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A ReadMe API Metrics alternative for per-customer API usage

ReadMe is an interactive API documentation platform. Its Developer Dashboard (often called ReadMe Metrics or API Metrics) uses a Metrics SDK in your app to send API logs to ReadMe, which shows charts like API calls, errors and endpoints, a My Developers view, and lets logged-in developers see their own request history in your docs (ReadMe Developer Dashboard docs, checked Oct 21, 2026). API Meter covers a narrower job: counting requests per customer, endpoint and plan so you can bill or price on them, with no docs platform and no SDK required. This page compares the two as neutrally as we can.

ReadMe's plans (checked Oct 21, 2026)

As listed on ReadMe's pricing page, in USD (readme.com/pricing, checked Oct 21, 2026). ReadMe prices its documentation platform; API metrics are part of the plan rather than a separate per-request product.

	Starter	Pro	Enterprise
Price	US$0/mo ("Free for everyone")	US$250/mo, billed annually	Contact sales, annual billing only
Listed metrics	"Usage metrics", documentation metrics	Starter features plus more	Adds "Aggregated doc metrics"
Developer Dashboard request history	24 hours	24 hours	24 hours
Extended history and logs	Add-on, US$100/mo on all plans
Admins	1	5, then US$20 per extra admin	Custom

How data gets in: middleware sends "the request and response objects" for each request as a HAR representation; "The entire objects are sent, unless you deny or allow specific keys" (ReadMe SDKs docs, checked Oct 21, 2026). You can also send logs directly through ReadMe's API (ReadMe API Logs docs, checked Oct 21, 2026).
SDKs: Node.js, PHP (Laravel), Python (Django and Flask), Ruby (Rails/Rack) and .NET (ReadMe SDKs docs, checked Oct 21, 2026).
Per-customer: a grouping function returns api_key, label and email for the caller of each request (ReadMe Django setup, checked Oct 21, 2026).
Full setup is a two-part flow: deploy the Personalized Docs webhook so logged-in users see their API keys, then integrate the Metrics SDK (ReadMe Developer Dashboard docs, checked Oct 21, 2026).
We didn't find a published request-volume limit or per-request price for API logs on the pages we checked, so we don't state one.

Approximate CAD, for orientation only: US$250 ≈ CA$351, US$100 ≈ CA$141, US$20 ≈ CA$28. This uses the Bank of Canada USD/CAD rate of 1.4054 for Oct 20, 2026, before tax. ReadMe lists prices in USD, so your card's rate will differ.

Side by side

	ReadMe Developer Dashboard	API Meter (beta)
What it is	Part of an API docs platform (guides, interactive reference, changelog, AI features).	Usage analytics only.
Setup	Metrics SDK middleware for Node.js, PHP, Python, Ruby or .NET, or the Metrics API; plus a Personalized Docs webhook for the full experience.	No SDK needed. Change one base URL to the proxy, or paste a short ingest snippet (Express, Hono, FastAPI, Flask, Django, Go, curl). Works with any language.
Per-customer usage	Yes, via the grouping function (API key, label, email). My Developers view.	Yes. Two response headers set the customer and plan, or API keys are hashed into a customer ID.
Data captured	Full request and response (HAR) unless you deny or allow keys.	Per-minute totals only: method, normalized endpoint, status, latency, bytes, customer and plan. No bodies, headers, query strings or IPs.
Developers see their own logs	Yes, request history in your API reference for logged-in users.	No.
History	24 hours of request history; extended history is a US$100/mo add-on.	35 days of per-minute totals during the beta.
Billing export	Pricing lists "Export request history". We didn't find a monthly per-customer usage export for invoicing described.	Per-customer CSV export of monthly counts.
Free option	Starter, US$0.	Free to 250K requests/month per API.
Currency	USD; Pro billed annually.	CAD, monthly. Checkout is in Stripe test mode during the beta.

When ReadMe is a better fit

You want API docs and API metrics in one place, and your developers would benefit from seeing their own recent requests right in your API reference.
You already host docs on ReadMe. Its metrics come with the plan you're on, including Starter at US$0.
You need full request and response details to debug specific calls. API Meter never stores bodies.
You want to understand docs behaviour and API calls together, per developer, to improve onboarding.

Where API Meter fits better

No docs platform required. Keep your docs wherever they are; API Meter only counts usage.
No SDK, any stack. A proxy base URL works for Go, Java, Rust, Elixir and anything else, and for APIs whose code you'd rather not touch.
Monthly history for billing. 35 days of per-minute totals and a per-customer monthly CSV, compared with 24 hours of request history unless you add the US$100/mo add-on.
Less data leaves your server. Only counts and timings, not request and response bodies.
CAD, monthly. No annual commitment, no USD conversion on a Canadian card.

Beta, read this first: API Meter runs on Cloudflare's free plan during the beta, with a shared limit of about 100,000 proxied requests/day across all APIs. Indie checkout is in Stripe test mode, and overage isn't billed yet. ReadMe is an established product.

FAQ

Does ReadMe still offer API metrics?

Yes. As of Oct 21, 2026 its pricing page lists "Usage metrics" on Starter and a Developer Dashboard section with request history, and its docs describe the Metrics SDKs.

Is ReadMe's API metrics priced per request?

Not on the pages we checked. It comes with ReadMe plans; extended history and logs is a flat US$100/mo add-on.

Can I use both?

Yes. ReadMe's middleware runs in your app, and API Meter can sit in front as a proxy or receive metadata from an ingest snippet. Some teams keep ReadMe for docs and developer debugging and API Meter for monthly per-customer counts.

Do AI agents calling my API count?

Yes, in API Meter every request is counted as usage, whether it comes from a person's app, a script or an AI agent. Tag the customer and plan as usual.

Try it

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Sources, all checked Oct 21, 2026: readme.com/pricing; ReadMe docs on the Developer Dashboard, API logs, SDKs and Django setup. Vendors change pricing and features, so check before you decide.