Lago vs LNbits

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted budgeting & finance options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
FeatureLagoLNbits
CategoryBudgeting & FinanceBudgeting & Finance
LicenseAGPL-3.0free
LanguageGoPython
Setup difficultyHardEasy
Min. RAM2,048 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, kubernetes, sourcedocker, one-click
GitHub stars★ 10,308★ 1,228
First released20222022
ReplacesStripe Billing, Chargebee

Why pick each one

Choose Lago if…

  • Powerful for SaaS billing
  • Developer-friendly
Lago details

Choose LNbits if…

  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • One-click install on common self-host platforms
  • Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
LNbits details

Frequently asked questions

Is Lago or LNbits better?

Neither is universally better. Lago has the larger community, while LNbits is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Lago and LNbits free and open-source?

Yes. Lago is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and LNbits under free. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Lago and LNbits with Docker?

Lago: yes. LNbits: yes.

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