Is Outseta or StackBE better for non-technical founders?

Outseta is likely better for non-technical founders. Its embeddable widgets and visual configuration mean you can set up billing without writing code. StackBE is API-first and requires developer integration, making it better suited for technical founders or teams with developers.

How do the pricing models compare at scale?

Outseta charges percentage of revenue (1.5-2%) at higher tiers. StackBE charges flat monthly fees. At $100K ARR, Outseta's percentage adds up to $1,500-2,000/year. StackBE's flat fee stays constant regardless of revenue. The crossover point where StackBE becomes cheaper depends on your specific revenue and tier.

Can I keep my existing CRM if I use Outseta?

Outseta includes its own CRM and is designed to be your CRM. While you could technically use both, you'd have duplicate data and workflows. Outseta's value proposition is consolidation. StackBE doesn't include CRM, so you keep using whatever CRM you prefer.

Which has better subscription management features?

Both handle core subscription scenarios well: plans, trials, upgrades, cancellations. Outseta adds CRM context (deal tracking, customer notes). StackBE adds usage tracking and more flexible entitlements. For pure subscription management, they're comparable; the differences are in adjacent features.

Does StackBE have embeddable widgets like Outseta?

No. StackBE is API-first—you build your own UI components that call the StackBE API. This gives more design control but requires development work. Outseta's widgets are faster to deploy but constrain your UI to what the widgets support.

StackBE vs Outseta: All-in-One SaaS Platforms Compared

Feature	Outseta	StackBE
Authentication		Magic links
Billing
Entitlements
CRM
Email Marketing
Help Desk
Own Stripe Account	Managed	Stripe Connect
Pricing Model	% of revenue	Flat fee
Integration Style	Widgets/no-code	API-first
Organizations (B2B)

What is Outseta?

Outseta is an all-in-one platform for SaaS companies, combining billing, authentication, CRM, and email in a single tool. Founded in 2017, it's been a pioneer in the "everything you need to run a SaaS" category.

Outseta provides:

Subscription billing and payments

Customer authentication and login

CRM with contact management

Email marketing and campaigns

Help desk / support ticketing

Embeddable widgets

It's designed to be the complete back-office for a SaaS business.

What is StackBE?

StackBE is a developer-focused subscription backend combining authentication, billing, and entitlements via API. It's built for developers who want to integrate billing programmatically.

StackBE provides:

Magic link authentication

Subscription management via Stripe Connect

Entitlements tied to plans

Customer organizations (B2B)

Usage tracking

Analytics dashboard

API-first design

Why This Comparison Matters

Outseta and StackBE have the most similar vision in the market: unify auth and billing for SaaS. But they take very different approaches.

Key Differences

Design Philosophy

Outseta: No-code/low-code first. Embeddable widgets, visual configuration, works without writing much code. Aimed at founders who may not be developers.

StackBE: API-first. Built for developers who want to integrate via SDK/API. More control, more code.

Payment Processing

Outseta: Handles payments directly through Stripe and PayPal integrations. Manages the Stripe connection for you.

StackBE: Uses Stripe Connect. You connect your own Stripe account. You maintain the direct Stripe relationship.

Feature Set

Outseta includes more:

CRM with deal tracking

Email marketing campaigns

Help desk ticketing

Landing page widgets

StackBE is focused:

Auth + billing + entitlements

No CRM, email marketing, or help desk

Integrates with your existing tools for those functions

Entitlements

Outseta: Feature gating via plan-based access. Configure which plans unlock which features.

StackBE: Similar entitlement system. Define entitlements per plan, check access via API. Also supports usage-based limits.

Customization

Outseta: Embeddable widgets with styling options. Works well for standard use cases. Customization limited to what widgets support.

StackBE: API gives full control. Build any UI you want. More work, but no widget constraints.

Pricing Model

Outseta: Starts at $39/month for Founder plan (up to $10K ARR), then percentage of revenue (1.5-2%) at higher tiers.

StackBE: Flat monthly fee based on tier. No percentage of revenue.

At scale, percentage-based fees compound. $100K ARR with Outseta's 1.5% = $1,500/year just for Outseta.

B2B / Organizations

Outseta: Account/company model for B2B SaaS. Users belong to accounts.

StackBE: Customer Organizations with member management, roles, and org-level subscriptions.

CRM & Marketing

Outseta: Built-in CRM and email marketing. Send campaigns, track deals, manage contacts.

StackBE: No CRM or email marketing. Use your preferred tools (HubSpot, Mailchimp, etc.) and integrate via webhooks.

When to Choose Outseta

Outseta is a good fit when:

You want everything in one platform (billing, CRM, email, support)

No-code/low-code approach appeals to you

Embeddable widgets fit your design needs

You prefer visual configuration over code

The pricing model works for your scale

When to Choose StackBE

StackBE is better when:

You're a developer who wants API-first integration

You have preferred tools for CRM/email and don't want to switch

You want your own Stripe account and relationship

Flat-fee pricing is preferable to percentage of revenue

You need more UI customization than widgets allow

The All-in-One Tradeoff

Both platforms offer "all-in-one" value, but differently:

Outseta's all-in-one: Many features (billing, CRM, email, support) in one product. You use their tools for everything.

StackBE's all-in-one: Core SaaS functions (auth, billing, entitlements) unified. You integrate with best-of-breed tools for CRM, email, etc.

Outseta reduces the number of products you use. StackBE reduces billing integration complexity while letting you choose your stack.

The Bottom Line

Outseta and StackBE share a philosophy—SaaS needs unified auth and billing. They differ in execution.

If you want a complete back-office with no-code setup, Outseta delivers a lot in one package.

If you're a developer who wants billing infrastructure with full API control and your own Stripe account, StackBE offers a more focused, flexible approach.

For more on the billing platform landscape, see our guide to Stripe Billing alternatives.

StackBE vs Outseta