Chargebee is popular with SaaS companies that need sophisticated subscription management: complex pricing models, trials, add-ons, and enterprise billing. If you're using Chargebee, you want your email tool to understand that subscription complexity and react to it automatically.

The challenge: Chargebee has fewer native email integrations than Stripe. Most connections go through webhooks, APIs, or middleware. Here's what works best.

The 6 Best Options

1. Sequenzy

Best for: SaaS founders wanting lifecycle email with billing context

Sequenzy can receive Chargebee events through its event tracking API. Forward Chargebee webhooks (subscription created, cancelled, payment failed) as custom events, and trigger automated sequences. The lifecycle tags and sequences work the same as with any event source.

Pricing: From $29/month Integration: Event API (webhook forwarding) Pros: Affordable, AI sequences, transactional + marketing, lifecycle automation Cons: No native Chargebee OAuth, requires webhook setup

2. Customer.io

Best for: Technical teams wanting full Chargebee lifecycle automation

Customer.io's event-driven model handles Chargebee's webhook events cleanly. Forward subscription events to Customer.io and build complex lifecycle workflows that respond to every subscription state change. The flexibility handles Chargebee's complex pricing models (trials, add-ons, metered billing) well.

Pricing: From $100/month Integration: Webhooks + API Pros: Handles complex subscription logic, powerful workflows, multi-channel Cons: Expensive, requires engineering, steep learning curve

3. ActiveCampaign

Best for: Teams wanting CRM + email with Chargebee data

ActiveCampaign has a Chargebee integration through their marketplace and Zapier. Sync customer data, subscription status, and plan information into ActiveCampaign's CRM and trigger automations based on billing events.

Pricing: From $29/month Integration: Native connector + Zapier Pros: CRM alongside email, mature automation, good ecosystem Cons: Integration setup required, not SaaS-specific

4. Encharge

Best for: Non-technical teams wanting visual Chargebee automation

Encharge connects to Chargebee through their integration ecosystem. Build visual automation flows triggered by Chargebee subscription events. The visual approach makes it accessible without engineering resources.

Pricing: From $79/month Integration: Integration connector Pros: Visual builder, non-technical friendly, good automation engine Cons: Mid-range pricing, integration requires configuration

5. Userlist

Best for: B2B SaaS with complex Chargebee billing

Userlist's company-level data model pairs well with Chargebee's subscription management. Track company-level subscription status, plan details, and billing events. Target emails based on both individual user behavior and company billing state.

Pricing: From $149/month Integration: API integration Pros: Company-level tracking, B2B-native, SaaS-specific Cons: Higher price, smaller ecosystem

6. HubSpot

Best for: Larger teams with Chargebee + CRM needs

HubSpot's Chargebee integration syncs subscription data into the CRM. You get a unified view of customer lifecycle with billing context. Email automation triggers based on subscription changes, and the sales team sees billing status alongside deal information.

Pricing: Free CRM, Marketing Hub from $20/month Integration: Native Chargebee connector Pros: Full CRM + email + billing view, large ecosystem, native integration Cons: Professional features are expensive, bloated for small teams

Key Chargebee Events for Email Automation

Map these Chargebee events to your email sequences:

subscription_created - Trigger welcome/onboarding
subscription_activated - Trial to paid conversion confirmation
subscription_trial_end_reminder - Trial expiration warning
payment_failed - Start dunning sequence
payment_succeeded (after failure) - Stop dunning
subscription_cancelled - Exit survey, win-back sequence
subscription_changed - Upgrade/downgrade acknowledgment

FAQ

Does Chargebee have built-in email? Chargebee sends basic transactional emails (receipts, dunning notices) but doesn't have marketing email capabilities. You need a separate tool for campaigns, sequences, and lifecycle automation.

Is webhook forwarding reliable enough for dunning? Yes, if implemented properly. Chargebee's webhooks have retry logic built in. Your forwarding endpoint should return 200 quickly and process asynchronously. For production use, add error handling and monitoring.

Can I use Chargebee's dunning alongside an email tool's dunning? Yes, but coordinate them. Use Chargebee for payment retries and your email tool for the customer communication. Disable Chargebee's built-in dunning emails if your email tool is handling the messaging.