Platform comparison
A neutral comparison of the three dominant subscription-box platforms. Live fee math, feature deep-dives, stage-based recommendations, and the migration paths between them — no sponsored content from any platform.
TL;DR
The fastest read on this page. Detailed reasoning is in every section below.
If you need traffic from day one
Built-in marketplace
Best for0-100 subs, no existing audience
If you want to own your audience
Subscription-first stack
Best forMost boxes past launch phase
If you're already on Shopify
Add subs to an existing store
Best forBrands with an existing Shopify catalog
Live fees
Set your box price and subscriber count. The three platforms recalculate instantly with real fee structures including Stripe processing.
Features
The 14 decisions you should actually be comparing — not the marketing checklist from any of the platforms.
| Feature | Cratejoy | Subbly | Shopify + Recharge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | $39 | $29-$39 | $29+ platform, $99+ Recharge |
| Storefront transaction fee | 1.25% + $0.10 | 1% | 0% (Shopify) + Recharge fee |
| Marketplace | Yes — 11.25% + $0.10 | No | No |
| Marketplace discovery | Built-in | None | None |
| Website builder | Yes | Yes | Yes (themes) |
| Subscription management | Built-in | Built-in | Requires Recharge/Bold |
| Customer portal | Basic | Advanced | Via Recharge |
| Pause and skip | Limited | Yes | Via Recharge |
| Dunning management | Basic | Yes | Via Recharge |
| Gift subscriptions | Basic | Advanced | Via apps |
| Build-a-box | No | Yes | Via apps |
| Data ownership | Marketplace = limited | Full | Full |
| Migration difficulty | Hard (marketplace) | Easy | Moderate |
| Best for | Beginners wanting discovery | Subscription-first brands | Brands already on Shopify |
Deep-dive
Best-if scenarios, what to watch out for, and the honest pros and cons we hear from operators running real subscription boxes.
Marketplace-driven launchpad
+ Pros
− Cons
Verdict: Good starting point. Plan to migrate when marketplace traffic is less critical.
Built for recurring revenue
+ Pros
− Cons
Verdict: Best overall platform for most subscription box businesses past the launch phase.
Add subscriptions to a real e-com stack
+ Pros
− Cons
Verdict: Best for established Shopify brands. More complex and expensive than needed for a subscription-only business starting fresh.
Real cost
The annual difference between the cheapest and most expensive platform is large enough to fund a year of paid social or your first warehouse hire.
| Platform | Monthly Revenue | Platform Fees | Revenue Kept | Annual Diff vs Cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cratejoy (storefront) | $20,000 | ~$730 | $19,270 | baseline |
| Subbly | $20,000 | ~$239 | $19,761 | +$5,904/year |
| Shopify + Recharge | $20,000 | ~$914 | $19,086 | -$2,208/year |
| Cratejoy (marketplace) | $20,000 | ~$2,300 | $17,700 | -$18,840/year |
That's almost $1,600 a month — roughly the cost of a part-time fulfillment hire.
By stage
The right answer depends on subscriber count and whether you already have an audience. Here's what we recommend at each milestone.
Just launching
Recommended: Cratejoy
Marketplace traffic helps when you have no audience yet. The 11.25% take rate is acceptable when it's the difference between 0 and 30 subscribers.
Gaining traction
Recommended: Subbly
You're starting to drive your own traffic. Subbly's lower fees and better retention tooling start paying for themselves around 100 subscribers.
Proven model
Recommended: Subbly
Marketplace dependence is now a margin tax. Migrate to Subbly if you launched on Cratejoy. Cost difference is roughly $1,500-$2,000/month at this volume.
Scaling
Recommended: Subbly or Shopify
Subbly if you stay subscription-only. Shopify if you're adding non-subscription products, retail, or omnichannel. Don't pick Shopify just for brand recognition.
Setup
The numbers that matter when you're trying to estimate how long it takes to get your first dollar through any of these platforms.
| Aspect | Cratejoy | Subbly | Shopify + Recharge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to launch | 1-2 days | 1-3 days | 1-2 weeks |
| Technical skill needed | Beginner | Beginner | Intermediate |
| Migration off the platform | Hard (marketplace) | Easy | Moderate |
| Customer support | Email + chat | Live chat, fast | 24/7 Shopify, separate Recharge |
| App ecosystem | Small | Medium | Largest (10,000+) |
| Best for non-technical founders | Yes | Yes | With help |
Switching
Most boxes switch at least once. The first migration usually costs more in subscriber loss than founders expect. Plan it carefully.
Export subscriber data via CSV, recreate plans in Subbly, send a transition email. Most boxes complete this in under a week with minimal churn.
Marketplace subscribers technically subscribed through Cratejoy. Plan a careful re-opt-in campaign with a transition discount. Expect 15-30% subscriber loss.
Stripe payment-method migration is the trickiest part. Doable but requires coordinated subscriber communication and timing.
Easier than the reverse because data ownership is clean. Usually triggered by adding non-subscription products or retail expansion.
FAQ
Quick answers to the comparison questions readers send in every week.
Subbly. On a $40 box at 500 subscribers, Subbly costs roughly $239/month vs $730 on Cratejoy storefront and $914 on Shopify + Recharge. The gap widens as you scale.
From Cratejoy storefront: yes, almost always. From Cratejoy marketplace: harder — expect 15-30% loss without a careful re-opt-in campaign and a transition offer. Most subscribers don't understand the platform change and need a reason to re-subscribe.
No. Both Cratejoy and Subbly are complete platforms. Only choose Shopify if you're already selling non-subscription products or plan to soon. Adding Shopify + Recharge purely for subscriptions is the most expensive of the three options.
Cratejoy operates the marketplace as a customer-acquisition engine — they put your box in front of their existing audience. The 11.25% reflects the value of that traffic. If you don't need their audience (you have your own), the storefront-only pricing drops to 1.25%.
Shopify has native subscription support, but it's still limited for box-style models. Most subscription-box brands on Shopify use Recharge, Bold, or Appstle. Native Shopify subs work for simple replenishment but lack pause/skip/swap depth.
Skio is gaining traction as a Recharge alternative — cheaper and slightly more flexible. The three platforms compared here remain the dominant choices for subscription-first brands as of 2026.
Decision rule
If discovery matters most, marketplace traffic may be worth the take rate. If long-term control matters most, a subscription-first stack usually gives you more flexibility. The comparison should always be made with the same economics — product cost, shipping, labor, fees, churn, and acquisition cost.