Free ISP Billing System: What You Get (and What You Give Up)
Looking for a free ISP billing system? This guide compares open-source and free ISP billing software options against paid cloud solutions like Jasiyo — covering features, M-Pesa support, MikroTik integration, and hidden costs.
Jasiyo Team
Published 13 February 2026
Is There a Truly Free ISP Billing System?
The idea of a free ISP billing system is appealing, especially for small ISPs and WISPs just starting out in Kenya. There are open-source options, but "free" often means significant trade-offs in setup time, maintenance, and missing features like M-Pesa and MikroTik integration.
Free and Open-Source ISP Billing Software Options
FreeRADIUS + WHMCS
FreeRADIUS is a free, open-source RADIUS server. Combined with WHMCS (a paid billing platform), it can form the basis of an ISP billing system. However:
- FreeRADIUS requires a Linux server and significant technical configuration
- WHMCS itself is not free ($15–25/month)
- M-Pesa integration requires a custom module (development cost: KSh 50,000–100,000+)
- MikroTik API integration requires additional scripting
- No Kenyan support team
Cacti + FreeRADIUS
A popular combination for bandwidth monitoring and RADIUS, but it is not a complete ISP billing system — it lacks invoicing, M-Pesa, and customer management.
Splynx Free Trial
Splynx offers a limited free trial. However, it is expensive for Kenyan ISPs once the trial ends (pricing in EUR/USD), and M-Pesa integration requires a paid plugin.
The Hidden Costs of "Free" ISP Billing Software
Before choosing a free ISP billing system, calculate the full cost:
- Server costs — Self-hosted open-source systems need a reliable server or VPS (KSh 2,000–5,000/month)
- Setup time — Configuring FreeRADIUS, WHMCS, and M-Pesa integration can take weeks
- Developer costs — M-Pesa and MikroTik API integration development: KSh 50,000–200,000
- Maintenance — Security patches, updates, and bug fixes require ongoing developer time
- No support — When your billing system breaks at midnight, open-source offers no helpline
Jasiyo: The Best Low-Cost Alternative to a Free ISP Billing System
Jasiyo offers a free trial — the full ISP billing system with M-Pesa, MikroTik RADIUS, PPPoE/Hotspot management, and SMS notifications at no cost. After your trial, plans start from KSh 1,500/month.
Compared to the hidden costs of free ISP billing software, Jasiyo's KSh 1,500–3,000/month pricing for small ISPs is often cheaper — and includes local support, automatic updates, and zero server maintenance.
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