TLDR: Four questions determine the right SaaS metrics tool:
- Billing system: Stripe-only vs non-Stripe vs multi-system
- Revenue scale: Under $1M ARR vs $1M-$5M vs $5M+
- Complexity: Flat-rate vs multi-currency vs custom contracts
- Team capability: Founder-led vs data engineer available
Most SaaS teams overpay for metrics tools. ProfitWell's free tier covers what 80% of teams need. The case for paying $129/month is real but narrow — it's about specific use cases, not feature completeness.
Question 1: What's your billing system?
- Stripe-only: ProfitWell free covers it. Don't pay yet.
- Stripe-only but want polished UX: Baremetrics ($129/mo).
- Chargebee, Recurly, or Braintree: ChartMogul ($129/mo). Best non-Stripe accuracy.
- Multi-system (Stripe + others): ChartMogul.
- Custom billing system: ChartMogul if you can wire it. Custom build otherwise.
See full breakdown at ProfitWell vs Baremetrics and Baremetrics vs ChartMogul.
Question 2: What's your revenue scale?
- Under $500K ARR: ProfitWell free or Stripe Dashboard. Don't pay yet.
- $500K-$5M ARR: ProfitWell free for most. Pay only for specific needs.
- $5M-$25M ARR: Baremetrics, ChartMogul, or start building custom.
- $25M+ ARR: Custom data stack (dbt + Snowflake + BI tool) typically wins.
Question 3: How complex is your billing?
- Simple flat-rate, Stripe-only: ProfitWell or Baremetrics handle this perfectly.
- Multi-currency: ChartMogul. Best multi-currency support in the category.
- Frequent plan changes, prorations, refunds: ChartMogul edges out on edge case accuracy.
- Custom enterprise contracts: ChartMogul or custom build.
- Usage-based pricing: ChartMogul, or pull metrics from your billing platform (Chargebee) directly.
Question 4: What's your team capability?
- Founder-led, no data engineer: ProfitWell or Baremetrics. Don't try to build custom.
- One data analyst, no engineer: ProfitWell or Baremetrics. Custom builds need engineers.
- Dedicated data engineer: Custom build on Snowflake + dbt becomes viable.
- Full data team: Custom build outperforms any vendor tool. Build it.
Putting it together: matrix of picks
| Your situation | Pick | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Pure Stripe, under $5M ARR, basic needs | ProfitWell | Free |
| Pure Stripe, want polished UX | Baremetrics | $129/mo |
| Chargebee or Recurly billing | ChartMogul | $129/mo |
| Multi-currency SaaS | ChartMogul | $129/mo |
| Mobile B2C subscriptions | RevenueCat | Free under $10K MTR |
| $5M+ ARR with data engineer | Custom (dbt + BI tool) | Engineering time |
| Just need headline numbers | Stripe Dashboard | Free with Stripe |
The upgrade triggers that justify paying
If you're on ProfitWell free and considering paying for Baremetrics or ChartMogul, the only three triggers that justify the spend:
- You spend 5+ hours/week in the tool. UX time savings compound for daily users.
- You need cohort analysis ProfitWell can't do well. Baremetrics is meaningfully better here.
- You have non-Stripe billing where ChartMogul's accuracy matters. Complex edge cases get more right.
If none of these apply, stay on ProfitWell. Paying for prettier dashboards isn't a real reason.
The custom-build threshold
Once you're past about $5M ARR and have a dedicated data engineer, building custom usually wins:
- Stack: Stripe + Snowflake/BigQuery + dbt + Metabase or Looker
- Time investment: 4-8 weeks for v1
- Ongoing maintenance: ~10 hours/month
- Benefits: Full control, custom segmentation, deeper accuracy on edge cases
Open-source dbt revenue models cover most of the heavy lifting. Don't reinvent MRR calculation from scratch.
What about the bundled retention products?
ProfitWell sells two paid add-ons: Recover (dunning) and Retain (engagement). Most teams should not buy these.
- For dunning: Churnkey recovers 10-20% more than Recover. See best dunning tools.
- For retention CS: Vitally or Custify do more than Retain. See CS software for startups.
Keep ProfitWell free for metrics. Use specialists for the action layer.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Paying for Baremetrics when ProfitWell free covers it. The $1500/year adds up for marginal benefit.
- Using ChartMogul for simple Stripe SaaS. Overkill. ProfitWell or Baremetrics fit better.
- Building custom too early. Below $5M ARR, ROI on engineering time is rarely positive.
- Trusting vendor accuracy claims. Validate with your billing data. Edge cases trip up every tool.
- Buying for the metrics tool's retention products. Specialists in dunning and CS beat bundled add-ons.
The decision process
- Day 1-2: Sign up for ProfitWell free. See if it covers your needs.
- Week 2-3: If not, trial Baremetrics and ChartMogul. Compare on your real data.
- Week 3: Decide based on the 4 questions above.
- If custom-build candidate: Engineering scoping work, then v1 build.
How I built this framework
I run ChurnTools and have helped 20+ SaaS teams pick metrics tools in 2025-2026. This framework comes from the patterns that consistently produce good outcomes.
Next steps
- Hub: All retention tools comparisons
- Alternatives: Baremetrics, ProfitWell, ChartMogul
- Head-to-heads: ProfitWell vs Baremetrics, Baremetrics vs ChartMogul
- Free calculator: ChurnTools churn rate calculator
- Score your gaps: Churn Health Check
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free SaaS metrics tool?
ProfitWell (now Paddle). Core metrics product is genuinely free.
When should I upgrade from ProfitWell?
Three triggers: daily heavy usage, cohort analysis needs, non-Stripe billing accuracy.
Do I need a metrics tool if I have Stripe Dashboard?
For basic numbers, no. For cohorts, segmentation, forecasting, yes.
Can I build SaaS metrics in-house?
Over $5M ARR with a data engineer, yes. Below that, buy.
Should I use ProfitWell's paid retention products?
No. Churnkey beats Recover. Vitally beats Retain. Use specialists.