10+ Best Shopify Subscription Apps in 2024 (Pros & Cons)

The subscription model is one of the top eCommerce business models that are growing exponentially in the past few years. How could you create subscriptions on your Shopify store to generate recurring revenue and build customer loyalty? All you need to do is install a Shopify subscription app and you can start selling subscriptions right away. 

In this article, we will go through the best subscription apps for your Shopify store with detailed pros and cons comparison to help you finalize the most suitable one.   

Shopify subscription app & its key features

Normally, Shopify default settings only allow your customers to add product to the cart and purchase the item once. In case they want to purchase the item again, they need to come back to your site and order it once again. Shopify subscription app turns your products into subscription items so that customers can subscribe to their favorite products on a recurring basis, such as weekly and monthly. 

Shopify subscription app will add a “Subscribe” button next to the default “Add to cart” button and let customers choose to subscribe to their favorite product. Plus, the app will automatically handle all the recurring payments and orders each month for you, so both you and your customers can save a lot of time on all the manual tasks weekly or monthly. 

Key features of a Shopify subscription app:

• Automated subscription process: Set up subscription model at your Shopify store. Automatically charge customers recurring payments and send emails to notify them.   
• Subscription management: Easily manage all subscription products and orders from an intuitive dashboard.     
• Customer portal: Customers are able to check, manage, edit their information and subscription products (swap/add/delete products).
• Email & message notifications: Automatically send personalized emails to notify them about subscription status, information update, delivery time, etc.  
• Analytics: Get real-time analytics and data on subscription business performance. 
• 24/7 support 

Best Shopify subscription apps 

1. Subscription & Recurring Order – ⭐ 4.7 (180+ reviews) 

Subscription & Recurring Order is a comprehensive yet completely free Shopify subscription app that you can utilize for your store. All the needed tools and functionalities you need to start your own subscription business are available to utilize, so you only need to install the app and start offering subscriptions at your store. 

Subscription & Recurring Order is available for free, but there is a list of comprehensive features to boost subscription business performance, such as smart subscription management and analytics. Customers can manage their subscriptions from a customer portal with ease. 

The subscription widget is fully customizable to fit your store theme with a built-in editor and online preview feature. More than that, it is also available in the “Quick view” and “Featured Product” sections so that customers can expect what products they can subscribe to. 

Rating: 4.7 (180+ reviews) 

Pros – Key features: 

• Process recurring payments and orders automatically.
• Smart subscription management: edit customer subscriptions, swap, add, and remove products in the subscription. 
• Customer portal available: Allow customers to manage, check and edit subscriptions easily.
• Set up and send email notifications for various events, such as pause subscription, payment failed, subscription information updated, and more. 
• Allow mixed subscriptions in the same cart, so customers can start multiple subscriptions in the same order. 
• Offer discounts for subscription orders. Set up discount rules on your own.     
• 24/7 support: call, chat, email support. 

Cons:

• Currently, the app hasn’t been fully integrated with Shopify checkout (coming soon).

Pricing:

• Free to install
• Basic: $9/month
• Plus: $29/month
• Pro: $99/month

2. Subscriptions Recurring Orders – ⭐ 4.8 (150+ reviews) 

Another completely free Shopify subscription app is Subscriptions Recurring Orders by Prope. This app helps you create and manage an efficient subscription management system with various powerful tools for a seamless subscription business. 

Subscriptions Recurring Orders allows you to add the subscription widget to any products or services at your Shopify store. All customer payments are processed automatically based on the subscription schedule that you’ve set for a steady stream of recurring revenue.       

Plus, this app also put customers at the center of your subscription business. They will be notified with personalized emails about the next delivery date, payment and payment fails. Customers can check and manage their own subscriptions in the customer portal as well.          

Rating: 4.8 (150+ reviews) 

Pros – Key features: 

• Intuitive interface to set up and manage subscriptions with ease. 
• Powerful subscription management: automatically notify customers and process payment. 
• Customizable subscription widget on the product page to make it match your store’s theme and style. 
• Convenient customer portal to let them self-manage their subscriptions.
• Send personalized, customized emails to customers to notify them about the next delivery date, payment fails, and more.   
• Seamless integration with Shopify Checkout.
• Dedicated 24/7 support. 

Cons:

• The customer portal is not as comprehensive as other apps. 

Pricing:

• Free
• Growth: $49.95/month
• Enterprise: $99.95/month

3. Subscription by BSS – ⭐ 4.8 (10+ reviews)

Whether you are looking forward to starting a subscription model and increasing your sales, Subscription by BSS is one of the best choices with the most valuable features. 

Subscription by BSS automatically collects feedback from customers for a better understanding of motivation and customers’ needs. This is a highly effective way of building subscription packages and forecasting customers’ demands.

With Subscription by BSS, you can create a more personalized and memorable experience by personalizing messaging, recommendations, and advertisements. 

Ratings: 4.8 (10+ reviews)

Pros – Key feature:

• Forecast the company’s revenue stream accurately and consistently.
• Provide a security gateway for users to pay online.
• Offer subscription as well as one-time purchases.
• Set up personalized email notifications to customers automatically.
• Allow customers to show discounted prices with a message to entice recurring customers. 
• Offer customers control Enable/ Activate/ Cancel/Pause/Skip/Cancel,… their subscription
• Create flexible options for pricing and frequency policy.

Cons: 

• The control panel might have problems; however, customers can contact the support team 24/7.

Pricing:

• Free
• Starter: $5/month
• Pro: $10/month
• Advanced: $20/month

4. Appstle Subscriptions – ⭐ 4.9 (1,800+ reviews)  

Appstle Subscription is currently the most-rated Shopify subscription app with an absolute 5 out of 5 stars from more than 1,300+ merchants. This is an end-to-end recurring order and payment solution that enables you to offer subscription products at your Shopify store. 

Besides the basic subscription management functionality, Appstle also includes powerful tools to increase revenue and scale your business, such as segment-based plans, targeted upselling, inventory forecasting, etc. 

Plus, you can always satisfy customers with a simplified shopping journey and encourage customers to buy more with a comprehensive loyalty program. There are many advanced loyalty features that you can hardly find in other Shopify subscription apps, such as mixed cart, tired discount, product swap, and more.      

Rating: 4.9 (1,800+ reviews) 

Pros – Key features: 

• Easy & powerful subscription creation & management.  
• Advanced set of tools to increase revenue, boost business growth, and simplify the shopping experience. 
• Create & manage multiple shipping profiles for subscriptions, based on key variables, such as order value, weight, etc.
• Real-time reports of subscription customers, revenue, and store performance. 
• Set up rules to calculate discounts. Enable loyalty program with tiered discounts for customers. 
• Automatically send personalized emails to customers. Trigger questionnaire to analyze why customers cancel subscriptions.   
• Subscription widget display mode: dropdown or radio button.
• Live chat 24/7 support.

Cons:

• There might be a lot of complex tasks to fulfill if you want to migrate from other subscription apps to Appstle.  

Pricing: 

• Free
• Starter: $10/month
• Business: $30/month
• Business Premium: $100/month

5. Recharge Subscriptions – ⭐ 4.7 (1,300+ reviews) 

Recharge Subscriptions powers Shopify merchants to enable subscriptions with its powerful set of subscription tools. You can set up the subscription program in minutes with a few clicks, and connect the app to your existing payment gateway to start selling subscription products. 

There are also various features included to help you increase customer engagement and their lifetime value. They are able to skip or reschedule delivery on customer portal, swap products, and receive automatic notifications on orders, payments, and more. 

Recharge Subscriptions comes with a free plan that includes basic features to start a subscription business. The Pro plan is relatively expensive, so it might be more suitable for large Shopify stores. 

Rating: 4.7 (1,300+ reviews) 

Pros – Key features: 

• Set up subscription program in minutes. Smoothly integrate with existing payment processors.
• Powerful payment and order management tools.
• Allow customers to manage their subscriptions via customer portal and SMS.
• Reduce customer churn with loyalty program, swap products, automatic payment retry.   
• API – ready to give you complete flexibility.  
• Get access to real-time data and business performance.  

Cons:

• There is a transaction fee for each completed transaction, which might hurt your profit margin severely. 
• You need to set up subscription model for each product manually.  
• There’re some complaints about their customer support. 

Pricing: 

• Standard: Free to install + transaction fee
• Pro: $499/month + transaction fee

6. Seal Subscriptions & Loyalty – ⭐ 4.9 (500+ reviews) 

Since 2020, Seal Subscriptions has always strived to bring out best-in-class subscription solutions at the most competitive price. This is one of the best Shopify subscription apps, as it is packed with the most up-to-date subscription features for your store.        

Built for store owners’ peace of mind, Seal Subscription is easy to set up and configured, since there is no coding involved. After installing the app, you only need to set subscription rules and start selling right away. Customers will be charged for their recurring orders automatically and the order will be visible in your Shopify admin.

In order to increase customer lifetime value and leverage customer satisfaction, Seal Subscription allows shoppers to mix subscriptions of different products in the same cart. Shoppers are free to remove and add items to their subscription and reschedule billing attempts directly from the customer portal as well.    

Rating: 4.9 (500+ reviews) 

Pros – Key features: 

• Set up and configure the subscription app with ease. 
• Configure subscription requirements, subscription intervals, discounts, product swaps to fit your business. 
• Customer loyalty features: loyalty gifts, gift subscriptions, product swaps, interval changes, and more. 
• Easily migrate subscribers from other platforms manually or in bulk. 
• Discount products in subscriptions to encourage shoppers. 
• Let customers manage their subscriptions from the customer portal themselves. They can remove and add products, reschedule billing attempts, etc. 
• Robust API & webhooks available for customization.  

Cons:

• The free plan only supports 150 subscriptions. 
• Automation sending invoice feature stops working sometimes. 

Pricing: 

• Free
• Supersale: $4.95/month
• Rising star: $7.95/month
• Legend: $20/month

7. Ongoing Subscriptions – ⭐ 5.0 (100+ reviews) 

Ongoing Subscription is another subscription app for Shopify that received an absolution 5-star rating from customers. This is a complete subscription solution with frequency discounts, automatic recurring payments, and helpful reports. 

With Ongoing, there are many options for you to offer discounts on your subscription products, such as percentage-based, amount-off, or set price discounts. You are free to customize subscription discounts based on each product or selling season to maximize profits. 

Plus, you can easily track and manage subscription orders with comprehensive reports and analytics for better business insights and future plans.           

Rating: 5.0 (100+ reviews) 

Pros – Key features: 

• Complete subscription creation & management tools for any product.  
• Various beautiful subscription widgets to choose from. 
• Customer dashboard portal to let customers manage, check and cancel subscription orders. 
• Detailed analytics and reports on subscription order history & management.  
• Customers can subscribe to flexible delivery options & billing frequency. 
• PCI & GDPR Compliant guaranteed. 
• In-app chat support. 

Cons:

• Even with the free plan, you still have to pay the transaction fee. 
• The paid plan pricing is quite high for small and middle-sized stores.

Pricing: 

• Pro: $99/month + 2% per transaction
• Enterprise: $299/month + 1% per transaction

8. Subify Subscriptions – ⭐ 4.9 (100+ reviews)

Subify subscriptions is an easy-to-use app that enables you to offer products (physical & digital) and services to your customers on a recurring basis. With Subify, you can increase your recurring revenue by enticing customers to repeat orders on products they like with flexible discounts and delivery frequency. Whether you want to create subscription boxes, offer membership plans, or set up recurring payments, Subify has got you covered.

Rating: 4.9 (100+ reviews)

Pros – Key features:

• Flexible subscription models: Choose from various subscription options such as recurring payments, subscription boxes, memberships, and installment.
• Customizable widget templates: Easily match the look and feel of your store with customizable and appealing widget templates.
• Quick setup and auto-adding widget: Seamlessly embed the app in your Shopify admin and start using it immediately.
• Powerful support team: Benefit from a responsive and knowledgeable support team that is available to assist you in less than 1 minute.
• Expert customer success managers: Receive guidance and support from customer success managers who can help you with subscription setup, marketing strategies, and more.

Cons:

• Advanced customer portal

Pricing:

• Free
• Essential: 9$/month
• Pro: 39$/month
• Ultimate: 99$/month

9. PayWhirl Subscription Payments – ⭐ 4.8 (170+ reviews) 

PayWhirl Subscription is a comprehensive Shopify subscription app that can satisfy both small and enterprise-level Shopify stores. With 4 pricing plan including a free one, you can easily select the plan that best fit your subscription business needs and requirements. 

PayWhirl Subscription Payments make it easy for you to easily create and manage subscriptions through Shopify’s native checkout, thus customers can purchase subscription products and save payment methods. 

Meanwhile, the PayWhirl customer portal allows customers to view and manage all their subscriptions, view billing history, and make changes to their accounts without your involvement.  

Rating: 4.8 (170+ reviews) 

Pros – Key features: 

• Automatically charge customer payment methods and create orders for subscription orders.
• Customers can manage their subscriptions, credit cards, and personal info.
• Various subscription discount options.  
• Integrate with Shopify Checkout and Shopify’s built-in reports seamlessly.
• Built for mobile compatibility. 
• Subscription analytics dashboard and data exports. 
• All taxes, and shipping fees remain the same as your store setup.  
• US-based live chat, email, and phone support.

Cons:

• The transaction fee is quite high except for the ultimate plan.
• There’s no option for customers to swap products. 

Pricing: 

• Starter: 3% transaction fee
• Pro: $9/month + 2% transaction fee
• Plus: $49/month + 1% transaction fee
• Ultimate: $249/month + 0.5% transaction fee

10. Recurpay Subscriptions – ⭐ 4.9 (340+ reviews)

Recurpay Subscription is one of the loved Shopify subscription apps, powering subscription for 4,000+ merchants across the globe. Elevate your Shopify store with an all-encompassing recurring order and payment solution that opens the door to offering subscription products seamlessly.

Beyond the fundamental subscription management features, Recurpay goes the extra mile, providing a suite of robust tools designed to amplify revenue and propel your business to new heights. Dive into the realm of segment-based plans, upselling strategies, the innovative Recurpay bot, and more.

But that’s not all – delight your customers with a streamlined shopping experience and foster increased purchases through a comprehensive loyalty program. Unveil advanced loyalty features rarely found in other Shopify subscription apps, including mixed cart options, tiered discounts, product swaps, and an array of other enticing elements that keep your customers coming back for more. With Recurpay Subscription, transform your Shopify store into a thriving hub of recurring revenue and customer satisfaction.

Rating: 4.9 (340+ reviews) 

Pros:

• Set up subscriptions in minutes and integrate seamlessly with existing payment processors.
• Access powerful tools for payment and order management.
• Enable customers to manage subscriptions easily via the customer portal, allowing product adjustments and rescheduling.
• Reduce churn with features like product swaps and smart payment retry.
• Enjoy complete flexibility with an API-ready solution.
• Create customizable pricing and frequency options.
• Provide the flexibility of both subscription and one-time purchases.

Cons:

• Not compatible with Shopify’s new account portal

Pricing: 

• FREE FOREVER: Free to install (sell up to $100/month)
• Grow: $9/month (sell up to $300/month)
• Grow: $29/month (sell up to $1000/month)
• Grow: $79/month (sell up to $3,000/month)

11. Loop Subscriptions – ⭐ 5.0 (100+ reviews)    

No matter what subscription products you want to sell: physical products, digital products & services, or memberships, Loop Subscriptions can help you enable subscription business at your Shopify store with a few clicks. 

There’re many tools you can utilize to convert one-time buyers into subscribers, such as rewarding customers with tiered discounts or integrating the one-time products with subscriptions at checkout.  

Also, their automated notifications can notify customers about upcoming payment reminders, failed payments, skipped orders, and more to reduce subscription cancellations. You can always set up the app to retry failed transactions due to expired or declined cards automatically as well.

Rating: 5.0 (100+ reviews)  

Pros – Key features: 

• Customize and manage subscription plans.
• Charge customers automatically based on their subscription plan. Charge upfront payment for future subscribed orders.
• 20+ automated notification templates to notify customers based on specific events. 
• APIs & webhook ready to further customizations.
• Quick chat support for Starter/Growth plan. Dedicated support for subscriptions set up with Premium plan.   
• New subscription flows & features released every week.
• Support for customized subscription widget & customer portal in premium and ultimate plans. 

Cons:

• The Free and Growth Plan don’t include many advanced subscription features.

Pricing: 

• Free
• Growth: $99/month + 1% transaction fee
• Enterprise: $399/month + 0.75% transaction fee

12. Recurring Membership Payments – ⭐ 4.6 (70+ reviews) 

As the name may reveal, Recurring Membership Payments is a Shopify subscription app that specialized in membership programs. If your business focuses on selling courses, coaching programs, or membership-based services, this app is definitely your go-to choice. 

Recurring Membership Payments simplify the whole membership program to help you launch and scale your business with automation recurring billing. Besides subscription features, this app also comes with many additional features to help you collect customers’ information and strengthen customer relationships with your Shopify business.             

Rating: 4.6 (70+ reviews) 

Pros – Key features: 

• Set up and manage multiple membership plans (weekly/monthly/annual payments) for customers to select. 
• Charge member recurring billing through Stripe/Paypal. 
• Capture leads with a custom registration form and save their information for later contact. 
• Advanced reports for business performance. Easily export the data in CSV formats. 
• Enable customizable membership trial periods to attract new visitors. 
• Restrict content access to an exclusive member group: show or hide pages or collections, etc. 
• World-class 24/7 support.

Cons:

• Only support Stripe and Paypal payment at this moment. 
• The Stater Plan only allows 50 members included. 

Pricing: 

• Stater: $9.99/month
• Basic: $29/month
• Advance: $49/month

Choose the best subscription app for your Shopify store

A great Shopify subscription app can help you generate recurring revenue while still can deliver a flexible and convenient shopping experience for your customers. We hope that you can make a wise decision on the subscription app that best suits your Shopify business. We look forward to hearing your feedback on the Shopify subscription app you like most.