MikroTik billing system for hotspot and PPPoE ISPs
Last updated: 14 October 2026
A MikroTik billing system decides who may go online, at what speed and for how long - and records who paid for it. RadiusNest does both from the cloud: your MikroTik routers ask it at every login, it enforces each customer's package, and every sale lands in your reports. No server to rent, no public IP, RouterOS v6 and v7.
Start the free trial See pricing
- What a MikroTik billing system does
- How billing connects to MikroTik
- Billing features
- Set it up in five steps
- RadiusNest, User Manager, Mikhmon and PHPNuxBill
- Who it is for
- What it costs
- Questions and answers
What a MikroTik billing system does
A MikroTik router can run a hotspot or a PPPoE server on its own, but it does not know who has paid. A billing system fills that gap. It has three jobs:
- Authenticate. When a customer logs in to the hotspot or dials PPPoE, the router asks the billing system whether that username and password are valid.
- Authorise and enforce. The billing system answers with what the customer bought: speed, data allowance, online time and end date. The router applies it, and the customer is disconnected when the package runs out.
- Account and record money. Every login, every byte and every sale is counted, so you know who is online, who is about to expire and how much you took this month - per package and per seller.
Without a billing system these jobs end up in a notebook, a spreadsheet and Winbox, and every renewal means editing users on the router by hand.
How billing connects to MikroTik: RADIUS or API
There are two ways a billing system can control a MikroTik router.
| RADIUS (RadiusNest, User Manager) | RouterOS API (Mikhmon-style tools) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where customers live | In the billing system | As users on the router itself |
| Many routers, one customer list | Yes - any router can log any customer in | Each router has its own users |
| Limits enforced | At every login, from the billing system's answer | Only what was written to the router |
| If the router is reset | Customers stay safe in the billing system | Users on the router can be lost |
| Router access needed | The router talks to the billing system | The tool needs an API login on the router |
RADIUS is the standard way ISPs bill MikroTik customers, and it is what RadiusNest uses. Your hotspot and PPPoE servers keep running on the router; they simply ask RadiusNest who may connect. More on this in MikroTik RADIUS server setup without your own server.
Billing features in RadiusNest
Hotspot billing and vouchers
- Print up to 1,000 voucher cards at once, on A4 sheets or a till roll, with your price and currency on them.
- A card's days start at first login, so unsold stock never expires on the shelf.
- Username-only vouchers, MAC login and several devices per login when the package allows it.
PPPoE billing
- Monthly lines with speed, data and time limits, ending on a date or at first login.
- MAC lock, static IP from your own pools and IP pools per package.
- Automatic disconnection when a package ends - no script on the router to maintain.
Packages that enforce themselves
- Speed (download and upload), data allowance, online time, validity in days, and devices at the same time.
- Time-of-day packages, for example night packages from 6 pm to 6 am.
- One price per package in your own currency; the same packages work on every router.
Renewals and payments
- Renew in one step from the customer's page, or renew many customers at once.
- A customer who ran out of data gets a fresh period; one with days left gets the new days added after the current end.
- Mark a sale as paid or not paid yet, so credit customers do not slip through.
- Customers can renew themselves online from their own page or your Telegram bot.
Sales reports
- Every voucher and renewal is recorded the day it is sold, in your currency.
- Takings per month, per package and per seller, with receipts you can print or share.
- Export customers and sales to CSV whenever you want.
Resellers and staff
- Reseller logins sell to their own customers and never see anyone else's.
- A share per team member, written onto each sale, with a statement per seller.
- Staff manage users and vouchers without Winbox and without ever seeing a router password.
Customer self-service
- Each customer gets an account page: data and days left, password change, log off a stuck device.
- Your own Telegram bot does the same in English, Urdu, Pashto, Dari/Persian and Arabic, and sends renewal reminders.
- Fewer "how much is left?" and "I forgot my password" calls.
Routers
- Any number of MikroTik routers under one account, RouterOS v6 and v7.
- Connected by one pasted command over an encrypted link - no public IP, no port forwarding.
- Who is online, on which router, live; login logs show every accept and reject with the reason.
- Open WebFig or Winbox on any connected router remotely, from the dashboard.
Set up MikroTik billing in five steps
- Create your ISP account on RadiusNest and choose your currency.
- Add a router and pick RouterOS v7 or v6.
- Paste one command in Winbox → New Terminal. It builds the encrypted link and points the hotspot and PPPoE servers at RadiusNest. Pasting it again later is always safe.
- Make packages with speed, data, days and price.
- Sell: add PPPoE customers, print hotspot vouchers, hand out the account page link - and watch your takings add up.
Already running MikroTik User Manager? Your profiles and users can be moved across so customers keep their usernames and passwords. See User Manager and Mikhmon alternatives compared.
RadiusNest, User Manager, Mikhmon and PHPNuxBill
These are the options most MikroTik operators look at. Each has its place.
| RadiusNest | User Manager | Mikhmon | PHPNuxBill | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Hosted billing and RADIUS service | MikroTik's own RADIUS package | Free hotspot manager app | Free open-source billing app |
| Where it runs | In the cloud, nothing to host | On a MikroTik router | On your PC or web server | On your own web server |
| How it controls the router | RADIUS | RADIUS | RouterOS API | RouterOS API or RADIUS |
| Hotspot and PPPoE | Both | Both | Hotspot | Both |
| Sales reports per seller | Yes | Limited | Basic | Yes |
| Customer page and bot | Page and own Telegram bot, 5 languages | Basic user page | No | Customer page |
| Server, updates and backups | Done for you | On the router | Yours | Yours |
| Cost | Monthly plan, free trial | Included with RouterOS | Free | Free, plus hosting |
Pick a free self-hosted tool if you have a server and the time to run it. Pick a hosted billing system if you would rather spend that time selling: RadiusNest keeps the server, updates and encrypted daily backups off your plate.
Who it is for
- Wi-Fi hotspot businesses selling vouchers by the hour, day, week or month.
- Small and growing ISPs with PPPoE customers on monthly lines.
- Cable-net and community network operators who sell through resellers in several areas.
- Anyone with several MikroTik sites who wants one customer list and one set of reports.
What it costs
RadiusNest plans are in US dollars and include every feature. You pay in advance for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months by card or crypto, with no contract and no automatic renewal. There is a free trial on your own router and a 14-day refund on any payment. Current prices are on the pricing page.
Start the free trial See pricing
Questions and answers
What is a MikroTik billing system?
Software that decides who may use your MikroTik hotspot or PPPoE service, enforces the package each customer bought - speed, data, time and end date - and records the sales. Most work through RADIUS, so the router asks the billing system at every login.
Is there a free MikroTik billing system?
Yes. User Manager comes with RouterOS, and Mikhmon and PHPNuxBill are free to download. You run and maintain them yourself. RadiusNest is a paid hosted service with a free trial, so you can compare on your own router before paying.
Does it work with RouterOS v6 and v7?
Yes. RadiusNest writes the right setup command for the router you add, for RouterOS v7 or v6.
Do I need a public IP or my own server?
No. Each router keeps its own encrypted link to RadiusNest, so it works behind any internet connection, and there is no server for you to rent or maintain.
Can I bill hotspot and PPPoE customers together?
Yes. Packages can be for hotspot, PPPoE or both, and all customers, vouchers and sales sit in one account, across all your routers.
Can I move from User Manager?
Yes. Profiles become packages and users become customers with the same usernames and passwords, so nobody has to log in again with new details.
What happens if my plan ends?
Your customers keep working for a few grace days while you renew; adding new users is paused until then. You get reminder emails before and after the end date.
Related guides
- MikroTik hotspot and PPPoE setup, done for you
- ISP billing software checklist: what to ask before you choose
- MikroTik PPPoE billing with automatic expiry
- MikroTik RADIUS server setup without your own server
- MikroTik User Manager and Mikhmon alternatives compared
- MikroTik hotspot vs PPPoE: which should you use?
- MikroTik RADIUS attributes: rate limit, data and time limits