OpenMeter logoReqKey vs OpenMeter · checked September 2026

An OpenMeter alternativewith keys and limits in the same call.

OpenMeter meters events and checks entitlements; you still need keys and a rate limiter. ReqKey validates the key, charges the credits, and applies the limit in one request.

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  • A source for every claim
  • Where OpenMeter wins, too
  • Free for 5M requests a month

The short answer

OpenMeter is an open-source metering and billing engine, and its cloud became Kong’s Konnect Metering & Billing in 2025. It’s strong for invoicing. ReqKey is for enforcing: keys, credits, and limits checked on every request, with request logs.

OpenMeter is a usage metering and billing. ReqKey is API keys, credits, rate limits, and request analytics for the API you sell.

ReqKey, in one line

Free for 5M requests a month. $25 for 10M. No per-seat fees.

See every tier

ReqKey and OpenMeter, line by line.

A filled mark shows who is stronger on that line; a dash means they’re comparable. Their wins are marked too.

  • How it runsReqKeySDK middleware inside your API — no proxy, no DNS changeOpenMeterSend events from your code; check entitlements via the API
  • API keys for your customersReqKeyYes — prefixed and hashed, one customer can hold many keysOpenMeterNo
  • Credits and quotasReqKeyA balance per customer, any cost per call, refills every hour, day, week, or month, optional overageOpenMeterMeters, entitlements, and prepaid credits in Konnect
  • Rate limitsReqKeyPer customer, set on the plan, windows from 1 second to 24 hours, 429 with Retry-AfterOpenMeterNone — left to a gateway
  • Request analyticsReqKeyEvery request — endpoint, status, latency, customer — 30 days on Pro, plus an Analytics APIOpenMeterUsage and revenue dashboards
  • Free tierReqKey5M requests a month, 1,000 keysOpenMeterOpen source, self-hosted; releases labelled beta
  • First paid tierReqKey$25/mo for 10M requests and 100,000 keys, volume tiers to 1BOpenMeterKonnect pricing not published
  • Takes paymentReqKeyNo — ReqKey meters and enforces; you take payment with your own providerOpenMeterInvoicing with usage-based prices

OpenMeter details from their own pricing pages and docs, checked September 2026. Sources below.

Why teams pick ReqKey over OpenMeter.

1

Keys and limits included

OpenMeter meters and bills; you still need a key system and a limiter.

2

One call to enforce

Validate, deduct, and rate-limit in a single request instead of an event plus a separate entitlement check.

3

A stable product

OpenMeter Cloud has been folded into Kong’s platform, and the open-source releases are still labelled beta.

4

Published pricing

ReqKey is $0 or from $25, public. Konnect Metering & Billing pricing isn’t published.

When OpenMeter is the better pick.

We’d rather you pick the right tool than switch twice.

  • You need invoicing with tiered usage-based prices and Stripe invoices.
  • You already have auth and rate limiting and only need metering.

Moving from OpenMeter in three steps.

  1. 1

    Keep your billing provider

    ReqKey doesn’t take payment. Keep charging customers the way you do today.

  2. 2

    Mirror plans as credits

    Give each plan a credit allowance, refill interval, and rate limit in ReqKey.

  3. 3

    Recharge on payment

    When a payment succeeds, recharge the customer’s credits or move them to a new plan with one API call.

Framework guides How ReqKey works

ReqKey vs OpenMeter: common questions.

Something else? Ask the team or read the docs.

  • Yes. Read usage from ReqKey’s Analytics API or keep sending events to your billing system, and let ReqKey gate each request.

  • The SDKs are MIT-licensed; the service is hosted. If you must self-host metering, OpenMeter’s open-source engine is an option.

  • In the request itself — the check averages under 5ms.

Sources

Checked on OpenMeter’s own pages in September 2026. Prices change — if something here is out of date, tell us and we’ll fix it.

Other comparisons.

Switching from OpenMeter?It takes an afternoon.

Free for your first 5 million requests every month. No card, no gateway, no rewrite.

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