Autonomous AI billing vs traditional subscription management

When subscription billing meets B2B complexity

Zoho Billing (formerly Zoho Subscriptions) is a capable subscription management platform. It handles recurring billing, product catalogs, flexible pricing models, dunning management, trial management, and integrates with the broader Zoho ecosystem. Starting at $39/month for one-time billing or $79/month for subscriptions, it's a reasonable choice for SMBs with standardized subscription models.

But B2B billing at scale is a fundamentally different challenge. Custom contracts with negotiated terms, usage-based pricing layered on subscriptions, token-based billing for AI products, enterprise customers with specific procurement workflows, and complex revenue recognition requirements—these push traditional subscription tools to their limits. JustPaid's AI reads contracts, generates invoices autonomously, runs intelligent collections, and consolidates revenue across multiple billing systems. Here's how we compare:

AI-powered billing vs rule-based automation

This is the fundamental divide. Zoho Billing uses rule-based automation—you configure billing triggers, set up workflows, and define dunning sequences manually. Every new deal, every contract change, every pricing adjustment requires human configuration. JustPaid's AI agent reads contracts, extracts billing terms, and generates invoices autonomously. It's the difference between telling a system what to do and having a system that understands what needs to be done. For companies processing dozens of custom contracts per month, this eliminates hours of manual billing setup.

Built for AI companies: Token and outcome-based billing

If you're an AI company billing on API calls, token consumption, or outcome-based pricing, JustPaid was purpose-built for you. Token-based billing, API call bundling, and consumption-based models are native capabilities. Zoho Billing can approximate some of this through metered billing, but it requires significant manual configuration and isn't designed for the complexity of modern AI pricing models—think committed minimums with overage tiers, blended token rates across models, or outcome-based pricing tied to customer success metrics.

Contract intelligence: The capability Zoho doesn't have

Zoho Billing has no concept of contracts. You manually translate contract terms into billing plans—reading the PDF, calculating amounts, setting up the right schedule. For every deal. Every renewal. Every amendment. JustPaid's AI parses agreements directly—PDFs, Word docs, or Salesforce opportunities—and automatically extracts payment schedules, line items, and billing terms. No manual translation. No interpretation errors. The contract is the source of truth, and billing flows from it autonomously.

Collections: Dunning sequences vs intelligent follow-up

Zoho Billing offers dedicated dunning management—automated payment retries, customizable retry schedules, grace periods, and notification sequences. It's solid for subscription businesses where collections mean re-running a failed card. But B2B collections are fundamentally different: you're dealing with accounts payable teams, net-30/60/90 payment terms, purchase orders, and multi-stakeholder approval processes. JustPaid's AI agent sends personalized follow-ups adapted to customer behavior, engages entire AP teams across multiple channels, and reduces Days Sales Outstanding by up to 30%.

Multi-system revenue consolidation

Most scaling B2B companies don't have a single billing system—they have Stripe handling payments, QuickBooks managing accounting, bank accounts receiving wires, and maybe a legacy system for older customers. Zoho Billing operates primarily within the Zoho ecosystem. JustPaid consolidates revenue data from multiple billing systems into one unified dashboard with real-time burn rate, runway, cash flow trends, and DSO tracking. Board-ready financial reports are auto-generated—no spreadsheet gymnastics required.

Scaling limits: Volume caps and seat restrictions

Zoho Billing imposes limits that become painful as you grow:

• Invoice volume cap: 100,000 invoices per year with a $1M revenue ceiling on Standard and Premium plans
• User seat limits: Standard allows 3 users, Premium allows 10—additional seats cost $7.50-$9/user/month
• Subscription billing requires Premium: The $39/month Standard plan only covers one-time billing—you need $79/month minimum for recurring

JustPaid offers unlimited invoices, unlimited users, and pricing that scales with your revenue—not your headcount or invoice count.

Integration breadth: Open ecosystem vs Zoho-first

Zoho Billing integrates deeply with 45+ Zoho apps—CRM, Books, Analytics, Inventory, and more. If your entire stack is Zoho, this is seamless. But most B2B companies use a mix of best-of-breed tools:

• CRM: JustPaid connects natively to Salesforce, HubSpot, and Attio. Zoho Billing integrates natively with Zoho CRM; Salesforce requires connectors, and HubSpot isn't supported
• Accounting: JustPaid integrates with QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, Sage, Campfire, and Rillet. Zoho Billing supports Zoho Books natively, plus QuickBooks and Xero
• Revenue consolidation: JustPaid unifies data from Stripe, banks, and multiple payment platforms. Zoho Billing stays within its own data silo

Revenue recognition: Basic tracking vs audit-ready compliance

Zoho Billing offers revenue recognition with deferred revenue tracking—useful for basic subscription revenue allocation. But as companies grow, auditors and investors expect full ASC 606 compliance: performance obligations, variable consideration, multi-element arrangements, and contract modifications. JustPaid automates ASC 606-compliant revenue recognition alongside billing, producing audit-ready reports without separate tools or manual spreadsheet work.

Where Zoho Billing has an edge

To be fair, Zoho Billing offers capabilities that make sense for certain use cases:

• Subscription lifecycle management: Trial management, subscription pause/resume, proration, and granular dunning controls are mature and well-built
• Built-in coupon engine: Percentage and fixed discounts, one-time or recurring, with expiration dates—out of the box
• Hosted payment pages: Branded, customizable checkout experiences for self-serve subscription sign-ups
• Freemium model support: Native tools for managing free-to-paid conversion funnels
• Mobile apps: Native iOS, Android, and Windows desktop apps for on-the-go management
• Lower entry price: Starting at $39/month makes it accessible for early-stage subscription businesses

When to choose JustPaid over Zoho Billing

Zoho Billing works well for subscription-first businesses with standardized pricing and an all-Zoho stack. Choose JustPaid when:

• Your sales team closes custom contracts that don't fit into predefined subscription plans
• You're an AI company billing on tokens, API calls, or outcome-based pricing
• You need AI to read contracts and auto-generate invoices—no manual setup
• B2B collections require intelligent follow-up, not just card retry dunning
• You use Salesforce, HubSpot, or need native integrations beyond the Zoho ecosystem
• You need to consolidate revenue from Stripe, QuickBooks, banks, and other systems into one view
• ASC 606 revenue recognition compliance needs to be automated and audit-ready
• Invoice volume caps and per-user pricing are limiting your growth
• Your board needs auto-generated burn rate, runway, and cash flow reports

The ROI of autonomous billing

Companies graduating from traditional billing tools to JustPaid typically see:

• 90% reduction in time spent on billing operations
• Zero invoice errors from manual contract-to-billing translation
• 3x improvement in collection success rates
• 30+ day reduction in Days Sales Outstanding
• 100% on-time billing with autonomous invoice scheduling
• Full visibility into revenue and cash flow across all systems
• Board-ready reports auto-generated with burn rate, runway, and SaaS metrics