Every business needs software for subscription management to automate the process of tracking payments and subscriptions from hundreds of customers.
As a business owner, you might wonder which subscription management software is best suited for your business, given that tons of them are on the market.
This led me to conduct months of research until I could compile a list of the best subscription management software suitable for any business, and these are my top picks.
Table Of Contents
1. Chargebee (Editor’s Choice)
Chargebee is a subscription management platform that tracks and records all your business revenue and recurring bills throughout the year.
It also manages subscriptions, billings, and invoicing at scale and helps you recover failed payments using a solid collection strategy.
Chargebee can also seamlessly integrate with your tech stack and oversee your business revenue operations [1].
You can also use other products offered by Chargebee, such as accounting and taxes, Saas reporting, and enterprise billing.
This software comes with various pricing plans, starting with the free version, the rise plan at $249 per month, the scale plan at $549 per month, and the custom plan, which would require you to get a quote tailored to your requirements.
From my experience using Chargebee, it suits startups and established businesses and can handle all subscriptions perfectly.
Reporting tools are simple to use- Comes with excellent automation features
- Integrates well with multiple apps
- Has a user-friendly interface
- You can’t export multiple invoices at once with the software
- Extensions: 4.8
- Privacy: 4.7
- Customer support: 4.5
- Pricing: 4.3
2. Sage Intacct
Sage Intacct is an accounting and financial management software capable of meeting your accounting demands to ensure long-term success.
The software gives you more time to think strategically and make better decisions by handling many activities such as seamless entity consolidations, data reporting, automating recurring accounting tasks, and providing AI-powered solutions.
Sage Intacct also allows you to get to reporting through your dashboard, where you can now create performance cards that will serve as key performance indicators for your business [2].
It has a Salesforce integration that provides seamless workflows and prevents reporting delays and billing errors.
You can get started using this software by utilizing its 30-day free trial, after which you can opt for a paid plan by requesting pricing, which will require you to fill out a form and submit it.
From my experience, Sage Intacct will be very beneficial to you if you have accounting loopholes that need to be sorted out within your business.
- Has a supportive response team
- Comes with multiple modules
- Has an excellent reporting functionality
- Reported glitches in data at times
- Extensions: 4.5
- Privacy: 4.7
- Customer support: 4.8
- Pricing: 4.5
3. Chargify
Chargify is an excellent recurring billing software that handles subscription services for SaaS companies.
It has also been utilized by tons of businesses to manage offers that, when converted, yield billions of dollars in revenue per year [3].
This software provides amazing benefits, which are billings built for SaaS that allow you to bill whichever way you like, from simple subscriptions to more complex ones.
Chargify integrates well with various applications, such as HubSpot and Salesforce, NetSuite and Quickbooks, and Zapier.
In terms of pricing, Chargify takes care of all your billing headaches and offers three price plans, starting with the essential plan at $599 per month and the growth and scale plans, which will require you to speak to an expert for price.
From my experience, Chargify is a simple software that can sort and manage all your subscription billings while you focus on more important areas of your business...
- Has a flexible set of billing structures
- Has an excellent phone support
- It is very stable, with no known downtime
- Chargify’s accounts only charge in USD
- Extensions: 4.9
- Privacy: 4.7
- Customer support: 4.8
- Pricing: 4.4
4. Stripe Billing
Stripe Billing is a subscription billing software that lets you bill your customers with subscriptions and invoices.
It also offers customizable invoices, mobile payments, online payments, and invoicing at any time [4].
With this software, you can retain more revenue, support new products and business models, and accept consistent payments worldwide.
You can also optimize your business operations by taking note of the growth and financial health and ensuring that the reporting and revenue-generating aspects are well automated.
In terms of use cases, Stripe Billing is best suited for the creator economy, e-commerce, SaaS, marketplaces, embedded finance, crypto, and global businesses.
Stripe Billing can also integrate well with other applications and provides flexibility, allowing you to use a pre-built checkout page, set up the customer portal, and create a pricing table.
In terms of pricing, Stripe Billing offers you a pay-as-you-go plan at 2.9% + 30 cents per successful card charge for starters and a customized plan if your business handles a large number of transactions.
From my experience, Stripe Billing is customizable software that integrates well with multiple payment systems.
- It is easy to use
- You can easily set up customers in the database
- It integrates well with reporting tools
- Has no support for PayPal payments
- Extensions: 4.8
- Privacy: 4.6
- Customer support: 4.7
- Pricing: 4.7
5. Recurly
Recurly is a highly ranked subscription and billing management platform that can help grow your business’ revenue faster and stronger.
If you manage a top-tier business, you can trust Recurly to give you the best results, starting from revenue optimization to subscription management at scale and meeting industry benchmarks for growth.
This software caters to recurring payments and one-time transactions, given that it has a series of hosted payment pages [5].
Recurly is quite flexible and capable of being utilized by different companies such as B2B companies, B2C companies, media, and entertainment companies.
From my experience, Recurly is an easy-to-use subscription management software that can satisfy your business needs and ensure long-term success...
- Provides excellent reports and analytics
- Has multiple payment options
- Supports integration with multiple applications
- Sometimes page load times are slow
- Extensions: 4.8
- Privacy: 4.7
- Customer support: 4.6
- Pricing: 4.6
6. Zoho Subscriptions
Zoho Subscriptions is a subscription management software for managing subscriptions by sending a single invoice to a customer.
They have a self-service portal where your customers stay up-to-date on the latest information regarding their subscriptions, invoices, payments made, and others without waiting for you to get them this information.
You can also allow your customers to pause their subscriptions rather than cancel them entirely. This way, you can eliminate voluntary churn and, in the process, save your customers from making unnecessary expenditures.
This software also offers other products, such as subscription branding, payment processing, subscription metrics, and subscription automation.
It also comes with an excellent reporting feature that lets you be up-to-date on the latest information surrounding customer data and your business cash flow [6].
Utilizing all of these products in your business takes away a lot of burden from you and avails you more time to ensure that other important activities are done with efficiency.
In terms of pricing, there is the free plan, the basic plan at $49, the standard plan at $99, and the professional plan at $249.
From my experience, Zoho Subscriptions is software with a nice interface that can adequately satisfy the subscription needs of both medium and large businesses.
- It is quite easy to set up
- Provides a great way to keep track of subscription purchases
- Comes with customization tools
- Difficulties in making one-time payments
- Extensions: 4.7
- Privacy: 4.6
- Customer support: 4.6
- Pricing: 4.8
7. Zuora
Zuora is a world-leading monetization platform that helps monetize your business subscriptions and ensures subscriber relationships simultaneously.
With this software, you can properly manage revenue, recurring billing, and recurring payments and minimize churn.
Zuora also ensures that your business adapts to market changes quickly and that revenue recognition is easy.
This software supports over 40 payment gateways and allows businesses to automate their billing operations to the maximum [7].
In terms of other products, Zuora has quite a few starting with the Zuora billing, which helps you promote subscriber changes and unlock pricing models.
In terms of pricing, you can talk to an expert specifying your exact business needs, and the right price quote will be given to you.
From my experience, Zuora is an excellent subscription management software that can get the job done.
- Provides excellent data reports
- Integrates well with other apps such as Salesforce
- Has a robust user interface
- Beginners may struggle with the software
- Extensions: 4.8
- Privacy: 4.6
- Customer support: 4.7
- Pricing: 4.5
8. ProfitWell
ProfitWell is an excellent software capable of seamlessly driving subscription revenue for you.
It comes with highly rated revenue automation products that automatically reduce cancellations, optimize pricing, and provide accurate free revenue reporting.
This software can handle everything related to subscription growth, leaving you with enough time to focus on your customers and your products.
You also benefit from accurate real-time profiting and other features, such as pricing and retention audits, which help you increase retention and boost your monetization and pricing strategies.
ProfitWell provides great versatility when it comes to segmenting data. It also performs customer acquisition tracking that lets you know where your customers are from so that you can focus on what’s important.
In terms of pricing, ProfitWell has pricing metrics that come at no cost but with tons of benefits.
If you want something more customized and tailored to your needs, you can opt for the enterprise plan, which will require you to chat with the team to determine the price.
From my experience, ProfitWell is a software that has just the right blend of features to handle all subscription activities for any business.
- It is free to use
- Has excellent analytical computing abilities
- Offers insightful metrics
- The customer support system could do with some improvement
- Extensions: 4.7
- Privacy: 4.6
- Customer support: 4.2
- Pricing: 4.9
9. SaaSOptics
SaaSOptics is software that focuses mainly on automating subscription management and revenue and expense recognition for B2B SaaS companies.
If you own a B2B SaaS company, you can use this software for invoicing customers efficiently and collecting payments quickly. This is done through automated order processing and order-to-cash integrations.
You can also automate revenue recognition, account for expenses, and be funded, all with the help of this amazing subscription management software.
Also, SaaSOptics is well-integrated with plenty of platforms, such as e-payments, Avatax, Clearbit, and many others.
The software also comes with features that can help with advanced workflows. Using various formulas, its revenue allocation feature allows you to reallocate revenue across your contract population.
To get started using this software, you can request a demo and a quote based on your business needs to find out what payment plan they can offer you.
From my experience, SaaSOptics offers much more than just subscription management and is best suited for B2B SaaS companies.
- Comes with solid features
- Has excellent reporting tools
- Automates a lot of tasks
- Its interface is not the best out there
- Extensions: 4.7
- Privacy: 4.6
- Customer support: 4.6
- Pricing: 4.5
10. 2Checkout
2Checkout is an all-in-one monetization platform that maximizes your revenues and makes global online sales much easier.
This software is all about monetizing and growing your business, and it helps you meet business needs such as global payments, digital commerce, subscription billing, risk management and compliance, and global tax and financial services.
You can manage your business’s subscriptions and customers using 2Checkout’s subscription billing solution, from the first order or trial to upgrading and renewal.
In terms of pricing, 2Checkout offers three price plans, starting with 2Sell at 3.5%+$0.35 per successful sale, 2Subscribe, which is best for developing and boosting your subscription business, at 4.5%+$0.45 per successful sale, and 2Monetize at 6.0%+$0.60 per successful sale.
From my experience, 2Checkout is an excellent software suitable for most B2B and B2C businesses.
- Has an excellent website
- Provides support for international merchants
- Has excellent subscription tools
- Cannot process card-present transactions
- Extensions: 4.7
- Privacy: 4.6
- Customer support: 4.7
- Pricing: 4.7
Buyer’s Guide
Having subscription management software helps your business grow since the software handles all revenues and subscription processes, leaving you with enough time to focus on the more important aspects.
This may be great, but finding the best subscription management software can sometimes be complicated. To help you with this, below are some factors you should consider before you purchase any subscription management software.
1. Identify Your Business Needs
Start by identifying your business’s needs. Ask yourself questions, such as what needs you want to satisfy? What industry do you belong to? What is your pricing budget? Can your clients handle their subscriptions?
Once you can come up with answers to them, you can proceed to decide on which software to go for.
Also, remember to set your priorities straight and be aware of your future needs so that whatever software you choose to buy can continue to meet your business goals for a long time.
For in-person businesses, subscriptions drive recurring revenue, loyalty, and growth as consumers establish their new spending habits and behaviours. We are beginning to see some exciting new subscription categories and concepts emerge, from trampoline parks to car washes to restaurants.
– Theresa McEndree, Chief Marketing Officer at Recurly
2. Convert These Needs Into Software Features
Now that you know your needs, you can look for certain features in the subscription management software of your choice.
For example, suppose you run a SaaS B2B company and need good software for your subscription needs. In that case, you must look for certain features such as subscription lifecycle management, industry support, billing models, compliance, reporting, and analytics.
These features are good to remember and a sign that the subscription management software you wish to buy is right for you.
The expansion of subscription adoption is indicative of a huge mental shift in the way they are thinking about what they want and need from their products and services.
– Joakim Sjöblom, Co-founder of Minna Technologies
3. Check For Integrations
Every top-tier subscription management software comes with built-in integrations, which should be important in deciding which software to purchase.
Check to see that the software can easily integrate with multiple applications that you work with. Good subscription management software should be able to integrate perfectly well with apps like Salesforce, Slack, Hubspot, Zapier, etc.
In a subscription business, the onus now shifts to the customer, so the company assumes the customer is otherwise satisfied with the product or service and will continue to bill that customer in perpetuity unless the customer decides to cancel.
– Adam Levinter, CEO of Scriberbase
4. Marketing Features
Good subscription management software comes with marketing features that foster a long-lasting relationship between you and your customers.
You need to understand that you have to provide a fantastic customer experience if you want your customers to remain loyal to you for a long time.
For this reason, your customer lifecycle is very important, starting from the renewal period to the downgrade period, and the subscription management software you want to buy should be able to help you with this.
FAQs
What Is a Subscription Management Software?
Subscription management software is a tool that is used by businesses to manage customers’ subscriptions and to ensure that they are happy with the products or services they are purchasing. This way, the tendency for them to pause or cancel their subscription to your business offerings is less likely.
Why Do I Need To Use Subscription Management Software?
You need to use subscription management software simply because it helps your business manage customer subscriptions. This software also helps your business to accommodate the changing subscription needs of your customers since they could choose to either upgrade, pause or even cancel their subscriptions.
Who Uses Subscription Management Software?
Most businesses that offer a lot of services today, whether big or small, use subscription management software to handle all subscription activities. This gives the owners more time to focus on other important aspects of their business.
How Much Does It Cost To Use A Subscription Management Software?
The monthly subscription fee determines the cost of using subscription management software. Also, this fee differs from software to software, and the number of benefits that come with using the software also determines the cost.
Get the Best Subscription Management Software Today!
Having the best subscription management software makes your business a lot easier since it helps you properly manage and keep track of your customers’ subscriptions all in one place.
Also, subscription management software that provides easy integrations with multiple applications is always a first choice for individuals who know the true value of this feature to their businesses.
I recommend Chargebee because it has a plethora of integrations and subscription management tools that benefit any business.
You can also use other products offered by Chargebee, such as accounting and taxes, Saas reporting, and enterprise billing.
Try Chargebee today and start managing your customers’ subscriptions the right way!
