Cortex AutoBill vs Qserve — per-subscriber scale vs flat tiers
Qserve Billing offers flat monthly tiers with a free trial — popular with smaller ISPs getting started. Cortex AutoBill uses transparent per-subscriber KES pricing that scales with your base, with deeper payment reliability features: stuck-payment recovery, credit balances, bulk SMS templates, and multi-tenancy for growing operators.
Why Kenyan ISPs Choose Cortex
Stuck Payment Auto-correction
Cortex polls the Daraja Query API when callbacks fail, so confirmed M-Pesa payments are never lost — critical when subscribers pay at night and expect instant reactivation.
Multi-tenancy Ready
Manage multiple branches or reseller ISPs from one Cortex workspace. Flat-tier platforms often require separate accounts per entity as you grow.
Bulk SMS Campaigns
Run segmented renewal, promo, and debt-recovery SMS campaigns with reusable templates — not just one-off expiry reminders.
Feature-by-feature comparison
Every row that matters to a Kenyan ISP.
| Feature | You are hereCortex | Qserve |
|---|---|---|
| Native M-Pesa STK Push & C2B | ||
| MikroTik PPPoE Automation | ||
| Hotspot / Captive Portal Billing | ||
| Africa's Talking SMS | ||
| Grace Period Engine | ||
| Credit Balance & Overpayment Handling | ||
| Stuck Payment Auto-correction | ||
| Bulk SMS Campaigns | ||
| Full Audit Logging | ||
| Multi-tenancy | ||
| Free trial | Demo | 7 days |
| Pricing model | Per subscriber | Flat monthly tiers |
| Pricing currency | KES | KES |
Pricing comparison
Cortex AutoBill
From KES 15 / client / month
Scales linearly — pay only for active subscribers
- KES pricing — no USD exchange risk
- Native M-Pesa & MikroTik included
- EAT business-hours support
Qserve
From KES 1,200 / month (up to 100 subs)
Per their published pricing
- See feature table for capability gaps
- Pricing model differs — check their site
- Payment reliability features vary
Our honest verdict
Qserve is a practical entry point with a free trial and flat monthly tiers — great for ISPs under 100 subscribers testing billing automation. Cortex AutoBill becomes more compelling as you scale: per-subscriber pricing stays predictable, and features like stuck-payment recovery, credit balances, audit logging, and multi-tenancy reduce operational risk as your subscriber base grows.