SMART Subscriptions vs Stay AI
Updated · SMART Subscriptions (E-TRADE PARTNER)
SMART Subscriptions is free, and the merchant configures everything: plan options, the Subscriptions Widget, 17 email templates and retry rules. Stay AI's Standard plan is $499/mo with no contract or $299/mo on an annual contract, plus 1% + 19¢ per transaction, with a 30-day free trial on the App Store and custom High Growth pricing. Stay AI adds churn surveys, winback campaigns, smart dunning, predictive analytics, bundles and boxes, and a dedicated account manager on every plan.
SMART Subscriptions does this with plans, a product-page widget, and a native customer portal.
Try it freeOn this page
Stay AI sells retention. Its listing describes RetentionEngine for churn prevention and revenue forecasting, ExperienceEngine for promotions across the subscriber journey, and proprietary AI analytics. Every plan includes a dedicated account manager, and Stay describes migration as a project of up to two weeks with a kickoff call. You can install from the App Store or book a call with Stay's team first.
Quick comparison
| Area | SMART Subscriptions | Stay AI |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | E-TRADE PARTNER | Stay Ai |
| Price | Free. No paid plans or app fees | Standard $499/mo with no contract, or $299/mo on an annual contract, plus 1% + 19¢ per transaction; High Growth custom. 30-day free trial on the App Store |
| Getting started | Install and follow the SMART docs and guides | Install from the App Store or book a call; migration of up to two weeks with kickoff, implementation and QA; no implementation charge |
| Subscription types | Pay as you go and pay in advance; no boxes | Prepaid subscriptions, bundles and boxes |
| 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 with full design and copy customization |
| Churn and win-back | Minimum payments before cancelling; second discount after a set number of payments | RetentionEngine churn prevention, churn surveys, winback campaigns, ExperienceEngine promotions, A/B testing, digital punch cards |
| Failed payments | Payment and inventory failure retries with your own count and interval; final pause, cancel or skip | Smart dunning |
| Analytics | Home shows MRR and active subscriptions, refreshed about every 10 minutes | Predictive analytics, AI personalization and RetentionEngine revenue forecasting |
| Support | Chat or email (support@etradepartner.io), plus SMART docs and guides | Dedicated account manager and support team on every plan |
Sources, checked November 1, 2026: Stay AI on the Shopify App Store and Stay AI 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 Stay Ai. Spot something out of date? Email support@etradepartner.io.
When SMART fits better
- You are launching subscriptions and do not want to commit $499/mo, or a $299/mo annual contract, plus 1% + 19¢ per order before you know how many customers subscribe.
- You can configure plans on your own: several options per plan, translated option names, and products assigned from Shopify admin.
- You want every subscription email off until you have reviewed and activated each of the 17 templates.
When Stay AI fits better
- Churn is your main problem and you want churn surveys, winback campaigns and RetentionEngine churn prevention.
- You want promotions across the subscriber journey (ExperienceEngine), A/B testing and digital punch cards.
- You want predictive analytics and revenue forecasting from the subscription app.
- You want a dedicated account manager and a guided migration with a kickoff call, implementation and QA.
Stay AI's two payment options
Stay AI's pricing page shows the same Standard plan at $499/mo with no contract or $299/mo on an annual contract, with 1% + 19¢ per transaction on top. Example: 500 subscription orders worth $20,000 in a month add $200 + $95 = $295, for $794/mo without a contract or $594/mo on the annual contract. Stay says there are no service or support fees on any plan and no implementation charge for migrating. SMART costs $0 for the same month.
Configuring SMART yourself is covered in Subscription plans, Emails and the how to set up product subscriptions guide.
Launch subscribe and save before a contract
Test subscribe and save on your store without a monthly fee or an annual contract.
Install free on ShopifyFrequently asked questions
›How much does Stay AI cost?
Stay AI lists its Standard plan at $499/mo with no contract or $299/mo on an annual contract, plus 1% + 19¢ per transaction. The High Growth plan has custom pricing. The App Store listing shows a 30-day free trial.
›Do I have to book a demo to use Stay AI?
No. Stay AI can be installed from the Shopify App Store with a 30-day free trial, and its pricing page also offers a call with the team.
›How does cancellation work in SMART compared with Stay AI?
In SMART, customers cancel from their Shopify customer account once the plan's minimum payments are reached, and you can set a second discount that starts after a set number of payments. Stay AI lists churn surveys, winback campaigns and RetentionEngine churn prevention.