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Subbly vs Recharge
Recharge is a subscription plugin for Shopify: one piece of a store you assemble from a platform, a theme and apps. Subbly is the whole store on one AI-native platform: your agent builds it around your brand, checkout and subscriptions included.
3 days free, then $1/wk for 4 weeksNo card needed14 days freeCancel anytime
20,000+ merchantson Subbly over 11+ years
Startups and brands like these, launched or switched here.
and 1,000s moreThe short answer
Choose Subbly if…
you want your store, checkout and subscriptions in one place, designed around your brand, and changes you make by describing them.
Start for freeChoose Recharge if…
you're happy with your Shopify store and want to add subscriptions to it without changing platforms.
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.
Subbly and Recharge at a glance
How each platform is built, which changes slowly, rather than a feature list, which changes every quarter.
| Area | |  |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms to run | One | Two |
| Subscriptions | Built in, on every Subbly plan | Recharge Starter $99/mo + 1.49% + 19¢, Plus $499/mo + 1.34% + 19¢, on top of Shopify |
| Store and checkout | Designed by your agent around your model | A Shopify theme, with Recharge in the checkout and portal |
| Changing the subscription flow | Describe it to your agent | Recharge settings, theme code, or a developer |
| Payment tokens if you leave | Yours; subscribers come with you | Ask Recharge and Shopify in writing |
| Top tier | Subbly X from $499/mo, with engineers | Recharge Plus $499/mo, plus Shopify (Plus from $2,300/mo) |
| Live help | Launch Club every weekday, 24/7 chat and email | Recharge support plus Shopify support |
Recharge facts checked on 26 September 2026. Sources: Recharge pricing, Shopify Plus pricing. Prices are in US dollars and change; check them before you choose.
“Bottom line... Subbly is user-friendly and reliable. Their support team is awesome. I don't feel I have to worry about messing anything up when I'm working within the software like I did with the last company we used. There is always someone on chat to help. They are prompt in answering my questions in a courteous and friendly manner. The Subbly team is very progressive and always looking for ways to improve and make things easier for us.”
Jamie MillsFounder, Francis & Friends4.8/5 from 220+ reviews, 4.9/5 for support. Read more on Capterra
Why brands move from Recharge to Subbly
The differences that matter once your store is live.
Everything in one place
Recharge is one piece of a store built from Shopify, a theme and apps. On Subbly the store, checkout, subscriptions, portal and automations are one platform, with nothing to connect or keep in sync. Your agent sees all of it, so one message can change the product page, the plan picker and the portal together.
A custom design, not an edited template
With Shopify and Recharge, the store starts from a template and the subscriptions are a plugin fitted into the flow it already has. Your Subbly agent designs the store, checkout and subscription flow around your brand and your model: the box, the tiers, the gift option, the portal your subscribers use.
Read the manifesto
Change the subscription flow yourself
A new tier, a swap option or a different checkout step usually means working across Shopify and Recharge, often with a developer. On Subbly you describe the change and your agent builds it.
One team for the whole store
When a renewal fails on a two-vendor store, the first job is working out whose problem it is. On Subbly one team looks after everything, 24/7 and rated 4.9/5 on Capterra, and Launch Club is live every weekday to build with you.
Take your subscribers with you
Ask who holds your subscribers' saved cards today, and what happens to them if you leave. On Subbly your customers, data and payment tokens are yours, and if you ever leave, your subscribers come with you.
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.
- 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.
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.”
Moving from Shopify and Recharge
We migrate your subscribers, products and subscription schedules for free.
Cancel Recharge, Shopify and the apps around them: it's one platform now.
Launch Club is live every weekday for the rebuild.
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
Is Subbly a good Recharge alternative?
Yes, if you want everything in one place. Subbly replaces Shopify and Recharge with one platform, where your agent builds the store, checkout, subscriptions and customer portal together, around your brand. Recharge is the better fit if you're happy with your Shopify store and only want to add subscriptions to it.
How much does Recharge cost?
Starter is $99 a month plus 1.49% + 19¢ per transaction, Plus is $499 a month plus 1.34% + 19¢, and Custom is priced by volume. All of it is on top of your Shopify plan.
Does Recharge work without Shopify?
No. Recharge is built for Shopify, so you run and pay for both. Subbly is the whole store on its own: site, checkout, subscriptions and customer portal, with no Shopify needed.
Is Subbly good for subscription boxes?
It's what Subbly was built for. Build-a-box, gifting, memberships, churn tools and a customer portal where subscribers skip, swap or pause are all part of the platform, which has run subscription stores for over 11 years.
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.
How do I move from Recharge to Subbly?
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.
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.
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
Run your whole store on one platform
Move your subscribers for free and run your store, checkout and subscriptions from one place.
3 days free, then $1/wk for 4 weeksNo card needed14 days freeCancel anytime
