Choose WHMCS or HostFact when your billing system must also activate hosting services and manage domains. Consider a separate billing platform when you sell managed services and already have an owner for provisioning. For Dutch hosting businesses, the useful comparison is the exact registrar, control-panel and client-billing workflow—not a generic feature score.
Compare the responsibilities before the price
HostFact combines hosting invoicing, order forms and a customer panel with registrar and hosting-panel integrations. WHMCS combines recurring billing with a wider hosting automation platform. Verify each required integration with the vendor; a supported brand name does not prove that your renewal, cancellation or suspension scenario is covered.
| Requirement | WHMCS or HostFact evaluation | Billing-only route |
|---|---|---|
| New hosting order | Demonstrate the exact panel module and account creation | Keep a separate provisioning owner |
| Domain renewal | Verify registrar, renewal trigger and failure handling | Keep registrar automation outside billing |
| Client invoice | Compare tax fields, payment routes and reminders | Evaluate a representative recurring invoice |
| Cancellation | Confirm billing and service termination dates separately | Assign both tasks explicitly |
A business with automated hosting orders should not switch to a payment tool merely because its invoice screen looks simpler. Conversely, a consultancy billing maintenance retainers may not need a registrar module at all.
A reproducible 480-to-520-client worksheet
HostFact's published prices are €20/month up to 500 active clients, €40 up to 2,000 and €80 for unlimited clients. The software runs on your own server. Confirm tax treatment and which records count as active before purchasing.
For a hypothetical business growing from 480 to 520 active clients, the stated monthly licence moves from €20 to €40. Annualised, that is €240 versus €480: €240 more per year at the higher tier. It is a client-count threshold, not an extra €20 charge for every forty clients.
Compare the equivalent current WHMCS plan in its quoted currency, deployment model and client allowance. Do not compare a managed starter tier with a larger self-hosted tier as if they were equivalent. Add hosting, required modules, support and maintenance time to each quote. Currency conversion and taxes belong on separate lines.
The current WHMCS self-hosted tiers are $54.95/month for 500 active clients and $84.95 for 1,000, excluding tax. Moving between them adds $360/year before add-ons.
For switching, use: first-year cost = twelve monthly licence payments + required add-ons + hosting + migration hours × your internal hourly cost. For example, an assumed eight-hour move at €50/hour adds €400 before any licence saving. This is a planning example, not a measured migration or promised saving.
When PayRequest belongs on the shortlist
PayRequest's WHMCS alternative serves client billing with invoices, subscriptions and a customer portal. It is not a complete replacement for WHMCS or HostFact provisioning and registrar modules. Keep a named system responsible for creating, suspending and renewing the services you sell.
Use subscriptions to evaluate one recurring client relationship. Data mapping, invoice history, renewal dates and eligible payment mandates need individual checks; importing a customer must not be treated as permission to charge them. No automatic HostFact migration or mandate portability is claimed here.
PayRequest pricing currently lists Free at €0 with a 2% standard payment fee, Premium at €5/month and Business at €20/month with 0% standard platform fees while paid access is active. Provider fees and commission-payment exceptions remain separate. Business signup starts account setup; checkout must activate the paid plan.
Before moving public billing, require one accepted invoice, one renewal and one cancellation scenario, with exactly one billing owner per customer. Keep historic documents and service responsibilities accessible. If your chosen hosting suite already solves these jobs well, retaining it can be the better decision.
Editorial note: AI assisted this article. Official sources were reviewed on 23 October 2026. The client-growth and migration calculations are hypothetical worksheets, not live tests or customer outcomes.
