Zuora pricing — is the cost worth it? A 2025 guide

Zuora is a subscription management platform that helps businesses automate their billing, revenue recognition, and subscription processes. But with its customized pricing model, many businesses find themselves asking: Is Zuora worth the cost?

This guide will dive into the intricacies of Zuora pricing, analyze the factors that influence its cost, and compare it to top alternatives like Orb. We'll help you determine if Zuora is the right fit for your business.

Read on to learn:

• How Zuora's pricing model works
• Key factors influencing Zuora's cost
• A detailed comparison of Zuora, Orb, and Stripe Billing
• Insights into Orb's unique advantages for SaaS businesses

Let’s start with a quick look at Zuora’s pricing.

Zuora pricing overview

Zuora’s pricing is not a one-size-fits-all model. Unlike many SaaS-billing platforms, they take a personalized approach, as we touched on briefly in our general review of all of Zuora’s pros and cons. They understand that each business is unique, especially when it comes to subscription management. Therefore, they tailor their pricing to fit your specific needs.  

How does Zuora determine its pricing? 

Several key factors come into play. These include your subscription volume — the number of subscribers you manage. 

Feature usage also matters. Do you need simple recurring billing or more intricate usage-based or tiered pricing? 

The level of automation you require, and the integrations you need with other systems, will also influence the cost. Your industry and business size are considered, as are any custom solutions or professional services you might require.  

How much does Zuora cost?

Finding exact Zuora pricing figures can be challenging. They don't publicly list their pricing. You'll need to contact their sales team for a custom quote or a demo. 

However, reports from sites like Vendr.com offer some insights. They suggest that Zuora's annual costs start at around $17,943. This figure positions Zuora as a solution best suited for mid-sized to enterprise businesses. 

Startups might find the cost prohibitive, especially in their early stages. This isn't to say Zuora isn't valuable. For businesses with substantial subscription volumes and intricate billing needs, the platform's features may justify the investment.

Key factors that influence Zuora pricing

Now, let’s break down the core elements that influence Zuora’s pricing.

Key factor 1: Subscription volume & business size

Larger enterprises with high transaction volumes can be eligible for custom pricing that includes volume discounts. This means that businesses processing a significant number of invoices or subscriptions per month can negotiate lower per-unit costs, making the platform more cost-effective at scale.

On the other hand, smaller businesses might struggle with Zuora’s pricing model. Reviews suggest that the platform's entry cost can be steep, especially for startups or SMBs with lower revenue and fewer subscribers. 

How Orb differs

Orb, a done-for-you billing platform, offers a more accessible entry point for businesses of all sizes, with transparent and flexible pricing options. Unlike Zuora, which primarily caters to large enterprises with complex needs, Orb is designed to scale with your business, from early-stage startups to rapidly growing companies. 

Orb’s focus on usage-based pricing models allows for greater alignment between cost and value, ensuring that businesses only pay for what they use.

Key factor 2: Features & billing models

Zuora is designed to accommodate a wide variety of pricing strategies, allowing both SaaS and subscription-based businesses to implement flexible billing models. Supported options include:

• Flat-rate pricing: A single, fixed price for all customers
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• Tiered pricing: Different pricing levels based on usage or customer type
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• Per-user/per-seat billing: Charges based on the number of users accessing the service
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• Usage-based (metered) billing: Pricing that scales based on customer consumption

While these basic models are included in Zuora’s offerings, businesses looking for more advanced configurations, such as Multi-Attribute Pricing or Pre-Rated Pricing, can face higher costs. 

These complex models enable businesses to customize charges based on factors like region, industry, or customer segment but often require more setup, maintenance, and API calls, leading to higher expenses.

However, questions remain regarding the ease of migrating between these different pricing models and the ability to effectively experiment with them. 

How easily can businesses test and refine their pricing strategies within Zuora? Does the platform offer robust tools for simulating the impact of pricing changes before they go live? 

How Orb differs

Without features like Orb's Simulations, which allow for risk-free testing and optimization of pricing strategies using real data, businesses may find it challenging to adapt quickly to market changes or customer feedback.

Key factor 3: Integrations & API costs

Zuora integrates with a wide range of third-party applications, including CRM systems, accounting platforms, and payment gateways. However, the cost of these integrations can vary. While some are included in Zuora’s standard pricing, others require extra fees, particularly for API usage.

API usage fees and additional costs

Zuora’s API is robust, allowing businesses to automate workflows, retrieve billing data, and integrate with other systems. 

However, heavy API usage can result in extra costs, especially for enterprises relying on high-volume automation. Some integrations might also require custom development work, further increasing implementation expenses.

How Orb differs

Orb offers built-in support for usage-based billing that’s easier to use than Zuora, with deep automation and real-time data tracking at its core. 

This means businesses using Orb experience fewer integration-related costs since many metering and pricing features are natively supported without requiring extensive customization.

Key factor 4: Implementation & professional services

Zuora’s implementation process can be complex, particularly for large enterprises with intricate billing needs. The platform provides onboarding and professional services to assist with deployment, but these services come at an added cost.

Reports indicate that annual implementation fees can exceed $113,200, depending on the scale of the business and the level of customization required. Do keep in mind these costs are based on data from 124 purchases uploaded to Vendr.com. 

How Orb differs

Orb simplifies the implementation process, focusing on rapid deployment and ease of use. Orb's intuitive interface and streamlined workflows minimize the need for extensive professional services, reducing upfront costs and accelerating time-to-value.

Ongoing support & training

Beyond implementation, businesses may need continued support for troubleshooting, updates, and system optimization. 

While Zuora offers customer support and consulting services, premium support plans may add further expenses. Organizations should factor in these long-term costs when considering Zuora as a billing solution.

Does Zuora charge per transaction?

Unlike some payment processors, Zuora does not charge per-transaction fees for its billing services. Instead, its pricing is based on subscription tiers, features, and API usage. 

However, businesses that process payments through Zuora’s integrated gateways should account for potential payment processing fees imposed by third-party providers like Stripe, PayPal, or Authorize.net.

Passing payment processing costs to customers

Zuora offers a feature called payment surcharges, allowing businesses to pass transaction processing fees directly to customers. This can be useful for companies looking to offset costs, but it’s important to consider legal and customer experience implications before implementing surcharge policies.

Is Zuora worth the cost?

Zuora offers a powerful platform, but Zuora pricing means it's not the right fit for everyone. Let's explore who benefits most and who might want to look elsewhere:

Best for:

• Enterprises and large businesses: Zuora is built for scale. Its features and customization options cater to the intricate needs of large organizations with high subscription volumes. It’s a good choice for established businesses looking to manage complex billing and revenue operations.
  
  
• Multi-product, multi-currency, or global subscriptions: If you offer a range of products or services, sell in multiple currencies, or operate internationally, Zuora can handle the intricacies. It's designed to manage global transactions and varying pricing models.
  
  
• Strict revenue recognition compliance (ASC 606 and IFRS 15): Zuora Revenue automates compliance with these accounting standards. This element is crucial for accurate financial reporting and audits, especially for larger companies.

Not ideal for:

• Startups and SMBs: Zuora pricing can be a barrier for smaller businesses and startups. The cost might outweigh the benefits, especially in the early stages of growth when simpler, more affordable solutions may suffice.
  
  
• Simple recurring billing solutions: If your billing is straightforward, Zuora might be overkill. Platforms like Orb offer user-friendly interfaces and much less convoluted pricing, making them better suited for basic recurring billing.
  
  
• Flexible, usage-based billing: While Zuora can handle tiered pricing, Orb is specifically designed for advanced usage-based models. If your business relies on tracking and billing for consumption, Orb's platform is likely a better fit.

Zuora vs. alternatives: How it compares

It's always wise to weigh your options. We’ll now see how Zuora stacks up against two popular alternatives: Orb and Stripe Billing. Here’s a quick chart comparing them:

Key takeaways:

• Zuora: Best for established enterprises with complex subscription management needs, particularly those with a high volume of transactions and a need for automation of their revenue recognition workflows. 
  
  While Zuora supports various pricing models, its strengths lie in handling large-scale, intricate subscription scenarios, but its offering is very limited around usage-based billing.  

• Stripe Billing: Ideal for businesses with straightforward recurring billing needs and a desire for easy integration with other Stripe products. Stripe is well-suited for simpler subscription setups but has limitations around usage-based billing, real-time data visibility, and alerting
  
  
• Orb: An excellent option for SaaS and GenAI companies of all sizes seeking flexible, usage-based billing and pricing — especially those looking to scale and optimize their pricing strategies.  

Discover Orb: No hidden fees, easy usage-based pricing

You've learned about Zuora and its capabilities, but it's not always the ideal solution for every SaaS or GenAI business. While Zuora offers a wide range of features, its complexity and cost can be a barrier for some. 

If you're looking for a more agile and user-friendly platform that is built for SaaS and GenAI companies with advanced pricing and billing needs, Orb is a better fit.

Orb is designed specifically for the needs of SaaS and GenAI businesses, offering a complete suite of tools to manage your recurring billing, optimize your pricing strategies, and gain deeper insights into your customer usage patterns. Here's how Orb stands out:

• Usage-based billing made simple: Orb allows you to track and measure any billable metric, from API calls to monthly active users, and implement usage-based pricing models that align your revenue with the value your customers receive.
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• Pricing experimentation without limits: Orb's flexible architecture helps you experiment with different pricing models, test new strategies, and adapt to changing market conditions without the constraints of rigid systems.
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• Precision billing and revenue accuracy: Orb provides accurate, error-free billing by ingesting and processing all raw event data into Orb RevGraph, providing a single source of truth for your billing and revenue data.
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• Seamless financial stack integration: Orb integrates with your existing financial stack, including payment gateways, accounting software, and other business tools, streamlining your billing operations and reducing manual effort.
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• Trusted partnership and expert guidance: Orb acts as a thought leader in usage-based pricing, offering dedicated implementation support, industry expertise, and ongoing optimization assistance to help you navigate the intricacies of billing for SaaS companies.

Ready to unlock your growth potential with a billing platform that works for you? Explore Orb's flexible pricing options and discover how we can help you take your SaaS business to the next level.