SMART Subscriptions vs Appstle
Updated · SMART Subscriptions (E-TRADE PARTNER)
SMART Subscriptions has no paid plans or revenue caps: its pay as you go and pay in advance plans, product-page widget, 17 email templates and retry settings are free at any revenue. Appstle Subscriptions is free up to $500/mo in subscription revenue, then Starter ($10/mo), Business ($30/mo) and Business Premium ($100/mo), each with a revenue cap. Appstle also offers features SMART does not have, including Build-a-Box, customer product swaps and hands-on migration.
SMART Subscriptions does this with plans, a product-page widget, and a native customer portal.
Try it freeOn this page
On day one the two apps overlap more than they differ: Appstle's free plan already lists pay as you go and prepaid subscriptions, a Shopify-native customer portal, payment retry and built-in emails. The gap opens as subscription revenue grows, because each Appstle plan is capped by monthly subscription revenue and the box, retention and swap tools sit on the higher ones.
Quick comparison
| Area | SMART Subscriptions | Appstle Subscriptions |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | E-TRADE PARTNER | Appstle Inc. |
| Price | Free. No paid plans or app fees | Free up to $500/mo in subscriptions; Starter $10/mo (up to $5,000/mo); Business $30/mo (up to $15,000/mo); Business Premium $100/mo (up to $100,000/mo); Enterprise on request. 0% transaction fee on paid plans, 14-day trial |
| Plan options | Pay as you go and pay in advance; percentage, amount off or fixed price; second discount after a set number of payments; minimum and maximum payments per option | Pay as you go and prepaid on Free; loyalty discounts and rewards from Starter |
| Product page widget | Subscriptions Widget theme app block with live preview, typography, colors, CSS and translations | Custom widget themes and locations, plus quickview and cart-page placement, on Business |
| Customer self-service | Requires the new Shopify customer accounts. Pause, resume, skip or unskip, switch to a saved payment method, update the shipping address, cancel after the plan's minimum payments | Shopify-native customer portal on Free; passwordless login from Starter; advanced customer portal on Business |
| Boxes and swaps | Not available | Build-a-Box and bundling on Business; product swap on Business Premium |
| Failed payments | Payment and inventory failure retries with your own count and interval; final pause, cancel or skip | Payment retry on Free; retention tools and cancellation control on Business |
| Emails | 17 templates, inactive until activated, test sends, sender name and reply-to | Built-in emails on Free; custom email domain on Business Premium |
| Migration | No import or migration tool | Hands-on migration listed on every plan, including Free |
| Support | Chat or email (support@etradepartner.io), plus SMART docs and guides | 24/7 human support listed on every plan |
Sources, checked November 1, 2026: Appstle on the Shopify App Store. Prices are USD list prices as shown on those pages, and features are described the way the vendor describes them. Trademarks belong to their owners. SMART Subscriptions is not affiliated with Appstle. Spot something out of date? Email support@etradepartner.io.
When SMART fits better
- Your subscription revenue is already past Appstle's $500/mo free limit and you would rather not move up a revenue-capped plan.
- You want prepaid or pay-as-you-go options that end after a maximum number of payments, or a second discount that starts after a set number of payments.
- You want to write and test all 17 subscription emails yourself, sent under your own sender name and reply-to address.
When Appstle fits better
- You sell subscription boxes: Build-a-Box and bundling come with the Business plan ($30/mo).
- Customers need to swap products on their own: product swap is part of Business Premium ($100/mo).
- You are moving over from another subscription app: Appstle lists hands-on migration on all plans, and SMART has no import tool.
- You want loyalty rewards, inventory forecasts and SMS notifications (Starter, $10/mo), or the Gorgias, Klaviyo, Stripe and Zapier integrations named on the listing.
Where Appstle's revenue caps fall
A store with $3,000/mo in subscription revenue lands on Starter at $10/mo. At $12,000/mo it needs Business at $30/mo, which is also the first plan with Build-a-Box and cancellation control. Product swaps need Business Premium at $100/mo, which covers up to $100,000/mo. Annual billing saves 20% on each paid plan. SMART has no caps to track, but it also has no box, swap or loyalty tools, so the price gap only matters if you would not use those.
Before you decide: Subscription plans covers minimum and maximum payments, Emails lists the 17 templates, and the pay as you go vs pay in advance guide explains both billing models.
Try SMART with no revenue cap
Add pay as you go and pay in advance plans to your products, with no revenue cap and nothing to upgrade later.
Install free on ShopifyFrequently asked questions
›Is SMART free in the same way as Appstle's free plan?
SMART is free at any revenue, with no paid plans or app fees. Appstle's free plan covers up to $500/mo in subscriptions; above that, Starter is $10/mo for up to $5,000/mo.
›Does SMART include Build-a-Box or product swaps?
No. SMART has no boxes, build-a-box or customer product swaps. Appstle lists Build-a-Box on Business ($30/mo) and product swap on Business Premium ($100/mo).
›Can SMART import my subscribers from Appstle?
No. There is no import or migration tool in SMART. Appstle lists hands-on migration on all of its plans.