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Boost Your Bottom Line: Harness the Potential of Shopify Subscription Apps

August 07, 2023
Written and researched by experts at AvadaLearn more about our methodology

By Sam Nguyen

CEO Avada Commerce

In today’s competitive eCommerce landscape, finding innovative strategies to drive revenue and increase customer loyalty is essential for long-term success. In this article, we will delve into the world of Shopify subscription apps and their immense potential to boost your bottom line. 

Key Takeaways

  • [Appstle℠ Subscriptions]: Best for businesses looking for highly customizable subscription tools with features like product swapping, personalized shipping, and build-a-box functionality.
  • [Recharge Subscriptions]: Ideal for brands aiming to maximize customer value and transform one-time shoppers into loyal customers, offering reliable and scalable subscription management with extensive customization options.
  • [Seal Subscriptions℠ & Loyalty]: Suitable for businesses of all sizes and industries, simplifying subscription setup and management while offering customizable subscriptions, loyalty benefits, and retention tools.
  • [Subify Subscriptions App]: Designed to automate recurring payments, product subscriptions, subscription boxes, and memberships, providing easy configuration, diverse customization options, and customer portal features.
  • [Recurpay: Subscriptions App]: A flexible alternative to traditional subscription apps, offering seamless support, robust APIs, multicurrency flexibility, and advanced subscription management features for businesses of all sizes.
  • [Yotpo Subscriptions]: A powerful app designed to enhance the shopping experience, increase recurring revenue, and provide robust analytics and catalog management for Shopify stores in any industry.
  • [Subscriptions Recurring Orders]: Enables businesses to effortlessly offer recurring subscriptions for any product, with easy setup, a mobile-first subscription picker, and features to reduce support tickets, enhance customer communication, and provide loyalty rewards.

What is a Subscription App for Shopify?

A subscription app for Shopify is a tool that enables Shopify merchants to offer subscription-based products or services to their customers. These apps provide the functionality to manage subscriptions, track billing, and seamlessly handle payments within the Shopify platform.

For instance, popular streaming services like Netflix or Disney+ operate on a subscription model, where customers pay a monthly or annual fee to access their content library. Similarly, in the e-commerce space, businesses can offer subscription plans for various products or services, such as monthly subscription boxes, digital content memberships, or exclusive consultancy services.

How To Choose The Top Subscription Shopify App?

Finding the perfect subscription Shopify app for your business can be challenging, given the many options available. To simplify the process and help you make an informed decision, we have evaluated each app based on the following criteria:

  • Ease of setup and usage: Consider the app’s user-friendly and intuitive, ensuring merchants can easily set up and navigate the subscription features without significant technical expertise.
  • Subscription portal: Assess whether the app provides customers with a dedicated portal to manage their subscriptions. This includes swapping, adding, or deleting products within their subscription. 
  • Subscription management: Examine the app’s features for managing subscriptions on the merchant’s end. This includes centralized management tools, analytics, and reporting capabilities to handle efficiently and track subscription orders. 
  • Email & SMS updates: Look for apps offering automated and personalized email and SMS communication. This includes notifications on subscription status, delivery updates, renewal reminders, and more to keep customers informed and engaged.
  • Pricing: Consider the app’s pricing structure and whether it offers competitive pricing options for businesses of various sizes. We look for transparency in pricing plans and the value provided with the cost.
  • Integrations: Evaluate the app’s ability to integrate with other Shopify apps, allowing merchants to leverage additional functionalities and enhance the overall subscription experience for their customers.
  • Customer reviews: Consider the feedback and satisfaction level of existing customers. Positive customer reviews indicate a reliable and well-received app.
  • Support: Assess the quality and responsiveness of the app’s customer support. Prompt assistance and reliable support channels are essential for merchants to promptly address issues or concerns.

7 Best Shopify Subscription Apps 

Let’s explore the top options to take your subscription business to the next level. Here’s the table comparison of Top Shopify Subscription Apps: 

Shopify Subscription AppFree VersionStarting PriceShopify Rating 
Appstle℠ SubscriptionsYes$10/month4.9/5.0
Recharge SubscriptionsNo$99/month4.5/5.0
Seal Subscriptions℠ & LoyaltyYes$4.95/month4.9/5.0
Subify Subscriptions AppYes$19/month4.9/5.0
Recurpay: Subscriptions AppYes$9/month5.0/5.0
Yotpo SubscriptionsYes1%/additional transactions4.5/5.0
Subscriptions Recurring OrdersYes$39/month4.9/5.0

Appstle℠ Subscriptions

Appstle℠ Subscriptions is an advanced subscription tool designed for Shopify. It offers highly customizable features and powerful subscription capabilities to enhance your eCommerce business. 

Why we love this app: 

Appstle℠ Subscriptions is the most customizable subscription tool available. It offers powerful subscription features, including product swapping, personalized shipping, and build-a-box functionality. These advanced subscription capabilities allow you to create unique and tailored customer experiences. 

Additionally, Appstle℠ Subscriptions provides compelling subscription management features, loyalty benefits, and retention tools that help boost customer engagement and retention. The app has earned the trust of major eCommerce brands such as Universal Audio, Pela Earth, Inspired Go, and Skin Authority, who have leveraged its capabilities to create exceptional store subscription experiences with just a few clicks. 

If you have any questions or special requirements, the Appstle℠ Subscriptions team of genuine experts can provide quick and helpful assistance. Experience the power of customization and unlock the full potential of subscriptions with Appstle℠ Subscriptions.

Rating

  • Score: 4.9/5.0 with 2157 reviews on Shopify

Key Features: 

Here are some key features of Appstle℠ Subscriptions

  • Sell prepaid, pay-as-you-go, free trial, bundled, and more subscriptions.
  • Offer tiered discounts, personalized shipping, gifts, and more to enhance the subscription experience.
  • Customize the customer portal with one-click login and quick links for easy access.
  • Boost conversions with Apple Menu, a subscription-focused menu that maximizes engagement.
  • Maximize your ROI with upsells, groups, automation, retention tools, and more.

Offer tiered discounts enhance the subscription experience

Pros & Cons

When considering the implementation of a subscription app like Appstle℠ Subscriptions for your Shopify store, it’s essential to weigh the advantages and potential drawbacks. 

Pros:

  • No transaction fees on any plans
  • Decent free plan
  • Wide range of features, including loyalty tools and product swaps
  • Plenty of integrations
  • Unlimited personalized emails
  • 24/7 support available for all plans
  • Possibility to manage the app directly in the Shopify admin

Cons:

  • The higher tier plans can be costly for businesses that don’t yet have a stable subscription revenue.
  • Some advanced features may require technical expertise to set up and use effectively.
  • The app may be less suitable for merchants with straightforward subscription models, as its advanced features may not be necessary or cost-effective.

Who is it for 

  • Existing Shopify store owners who want to implement a highly customizable subscription model to diversify their revenue streams, increase customer retention, and optimize profits. It provides advanced features and tools to automate recurring sales and enhance user experience.
  • Entrepreneurs who are considering launching a subscription-based online store or adding a subscription option to their existing business. Apostle℠ Subscriptions offers powerful subscription capabilities, loyalty benefits, and retention tools, enabling entrepreneurs to effectively build and manage their subscription-based eCommerce business.

Recharge Subscriptions

Recharge Subscriptions is a reliable and scalable subscription management Shopify app designed to help brands maximize the value of their customers. 

Why we love this app:

Recharge Subscriptions offers a trusted and reliable solution for brands to maximize the value of their shoppers. With a clear mission to transform one-time shoppers into loyal customers, Recharge provides a range of powerful features to achieve this goal. 

One of the critical advantages of Recharge is its scalability, allowing brands to grow their subscription business seamlessly. Customers can fully manage their subscriptions directly from the store, providing a convenient and user-friendly experience. 

Reduce churn with flexible subscription management

Additionally, Recharge offers extensive customization capabilities, allowing brands to tailor the subscription experience to their specific vision and brand identity. With turnkey integrations, Recharge seamlessly connects with your existing tech stack, streamlining operations and enhancing efficiency. 

Rating

  • Score: 4.5/5.0 with 1403 reviews on Shopify

Key Features: 

Here are some highlight features of Recharge Subscriptions:

  • Customer Portal: Customize the interface of your store’s customer portal.
  • RechargeSMS: Enable customers to manage their subscriptions via SMS.
  • Robust and Flexible API: Fully customize the subscription experience using the powerful API.
  • Bundles: Utilize Bundles for cross-selling opportunities (available for the Standard plan).
  • Unified Checkout: Streamline the checkout process, regardless of the cart contents.

Pros & Cons

The table below shows the pros and cons of Recharge Subscriptions

Pros:

  • Reliable and scalable subscription management solution.
  • Focus on maximizing the value of customers and turning one-time shoppers into loyal customers.
  • Seamless customer management with the ability to fully manage subscriptions from the store.
  • Extensive customization capabilities to tailor the subscription experience to the brand’s vision.
  • Turnkey integrations for easy connection with existing tech stack.
  • Exceptional app for optimizing subscription management and fostering long-term customer loyalty.

Cons:

  • Higher pricing for the Pro plan may be less affordable for smaller businesses.
  • Some advanced features may require technical expertise to utilize fully.
  • Limited cross-selling opportunities (Bundles feature available only for the Standard plan).

Who is it for 

  • Business scale: Recharge Subscriptions offers scalability and customization options for businesses of all sizes, allowing them to diversify revenue streams and increase customer loyalty.
  • Business industry: Recharge Subscriptions provides tailored subscription solutions for businesses in these industries, enabling them to offer convenient and personalized subscription services, drive customer engagement, and boost revenue.

Seal Subscriptions℠ & Loyalty

Seal Subscriptions℠ & Loyalty is a powerful Shopify app that allows businesses to easily configure and manage subscriptions, helping them generate recurring revenue and enhance customer loyalty. 

Why we love this app: 

Seal Subscriptions℠ & Loyalty app provides an excellent opportunity for businesses to enter the world of subscriptions and unlock the potential of recurring revenue. The app simplifies setting up and managing subscriptions, allowing businesses to quickly configure their first subscription rule and generate steady recurring income. 

With Seal Subscriptions, businesses have complete control over their subscribers, products, discounts, churn rate, and cancellations. Additionally, the app offers exceptional support from a dedicated team, ensuring that businesses receive assistance and guidance. Being made in Europe adds an extra layer of trust and quality.

Visualize your data

Rating:

  • Score: 4.9/5.0 with 753  reviews on Shopify

Highlight Features of The App: 

Here are some highlight features of Seal Subscriptions℠ & Loyalty

  • Sell classic and prepaid subscriptions, including options for discounts and free trials.
  • Offer tiered discounts, custom shipping, gifts, and other loyalty features to enhance the subscription experience.
  • Enable easy access to subscriptions for your customers through magic links.
  • Gain valuable insights into your business with comprehensive statistics, a payment calendar, and more.
  • Customize your branding with white-label capabilities, including custom email domains.

Pros & Cons

The table below shows the pros and cons of Seal Subscriptions℠ & Loyalty

Pros:

  • Easy configuration and management of subscriptions, enabling businesses to generate recurring revenue.
  • Complete control over subscribers, products, discounts, churn rate, and cancellations.
  • Exceptional support from a dedicated team.
  • Trusted quality as the app is made in Europe.
  • A free trial is available to test the app’s features.

Cons:

  • Limited features are available in the free plan.
  • Higher pricing tiers may not be suitable for small businesses with limited budgets.
  • Some advanced customization options may require technical expertise to implement effectively.

Who is it for 

  • Business scale: Whether you run a small online store or a large e-commerce enterprise, Seal Subscriptions℠ & Loyalty can help you introduce subscription-based models and generate recurring revenue.
  • Business industry: Any industry that benefits from recurring revenue models, such as meal delivery services, beauty product subscriptions, or fitness memberships, can utilize Seal Subscriptions℠ & Loyalty to streamline operations and enhance customer satisfaction.

Subify Subscriptions App

Subify Subscriptions App is a user-friendly Shopify app designed to automate recurring payments, product subscriptions, subscription boxes, and memberships. 

Why we love this app: 

Subify Subscriptions App is an easy-to-use application that enables you to provide your customers with recurring products and services. With automated payment management, product subscriptions, subscription boxes, and membership options, Subify simplifies the process of offering convenient and recurring offerings to your customers. 

By encouraging customers to repurchase frequently used items among their desired products, Subify helps increase your revenue with flexible discounts and delivery frequencies. You can choose a subscription model that best suits your store. Welcome to the world of the Subify subscription app.

Customizable and diverse widgets that are synchronized with your store

Rating

  • Score: 4.9/5.0 with 153 reviews on Shopify

Highlight Features of The App: 

Here are some highlight features of Subify Subscriptions App: 

  • Customizable and diverse widgets that are synchronized with your store.
  • Quick configuration and automatic widget addition with direct integration into the Shopify admin.
  • Customer portal for managing subscriptions, allowing customers to skip, pause, or cancel.
  • Solid and competent 24/7 support team that responds within minutes.
  • Customer success experts can assist with subscription setup, marketing, and more.

Pros & Cons

The table below shows the pros and cons of Subify Subscriptions App

Pros:

  • Easy-to-use application for automating recurring payments and managing subscriptions.
  • Offers a variety of subscription options, including product subscriptions, subscription boxes, and memberships.
  • Customizable and synchronized widgets enhance the user experience.
  • Quick configuration and direct integration with the Shopify admin.
  • The customer portal allows for easy management of subscriptions, including skipping, pausing, or canceling.
  • Solid and responsive 24/7 customer support team.
  • Customer success experts are available to assist with subscription setup and marketing.

Cons:

  • Limited free trial period 
  • Pricing plans may be more suitable for businesses with higher subscription volumes.
  • Some advanced features may require technical knowledge to utilize fully.
  • A limited number of reviews compared to some other subscription apps.

Who is it for 

Subify Subscriptions App is suitable for businesses of various scales and industries that want to offer recurring products and services to their customers. It can benefit:

  • Small and Medium-Sized Businesses: Subify provides an easy-to-use solution for businesses looking to implement subscription-based offerings without complex setup processes.
  • E-commerce Stores: Businesses operating in the e-commerce industry can leverage Subify to streamline their subscription management, automate recurring payments, and enhance customer loyalty.
  • Retailers: Retail businesses can use Subify to offer subscription boxes, recurring product bundles, or membership programs to attract and retain customers.
  • Service-Based Businesses: Subify can be utilized by service-based businesses, such as digital agencies or consultancy firms, to offer subscription-based services and create predictable revenue streams.
  • Subscription-Based Startups: Startups focused on subscription models can utilize Subify to manage their subscriptions, provide a seamless customer experience, and grow their recurring revenue.

Recurpay: Subscriptions App

With its seamless support, robust APIs, and flexible features, Recurpay offers an alternative to traditional subscription apps, empowering businesses to unlock the potential of recurring orders and payments.

Why we love this app:

The Recurpay: Subscriptions app caters to businesses of all sizes and offers a seamless subscription experience. With its powerful APIs and multicurrency flexibility, businesses can easily manage recurring orders and payments. The app also provides migration assistance, giving businesses a smooth transition from old subscription apps. 

With customer portal control, discounts, free shipping, recharges, and the opportunity to earn $100/month in free subscription revenue, Recurpay offers a revolutionary approach to subscriptions. It’s the perfect choice for businesses looking for a new-age alternative to traditional subscription apps. 

Customer subscription portal

Rating

  • Score: 5.0/5.0 with 276 reviews on Shopify

Highlight Features of The App: 

Here are some highlight features of Recurpay: Subscriptions App:

  • Easy configuration of ongoing or prepaid subscriptions on your store.
  • Renew subscriptions on a specific day or date of the month.
  • The customer portal allows customers to edit, skip, reschedule, and cancel subscriptions.
  • Automatic synchronization of the latest product prices from your store for subscription orders.
  • Support for popular payment gateways, including Paypal subscriptions, Stripe subscriptions, and Shopify Subscriptions.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Seamlessly supports recurring orders and payments.
  • Robust APIs provide flexibility and customization options.
  • Multicurrency support allows businesses to cater to international customers.
  • Migration assistance ensures a smooth transition from old subscription apps.
  • Customer portal control enables customers to manage their subscriptions easily.
  • Discounts, free shipping, and the subscription experience.
  • Opportunity to earn $100/month in free subscription revenue.

Cons:

  • Limited pricing options
  • The learning curve for advanced features

Who is it for 

Recurpay: Subscriptions App is suitable for businesses of all scales and across various industries. It provides flexible subscription management solutions that can be tailored to meet the specific needs of different businesses. 

Whether you run a small startup or a large enterprise, Recurpay offers the tools and features to streamline recurring orders and payments. It is an ideal choice for businesses looking to implement or enhance their subscription offerings.

Yotpo Subscriptions

Yotpo Subscriptions is a powerful Shopify app designed to enhance the shopping experience and boost recurring revenue for brands.

Why we love this app: 

We love Yotpo Subscriptions offers an intuitive and user-friendly solution for brands to increase their recurring revenue. With this app, brands can provide customers with an easy and seamless shopping experience, fulfilling their desire for a convenient way to shop. 

Yotpo Subscriptions is specifically built for Shopify, ensuring smooth catalog management and providing robust analytics that enables businesses to gain valuable insights from customer data and scale their operations. Whether in any niche, Yotpo Subscriptions is a versatile tool to help you start your subscription journey.

Easy to use, no code needed

Pricing 

Here is the pricing structure for Yotpo Subscriptions

  • Free: $0 until exceeds $500 in monthly subscription sales
  • Paid plan: 1% per additional transaction, no monthly fees

Rating

  • Score: 4.5/5.0 with 102 reviews on Shopify

Here are some highlight features of Yotpo Subscriptions:

  • 8-minute onboarding and 5 easy steps to launch subscriptions with no coding required.
  • Frictionless experience for shoppers, allowing them to add, change, and cancel subscriptions easily.
  • Automated SMS updates to keep shoppers informed and engaged, leading to longer subscriptions.
  • Effortless 48-hour migration from any Shopify subscription solution is done for you.
  • 24-hour live-chat customer support and access to strategists who can assist you in getting started.

Pros & Cons

The table below shows the pros and cons of Yotpo Subscriptions

Pros:

  • Seamlessly supports recurring orders and payments.
  • Robust APIs provide flexibility and customization options.
  • Multicurrency support allows businesses to cater to international customers.
  • Migration assistance ensures a smooth transition from old subscription apps.
  • Customer portal control enables customers to manage their subscriptions easily.
  • Discounts, free shipping, and the subscription experience.
  • Opportunity to earn $100/month in free subscription revenue.

Cons:

  • Limited pricing options
  • The learning curve for advanced features

Who is it for 

Yotpo Subscriptions is suitable for businesses of various scales and industries. It is ideal for businesses wanting to enhance the shopping experience and boost recurring revenue. Whether you are a small or large business in any industry, Yotpo Subscriptions provides a user-friendly solution to help you effectively manage and grow your subscription-based sales.

Subscriptions Recurring Orders

With easy setup and a mobile-first subscription picker, Subscriptions Recurring Orders enables businesses to offer any product through recurring subscriptions, making it effortless to convert shoppers into loyal paying customers.

Why we love this app: 

Subscriptions Recurring Orders enable businesses to offer recurring subscriptions for any product effortlessly. With a simple setup process that takes only a minute, you can choose the product and set the billing interval, and the app takes care of the rest. 

Subscriptions Recurring Orders converts shoppers into loyal paying customers

The mobile-first subscription picker enhances conversion, turning more shoppers into paying customers. Join popular brands like PoleJunkie, XtendLife, FitFarm, Revel Nail, Yard Card Blvd, Jacob Bromwell, and many others in using Propel Subscriptions to drive revenue growth and foster customer loyalty.

Rating

  • Score: 4.9/5.0 with 244 reviews on Shopify

Highlight Features of The App: 

Here are some highlight features of Subscriptions Recurring Orders

  • Automatic billing based on the chosen billing interval
  • Self-service subscription management for customers, reducing support tickets
  • Loyalty rewards with deeper discounts for long-term customers
  • Streamlined operations with billing subscriptions on the same date
  • Enhanced customer communication through advanced email notifications

Pros & Cons.

The table below shows the pros and cons of Subscriptions Recurring Orders

Pros:

  • The easy setup process and mobile-first subscription picker
  • Enables businesses to offer recurring subscriptions for any product
  • Convenient automatic billing based on the chosen interval
  • Self-service subscription management for customers, reducing support tickets
  • Loyalty rewards with deeper discounts for long-term customers
  • Streamlined operations with billing subscriptions on the same date
  • Enhanced customer communication through advanced email notifications

Cons:

  • The free plan includes a 3% transaction fee.

Who is it for 

Subscriptions Recurring Orders is suitable for businesses of various scales and industries. It can benefit:

  • Small and medium-sized businesses: Subscriptions Recurring Orders offers an accessible and user-friendly solution for businesses looking to implement recurring subscription models, regardless of size or industry.
  • E-commerce stores: Online retailers can leverage Subscriptions and Recurring Orders to expand their product offerings and create a recurring revenue stream. It applies to various industries, including fashion, beauty, health, home goods, and more.
  • Subscription-based businesses: Companies primarily operating on a subscription-based model can utilize Subscriptions Recurring Orders to manage recurring billing and streamline subscription management processes.
  • Growing businesses: As businesses scale and experience increased customer demand, Subscriptions Recurring Orders provides a scalable solution to manage and automate recurring orders, allowing for efficient growth.

Best Shopify Subscription Apps: FAQs

Step 1: Go to the Shopify app store.
Step 2: Search for the subscription app you want to use.
Step 3: Click on the app you have chosen to see its details and features.
Step 4: Click the “Add app” button to add the subscription app to your Shopify store.
Step 5: Follow the app’s instructions to set it up according to your business needs.
When you cancel a Shopify app subscription, any subscription data you created within the app (except for contracts and customer payment information) will be deleted after 48 hours. If the app offers a backup mechanism, you can restore this data later.
To manage your Shopify app subscriptions, you can use the following steps:
  • Step 1: Go to your Shopify admin.
  • Step 2: Click on “Customers” in the sidebar.
  • Step 3: Click “More filters” and select “Subscriptions” under the filter section.
This will filter your customers based on their subscription status, allowing you to manage and view subscription-related information.
A subscription app can significantly impact your customers’ shopping experience in several ways:
Convenience: Subscription apps allow customers to subscribe to products or services they regularly purchase, saving them time and effort in reordering.
Personalization: Customers can customize their subscription preferences, such as delivery frequency or product selection, to align with their needs and preferences.
Discounts and benefits: Subscription apps often offer incentives, such as discounts or exclusive perks, to customers who opt for subscriptions, enhancing their shopping experience.
Automation: Subscription apps automate recurring orders and payments, reducing the need for customers to place orders manually and ensuring a seamless and consistent experience.
Many Shopify subscription apps integrate with other business tools to streamline operations and enhance functionality. Integration options include payment gateways, email marketing platforms, inventory management systems, and more. The specific integrations available will depend on the subscription app you choose.
Yes, there are free subscription apps available for Shopify. These apps offer free subscription functionality, allowing you to test and explore subscription models without upfront expenses. 

Final Words

This article has provided valuable insights into the top Shopify subscription apps. These apps offer powerful features to help businesses implement and manage subscription services, ultimately leading to increased revenue and customer loyalty. 

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Sam Nguyen is the CEO and founder of Avada Commerce, an e-commerce solution provider headquartered in Singapore. He is an expert on the Shopify e-commerce platform for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems. Sam loves talking about e-commerce and he aims to help over a million online businesses grow and thrive.