# The best Shopify subscription apps in 2026: six apps, two fee models

Shopify Subscriptions, Recharge, Skio, Loop, Seal and Appstle. Free plans, transaction fees, limits and a worked cost table at one volume.

By Rohin Aggarwal · 2026-10-12

Subscription apps split into two camps. Some take a percentage of every order. Others charge a flat fee and take nothing. At $20,000 a month, that gap is several hundred dollars. Here are six apps, what each one charges, and a worked cost table.

**Quick answer**

- **Free and simple:** Shopify Subscriptions. No bundles, and some payment limits.
- **No transaction fee:** Appstle and Seal charge a flat plan only.
- **Percentage plus fee:** Recharge, Skio and Loop.
- **Recharge owns Skio** since 30 April 2026. Both still run.
- We make Idukki. We make no subscription app.

## Which products suit subscriptions

Subscriptions suit things people run out of. Coffee, vitamins, pet food, razors and skincare all fit. Make skipping and pausing easy. A shopper who can skip a month stays. One who has to email you to cancel does not come back.

| App | Plan fee | Transaction fee | Free plan or trial |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Shopify Subscriptions | Free | None from the app | Free |
| Appstle | $10 to $100 by subscription revenue | None | Free up to $500 a month |
| Seal | From $5.95 a month | None | Free, capped by subscriptions |
| Loop | $99 or $399 a month | 1.0% or 0.75% | Free up to 50 active subscriptions |
| Recharge | $99 on Starter | 1.49% + 19¢ | 60 days on Starter |
| Skio | $599, or $499 yearly | 1% + 20¢ | None found |

_From each vendor's pricing page, help centre or Shopify listing, checked 12 October 2026._

## Shopify Subscriptions: free and first-party

Shopify's own app is free. It handles renewals, skips, pauses and cancellations. Its limits are in the Help Center. Bundles do not work with it, and neither do draft orders. Gift cards and some discounts apply to the first payment only. Apple Pay is limited to Visa and Mastercard.

## Appstle: flat plans, no transaction fee

Appstle takes no transaction fee on any plan. Plans step up by monthly subscription revenue. The listing shows free up to $500 a month. Then $10 a month covers up to $5,000, $30 covers $15,000 and $100 covers $100,000. Its blog shows different limits, so trust the listing.

## Seal: low flat price

Seal takes no transaction fee on free or paid plans. Its listing shows paid plans from $5.95 a month. The free plan caps the number of subscriptions. Seal's listing and blog give different caps, so check before you launch.

## Loop: lower percentage, no per-order fee

Loop's free plan covers up to 50 active subscriptions. Starter costs $99 a month plus 1.0% per transaction. Pro costs $399 a month plus 0.75%. Both paid plans have a 14-day trial. Loop charges no flat fee per order.

## Recharge: the long-standing default

Recharge has a $25 plan with no fees for your first 50 subscribers. Starter costs $99 a month plus 1.49% and 19¢ per transaction. It has a 60-day trial. Recharge charges on gross processing, including shipping, taxes and refunded orders. Bundles need the Plus or Custom plan.

## Skio: one plan, now owned by Recharge

Skio has one plan at $599 a month, or $499 billed yearly. It adds 1% and 20¢ per subscription order. Build-a-box bundles, cancel flows and SMS are on that plan. Recharge bought Skio on 30 April 2026. Both products still run.

## A worked example at $20,000 a month

This table is plain arithmetic on the published rates. It assumes $50 orders, so 400 a month. It leaves out Shopify's own payment fees, which apply to every app. Recharge's fee base also includes tax and shipping, so its real figure runs higher.

| App and plan | Monthly app cost |
| --- | --- |
| Shopify Subscriptions | $0 |
| Appstle, $100 plan | $100 |
| Loop Starter | $299 |
| Recharge Starter | $473 |
| Skio Scale, billed monthly | $879 |

_Illustrative app cost per month at $20,000 in subscription revenue, $50 orders. Payment processing not included._

**Which one to try**
Q: What matters most?
- Lowest cost, simple products: **Shopify Subscriptions** — Free, from Shopify.
  - Need bundles: Price Appstle or Seal
- No percentage on revenue: **Appstle or Seal** — Flat plans only.
  - Over $100,000 a month: Ask Appstle for a quote
- Advanced cancel flows at scale: **Recharge, Loop or Skio** — Percentage plus a plan fee.
  - Over $100,000 a month: Read Recharge vs Skio

## Where Idukki fits (ours)

We make Idukki. It runs no subscriptions. It shows customer photos and video on your store, tagged to the cart. For two of these head to head, read [Recharge vs Skio](/blog/recharge-vs-skio-2026).

**The takeaway:** Pick the fee model first: a percentage or a flat plan. Then check bundles, cancel flows and payment limits against your products.

### Questions store owners ask

**Q: Does Shopify have a free subscription app?**

A: Yes. Shopify Subscriptions is free. It does not support bundles or draft orders.

**Q: Which subscription apps charge no transaction fee?**

A: Appstle and Seal charge a flat plan only, with no transaction fee.

**Q: Did Recharge buy Skio?**

A: Yes, on 30 April 2026. Both products still run.

**Q: What does Loop charge?**

A: Starter is $99 a month plus 1.0%. Pro is $399 plus 0.75%. A free plan covers 50 active subscriptions.

### Sources
- [Shopify Subscriptions on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/shopify-subscriptions) — Free.
- [Shopify Help: Subscriptions considerations](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/shopify-subscriptions/considerations) — Limits.
- [Appstle on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/subscriptions-by-appstle) — Plans by revenue.
- [Seal on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/seal-subscriptions) — Plans and fees.
- [Loop on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/loop-subscriptions) — Plans and fees.
- [Recharge pricing](https://getrecharge.com/pricing/) — Plans and fees.
- [Skio pricing](https://skio.com/pricing) — Scale plan.
- [Skio blog: Skio is now part of Recharge](https://skio.com/blog/skio-is-now-part-of-recharge) — Acquisition.

---
Canonical: https://idukki.io/blog/best-shopify-subscription-apps-2026
Tags: subscriptions, best-of, shopify-apps, recharge, skio, retention