SMART Subscriptions vs PayWhirl
Updated · SMART Subscriptions (E-TRADE PARTNER)
SMART Subscriptions charges no monthly or per-order app fees. PayWhirl is free to install with 0% fees on the first $5,000 processed and 3% after that, or you can pay for Pro ($9/mo + 2%), Traction ($29/mo + 1.5%) or Scale ($149/mo + 0.75%). PayWhirl includes expert installation, migration and cancellation prevention flows on its free plan, and adds workflows, APIs and webhooks on Traction.
SMART Subscriptions does this with plans, a product-page widget, and a native customer portal.
Try it freeOn this page
PayWhirl charges as you grow: there is no monthly fee until you pick a paid plan, but every plan takes a percentage of subscription orders. PayWhirl notes that the fee applies only to orders that include subscription items. SMART has neither a monthly fee nor a percentage, so the question is whether PayWhirl's extras, such as workflows, US-based phone support and migration, are worth the fee at your volume.
Quick comparison
| Area | SMART Subscriptions | PayWhirl |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | E-TRADE PARTNER | PayWhirl Inc. |
| Price | Free. No paid plans or app fees | Free: 0% on the first $5,000 processed, then 3%; Pro $9/mo + 2%; Traction $29/mo + 1.5%; Scale $149/mo + 0.75%. 14-day trial on paid plans |
| Selling | Subscriptions Widget theme app block on product templates; one shop-wide setting to hide one-time purchase | Subscriptions on product pages, in the cart and in customer accounts |
| 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 | Subscription management in customer accounts; automatic address updating on Pro |
| Failed payments | Payment and inventory failure retries; contracts stay Active while retries run | Automated payment retries on every plan; failed payment actions on Traction |
| Cancellation | Customers cancel once the plan's minimum payments are reached | Cancellation prevention flows on Free |
| Emails | 17 templates on the free app, with test sends, sender name and reply-to | Customizable email templates from Pro |
| Automation | Bulk pause, resume and cancel from the Subscriptions list | Workflow automation suite, inventory management, Klaviyo, API and webhooks on Traction |
| Migration | No import or migration tool | Migration from Recharge, Appstle, Bold, Seal and other apps, included on Free |
| Support | Chat or email (support@etradepartner.io), plus SMART docs and guides | US-based support by phone, chat, and email; dedicated account manager on Scale |
Sources, checked November 1, 2026: PayWhirl on the Shopify App Store and PayWhirl pricing. 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 PayWhirl. Spot something out of date? Email support@etradepartner.io.
When SMART fits better
- You have processed more than $5,000 and do not want 3% of every subscription order going to the app, or a monthly plan plus 0.75% to 2%.
- You want to edit your subscription emails without upgrading: on PayWhirl, customizable templates start with Pro.
- You want declined cards and out-of-stock renewals retried while the contract stays Active, with an error that cannot be retried going straight to pause, cancel or skip.
When PayWhirl fits better
- You want expert installation and migration from Recharge, Appstle, Bold or Seal included on the free plan.
- You need workflow automation, inventory management, Klaviyo, APIs and webhooks (Traction, $29/mo + 1.5%).
- You want US-based support by phone, or a dedicated account manager (Scale, $149/mo + 0.75%).
- You want cancellation prevention flows from the first day, without paying a monthly fee.
PayWhirl fees at two volumes
Monthly app cost using PayWhirl's listed rates on subscription orders, after the free plan's first $5,000 processed:
| Subscription orders per month | Free (3%) | Pro ($9 + 2%) | Traction ($29 + 1.5%) | Scale ($149 + 0.75%) | SMART |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $300 | $209 | $179 | $224 | $0 |
| $30,000 | $900 | $609 | $479 | $374 | $0 |
SMART's own setup pages: Emails, Settings for retry counts and intervals, and Subscription management for the customer account actions.
Subscriptions with no percentage fee
Keep the full value of each subscription order: SMART has no monthly fee and takes no percentage.
Install free on ShopifyFrequently asked questions
›Does PayWhirl charge fees on one-time orders?
PayWhirl says its transaction fees apply only to orders that include subscription items.
›Does SMART charge transaction fees?
No. SMART Subscriptions is free, with no paid plans or app fees.
›Can SMART import subscribers from PayWhirl?
No. Moving subscribers into SMART is not supported, because it has no import tool. PayWhirl lists migration from Recharge, Appstle, Bold, Seal and other apps.