This article explains the difference between SaaS V1 and SaaS V2 in HighLevel, how each system works, and which features are currently supported in each version.

Although the names may suggest that V2 is simply a newer or more advanced version of V1, that is not the case. SaaS V1 and SaaS V2 are different architectures for managing SaaS subscriptions. SaaS V1 remains a stable, battle-tested system and continues to be actively maintained and developed by the HighLevel team.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Overview
• What is SaaS V1?
• What is SaaS V2?
• Important: V2 is not simply an upgrade from V1
• SaaS V1: Pros and Cons
  • Pros
  • Cons
• SaaS V2: Pros and Cons
  • Pros
  • Cons
• Features currently available in SaaS V1 but not SaaS V2
• Which version should I choose?
• Conclusion

Overview

HighLevel supports two SaaS billing architectures:

What is SaaS V1?

SaaS V1 is Stripe-based.

In SaaS V1, Stripe acts as the system of record for SaaS billing. This means that your SaaS products, customers, subscriptions, invoices, payment methods, and related billing activity are managed directly in Stripe.

HighLevel links each client sub-account to a corresponding Stripe customer. Since Stripe manages the subscription lifecycle, agencies using SaaS V1 also get access to Stripe’s native billing tools and ecosystem.

To use SaaS V1, you need to connect your Stripe account directly at the agency level.

SaaS V1 is best suited for agencies that:

Use Stripe as their primary payment processor, need a stable and mature SaaS billing setup, rely on Stripe’s native subscription management features, or require functionality that is not yet available in SaaS V2.

What is SaaS V2?

SaaS V2 is sub-account based.

In SaaS V2, your agency’s master sub-account in HighLevel acts as the system of record. Products, customers, and subscriptions are managed inside HighLevel rather than directly inside Stripe.

Payment providers in SaaS V2 act as payment gateways. They process the transaction, but HighLevel manages the subscription and customer records.

Client sub-accounts are linked to contacts in your agency account, rather than to Stripe customers.

To use SaaS V2, you need to connect the payment provider of your choice inside your agency’s master sub-account.

SaaS V2 is best suited for agencies that:

Want to use payment providers other than Stripe, want deeper integration with the HighLevel ecosystem, or want SaaS subscription activity to be more closely connected to HighLevel CRM, workflows, automations, and related features.

Important: V2 is not simply an upgrade from V1

SaaS V2 is not automatically “better” or “more advanced” than SaaS V1.

The two versions are built differently:

SaaS V1 uses Stripe as the system of record.
SaaS V2 uses the agency’s master sub-account in HighLevel as the system of record.

Because of this architectural difference, each version has its own advantages and limitations.

SaaS V1 is still the more mature and stable system. It has been used extensively, supports the key SaaS features currently available in HighLevel, and continues to benefit from Stripe’s native billing capabilities.

SaaS V2 provides deeper integration with HighLevel and supports more payment providers, but it is a newer system and does not yet include every feature available in SaaS V1.

SaaS V1: Pros and Cons

Pros

More stable and battle-tested

SaaS V1 is the more mature SaaS billing system. It has been used for longer and is well-established for agencies that rely on Stripe-based subscription billing.

Supports key HighLevel SaaS features

SaaS V1 includes the core SaaS features supported by HighLevel today, including several billing and subscription management capabilities that are not yet available in SaaS V2.

Uses direct Stripe integration

Because SaaS V1 uses Stripe as the system of record, agencies can use Stripe’s native capabilities and ecosystem.

Examples include:

• Custom dunning settings
• Stripe billing notifications
• Billing cycle configuration
• Stripe subscription management tools
• Third-party Stripe integrations
• Stripe-native customer and subscription records

Cons

Less deeply integrated with the HighLevel ecosystem

Because SaaS V1 relies on Stripe as the system of record, it does not have the same level of native integration with HighLevel sub-account systems.

This can limit how deeply SaaS billing activity connects with areas such as:

• CRM
• Automations
• Affiliate Manager
• Other sub-account-based features

Stripe only

SaaS V1 only works with Stripe. Agencies that want to use other payment providers will need to consider SaaS V2.

SaaS V2: Pros and Cons

Pros

Supports multiple payment providers

SaaS V2 is not limited to Stripe. It supports multiple payment providers, including:

• Stripe
• Square
• Adyen
• Mercado Pago
• NMI
• Authorize.net
• Other supported providers

This gives agencies more flexibility when choosing how they want to collect payments.

Deeper integration with HighLevel

Because SaaS V2 is managed inside HighLevel and uses your agency’s master sub-account as the system of record, it can integrate more deeply with the HighLevel ecosystem.

This allows agencies to make better use of HighLevel features such as:

• CRM
• Contacts
• Automations
• Workflows
• Sub-account activity
• Other native HighLevel tools

Cons

Newer system with fewer features than V1

SaaS V2 is a newer architecture and does not yet support every feature available in SaaS V1.

Agencies should review the feature differences carefully before choosing SaaS V2, especially if they rely on advanced billing, subscription, or recovery flows.

Features currently available in SaaS V1 but not SaaS V2

The following features are available in SaaS V1 but are not currently available in SaaS V2:

Which version should I choose?

Choose SaaS V1 if:

You use Stripe and want the most stable, mature SaaS billing setup currently available in HighLevel.

SaaS V1 is also the better choice if you need Stripe-native billing features or any of the SaaS features that are not yet available in V2, such as prorations, coupon deflections, or self-serve reactivation.

Choose SaaS V2 if:

You want to use a payment provider other than Stripe, or you want your SaaS billing setup to be more deeply integrated with HighLevel’s CRM, contacts, automations, and sub-account ecosystem.

SaaS V2 may be the better choice for agencies that value HighLevel-native management and multi-provider flexibility over the more mature Stripe-based billing feature set available in V1.

Key takeaway

SaaS V1 and SaaS V2 are two different ways to manage SaaS billing in HighLevel.

SaaS V1 is Stripe-based, stable, mature, and feature-rich. It is best for agencies that want the benefits of Stripe’s billing system and the most complete SaaS feature set currently available.

SaaS V2 is HighLevel-based, more deeply integrated with the platform, and supports multiple payment providers. It is best for agencies that want more payment flexibility and tighter integration with HighLevel’s CRM and automation tools.

Neither system is universally better than the other. The right choice depends on your agency’s billing needs, payment provider requirements, and reliance on specific SaaS features.