Nick Thomson

Usage-based billing software in 2026: compare pricing and features

Usage-based billing software splits into subscription-first, invoice-based, and real-time architectures. Compare seven platforms on pricing, wallets, and AI fit.

5 best Stripe alternatives for usage-based billing in 2026

The best Stripe alternatives for usage-based billing in 2026 split between real-time and invoice-based architectures. Compare solutions for AI products.

What is metered billing?

Metered billing charges customers for measured usage, not flat fees. See how metering works, five pricing models, and which platforms fit your product.

What is usage-based billing?

Usage-based billing charges customers by actual consumption, not flat fees. See how it works, compare five pricing models, and why AI products need a fundamentally different approach.

Why AI companies need real-time economic control

AI products incur real costs in real time, but most billing systems were built to record what happened. They can't control what happens next. As of Q1 2026, the gap between infrastructure costs and billing capabilities is one of the most common unit economics problems that AI companies discover too late. This article explains why billing and economic control are separate problems, and what it looks like when both are solved.

On MPP, wallets, and what agents actually need

Stripe and Tempo launched the Machine Payments Protocol yesterday. The scope is deliberately narrow. Understanding precisely what it covers makes the adjacent problem more visible. This piece covers what MPP doesn't solve: wallet management, real-time balance tracking, and margin observability, and how the billing layer above the protocol needs to work.

How AI companies adopt real-time billing without replacing their stack

Most companies don't replace their billing infrastructure. They evolve toward it. Shadow Mode, Hybrid Mode, and Full Wallet Control are three stages that let AI companies gain real-time economic control without the risk of a billing migration.

Clay just rewired its pricing. Here's what it means.

Clay overhauled its pricing model this week, cutting data costs by 50–90% and introducing a two-meter system that separates enrichment costs from platform work. The changes materially lower the barrier to entry and signal a deliberate bet on volume over margin. Here's the full breakdown.