SMART Subscriptions vs Recharge
Updated · SMART Subscriptions (E-TRADE PARTNER)
SMART Subscriptions costs nothing and is organized into six modules: Plans, Subscriptions, Widget, Management, Emails and Settings. Recharge has a $25/mo plan with no transaction fees for the first 50 subscribers, then Starter ($99/mo + 1.49% + 19¢), Plus ($499/mo + 1.34% + 19¢ on a 12-month term) and Custom pricing. Recharge adds a no-code portal with swaps and rescheduling, cancellation prevention, win-backs, bundles, loyalty and Concierge SMS.
SMART Subscriptions does this with plans, a product-page widget, and a native customer portal.
Try it freeOn this page
Recharge prices like a platform: a monthly fee, a per-transaction fee, and support response times that shorten by plan, from within 8 hours on Starter to within 6 on Plus and live video within 4 on Custom. SMART is a free app with a smaller scope. Choosing between them mostly depends on whether Recharge's retention and loyalty tools will earn back its fees for your store.
Quick comparison
| Area | SMART Subscriptions | Recharge |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | E-TRADE PARTNER | Recharge |
| Price | Free. No paid plans or app fees | $25/mo with no transaction fees for the first 50 subscribers; Starter $99/mo + 1.49% + 19¢; Plus $499/mo + 1.34% + 19¢ (12-month term); Custom volume pricing. 60-day free trial on the $25 and Starter plans |
| Product page widget | Subscriptions Widget theme app block: live preview, typography, colors, CSS, translations; shop-wide hide one-time purchase | Subscription-first product page widget |
| 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 | No-code customer portal where subscribers skip, swap and reschedule; passwordless customer login |
| Keeping subscribers | Second discount after a set number of payments; minimum payments before cancelling | Cancellation prevention, win-back tools and automated workflows on Starter |
| Failed payments | Payment and inventory failure retries, each with its own count and interval; contracts stay Active during retries | Failed payment recovery on Starter |
| Analytics | Home shows MRR and active subscriptions, refreshed about every 10 minutes | Analytics with industry benchmarks on Starter |
| Migration | No import or migration tool | Hands-on implementation and end-to-end migration support on Plus |
| Support | Chat or email (support@etradepartner.io), plus SMART docs and guides | Within 8 hours (Starter), 6 hours (Plus), live video within 4 hours (Custom); Monday to Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM PST |
Sources, checked November 1, 2026: Recharge on the Shopify App Store and Recharge 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 Recharge. Spot something out of date? Email support@etradepartner.io.
When SMART fits better
- You would rather not commit to a platform fee: Recharge's $25/mo plan waives transaction fees for the first 50 subscribers, and Starter is $99/mo + 1.49% + 19¢ per transaction.
- You want to customize the product-page block in a live preview, down to fonts, colors and your own CSS, and turn off one-time purchase across the shop with one setting.
- You do not want a contract term; Recharge Plus runs on a 12-month term, and SMART has no paid plan at all.
When Recharge fits better
- Subscribers should swap products and reschedule orders on their own in a no-code portal.
- You want cancellation prevention, win-back tools, automated workflows and gift subscriptions (Starter, $99/mo + 1.49% + 19¢).
- You want loyalty rewards and referrals, Concierge SMS, customizable bundles and tiered discounts with hands-on implementation (Plus, $499/mo + 1.34% + 19¢).
- You want to compare your retention against industry benchmarks.
Recharge fees on a sample month
Example: 500 subscription orders at $40 each, or $20,000 in a month. On Starter, that is $99 + $298 (1.49%) + $95 (19¢ x 500) = $492/mo. On Plus, it is $499 + $268 (1.34%) + $95 = $862/mo. SMART costs $0 for the same month. Recharge also notes that Concierge SMS is not available with its Shopify Checkout Integration, and Concierge SMS messages are billed per segment.
Widget setup in SMART is covered in Subscription widget, the widget customization guide and the subscription-only selling guide.
Start subscriptions without platform fees
No monthly fee, no transaction fee and no contract term: install SMART and build your first plan.
Install free on ShopifyFrequently asked questions
›How much does Recharge cost?
Recharge lists a $25/mo plan with no transaction fees for the first 50 subscribers, Starter at $99/mo + 1.49% + 19¢ per transaction, Plus at $499/mo + 1.34% + 19¢ on a 12-month term, and Custom volume pricing. The App Store listing shows a 60-day free trial on the $25 and Starter plans.
›Can SMART customers swap products like in the Recharge portal?
No. The SMART portal covers pausing and resuming, skipping or unskipping, switching to a saved card, address updates and cancelling after the minimum payments; swaps are not included. Recharge's portal lists skip, swap and reschedule.
›Does SMART charge per transaction?
No. SMART has no transaction fee, monthly fee or paid tier.