SubscriptionsHead to head · Compared 2026-10-14
Recharge vs Appstle Subscriptions (vs Ayra): which Shopify subscriptions app in 2026?
Recharge is a subscriptions platform with bundles, workflows and an API, priced from $99/mo plus a per-transaction fee on its published plans. Appstle Subscriptions is priced by monthly subscription revenue, from free up to $500/mo to $100/mo, with a 0% transaction fee. Ayra replaces both for subscription basics with a 0% transaction fee and adds loyalty points on renewals and churn-risk flows on the same profile, while conceding Recharge-level depth at launch.
01 Feature table
Recharge, Appstle Subscriptions and Ayra, row by row.
| Capability | Recharge | Appstle Subscriptions | Ayra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loyalty | |||
| Points & earn rules | — | — | Yes |
| Store credit rewards | Partial source | — | Yes |
| VIP tiers | — | — | Yes |
| Checkout redemption (no code paste) | — | — | Yes |
| POS earn / redeem | — | — | Yes |
| Points on reviews / referrals | Partial source | — | Yes |
| Referrals | |||
| Two-sided rewards | — | — | Yes |
| Fraud / clawback protection | — | — | Yes |
| WhatsApp share | — | — | Yes |
| Reviews | |||
| Photo / video reviews | — | — | Yes Beta wave 2 |
| Q&A | — | — | Yes |
| Delivery-timed requests | — | — | Yes |
| Shop channel / metaobject sync | — | — | Yes |
| Import from other apps | Partial source | Yes source | Partial CSV from Judge.me, Loox, Yotpo; loyalty balances |
| Intent | |||
| Wishlist | — | — | Yes Beta wave 2 |
| Back-in-stock alerts | — | — | Yes Beta wave 2 |
| Price-drop alerts | — | — | Yes |
| Pre-order (selling-plan native) | — | — | Yes Beta wave 2 |
| Programs | |||
| Subscriptions | Yes source | Yes source | Partial Subscribe & save, prepaid, build-a-box basics; no advanced bundles at launch |
| Transaction fee on subscriptions | Yes source | No source | No 0% |
| Skip / swap / pause in account | Partial source | Partial source | Yes |
| Platform | |||
| One customer profile across all of the above | — | — | Yes |
| Conflict / frequency control across channels | — | — | Yes |
| Revenue attribution per module | Partial source | — | Yes |
| New customer accounts (native extensions) | Partial source | Partial source | Yes |
| Theme edits required | — | — | No |
| Shopify Plus checkout extensions | Partial source | Partial source | Yes |
| Third-party integration directory | Yes source | Partial source | No Fewer than incumbents at launch |
| Full email / SMS campaign tool (ESP) | Partial source | Partial source | Partial Retention flows only; not a full ESP at launch |
| Commercial | |||
| Pricing basis | Flat; no transaction fee for the first 50 subscribers | Up to $5,000/mo in subscription revenue | Monthly orders. Every module is included on every plan. |
| Free plan | No | Yes · Up to $500/mo in subscription revenue | Yes · Up to 100 orders/mo |
| Entry paid plan | $25 entry plan · $25/mo | Starter · $10/mo | Growth · $79/mo |
| Migration support | Days to move to Ayra · Contracts move as Shopify subscription contracts; billing dates are preserved. | Days to move to Ayra · Contracts move as Shopify subscription contracts; Appstle add-on apps are not migrated. | Free migration during private beta |
Verified 2026-10-14 from vendor pricing pages and Shopify App Store listings. "—" means we could not verify it from a primary source. Ayra rows marked "Beta wave 2" ship after the first private beta wave.
02 Pricing
Three price lists, one basis column.
Recharge
| Plan | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| $25 entry plan | $25/mo | Flat; no transaction fee for the first 50 subscribers Starter feature set; shown on the App Store listing only, 60-day trial |
| Starter | $99/mo | Flat fee plus 1.49% + 19¢ per transaction For emerging brands; excludes bundles, rewards and referrals |
| Plus | $499/mo | Flat fee plus 1.34% + 19¢ per transaction; 12-month term Bundles, loyalty rewards and referrals, JS SDK and Storefront API |
| Custom | Custom | Volume-based rates, 12-month term Discounted pricing available for Shopify Plus merchants |
Transaction fee: Starter 1.49% + 19¢ per transaction; Plus 1.34% + 19¢; $25 plan waives it for the first 50 subscribers source
Appstle Subscriptions
| Plan | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to $500/mo in subscription revenue Pay-as-you-go and prepaid subscriptions, native customer portal, hands-on migration |
| Starter | $10/mo | Up to $5,000/mo in subscription revenue 0% transaction fee; loyalty features, SMS notifications; $96/yr |
| Business | $30/mo | Up to $15,000/mo in subscription revenue 0% transaction fee; build-a-box, bundling, retention tools; $288/yr |
| Business Premium | $100/mo | Up to $100,000/mo in subscription revenue 0% transaction fee; product swap, checkout links, custom email domain; $960/yr |
Transaction fee: 0% on Starter, Business and Business Premium source
Ayra
Every module included| Plan | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 100 orders/mo |
| Starter | $29/mo | Up to 1,000 orders/mo |
| Growth | $79/mo | Up to 5,000 orders/mo |
| Pro | $199/mo | Up to 20,000 orders/mo |
| Plus | $498/mo | Shopify Plus, scoped per contract |
Transaction fee: 0%. Priced on orders, not on how many modules you turn on.
03 Which to pick
Pick by what you need, not by the longest feature list.
Pick Recharge if
- You need bundles, workflows or a Storefront API for a large subscriber base.
- You want managed implementation and migration.
- A per-transaction fee is acceptable for the depth.
Pick Appstle Subscriptions if
- You want the lowest monthly cost with no transaction fee.
- Your subscription revenue fits a published revenue band.
- You want build-a-box and swap without a platform contract.
Pick Ayra if
- You want subscriptions, loyalty and flows on one profile with one bill.
- You want renewals to earn points and failed payments to start a flow.
- You can wait for beta wave 2 and need the basics, not advanced bundles.
04 FAQ
Recharge vs Appstle Subscriptions questions
Which charges a transaction fee?
Recharge states 1.49% + 19¢ on Starter and 1.34% + 19¢ on Plus. Appstle states 0%. Ayra is 0%.
Which is cheaper?
Appstle on monthly fee: $0 to $100 by revenue band. Recharge: $25 entry, $99 Starter, $499 Plus, plus transaction fees. Ayra is priced on orders with all modules included.
Can subscribers skip, swap and pause?
Recharge lists skip, swap and reschedule; Appstle lists product swap; neither page we checked states pause. Ayra lists skip, swap and pause in the account hub.
Can Ayra migrate from either?
Yes. Active contracts migrate as Shopify subscription contracts, free during private beta.
05 Related
Go deeper
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Ayra vs Recharge
a subscriptions platform for Shopify with bundles, workflows and an API, priced monthly plus a per-transaction fee.
Compared 2026-10-14
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Ayra vs Appstle Subscriptions
a subscriptions app for Shopify priced by monthly subscription revenue with a 0% transaction fee.
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Subscriptions on Shopify's own contracts, with retention built in.
Recharge and Appstle Subscriptions are trademarks of their owners. Ayra is not affiliated. Facts verified 2026-10-14 from public pages; tell us if something is out of date → /contact.