There’s no denying that e-commerce is booming, and more and more online merchants are taking advantage of the benefits offered by Shopify. To boost customer retention and generate recurring revenue, e-merchants are often looking for the best app for Shopify that allows them to offer subscriptions to their customers.
Indeed, a best subscription app for Shopify offers an efficient solution for managing subscriptions, billing and payments. Here’s our selection of the best subscription applications for Shopify, each detailed with a description, key features, pricing and free offers, as well as pros and cons.
Why use a subscription application for Shopify?
Shopify subscription apps offer many advantages for merchants. They make it easy to manage subscriptions, track billing and manage payments.
The e-commerce subscription model involves charging customers a fee to access a product or service. This creates a predictable and regular revenue stream for your business. What’s more, subscriptions offer added value to customers by giving them ongoing access to the products or services they value.
They also help build a closer relationship with customers, which can foster loyalty and encourage repeat purchases.
If you’d like to know more about Shopify, read our full review of the platform.
Now, let’s dive into the details of the 10 best subscription applications for Shopify and take a closer look at their features, pricing, and pros and cons.
Top 10 best subscription applications for Shopify
Subscription App by Recurpay
Recurpay is a simple and intuitive application for managing subscriptions on Shopify. You can easily set up recurring payments and offer a personalized experience to your customers.
Key features include:
- Automatic recurring payments and orders
- Seamless integration with Shopify Checkout
- Intuitive customer portal for subscription management
- Support for mixed subscriptions
Pricing:
Free up to $100 monthly revenue, then from $9/month.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
- Recurring payments and automatic orders
- Seamless integration with Shopify Checkout
- Intuitive customer portal for subscription management
- Easy to configure e-mail notifications
Disadvantages
- Customization issues
Bold Subscriptions
Bold Subscriptions is one of the best subscription applications for Shopify full-featured, enabling e-merchants to easily manage subscriptions and payments. With Bold Subscriptions, you can offer flexible pricing options and track orders.
Key features include:
- Complete design and language control
- Seamless integration with Shopify
- Email notifications and SMS subscription management
Pricing:
CORE plan – $49.99/month + 1% of orders containing subscription products.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
- Complete control over design and language
- Seamless integration with Shopify
- Offers discounts on all products for subscriptions
- Compatible with Shopify coupon codes
Disadvantages
- Slightly high price for small businesses
- Some customization features could be improved
PayWhirl Subscription Payments
PayWhirl home pagePayWhirl is a recurring payments application with branded personalization for your business. You can offer discounts for subscriptions and benefit from multilingual support.
Key features include:
- Discount options for subscriptions
- Integration with your Shopify theme
- Multilingual and multicurrency support
- Export of subscription analysis data and dashboards
Pricing:
- Starter plan: free with 3% transaction fee. Pro: $9/month + 2% transaction fee.
- Plan Plus: $49/month + 1% transaction fee.
- Plan Ultimate: $249/month + 0.5% transaction fee.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
- Offers discount options for subscriptions
- Integration with your Shopify theme
- Unlimited subscriptions on all plans
- Multilingual and multicurrency support
Disadvantages
- High rates for small businesses
- Limited functionality
Appstle℠ Subscriptions
Appstle℠ Subscriptions is an affordable, feature-rich app for managing subscriptions on Shopify. You can customize notifications for customers and benefit from detailed analytics on subscription products
Key features include:
- Customizable notifications for customers
- Precise analyses of subscription products
- Multi-channel support (chat, e-mail, telephone)
Pricing:
Free up to $500/month subscription revenue. Various plans available from $10/month.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
- Customizable notification features for customers
- Accurate analyses of subscription products
- Multi-channel support
- Free plan available
Disadvantages
- Hard to get used to
RecurrinGO! Subscriptions
RecurrinGO! Subscriptions is a powerful application for recurring sales on Shopify. You can set up flexible payment plans and send automatic payment links to customers.
Key features include:
- Recurring payments and automatic invoices
- Support for flexible payment plans
- Intuitive customer portal for subscription management
- Analytics to understand subscription rules and customer subscriptions
Pricing:
- Starter: free with a 3% transaction fee for each order containing a subscription item.
- Basic: $9/month with 1% transaction fee.
- Plus: $29/month with a 0.5% transaction fee.
- Pro: $99/month with a 0.25% transaction fee.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
- Automatic billing and recurring invoices
- Support for flexible payment plans
- Intuitive customer portal for subscription management
- Full customization of all parameters
Disadvantages
- Some users have reported customization problems
- Some prices can be high for small businesses
Seal Subscriptions℠ & Loyalty
Seal Subscriptions℠ & Loyalty offers advanced tools in a simple interface to grow your subscription business. You can automate customer invoices and offer easy subscription management.
Key features include:
- Customer invoice automation
- Mobile-optimized subscription widgets
- Easy subscription management
- Track cancelled subscriptions and failed payments
Pricing:
- Free plan for up to 150 subscriptions.
- SuperSale: $4.95/month.
- Rising: $7.95/month.
- Star Legend: $20/month
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
- Customer invoice automation
- Mobile-optimized subscription widgets
- Easy subscription tracking.
- Constant communication with orders
Disadvantages
- Limited personalization
Native Subscriptions
Native Subscriptions is an excellent option for those wishing to migrate from other subscription applications. You benefit from unlimited subscriptions and orders, with all features included.
Key features include :
- Unlimited subscriptions and orders
- Migrations from other applications
- Total customization control
Pricing :
- Free with 1% transaction fee on subscription orders.
- PRO: $25/month or $250/year with 0% transaction fees.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
- Unlimited orders/products.
- Unlimited subscriptions
- All functionalities included
- Ability to migrate from other applications
Disadvantages
- Transaction fees
- Customization issues
Recharge Subscriptions
Recharge Subscriptions offers many features to increase customer engagement and lifetime value. You can use custom CSS to make sure everything matches your brand.
Key features include:
- Quick and easy setup
- Automatic notifications
- Additional one-time sales
- Seamless integration with other popular applications (Klaviyo, Yotpo, Gorgias, etc.)
Pricing :
Standard plan: free with 1% + 10 cents per transaction.
Pro: $499/month with 1% + 19 cents per transaction.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
- Quick and easy to set up
- Automatic notifications
- Additional one-time sales
- Seamless integration with best-of-breed applications
Disadvantages
- Limited functionality in the free version
- Pro price may be high for small businesses
Ongoing Subscriptions
Ongoing Subscriptions offers attractive economic incentives for subscriptions, such as fixed prices, specific discounts and percentage reductions.
Key features include:
- Excellent support system
- Intuitive customer dashboard
- All-in-one subscription creation and management tools
- Multiple subscription widget options
Pricing:
- Starter Plan: free with 3% transaction fee.
- Pro: $99/month with 2% transaction fee.
- Enterprise: $299/month with 1% transaction fees.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
- Excellent support system
- Intuitive customer dashboard
- All-in-one subscription creation and management tools
- Multiple subscription widget options
Disadvantages
- High transaction fees
Timo Subscriptions
Timo Subscriptions is a free subscription application for Shopify. You get a native payment experience and easy control over discounts.
Key features include:
- Native payment experience
- Easy control of discounts
- Create multiple subscription plans
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
- Free application
- Native payment and smooth user experience
- Easy control of discounts
- Creation of multiple subscription plans
Disadvantages
- Rather difficult to learn
Best Subscription Applications for Shopify - Conclusion
Subscription apps for Shopify offer merchants the opportunity to generate recurring revenue and improve relationships with their customers. Each app featured in this article has been selected as the best subscription app for Shopify, with its own unique features and benefits. Depending on your store’s specific needs, selecting the app that best matches your expectations is crucial.
However, don’t forget that there are also other types of applications that are essential to the optimal operation of your Shopify store. Tools such as email marketing apps to improve your communication with customers, accounting apps for efficient financial management, or those designed to recover abandoned shopping baskets are also vital to boost your performance.
With a well-balanced selection of subscription apps and other key tools, you’ll be able to create a predictable revenue stream, improve the customer experience and thus successfully grow your Shopify store. It’s simply a matter of finding the right apps that match your specific needs.
FAQ
What are the best subscription applications for Shopify?
The best subscription applications for Shopify are :
- Bold Subscriptions
- Subscription App by Recurpay
- Appstle℠ Subscriptions
- Seal Subscriptions℠ & LoyaltyRecurrinGO! Subscriptions
- PayWhirl Subscription Payments
- Native Subscriptions
- Ongoing Subscriptions
- Recharge Subscriptions
- Timo Subscriptions
How can Shopify subscription applications help merchants?
These apps allow merchants to easily manage subscriptions, track billings and payments, and create a recurring revenue stream.
What is the advantage of offering subscriptions to my customers on Shopify?
Offering subscriptions generates recurring revenue and builds customer loyalty by providing ongoing access to products or services.
Are there any personalization features in these subscription applications?
Yes, some applications offer advanced personalization features to adapt to your store’s brand image.
How do I choose the best subscription application for my Shopify store?
Choose based on your specific needs, the key features offered by each app, and consider the pricing and offers available.