About OpenMeter
OpenMeter is a real-time metering and billing engine that helps you track usage, enforce limits, manage subscriptions, and automate invoicing — all in one platform. It ingests events via a simple API, defines meters with flexible aggregations (SUM, COUNT, AVG, MIN, MAX), and connects usage data to billing, entitlements, and customer-facing dashboards. OpenMeter provides first-class support for metering AI token usage and computing model-specific costs, making it suitable for AI, API, and DevOps monetization. It can be deployed as a cloud service (free tier available) or self-hosted via Docker Compose.
Key Features
Usage metering - ingest events in CloudEvents format with flexible aggregations (SUM, COUNT, AVG, MIN, MAX) and query usage in real time
Usage-based billing - generate invoices from metered usage with tiered, graduated, and flat-fee pricing and automated invoice lifecycle management
Usage limits and entitlements - enforce usage quotas per feature with real-time balance tracking, boolean feature flags, and grace periods
Product catalog - define plans, add-ons, features, and rate cards; manage subscriptions with mid-cycle changes, prorating, and alignment
Prepaid credits - support paid or promotional credit grants with priority-based burn-down and expiration
Customer portal - token-based self-service dashboards for customers to view their own usage
Notifications - webhook-based alerts with configurable rules and channels for usage thresholds and billing events
LLM cost tracking - first-class support for metering AI token usage and computing model-specific costs
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Open-source with both cloud and self-hosted deployment options
- Real-time event ingestion and querying for up-to-date usage data
- Supports complex pricing models (tiered, graduated, flat-fee)
- Includes LLM cost tracking out of the box
- Provides a customer portal for self-service usage visibility
- Webhook notifications for usage thresholds and billing events
Cons
- Self-hosted deployment requires Docker and technical setup
- Relative to enterprise solutions, may have fewer native integrations
Best For
Usage-based billing for AI APIs and servicesMetering and monetization for DevOps tools and platformsUsage tracking for agentic and DevTool monetizationManaging subscriptions and entitlements for SaaS productsPrepaid credit systems for promotional or paid grantsSelf-service usage dashboards for end customers
FAQ
What is OpenMeter?
OpenMeter is an open-source real-time metering and billing platform designed for AI, API, and DevOps monetization. It ingests usage events, defines meters with flexible aggregations, and connects to billing, entitlements, and customer dashboards.
How do I get started with OpenMeter?
You can start with the hosted cloud service for free, or run OpenMeter locally using Docker Compose by cloning the repository and running 'docker compose up -d' from the quickstart directory.
Does OpenMeter support LLM cost tracking?
Yes, OpenMeter provides first-class support for metering AI token usage and computing model-specific costs, making it ideal for AI services.
What pricing models does OpenMeter support?
OpenMeter supports tiered, graduated, and flat-fee pricing with automated invoice lifecycle management.
Can I self-host OpenMeter?
Yes, OpenMeter can be self-hosted using Docker Compose. It is available as an open-source project on GitHub.