Cred vs Schematic
Schematic turns credits into feature flags. Cred keeps them as a ledger.
Schematic is a monetization layer on Stripe that combines feature flags and entitlements with credit burndown. Credits are enforced through ordinary flag checks, sold through a drop-in checkout component, and topped up automatically at a threshold. Invoices, payments, and tax stay in Stripe.[1][3][2][4]
Stripe-based SaaS teams that want entitlements, feature flags, and credits in one system with drop-in billing UI.
Cred is a credit ledger with payments attached. Your server issues and deducts credits per user and credit type over a REST API; a deduct that would overdraw is rejected in the same call. Users buy packs through hosted Stripe checkout, subscribe for monthly credits, save a card for auto top-up, or pay with x402 stablecoins as an AI agent.
Developer teams selling prepaid credits, tokens, or points inside an app, who want balances, checkout, and spend enforcement without running a billing system.
Last reviewed November 2026 against Schematic's public docs. Sources
Where each one
is the better pick.
Cred and Schematic overlap, but they start from different places.
Where Cred is better
- A ledger API built for issuing and deducting per user, not a flag check
- Escrow holds, swaps, and referrals on credits
- x402 agent payments
- No monthly plan fee or billing-volume tier
Side by side.
Capabilities of Cred and Schematic, as documented in November 2026.
| Capability | Cred | Schematic |
|---|---|---|
| Prepaid credit balance per user | ||
| Custom, non-monetary credit types Multiple credit types with custom names.[1] | ||
| Balance enforced at spend time Flag checks return false when the balance can't cover the next use.[1] | ||
| Hosted checkout for buying credit packs Embeddable component using Stripe's Payment Element.[3] | ||
| Auto top-up when a balance runs low | ||
| Subscriptions that grant recurring credits Per-cycle allocations with rollover.[1] | ||
| Credit expiry rules | ||
| Invoicing and revenue recognition Stripe invoices; Schematic supplies rev-rec data.[4] | ||
| Open source / self-host Only a caching replicator runs in your infrastructure.[5] | ||
| AI agents pay with x402 Not found in Schematic's docs as of review. | ||
| Pricing model | 1 CRD per API call. Packs from $10 for 1,000 calls, no monthly fee, no share of your revenue; Stripe's processing fees apply to your sales. | Priced on monthly billing volume. Starter: free up to $5K/mo. Growth: $400/mo. Enterprise: talk to sales.[6] |
Cred vs Schematic, answered
What is credit burndown in Schematic?
Schematic grants credits per plan or bundle and draws them down as features are used; a flag check returns false once the balance can't cover the next use.[1]
When is Cred a better fit than Schematic?
When credits are the product itself, such as AI credits, tokens, or points that users buy, hold, transfer, or swap, and you want a ledger API with checkout and agent payments rather than an entitlements system.
Does Schematic do invoicing?
Stripe owns the invoice, payment, and tax. Schematic records every grant, draw, and expiry to support revenue recognition but does not post journal entries.[4]
Related comparisons
Cred vs Autumn
Autumn adds check and track on top of your Stripe. Cred is the ledger and checkout.
Cred vs Stigg
Stigg governs entitlements at enterprise scale. Cred is a lean credit ledger.
Cred vs Chargebee
Chargebee runs subscription revenue. Cred runs the credits users spend.
Cred vs usage-based billing platforms
They invoice usage. We run credit economies.
Cred pricing
1 CRD per API call, no monthly fee.
Getting started
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Sources · last reviewed November 2026
- 1.Schematic Docs: Credit burndown
- 2.Schematic Docs: Credit bundles and top-ups
- 3.Schematic Docs: Checkout component
- 4.Schematic Docs: Revenue recognition
- 5.Schematic Docs: Replicator
- 6.Schematic pricing
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