Blesta vs WHMCS: Which Billing Software is Right for You?
Choosing the right billing software for your web hosting business? Compare Blesta and WHMCS side-by-side to find the best platform for your needs.
Quick Comparison at a Glance
| Feature | Blesta | WHMCS |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price (Monthly) | $17.95/mo | $34.95/mo |
| One-Time Purchase Option | $350-$500 | |
| Unlimited Clients (All Plans) | Tiered limits | |
| Native Multi-Company Support | 3rd-party only | |
| Open Source Code | 99%+ open | IonCube encoded |
| Security Transparency | Public advisories | Often silenty patches |
| Built-in Migration Tool | From WHMCS |
Predictable Pricing
One of the biggest differences between Blesta and WHMCS is pricing structure. Blesta offers unlimited clients on all plans, while WHMCS charges more as your business grows, and they never seem to miss a January 1st price hike.
Blesta Pricing
Monthly Licenses
- $17.95/mo - Branded (unlimited clients)
- $20.95/mo - Unbranded (unlimited clients)
- $23.95/mo - Flex (unlimited clients)
One-Time Purchase
- $350 - Standard
- $425 - Professional
- $500 - Enterprise
All plans include unlimited clients
WHMCS Pricing (2026)
| Price/mo | Client Limit |
|---|---|
| $34.95 | 250 |
| $54.95 | 500 |
| $84.95 | 1,000 |
| $179.95 | 2,500 |
| $284.95 | 5,000 |
| $399.95 | 10,000 |
| $749.95 | 20,000 |
| $999.95 | 30,000 |
| $1,249.95 | 50,000 |
| $1,499.95 | 100,000 |
| $1,999.95 | Unlimited |
Costs increase as you grow
Security & Transparency
Security should be a top priority when choosing billing software that handles sensitive customer data and payment information. Equally important is transparency about security issues and patches.
Blesta Security Approach
- Public security advisories for all vulnerabilities
- Patches released before any known exploitation
- No reported compromises or breaches
- Open source code (99%) allows security auditing
- Two-factor authentication, fraud detection, IP blacklisting
WHMCS Security Approach
- Security blog exists, but often patches silently without advisories
- Multiple theme compromises in 2023-2024 (HostX, ClientX, CloudX)
- Less transparent patching process raises questions
- IonCube encryption prevents independent security auditing
- Two-factor authentication available
Open Source vs Encrypted Code
The ability to customize and audit your billing software is crucial for developers and growing businesses.
Blesta: 99% Open Source
- Full access to view and modify core code
- Audit security implementations
- Debug issues without restrictions
- Extend functionality with custom code
- Only 3 files encoded for license protection
WHMCS: IonCube Encoded
- Core code is IonCube encoded
- Cannot audit security implementations
- Limited debugging capabilities
- Reliant on vendor for fixes
- Customization limited to hooks and templates
Multi-Company Management
If you manage multiple hosting brands and want to keep branding consistent but manage them from the same staff login, multi-company support is essential.
Blesta Multi-Company
Native Multi-Company Support
Manage unlimited companies from a single installation with isolated settings, branding, and databases.
- Single installation manages all companies
- Separate branding and domains per company
- Isolated settings and configurations
- Built-in feature, no extra modules needed
WHMCS Multi-Company
No Native Support
WHMCS does not include native multi-company support. Third-party solutions required.
- Requires expensive third-party modules ($50-$200+)
- Multiple installations needed otherwise
- Higher licensing costs per installation
- Complex management across instances
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | Blesta | WHMCS |
|---|---|---|
| Core Features | ||
| Multi-Company Support | Native | 3rd-party only |
| Source Code Access | 99% Open | IonCube Encoded |
| Two-Factor Authentication | ||
| RESTful API | JSON/XML/PHP | RESTful |
| Webhooks | Inbound + Outbound | Third Party |
| AI Integration | Blesta AI (v6) | Domain Search Only |
| Integrations | ||
| Control Panels | 12+ | 15+ |
| Payment Gateways | 39+ | 40+ |
| Domain Registrars | 11+ | 15+ |
| VPS Modules | 5+ | Multiple |
| Game Servers | 4+ | Multiple |
| Built-in Features | ||
| Support Ticket System | ||
| Knowledge Base | ||
| Affiliate System | ||
| Built-in Migration Tool | ||
| Total Built-in Plugins | 26+ | Varies |
Switching from WHMCS to Blesta
Considering migrating from WHMCS? Blesta makes it easy with the built-in Import Manager that migrates your clients, services, invoices, and more.
- Import clients and contacts
- Migrate services and packages
- Transfer invoices and transactions
- Import support tickets
- Built-in tool - no third-party software needed
Import Manager
Seamlessly migrate from WHMCS or other billing platforms with our comprehensive Import Manager plugin.
View Migration DocsDeveloper Experience
Blesta for Developers
- Open Source: View and modify 99% of the code for complete control
- Comprehensive API: RESTful API with JSON, XML, and PHP support
- Bidirectional Webhooks: Both inbound and outbound webhook support
- Plugin System: Build custom plugins and modules with extensive documentation
- Active Community: Developer forums and marketplace for extensions
- Easy Debugging: Full access to source code for troubleshooting
WHMCS for Developers
- Encrypted Core: IonCube encryption limits code visibility and modification
- API Available: RESTful API for external integrations
- Hooks System: Action and module hooks for customization
- Large Marketplace: Extensive third-party module marketplace
- Documentation: Well-documented API and development resources
- Limited Debugging: Encrypted code restricts troubleshooting capabilities
Frequently Asked Questions
Blesta is significantly cheaper, especially for growing businesses. Blesta starts at $17.95/mo with unlimited clients, while WHMCS starts at $34.95/mo with only 250 client limit. For unlimited clients, WHMCS costs $1,999.95/mo compared to Blesta's $20.95/mo - making WHMCS 95x more expensive at the unlimited tier.
Additionally, Blesta offers a one-time purchase option ($350-$500) that eliminates recurring fees entirely, while WHMCS only offers subscription pricing.
Yes! Blesta includes a built-in Import Manager that makes migrating from WHMCS straightforward. You can import clients, contacts, services, packages, invoices, transactions, and support tickets. The Import Manager is included with Blesta at no additional cost.
Blesta maintains a cleaner security track record with no reported compromises. All security vulnerabilities are disclosed through public security advisories, and patches are released before any known exploitation. You can review all security advisories at blesta.com/categories/security/.
WHMCS has experienced multiple security incidents including theme compromises (HostX, ClientX, CloudX) in 2023-2024, and often patches vulnerabilities silently without public advisories, raising questions about their transparency. Additionally, Blesta's 99% open-source code allows for independent security auditing, while WHMCS's IonCube encoding prevents auditing the core code for potential vulnerabilities.
Yes! Blesta offers native multi-company support (additional cost per company), allowing you to manage multiple brands from a single installation with isolated settings, branding, and configurations. WHMCS does not have native multi-company support and requires expensive third-party modules ($50-$200+) or multiple separate installations.
Yes! Over 99% of Blesta's code is open, allowing you to view, modify, and customize the core functionality. Only 3 files are encrypted for licensing purposes. In contrast, WHMCS uses IonCube encryption on its core code, preventing you from viewing or modifying most of the application.
Both platforms offer extensive integration support. WHMCS has a larger marketplace with more third-party modules, while Blesta includes many extensions covering most common needs with the Marketplace available for 3rd party extensions and a growing developer community.
Blesta includes over 40 modules and nearly as many gateways out of the box. WHMCS has slightly more integrations in some categories but most require purchasing from a 3rd party.
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