of revenue to ensure conformity
• Support for B2B as well as B2C Payments