We scored 11 Shopify subscription apps on live App Store pricing, free plans, retention tools and real merchant reviews, so you can pick the right one in five minutes.
A subscriber is worth about three times as much as a one-time customer, according to Recharge's routine economy report, and 60% of its subscribers reach a third order. When subscribers are given the option to pause, about a quarter of them pause instead of cancelling, according to Recurly's 2025 State of Subscriptions. The best Shopify subscription app for your store decides how many of those subscribers you keep, and how much of each renewal you keep after fees.
Shopify offers a free first-party app, Shopify Subscriptions, but most stores outgrow it once they need bundles, prepaid plans or cancel flows. Appstle and Recharge alone run on more than 34,000 Shopify stores, per StoreCensus. We scored 11 free and paid subscription apps on the same six criteria, with every price and rating checked on the Shopify App Store on October 27, 2026.
Quick answer: The best paid Shopify subscription app in 2026 is Appstle Subscriptions, and the best free one is Fast Subscriptions. For a free start with low fees later, pick Joy. To cut churn, pick Loop. For the biggest ecosystem at scale, pick Recharge.
Free up to $500 a month in subscriptions, then $10 to $100 a month, with a 0% transaction fee on every plan.
Get Appstle >
Completely free with no listed limits. Boxes, memberships, a pause, skip and swap portal and retention offers are all included.
Get Fast Subscriptions Free >- Appstle scores highest (9.2 out of 10), with the lowest real cost and the widest features, and no transaction fee.
- Three established apps have free plans: Appstle (up to $500 a month in subscriptions), Joy and Loop (up to 50 active subscriptions).
- Transaction fees decide your real cost. They range from 0% (Appstle and Kaching) to 2% (Bold's Launch plan).
- Skio, Stay AI and Ordergroove start at $499 to $2,917 a month, so they only pay off for larger brands.
- Fast Subscriptions and Rapid Subscriptions are free and new in 2026, but have only four months of reviews.
How we compared these Shopify subscription apps
We started from the Shopify App Store's subscriptions category and shortlisted widely used apps with recent reviews, plus two free apps launched in 2026. For each app we read the live listing, every plan, recent reviews and the 1 and 2 star reviews, along with Shopify Community threads where merchants discuss subscription apps. Every app was scored out of 10 on the same six criteria:
The monthly price, the transaction fee and any revenue cap, worked out for a typical small to mid-size store. A 0% fee scores higher than a 1.49% fee at the same plan price.
How much you can do before paying anything, or how long the trial is if there is no free plan.
Support for subscribe and save, prepaid plans, build-a-box, bundles, memberships and digital products.
The customer portal (skip, pause, swap), cancellation flows, dunning and payment retries, and win-back offers.
The rating together with the number of reviews, time on the App Store, and what recent low-star reviews say. A 5.0 from thousands of merchants counts for more than a 5.0 from a few dozen.
The Built for Shopify badge, Shopify POS, Flow and Klaviyo support, and languages.
The weighted total is the score you see in the table. Apps launched in 2026 with fewer than 30 reviews sit in a separate New in 2026 tier, even when their free pricing scores well, because there is not yet enough evidence of how they hold up. We did not accept payment for placement. Prices change often, so check the listing before you install.
Best Shopify subscription apps compared
Here are all 11 apps with their App Store rating, pricing and our score. Tap an app name to jump to its full review.
| App | Rating | Pricing | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Appstle℠ Subscriptions App |
★ 5.0(9,115) | Free to $100/mo, 0% fee | 9.2 |
 2. Joy Subscriptions App |
★ 4.9(465) | Free to $199/mo + 0.5% to 0.75% | 8.2 |
 3. Loop Subscriptions App |
★ 5.0(796) | Free to $399/mo + 0.75% to 1% | 8.1 |
 4. Recharge Subscriptions App |
★ 4.8(3,146) | $25 to $499/mo + up to 1.49% + 19¢ | 7.8 |
 5. Kaching Subscriptions App |
★ 5.0(1,160) | $9.99 to $24.99/mo, 0% fee | 7.8 |
 6. Skio, a Recharge Company |
★ 5.0(244) | $599/mo + 1% + 20¢ | 7.1 |
 7. Stay AI Subscriptions App |
★ 4.9(148) | $499/mo + 1% + 19¢ | 6.8 |
 8. Ordergroove Subscriptions |
★ 5.0(21) | From $2,917/mo, custom | 6.1 |
 9. Bold Subscriptions App |
★ 4.0(381) | $24.99 to $74.99/mo + 0.9% to 2% | 5.9 |
| New in 2026 | |||
| 10. Fast Subscriptions App |
★ 5.0(24) | Free | 7.7 |
 11. Rapid Subscriptions app |
★ 5.0(10) | Free | 6.4 |
| Also consider, not ranked | |||
 Shopify Subscriptions |
★ 3.7(876) | Free | 6.5 |
Ratings and review counts are from each app's Shopify App Store listing on October 27, 2026. Scores are out of 10. Payment processing fees apply on top of every app's price.
The 11 best Shopify subscription apps reviewed
Each review covers what the app does best, its key features, what merchants praise and complain about in their own reviews, its pros and cons, and its current plans from the Shopify App Store.
1. Appstle℠ Subscriptions App
Appstle Subscriptions is the subscription app most Shopify stores end up on, and it earns our top spot on value. It runs on about 18,100 Shopify stores, more than any other subscription app according to StoreCensus, and it has 9,115 reviews at a 5.0 rating. It also holds the Built for Shopify badge, which Shopify gives to apps that meet its standards for speed, design and integration.
Pricing is tied to your monthly subscription revenue, not your order count, and no plan takes a cut of your renewals. You can run subscriptions for free until you pass $500 a month, then pay $10, $30 or $100 a month as you grow to $100,000. A store doing $10,000 a month in subscriptions pays $30. An app with a 0.75% to 1.49% fee would take $75 to $149 from the same revenue in transaction fees alone.
The feature list covers almost every subscription model: pay-as-you-go and prepaid plans, build-a-box and bundles, loyalty discounts and rewards, a passwordless customer portal, and retention tools that offer a discount or a pause before a customer cancels. It works with Shopify POS, Flow, Klaviyo and Gorgias, and the team moves your subscribers over from another app for free.
Key features
- Pay-as-you-go and prepaid subscriptions
- Build-a-box and bundles (Business plan)
- Passwordless customer portal with one-click actions
- Loyalty discounts and rewards for subscribers
- Retention tools and cancellation control
- Shopify POS, Flow, Klaviyo and Gorgias integrations
What merchants say
Support is the part reviewers mention most, usually 24/7 chat that fixes a problem in minutes. Others praise the done-for-you migration, saying everything was set up for them right away.
“Hands down the best customer service I have ever received from any company”Aura Factor, October 2026
The most common complaint is about Shop Pay. Some merchants say subscribers who paid with Shop Pay cannot update an expired card, so renewals fail. The same problem appears with other apps in Shopify Community threads. A July 2026 reviewer also objected to subscriber data being limited after passing the free plan cap.
“This app is not working with Shop Pay.”Dive Bomb Industries, September 2025
- No transaction fee on any plan
- Free up to $500 a month in subscriptions
- The widest feature set under $100 a month
- Built for Shopify, with POS and Flow support
- Settings are spread across many screens
- Build-a-box needs the $30 Business plan
- APIs and webhooks need a talk with sales
Pricing
Every plan has a 0% transaction fee and a 14-day free trial, and yearly billing saves 20%.
| Plan | Price per month | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to $500/mo in subscriptions, prepaid plans, portal, payment retry, migration |
| Starter | $10 | Up to $5,000/mo, passwordless login, loyalty features, SMS notifications |
| Business | $30 | Up to $15,000/mo, build-a-box, bundles, retention and cancellation tools |
| Business Premium | $100 | Up to $100,000/mo, product swap, checkout links, custom email domain |
most stores, from the first subscriber up to $100,000 a month, that want to keep every dollar of each renewal.
2. Joy Subscriptions App
Joy Subscriptions is the fastest-growing app on this list. It launched in August 2024 and already has 465 reviews at 4.9, the Built for Shopify badge and a widget and portal translated into six languages. It comes from the team behind Joy Loyalty, so points and subscriptions can work together in one store.
Its free plan is more generous than most. You get up to 50 active subscriptions, the customer portal, a widget the team rebuilds to match your theme for free, performance reports, 12 subscription flow triggers, and Klaviyo, Shopify Flow and POS integrations. When you outgrow it, Joy takes 0.75% per order on Starter and 0.5% on Professional, the lowest percentage fee of the paid apps here, with no fixed charge per order.
Starter is where the serious tools unlock: fixed bundles and build-your-own boxes, cancellation and win-back flows, dunning with smart retries, churn and LTV reports, and Admin and Storefront APIs. Professional adds mystery boxes, a custom portal through the Storefront API, inventory forecasts and an account manager on Slack.
Key features
- Free customer portal and widget, with a free widget rebuild
- 12 subscription flow triggers on the free plan
- Fixed bundles, build-your-own and mystery boxes
- Cancellation, win-back flows and subscriber perks
- Dunning with smart retry logic
- Churn, LTV and retention reports
What merchants say
Merchants mostly praise how fast support replies. Shopify's own review summary also points to low fees, a stable portal and dunning, and help with widget customization and migrations.
“Avery assisted me and got on chat within seconds of my inquiry.”GiaNina Coffee & Tea, July 2026
Joy has only six 1-star reviews, and they mention backend problems such as missing or duplicate orders, plus messy data during migration.
“The import was full of problems regarding addresses.”colombiancoffeeus, January 2026
- Free for your first 50 active subscriptions
- The lowest percentage fee of the paid apps (0.5%)
- Built for Shopify, with a widget in six languages
- Works with Joy Loyalty, Klaviyo and POS
- Bundles and cancel flows need the $49 plan
- Younger than Recharge or Appstle
- A few reports of order and import bugs
Pricing
Paid plans have a 14-day free trial and no fixed per-order charge.
| Plan | Price per month | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 50 active subscriptions, portal, widget, reports, 12 flow triggers |
| Starter | $49 + 0.75% | Bundles, build-your-own boxes, cancellation and win-back, dunning, APIs |
| Professional | $199 + 0.5% | Mystery boxes, custom portal, JavaScript SDK, inventory forecast, account manager |
new and growing stores that want to start free and keep fees low as they scale.
3. Loop Subscriptions App
Loop Subscriptions is built around one job: keeping subscribers longer. It has 796 reviews at 5.0, and it is the app merchants name most often when they say they left Recharge for something more hands-on.
Its retention tools are the strongest in the mid-price range. Starter includes personalized cancellation flows and offers, smart dunning with up to 15 payment retries, one-click checkout links with tracking, a branded portal with upsells, and fixed and build-your-own bundles. Pro adds gamified subscriber journeys, prepaid and gift subscriptions, a multilingual portal, APIs and a dedicated success manager on Slack. Loop connects to more than 35 apps, including Klaviyo, Gorgias, Attentive and Rebuy.
The free plan covers 50 active subscriptions with a mobile-friendly portal and growth analytics, which is enough to test demand. The step up to Starter, at $99 a month plus 1%, is the steepest on this list, so plan for it before you pass 50 subscribers.
Key features
- Personalized cancellation flows and save offers
- Smart dunning with up to 15 retries
- Fixed and build-your-own bundles
- One-click checkout links with tracking
- Branded customer portal with upsells
- 35+ integrations, including Klaviyo and Gorgias
What merchants say
Onboarding and support come up again and again. Shopify's review summary says merchants recommend Loop even though it costs more than most.
“Excellent app, and fantastic onboarding service.”GØDHEAD COFFEE, October 2026
Loop has only five low-star reviews. They mention slow replies, with one reviewer waiting one to two days for support in April 2026, and limited help for stores on the free plan.
“They only support you if you get one of the paid plans.”Magic T, September 2024
- Free forever for 50 active subscriptions
- The best churn tools in the mid-price range
- Hands-on, tested migrations
- More than 35 integrations
- A big jump from free to $99 a month plus 1%
- Limited support on the free plan
- Premium pricing as you scale
Pricing
Starter and Pro have a 14-day free trial.
| Plan | Price per month | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 50 active subscriptions, mobile portal, alerts, growth analytics |
| Starter | $99 + 1% | Bundles, checkout links, branded portal, 15-retry dunning, cancel flows |
| Pro | $399 + 0.75% | Dedicated CSM, gamified journeys, prepaid and gift subscriptions, APIs |
growing DTC brands where churn is the number one problem.
4. Recharge Subscriptions App
Recharge is the original Shopify subscription app. It has been on the App Store since October 2014, has 3,146 reviews at 4.8, and runs on about 16,000 Shopify stores. In 2026 it acquired Skio, and the combined business serves more than 20,000 merchants and processes over $20 billion a year, according to Pulse 2.0.
Its biggest strength is the ecosystem. Almost every retention, helpdesk and analytics tool connects to Recharge first. The core plan includes a no-code portal for skips, swaps and reschedules, cancellation prevention, failed payment recovery, upsells and cross-sells, and analytics with industry benchmarks. Plus adds custom bundles, tiered discounts, concierge SMS, loyalty, referrals and developer SDKs. It works with Shopify POS, Flow, Klaviyo, Gorgias and Attentive.
The trade-off is cost. A $25 plan covers your first 50 subscribers with no transaction fee, but after that Starter costs $99 a month plus 1.49% and 19¢ per order. At $10,000 a month in subscriptions, that is $99 plus $149 in percentage fees, plus 19¢ on every order.
Key features
- No-code portal for skips, swaps and reschedules
- Cancellation prevention and win-back
- Failed payment recovery
- Upsell and cross-sell tools
- Analytics with industry benchmarks
- Bundles, SMS, loyalty and SDKs on Plus
What merchants say
Reviewers value its reliability and depth, and many thank named support agents. Shopify's review summary says merchants see it as a dependable platform that scales and cuts manual work.
“The portal is packed with data.”Neupulse, August 2026
Price is the main complaint. Other low-star reviews mention bugs after updates and slow escalations. Recharge has 148 one-star reviews, about 5% of the total.
“A company like ReCharge that will just keep raising prices”8 Billion Trees, March 2026
- The largest integration ecosystem
- Proven at very large scale
- 60-day free trial
- Bundles, SMS, loyalty and APIs in one stack
- 1.34% to 1.49% plus 19¢ on every order
- Price increases mentioned in recent reviews
- More than a small store needs
Pricing
Recharge offers a 60-day free trial. Enterprise pricing is available on request.
| Plan | Price per month | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | $25 | First 50 subscribers, full Starter features, no transaction fee |
| Starter | $99 + 1.49% + 19¢ | Widget, no-code portal, upsells, cancellation prevention, payment recovery |
| Plus | $499 + 1.34% + 19¢ | Hands-on setup, bundles, tiered discounts, SMS, loyalty, referrals, SDK |
established and fast-growing brands that need proven infrastructure and every integration.
5. Kaching Subscriptions App
Kaching Subscriptions comes from the team behind the popular Kaching Bundles app. It launched in June 2025 and already has 1,160 reviews at 5.0, the Built for Shopify badge and support for 11 languages.
Its pricing is the simplest on this list. Plans cost $9.99, $14.99 or $24.99 a month depending on your subscription revenue, every plan includes every feature, and there is no transaction fee. The catch is that the top plan stops at $10,000 a month in subscription revenue, and the free plan only works on development stores.
You can sell pay-per-delivery and prepaid subscriptions with several delivery frequencies, add buy-one-get-one and buy-X-get-Y discounts, and customize the widget, portal and emails. Payment retries, analytics with forecasts, 24/7 live support and native links to Kaching Bundles, Klaviyo and Shopify POS are included. Shopify's review summary says many merchants see a higher average order value when they pair subscriptions with bundles.
Key features
- Pay-per-delivery and prepaid subscriptions
- BOGO and buy-X-get-Y automatic discounts
- Widget, portal and email customization
- Payment retry with multiple frequencies
- Analytics and forecasts
- Kaching Bundles, Klaviyo and POS integrations
What merchants say
Price and the bundles pairing. Another reviewer called it much better priced than the alternatives, and several thank support agents by name.
“A must have if you have kaching bundles and want to do subscriptions”Clearskin, October 2026
A few 1-star reviews describe wrong subscription prices being shown or charged in some setups, which the developer partly puts down to Shopify platform limits. One coffee store said a missed setting led to failed renewals.
“Cost me approx $3K because 1 setting was not checked.”Pop Culture Coffee, March 2026
- No transaction fee
- Every feature from $9.99 a month
- Fast 24/7 live support
- Pairs with Kaching Bundles
- No free plan for live stores
- Plans stop at $10,000 a month in revenue
- A few reports of pricing bugs
Pricing
All plans have no transaction fee and a 14-day free trial. The free plan is for development stores only.
| Plan | Price per month | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $9.99 | Up to $1,000/mo in subscription revenue, all features |
| Basic | $14.99 | Up to $3,000/mo, all features |
| Growth | $24.99 | Up to $10,000/mo, all features |
small and growing stores that want a flat, low price, especially if they already use Kaching Bundles.
6. Skio, a Recharge Company
Skio built its name on a clean, modern subscriber experience. Customers log in without a password, manage orders through quick links, and move through a portal that reviewers call one of the best in the category. It has 244 reviews at 5.0, and brands such as Glucose Goddess and Tubby Todd mention it in their reviews.
Retention is where Skio stands out. Its multi-step cancel flow builder offers pauses, swaps and save offers before a customer leaves, and automated lifecycle journeys handle welcome, win-back and upsell messages. You also get static, dynamic and sectioned build-a-box, smart payment recovery, real-time analytics and segmentation, and a zero-downtime migration.
Recharge acquired Skio in 2026. The two products still run separately, so ask about the roadmap before you commit. The main barrier is price: $599 a month, or $5,988 a year, plus 1% and 20¢ per order, with no free plan.
Key features
- No-code customer portal
- Passwordless login and quick actions
- Multi-step cancel flow builder
- Automated lifecycle journeys
- Build-a-box: static, dynamic or sectioned
- Smart payment recovery and real-time analytics
What merchants say
Merchants praise the dedicated success managers and the portal. Glucose Goddess said it shifts control to the customer in a really clean way.
“Skio is hands down the best subscription tool out there.”The Absorption Company, April 2026
Skio has only one low-star review, from 2022, and Skio says the features it asked for now exist. The practical drawback is price. Some merchants in Shop Pay card update threads also run Skio, so that issue is not unique to cheaper apps.
- The cleanest, most modern portal
- Cancel flows with measurable results
- White-glove onboarding and account managers
- Zero-downtime migration
- $599 a month minimum, no free plan
- Product roadmap tied to the Recharge merger
- Hard to justify for small stores
Pricing
Skio lists one self-serve plan on the App Store. More options are on its own pricing page.
| Plan | Price per month | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Scale (monthly) | $599 + 1% + 20¢ | Portal, cancel flows, journeys, build-a-box, analytics, payment recovery, migration |
| Scale (yearly) | $5,988/yr + 1% + 20¢ | Same features, 17% saving |
premium DTC brands that treat the subscriber experience as part of their brand.
7. Stay AI Subscriptions App
Stay AI is built for brands that treat subscriptions as a growth channel, not just a billing tool. Its RetentionEngine predicts churn and forecasts subscription revenue, and ExperienceEngine runs promotions across the subscriber journey. It has 148 reviews at 4.9, and many reviewers say they moved over from Recharge, Bold, Loop or Skio.
Beyond the AI layer, you get a no-code customer portal you can fully customize, churn prevention tools, advanced analytics, assisted migration and a high-touch success team. Pricing is one plan at $499 a month plus 1% and 19¢ per order, with a 30-day free trial. Enterprise options are listed on Stay AI's own pricing page.
Key features
- RetentionEngine churn prediction
- Subscription revenue forecasting
- ExperienceEngine promotions
- Fully customizable no-code portal
- Advanced analytics
- Assisted migration and a dedicated success team
What merchants say
Reliability and smooth setup. Shopify's review summary highlights seamless migrations and strategic, white-glove support.
“The platform just works, which is all you want”~Pourri, May 2026
Stay AI has only one 1-star review. A June 2026 reviewer felt account management was less proactive than promised.
“another case of overpromising and underdelivering.”Rootless Coffee Company, June 2026
- Every feature on one plan
- Smooth migrations from other apps
- AI churn and revenue forecasting
- $499 a month with no lower tier
- Smaller review base than older apps
- Account management depth can vary
Pricing
One plan on the App Store, with a 30-day free trial.
| Plan | Price per month | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly plan | $499 + 1% + 19¢ | All features, success team, assisted migration |
mid-market brands that want AI-led retention and a strategic success manager.
8. Ordergroove Subscriptions
Ordergroove is an enterprise subscription platform. It supports replenishment, curated, bundle, box and custom subscriptions, and its open APIs let large brands build fully custom experiences, sometimes across more than one commerce platform.
Its tools focus on lifetime value: an incentive framework that lifts enrollment and retention, a subscriber dashboard, credit card refresh and retries, and analytics with a full view of program performance. It is also the most expensive app here. The App Store listing states minimum fees of $2,917 a month, based on the scope of your program.
On Shopify, its track record is thin. It has only 21 reviews, all from US brands, and the newest is from February 2024. That is why it ranks eighth despite a deep feature set.
Key features
- Replenishment, curated, bundle and box subscriptions
- Incentives for enrollment and retention
- Subscriber dashboard
- Credit card refresh and payment retries
- 360-degree analytics
- Flexible APIs for custom builds
What merchants say
Brands credit it with higher lifetime value. Another brand said it switched from Recharge and stayed.
“Ordergroove has helped us grow our customer LTV and improve retention.”Hero, February 2024
There are no 1 or 2 star reviews. Milder comments in positive reviews mention a hard setup alongside existing apps, and a wish for more integrations.
- Enterprise-level depth
- Open APIs for custom experiences
- Strategic, hands-on support
- Minimum $2,917 a month
- Implementation takes months, not days
- No Shopify reviews since early 2024
Pricing
Ordergroove is free to install, then priced by program scope.
| Plan | Price per month | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Custom | From $2,917 | Scope-based pricing, sales-led setup |
enterprise brands with large or omnichannel subscription programs.
9. Bold Subscriptions App
Bold Subscriptions is one of the longest-running names in Shopify subscriptions, and its app is built around making each subscriber worth more. Its Subscription Maximizers nudge one-time buyers to subscribe, then add upsells and upgrades after they sign up. Shopify's review summary says some merchants have used it for four to seven years with thousands of subscribers.
It covers prepaid and pay-as-you-go billing, order-based and fixed-date schedules, trial periods, boxes, donations and digital products, with unlimited subscribers on every plan. Cancellation flows, automatic dunning, APIs and free white-glove migration are included, and Bold Custom Pricing adds VIP or wholesale prices.
The problem is reliability. Bold has a 4.0 rating, and 58 of its 381 reviews (about 15%) are 1 or 2 stars. The Launch plan also carries the highest fee on this list at 2%.
Key features
- Subscription Maximizers for upsells
- Prepaid and pay-as-you-go plans
- Order-based and fixed-date schedules
- Cancellation flows and automatic dunning
- Boxes, donations and digital products
- Unlimited subscribers on every plan
What merchants say
Fast, named support. Another store thanked an agent for fixing its subscription box setup.
“Great support. The issue was identified and resolved within a few minutes.”Dorchester Pet Care & Supply, January 2026
Recent 1-star reviews describe double billing after a forced version merge, and an update that broke a store. Older reviews say the new version costs more for less.
“This app took down my shop for 48 hours”Combat Candy, February 2026
- Unlimited subscribers on every plan
- Built-in upsells and upgrades
- Free white-glove migration
- 30-day free trial
- 2% fee on the Launch plan
- 4.0 rating, about 15% low-star reviews
- Recent update and billing complaints
Pricing
Every plan has a 30-day free trial and unlimited subscribers.
| Plan | Price per month | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | $24.99 + 2% | Maximizers, frequencies, dunning, prepaid, standard support |
| Grow | $49.99 + 1% | All Launch features with a lower fee |
| Scale | $74.99 + 0.9% | All Grow features with the lowest fee |
stores that want prepaid plans and built-in upsells on a low monthly fee, and can test carefully first.
10. Fast Subscriptions App
Fast Subscriptions launched in June 2026 and packs a lot into a free app. Beyond subscribe and save, it supports prepaid plans, subscription boxes, memberships, access and digital product subscriptions, with loyalty perks for members. It is translated into 14 languages and works with Klaviyo, Shopify Flow and Shopify POS.
Customers get a portal to pause, skip, swap or cancel, and you get smart payment retries, retention offers, white-label emails from your own domain, and analytics covering average order value, lifetime value, cohort retention, a revenue calendar and an inventory forecast.
It sits in our New in 2026 tier because its history is short. It has 24 reviews, all 5 stars, and most were written within days of installing, so they describe setup more than long-term reliability.
Key features
- Prepaid plans and subscription boxes
- Memberships and digital subscriptions with perks
- Pause, skip, swap and cancel portal
- Smart retries and retention offers
- White-label emails from your own domain
- AOV, LTV and cohort analytics with inventory forecast
What merchants say
Early reviewers mention a quick setup and helpful support staff.
“Simple and easy to use, great addition to our store functionality.”Better Mess, October 2026
There are no complaints yet. With only four months on the App Store, there is not enough history to judge how it holds up at scale.
- Free, with no listed limits
- Built for Shopify badge
- Memberships and digital subscriptions included
- 14 languages, Klaviyo, Flow and POS
- Only four months on the App Store
- Smaller integration list than older apps
Pricing
Fast Subscriptions lists a single free plan.
| Plan | Price per month | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | All features: boxes, memberships, portal, retries, analytics |
new stores that want boxes or memberships without a monthly bill.
Disclosure: our team helped build Fast Subscriptions. It was reviewed on the same criteria as every other app and sits in the New in 2026 tier because of its short review history.
11. Rapid Subscriptions app
Rapid Subscriptions launched in June 2026 from a developer that also makes bundle, upsell and cart drawer apps. It keeps things simple: subscriptions on products, flexible delivery frequencies, fixed and dynamic pricing, and a no-code portal where customers can skip, cancel or reschedule.
It also covers curated, access and box subscriptions, automatic payment retries and Shopify POS. It is free, with no plans or limits listed. Like Fast Subscriptions, it sits in our New in 2026 tier: it has 10 reviews, all 5 stars, and many were posted within a day or two of installing.
Key features
- Subscriptions on any product
- Flexible delivery frequencies
- No-code portal to skip, cancel and reschedule
- Automatic payment retries
- Curated, access and box subscriptions
- Shopify POS support
What merchants say
Reviewers like its simplicity. One reviewer uses it for supplement subscriptions.
“Does exactly what you need for subscriptions, its clean, simple, no fluff.”Nexis, August 2026
No complaints yet, but with 10 reviews and four months on the App Store, it is too early to judge reliability.
- Free
- Very simple setup
- Shopify POS support
- Only 10 reviews
- English only
- Fewer retention tools than the paid apps
Pricing
Rapid Subscriptions lists a single free plan.
| Plan | Price per month | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Subscriptions, portal, payment retries, POS |
stores that want plain subscribe and save for free, or already use Rapid's other apps.
Also consider: Shopify Subscriptions
Shopify Subscriptions is Shopify's own free app, launched in January 2024. It is the simplest way to add subscribe and save: auto-billed subscriptions that renew weekly, monthly or yearly with a discount, a portal where customers can cancel, skip or pause, email templates, basic reporting, and a tool to transfer existing subscription contracts. It works with Shopify POS and customer accounts in 19 languages.
It is not ranked with the others because merchants outgrow it fast. It has a 3.7 rating from 876 reviews, and 19% of them are 1-star. In Shopify Community threads, merchants say it cannot do bundles or build-a-box and gives little control over the widget layout. Use it to test demand on a few products, then move to Appstle, Joy or Loop when you need more.
Key features
- Weekly, monthly or yearly auto-billed subscriptions
- Subscription discounts
- Cancel, skip and pause for customers
- Customizable email templates
- Subscription reporting
- Contract transfer from other apps
What merchants say
It is free, native and quick to switch on, which is why Community replies often suggest it as the first step for very small stores.
Recent 1-star reviews mention purchase options switching unexpectedly, add-to-cart errors, customers who cannot manage their plans, and no way to reach support.
“There is no way to reach out to customer care.”That's All, July 2026
- Free and made by Shopify
- Native POS and customer accounts
- 19 languages
- No bundles or build-a-box
- Limited widget layout control
- 3.7 rating, 19% one-star reviews
Pricing
Shopify Subscriptions is free. You pay only your normal payment processing fees.
| Plan | Price per month | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Subscriptions with discounts, portal, emails, reports, contract transfer |
very small stores testing subscribe and save on a few products.
SlashCart's Shopify team installs, migrates and tests subscription apps for Shopify and Shopify Plus stores, including subscriber and payment method transfers, theme widgets and Klaviyo flows.
Free vs paid: which subscription app fits your stage
You do not need a $499 app on day one. Most stores should start free, prove that customers want to subscribe, and move up only when the free plan's cap or missing tools start to cost you subscribers. Use the guide below to find your step.
Tap the image to open it full size.
All three are free to start: Appstle up to $500 a month in subscriptions, Joy and Loop up to 50 active subscriptions. Fast Subscriptions and Rapid Subscriptions are free too, but new.
Flat monthly prices from $9.99 to $30 with no transaction fee. Bold is an option if you want unlimited subscribers and upsells, but its Launch plan takes 2%.
Joy has the lowest percentage fee, Loop has the strongest churn tools, and Recharge has the biggest integration ecosystem.
From $499 to $2,917 a month or more, with white-glove support, AI forecasting and open APIs.
When to move from a free plan to a paid one. Upgrade when you are close to the free plan's limit, when failed payments start costing you renewals and you need dunning, when customers cancel and you have no save offer to show them, or when you want boxes and bundles. Before you switch, check what the paid plan costs at three times your current subscription revenue, because a percentage fee grows with every renewal.
What about Shopify's own free app? Shopify Subscriptions is fine for testing subscribe and save on a few products, but it cannot do bundles or build-a-box. If you start there, plan your move to one of the free plans above once you need more.
Our verdict: the best Shopify subscription app in 2026
Appstle is the best paid Shopify subscription app for most stores in 2026, for four reasons:
- It costs the least at every size. It is free up to $500 a month in subscriptions, then $10 to $100 a month up to $100,000, and it never takes a cut of a renewal. At $10,000 a month in subscriptions, Recharge Starter costs $99 plus $149 in percentage fees, plus 19¢ per order. Appstle costs $30.
- It has the most features for the price. Prepaid plans, build-a-box, bundles, loyalty rewards, a passwordless portal and retention tools all sit on plans under $100 a month.
- It has the strongest proof. It has 9,115 reviews at 5.0 and is the most installed subscription app on Shopify, on about 18,100 stores.
- It fits Shopify cleanly. It is Built for Shopify, works with POS, Flow and Klaviyo, and includes free hands-on migration from another app.
Pick something else if: churn is your biggest problem (choose Loop), you need the largest integration library (Recharge), you want the simplest free start with a 0.5% fee later (Joy), or you already run Kaching Bundles (Kaching). Whichever app you choose, test a Shop Pay card update before launch, since it is the most common subscription complaint across apps.
If you do not want to pay anything, Fast Subscriptions is the best free Shopify subscription app, for three reasons:
- There is no cap to grow into. Appstle's free plan stops at $500 a month in subscriptions, and Joy and Loop stop at 50 active subscriptions. Fast Subscriptions lists no limits and no transaction fee.
- It includes what other free plans leave out. Subscription boxes, memberships and digital subscriptions are included, where Appstle needs its $30 plan for build-a-box and Joy needs its $49 plan for bundles.
- Retention tools come free. A pause, skip, swap and cancel portal, smart payment retries, retention offers, white-label emails and cohort analytics, plus Klaviyo, Flow, POS and 14 languages. It also holds the Built for Shopify badge.
The honest trade-off: it launched in June 2026 and has 24 reviews so far, so test it on a few products first. Our team helped build it, and it was scored on the same criteria as every other app.
Shopify subscription app FAQs
What is the best subscription app for Shopify?
For most stores, Appstle Subscriptions is the best Shopify subscription app. It is free up to $500 a month in subscriptions, costs $10 to $100 a month after that, takes no transaction fee and has 9,115 reviews at 5.0. Pick Joy for a free start with a low fee later, Loop to reduce churn, or Recharge if you need the biggest integration ecosystem.
What is the best free subscription app for Shopify?
Appstle is the best free option because its free plan covers up to $500 a month in subscriptions with prepaid plans, a customer portal and payment retries. Joy and Loop are free for your first 50 active subscriptions. Fast Subscriptions and Rapid Subscriptions are fully free but launched in 2026, and Shopify's own Shopify Subscriptions app is free but basic.
Can you sell subscriptions on Shopify without an app?
No. Shopify needs a subscription app to sell recurring products. The simplest option is Shopify's free Shopify Subscriptions app, which adds subscribe and save with discounts and a basic portal. It cannot do bundles or build-a-box, so most growing stores use a third-party app.
What Shopify app is best for subscription boxes?
Appstle offers build-a-box and bundles on its $30 Business plan, which is the cheapest way to run a box. Skio has the most flexible build-a-box (static, dynamic or sectioned), Joy adds mystery boxes on its Professional plan, and Loop supports build-your-own bundles. Fast Subscriptions supports boxes for free.
Which Shopify subscription apps have no transaction fees?
Appstle and Kaching charge a 0% transaction fee on every paid plan, and Fast Subscriptions, Rapid Subscriptions and Shopify Subscriptions are free. Recharge, Loop, Joy, Skio, Stay AI and Bold add 0.5% to 2% per order, and some add 19¢ or 20¢. Your payment processor still charges its normal fee on every renewal.
Why can't my Shop Pay subscribers update their card?
Merchants using several apps, including Appstle, Recharge and Skio, report that subscribers who paid with Shop Pay sometimes cannot update an expired card in a way that reaches the subscription, so renewals fail. Ask your app how it handles Shop Pay card updates before launch, test one yourself, and turn on payment retries and card update emails.
How do I stop customers subscribing for the discount and then cancelling?
Use a minimum number of orders before customers can cancel, a smaller first-order discount that grows over time, or one-use codes for new customers only. A cancellation flow that offers a skip, pause or swap also saves many subscribers. Appstle, Joy, Loop, Skio and Stay AI all include tools for this.
Who are the new subscription apps on Shopify in 2026?
Fast Subscriptions and Rapid Subscriptions both launched in June 2026 and are free. Kaching Subscriptions launched in June 2025 and already has more than 1,100 reviews. In 2026, Recharge also acquired Skio, so two of the biggest subscription apps now belong to one company.
Sources. App data, pricing and review quotes come from the Shopify App Store listings and review pages for Appstle, Joy, Loop, Recharge, Kaching, Skio, Stay AI, Ordergroove, Bold, Fast Subscriptions, Rapid Subscriptions and Shopify Subscriptions, checked on October 27, 2026. Install counts are from StoreCensus. Subscriber statistics are from Recharge and Recurly, and merger figures from Pulse 2.0. Merchant discussions: Shopify Community threads Finding the best subscription app, Subscription apps that aren't a ton a month, Best Shopify Subscriptions app, Subscription for entire cart and Shop Pay subscription issues, plus Reddit's What subscription app are you using on your Shopify store and Quora's Which Shopify subscription app is the most popular. Merchant quotes are taken from public App Store reviews.
Related reading
More guides and services from the SlashCart team to help you grow repeat revenue.