ReCharge vs Cratejoy for Subscription Products

Thinking about which platform to use to grow your subscription business?

With so many options out there, it can be a tough choice to make — which is why we want to help you weigh your options and find the best solution for your business. In this post, we’ll be looking at two specific subscription billing platforms: ReCharge and Cratejoy.

There are a some key differences to note between the two that we’ll go over in detail below, but at a high level, here’s the major difference between these two tools: Cratejoy is fast to launch and a solid solution for small stores, while ReCharge is better suited for growing businesses that want to own their data.

Now, let’s get into a more detailed breakdown.

Levels of Commitment

If you’re absolutely certain you’re going to stay with your subscription platform forever, Cratejoy is a reliable long-term solution that will serve you well. However, keep in mind that if you decide to migrate to a different subscription platform down the road, any customers won through the marketplace belong to Cratejoy and cannot be taken with you.

ReCharge, in comparison, allows you to leave at any time and take all of your customers with you — always giving you the option of a no-hassle cancellation. ReCharge makes no efforts made to lock you in for any long-term commitments — which forces them to earn your loyalty via stellar support and a constant flow of new features and integrations.

Features and Integrations

Speaking of integrations: MailChimp is fully built into Cratejoy’s architecture, while ReCharge has admittedly a more limited MailChimp connection.

The good news is that with the help of Zapier’s ReCharge MailChimp integration, you can achieve all the same capabilities (and more) by tying these tools together. It’s true that sometimes creating rules for your subscriptions can feel a little complicated, but to simplify that process, ReCharge now offers a helpful ruleset visualizer so you can see how the subscription looks in a calendar schedule. This way, you can be confident everything is set up the way you want before going live with your store.

Business Growth

If you expect steady, consistent revenue for your small business, look no further than Cratejoy. It offers an all-in-one platform with basic tools you need to build your store, and it’s generally a good fit for small businesses. Once you reach a few hundred customers, though, you may feel growing pains from Cratejoy’s limited platform. As a result, you’ll have to start searching for something more flexible and customizable.

If you want to plan ahead for your company’s growth, ReCharge is the more scalable option. Why? Because it’s flexible enough to grow alongside your business and has a robust API with the customization you need to expand quickly and smoothly. With a team of developers that can answer any and all of your API inquiries, you can rest assured you’re getting things set up correctly.

Also keep in mind that Cratejoy charges can take over 24 hours to process, while ReCharge’s processing is done in less than half the time.

Pricing

Pricing is a big factor to consider as well. Cratejoy offers a 14-day free trial and then charges $39 per month plus 1.25%. However, if the sale is not made on your own website and instead happens on Cratejoy.com, that cut goes up to a whopping 11.25%. If you’re not interested in doing your own marketing, this might be a good option for you — but remember that you can’t take any of these customers with you if you leave.

On the other hand, ReCharge offers a transparent pricing model of $20 per month plus 1% on subscription products sold. To jump start new users, they provide an extended 90-day free trial period with no requirement to commit. Even if the 90 days are up and you still haven’t fully launched yet, the product experts at ReCharge can extend the trial period by another 30 days so you have more time to get everything ready. Plus: ReCharge also has an Enterprise Pricing program for stores that reach high volumes of recurring orders.

Migration and Support

If you’re migrating from Cratejoy, The ReCharge migrations team can help manage the transition from start to finish — which includes a dedicated launch manager throughout the entire process to ensure no sales are interrupted at any point during the switch. ReCharge consistently maintains a high reputation for providing the most responsive and reliable support possible and has a 5-star rating in the Shopify app store.

Some notable stores on ReCharge that originally migrated from Cratejoy include Darn Good Yarn, Spartan Carton, HackerBoxes, The Ring Boxes, Waxbox, and many more.

“ReCharge was super helpful during the entire process.”- HackerBoxes

Find the Right Subscription Product Resource for Your Needs

Cratejoy is a wonderful platform that does the trick in handling subscription billing for smaller operations. Its focused, singular functionality is ideal for long-term subscriptions and small-scale businesses. However, if your brand is growing and needs more flexibility and features, ReCharge is the way to go.

See for yourself why thousands of growing stores choose ReCharge: Try 90 days free today.