How Subbly compares
Most platforms start from a template, and many need a plugin or a second app just to sell subscriptions. Subbly is AI-native: your agent builds your store, checkout and subscriptions around your brand, on one platform. Here's how it compares, with every fact sourced and dated.
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20,000+ merchantson Subbly over 11+ years
Startups and brands like these, launched or switched here.
and 1,000s moreCompare Subbly head to head
Pick the platform you’re on or weighing up. Each page says who it suits, what it costs and how moving works.
General ecommerce
Large platforms built on themes and apps. You'll need a subscription app, and often a developer, for anything the theme can't do.
vs
Subbly vs ShopifyThe biggest store platform, built on themes and an app store. Subscriptions are one more app.Read the comparison- vs
Subbly vs BigCommerceA strong platform for large catalogues and marketplaces, with subscriptions through third-party apps.Read the comparison - vs
Subbly vs WooCommerceOpen source and endlessly extendable, if you're happy to run WordPress, hosting and plugins.Read the comparison
Subscription apps
Plugins that need a parent platform like Shopify. Each is one piece of a store you assemble from a platform, a theme and more apps.
- vs
Subbly vs RechargeThe most popular subscription plugin for Shopify, which it needs to run.Read the comparison - vs
Subbly vs Bold SubscriptionsA subscription plugin for Shopify: one piece of a store you assemble yourself.Read the comparison - vs
Subbly vs PayWhirlA billing plugin for Shopify, BigCommerce or a site you run elsewhere.Read the comparison
Website builders
Templates with a shop added. You'll need to edit a template into your brand and make do with basic subscriptions.
Billing and box platforms
Payment forms or a marketplace listing. You'll need a separate website, or a place on a shelf next to other boxes.
Four ways to build your store
Most founders pick between four approaches. Each one is a good fit for someone.
A general store plus a subscription app
Platforms: Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce
Apps: Recharge, Bold Subscriptions, PayWhirl
Good for
Stores that want the largest theme and app market
What it asks of you later
A second vendor for subscriptions, more apps as you grow, a developer for anything the theme can't do
A website builder with ecommerce and subscriptions added
Examples: Wix, Squarespace
Good for
A simple site with a subscribe button
What it asks of you later
A template your customers have seen before, and limited control over the subscription flow
A billing or payment-form tool on a separate website
Good for
Taking recurring payments on a website you already run somewhere else
What it asks of you later
A website to build and run on another platform, plus emails and customer management, stitched together by you
A subscription box marketplace
Examples: Cratejoy
Good for
Getting in front of box shoppers while you test demand
What it asks of you later
Shoppers who came for the marketplace, and a storefront that looks like the other boxes next to it
Subbly: great ecommerce, built by your agent
Describe your business and your agent designs the store, checkout and portal around your brand, then changes any of it in one message. No templates, no plugins, no developers, no lock-in.
Start for free
Built into every Subbly store
What other platforms add with apps or extra tools, Subbly has in the platform. No apps to install or keep in sync.
Recurring billing
Weekly, monthly or custom schedules, prepaid plans and commitment terms.
Build-a-box and bundles
Customers choose what goes in each box, priced by tier, items and frequency.
Gifting
Gift subscriptions and gift messages, designed into your checkout.
Customer portal
Subscribers skip, swap, pause or update their details themselves.
See the customer portal- And so much more: see all 100+ features
Is Subbly right for you?
Answer six questions in 1-2 minutes and get an instant answer.
No email requiredBuilt for all of ecommerce
Subbly started with subscriptions, the hardest kind of commerce to get right. The same platform runs one-off stores, and stores that sell both.
- One-off productsSingle products and bundles, in a store designed around your brand.
- SubscriptionsRecurring billing, build-a-box, gifting and a customer portal, built in.
- Both, in one checkoutCustomers buy once or subscribe from the same product page.
You don’t need to be big to be great
Agency output at software prices. Your agent does the design and build work you would otherwise hire for, so a great store is where you start, not what you save up for.
Look like you have a designer
A store designed around your brand and vision, not a template.
Move like you have a developer
Any change, checkout included, is one message away.
Run like you have an ops team
Billing, portal and automations on one platform, with nothing to babysit.
In an expert’s hands, it’s a superpower
You don’t need an agency to build something great, but agencies and freelancers get even more from it. The agent does the build hours, so they take on more clients with the team they have, and the benefits grow with every store.
Who owns your payment tokens?
A payment token is the saved card that lets you bill a subscriber next month. On many platforms the platform holds it, so leaving means asking every subscriber to enter their card again, and some of them won't. On Subbly your customers, your data and your payment tokens are yours, and if you ever leave, your subscribers come with you. Ask any platform you're considering to say that in writing.
The new way agencies and freelancers build
You don’t need an agency to build a great store on Subbly. But in an expert’s hands, the agent is a new superpower. It takes on the build hours, so a small studio ships what used to need a big team, and a big team serves more clients than ever, for a fraction of the cost.
Do more with less
Take on more clients with the team you have. A page costs $10 to $50 in credits, and round twelve of feedback costs under a dollar.
Be the power user clients call
Design direction, strategy and the client relationship stay yours. The agent does the build, and you know how to get the most from it.
Help more founders win
When the build costs dollars instead of agency fees, more founders can afford an expert, and get a great store with nothing to babysit after handoff.
Up to $50,000 in perks for every client store you build on Subbly
From $6,000 per client in free agent credits and other perks, for clients who qualify.
- A shared Slack with our team
- Priority support
- Early access to new capabilities
- Your work in our gallery
Build on the platform
A full API and SDKs, without a “plus” price tag, for the custom integrations and tooling a client needs when the agent doesn’t do it yet.
Read our developer documentationsubblyCart.updateCart({ referralId: 569, currencyCode: 'USD', couponCode: 'COUPON_CODE', giftInfo: { startsAt: '2024-01-13', numberOfOrders: 2, }});
Founders and operators love Subbly.
From Capterra reviews and the notes merchants send us.
“The AI website builder confused me at first, but one free demo changed everything and I dove in head first. There was a learning curve, and the help docs and chat support carried me through it.”
“I did not expect building my website to be this easy and I never would have dreamed that I could have this nice of a website without paying designers a lot of money.”
“The builder has taken my website to a place I thought wasn't achievable without employing someone to build it for me. Within a matter of hours I had something that was so much more functional.”
“Setting up recurring subscriptions, tiered protocol pricing, and custom add-ons usually takes hours of developer work, but the AI handled the structure effortlessly.”
Switching is free, and we do it for you
We move your subscribers, products and customers for free.
Your agent rebuilds your store around your brand, not a theme.
Launch Club is live every weekday. Bring your store and we'll build the next part with you.
What we move for you
- Products
- Customers
- Subscribers
- Payment tokens
- 4.9/5
- support rating from 220+ merchants on Capterra
- 24/7
- support, by chat and email
- 9,000+
- subscription founders in the community
Frequently asked questions
Which platform is best for my store?
It depends on what you sell and how much you want to manage. A website builder suits a simple site with a small shop, a general store plus apps suits stores that want the biggest app market, and a billing tool suits recurring payments on a site you already have. Subbly suits brands that want a store designed around them, subscriptions built in, and every change made by describing it.
What's the best platform for a subscription business?
One where subscriptions are built in rather than added by an app, the store looks like your brand, and your customers and payment tokens stay yours. That's what Subbly is built for, and it runs one-off sales just as well. If you only need a subscribe option on a site you already have, a subscription app or billing tool can be enough.
Is Subbly only for subscriptions?
No. Sell one-off products, subscriptions, or both, in one store and one checkout. Subscriptions are where Subbly started, so build-a-box, gifting, memberships and a customer portal are there when you want them.
Do I need to be technical to use Subbly?
No. If you can describe what you want to a designer, you can build it with your agent. Launch Club is live every weekday if you'd rather build it with a person.
How much does Subbly's agent cost?
Credits, included on every plan, with top-ups when you need more. You pay for the work your agent does at software prices, not agency rates, so making your store great is no longer the expensive part.
How does moving to Subbly work?
Our migration team moves your products, customers and subscribers for you, for free. Your agent designs the new store around your brand, using your current site as a reference if you like, and Launch Club is live every weekday while you settle in. Switch to Subbly
Will my subscribers have to re-enter their cards?
Not if their cards are stored in Stripe or PayPal, or your current platform can transfer them to your Stripe account: we import them and billing carries on. If your platform keeps the cards, our Subscription Switch emails each subscriber a secure link to add their card in one step, with no login or checkout, and has brought back up to 84% of subscribers within 11 days.
Can I leave Subbly and take my subscribers with me?
Yes. Your customers, your data and your payment tokens are yours. If you ever leave, your subscribers come with you. We'd rather earn you every month than trap you.
What if I outgrow the self-serve plans?
Subbly X, from $499 a month, adds an account manager, a shared Slack channel, advanced analytics and engineers who build your customizations.
Can my agency or developer work on Subbly?
Yes. You don't need one to build a great store, but in an expert's hands Subbly is a superpower: the agent does the build hours, so they spend theirs on design, strategy and you. See the Agency Program
Mediocre is easy. Subbly is built for great.
Describe your business. See your first draft in minutes. Then build the rest with us, live, every weekday.
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