If you sell something people reorder on Shopify, you’ll end up choosing between a short list of subscription apps. Recharge, Skio and Loop are the three I get asked about most.
I’m Carson Cobb. I run Shopify stores for growing DTC brands on monthly retainers, and I set up and fix subscription programs as part of that work. I’ve spent the most time inside Recharge and Skio. I don’t get paid by any of these vendors, and I’ll tell you where each one fits and where it doesn’t.
One thing first. The app is rarely the reason a subscription program underperforms. Most of the leaks I find in audits, like a hero product with no subscribe option or a widget that never renders on the product page, would follow you to any app. If that sounds like your store, start with my Shopify subscriptions page.
All pricing below comes from each vendor’s own pricing page and Shopify App Store listing, checked in October 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you sign anything.
The quick answer
- Recharge is the most established option, with the largest install base and the deepest set of add ons. Its fees are the highest of the three on the entry plan, and the plans with migration help and bundles come with a 12 month term.
- Skio has one public plan, priced higher at the start but with lower per order fees than Recharge, and it’s known for a polished customer portal and cancel flows. Recharge announced it was acquiring Skio in April 2026.
- Loop has the lowest public entry price, the lowest percentage fees on its paid plans, and includes managed migration on every paid plan.
Pricing compared
Here’s what each vendor publishes. “Custom” means the price isn’t public and you have to talk to sales.
| Recharge | Skio | Loop | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | $25/mo plan listed on the Shopify App Store, no transaction fees on your first 50 subscribers (fees after that not listed) | None below Scale | Free plan for up to 50 active subscriptions |
| Main plan | Starter: $99/mo + 1.49% + 19¢ per transaction | Scale: $599/mo billed monthly, or $499/mo billed annually, + 1% + 20¢ per subscription order | Starter: $99/mo + 1.0% per transaction |
| Higher plan | Plus: $499/mo + 1.34% + 19¢ per transaction, with scalable rates | None public | Pro: $399/mo + 0.75% per transaction |
| Enterprise | Custom, volume based | Enterprise: custom | Enterprise: custom, negotiable fees |
| Free trial | 60 days on Starter | Not stated on the pricing page | 14 days on Starter and Pro |
| Contract | Starter month to month; Plus and Custom on 12 month terms | Monthly or annual billing | Not stated on the pricing page |
| Migration support | Listed on Plus (data validation, prep tools, cutover strategy) | “Comprehensive migration” on Scale; custom migration development on Enterprise | White glove migration included on all paid plans, no migration fee |
| Shopify App Store rating | 4.8 from 3,149 reviews | 5.0 from 244 reviews | 5.0 from 802 reviews |
A few things that don’t fit neatly in the table:
- Recharge Concierge SMS on Plus is billed separately at $0.03 per message segment in the US and Canada, $0.06 internationally.
- Skio lists its loyalty program as an extra charge but doesn’t publish the price.
- Recharge Starter excludes bundles, rewards, referrals, Concierge SMS and the JavaScript SDK. Those start on Plus.
Key features compared
All three cover the basics: a product page widget, a customer portal, failed payment recovery and cancellation prevention. The differences are in the details and in which plan unlocks them.
| Recharge | Skio | Loop | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancel flows | Smart cancellation prevention on Starter | Multi step cancel flow builder | Personalized cancellation flows on Starter |
| Bundles | Customizable bundles on Plus | Advanced build a box on Scale | Fixed and custom bundles on Starter |
| SMS | Concierge SMS on Plus, billed per segment | SkioSMS, one and two way, on Scale | Not listed on the plans I reviewed |
| Loyalty and rewards | Rewards and referrals on Plus | Loyalty at extra cost | Streaks, mystery rewards and reward journeys on Pro |
| Prepaid and gifting | Gifting on Starter | Surprise and delight gifting on Scale | Prepaid and gift subscriptions on Pro |
| API and developer access | JavaScript SDK and Storefront API on Plus | Webhooks and API on Scale | Admin and storefront APIs and webhooks on Pro |
| Dedicated support | Live video support on Custom; response within 8 hours on Starter, 6 on Plus | Dedicated merchant success manager on Enterprise | Dedicated CSM and 24x7 Slack support on Pro |
Migration: what each vendor actually promises
Switching subscription apps is the scariest part of this decision, because a bad migration means missed charges and angry customers.
Loop is the most explicit. Its pricing page says migration is fully managed end to end, included on every paid plan, with no setup, migration or onboarding fees. It also claims more than 1,100 migrations to Loop.
Skio lists comprehensive migration on its Scale plan and custom migration development on Enterprise. Its pricing page doesn’t publish a timeline or process.
Recharge lists end to end migration support, including data validation and a cutover strategy, on the Plus plan. It isn’t listed on Starter.
Whatever you pick, plan the cutover around your billing calendar, test real subscriptions before go live, and have someone watch the first full billing cycle closely. That’s work I do for clients as part of a retainer.
The Recharge and Skio acquisition
On April 27, 2026, Recharge announced that Skio is joining Recharge. In its announcement, Recharge said nothing changes today for merchants on either platform, both will continue to operate as they have, and more details about a combined roadmap will come later.
What that means in practice is still unclear. If you’re choosing Skio specifically because it’s an alternative to Recharge, factor that in. If you’re happy on either one, there’s no reason to panic.
Which one I’d pick for…
A newer brand just launching subscriptions. Loop. The free plan up to 50 active subscriptions and the $99/mo Starter plan with a 1.0% fee are the lowest public entry point of the three, and bundles and cancel flows are included from Starter. Recharge’s $25/mo entry plan is worth comparing too, but its fees past the first 50 subscribers aren’t listed on the App Store page.
A growing brand that wants the most established platform and a deep ecosystem. Recharge. It has by far the most reviews on the Shopify App Store and the most built in add ons on Plus. Just know that migration support, bundles and loyalty sit on Plus, which is $499/mo on a 12 month term.
A brand where subscribers are the core of the business and the portal experience matters most. Skio. One plan with most features included, lower per order fees than Recharge, SMS built in, and a strong cancel flow builder. The trade off is a higher starting price and uncertainty about the long term roadmap after the acquisition.
A brand doing high subscription volume and watching fees closely. Run the math on Loop Pro at 0.75% and Skio at 1% + 20¢, then get custom quotes from all three. At high volume the percentage and per order fees matter far more than the monthly fee.
A brand already on one of these and unhappy. Don’t switch yet. Fix the offer, the product page widget, the default selection and the cancel flow first. If the app still can’t do what you need after that, then migrate.
Want help choosing or fixing your setup?
If you want a second set of eyes before you commit, or you want someone to own your subscription program after you pick, that’s what I do. A one week Store Sprint ($1,500 one time, credited to a retainer) is a good start, and the Operator plan ($3,000/mo) is where I run subscriptions as part of the whole store. See all plans on the pricing section. If you’re a supplement or wellness brand, my supplement brands page covers the extra things I’d check.
Book a 20 minute intro call and tell me which apps you’re weighing. I’ll tell you what I’d pick for your store and why.