Best E-commerce Platform for Subscriptions
Building a subscription business? Here's how the top platforms compare for recurring billing, customer portals, and retention tools.
What to Look For
Quick Comparison
Detailed Breakdown
True Proper
All-in-one platform with native subscriptions
- • Subscriptions built-in on all plans
- • No extra app fees
- • Unified customer data
- • No sync issues
- • Newer platform
- • Smaller app ecosystem
Shopify + Recharge
Market leader + most popular subscription app
- • Most feature-rich
- • Large ecosystem
- • Proven at scale
- • Expensive ($99-499/mo for app)
- • Per-transaction fees
- • Separate admin dashboards
WooCommerce + WooSubs
Self-hosted with subscription plugin
- • One-time plugin cost
- • Full control
- • No transaction fees
- • Technical setup required
- • Hosting costs
- • Maintenance burden
- • Limited features vs SaaS
BigCommerce
Enterprise platform with native subscriptions
- • No transaction fees
- • Good for large catalogs
- • B2B features
- • Revenue caps force upgrades
- • Subscription features are basic
- • Steeper learning curve
Our Recommendation
For most subscription businesses, True Proper offers the best value. You get full subscription functionality—recurring billing, customer portals, pause/skip, dunning—without paying $99-499/month for a separate app.
If you're an established brand doing $1M+ in subscription revenue and need advanced features like predictive churn or complex bundling, Shopify + Recharge might justify the cost.
Try True Proper FreeFrequently Asked Questions
What features should I look for in a subscription platform?
Essential: recurring billing, pause/skip options, customer portal, failed payment recovery (dunning). Nice to have: product swaps, prepaid subscriptions, gifting, advanced analytics. The best platform has these built-in, not as paid add-ons.
How much should I pay for subscription features?
Ideally, $0 extra. Platforms like True Proper include subscriptions in the base price. On Shopify, expect to pay $99-499/month for apps like Recharge, plus per-transaction fees. This can add up to thousands per year.
Can I migrate existing subscriptions to a new platform?
Yes, but it requires planning. Export subscriber data, recreate products, and coordinate the switch with billing cycles. Most platforms support bulk import. The main challenge is re-capturing payment methods.
What subscription metrics should I track?
Key metrics: MRR (monthly recurring revenue), churn rate, LTV (customer lifetime value), retention by cohort, and average order value. Make sure your platform provides these analytics built-in.
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