# Do you need a subscription app, or is Shopify's free Subscriptions app enough? > Source: https://zubs.app/compare/shopify-subscriptions-vs-subscription-app > Title: Shopify Subscriptions or a Subscription App? — Zubs > Published: 2026-10-02 > Updated: 2026-10-09 > Language: en ## Short answer Shopify Subscriptions is for simple replenishment: one product on repeat at a discount. Use it while you find out whether subscriptions work for your brand and products. Once they become a real part of your business, move to an app built for them: Zubs adds boxes customers fill themselves, a retention offer for every cancellation reason, stock held before billing day and prepaid plans, and our team moves your subscribers over for free. ## What is the difference at a glance? Shopify Subscriptions is [Shopify's own free subscription app](https://apps.shopify.com/shopify-subscriptions), launched in January 2024 for basic subscribe-and-save, managed in the Shopify admin. Zubs is a dedicated subscription app. Both keep the customer's portal inside Shopify's customer accounts. These are the differences that decide most evaluations: | | Shopify Subscriptions | Zubs | | --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Plans | [Delivery frequency and a discount](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/shopify-subscriptions/manage-subscriptions/add-edit-plans) | [Frequencies, discounts, intro offers and prepaid billing](https://help.zubs.app/docs/subscription-management/create-subscription-plan/) | | Build-a-box | [Bundles not compatible](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/shopify-subscriptions/considerations) | [Built in](https://help.zubs.app/docs/subscription-management/build-a-box/) | | Retention | [Cancel, skip or pause; no reasons or offers](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/shopify-subscriptions/customer-experience) | [A reason, follow-up question and retention offer per reason](https://help.zubs.app/docs/subscription-management/merchant-portal/settings-general/) | | Stock | [Retry or oversell when stock runs out](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/shopify-subscriptions/manage-subscriptions/manage-contracts) | [Reserved 1–30 days before each billing date](https://help.zubs.app/docs/subscription-management/merchant-portal/section-inventory-planner/) | | Failed payments | [Retries, interval and final action set by you](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/shopify-subscriptions/manage-subscriptions/manage-app-settings) | [0–10 retries, 1–14 days apart, final action set by you](https://help.zubs.app/docs/subscription-management/automation/payment-failures/) | ## When is Shopify Subscriptions enough? As a starting point. Shopify Subscriptions is the [first-party app](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/shopify-subscriptions) for simple replenishment: plans have a [delivery frequency and a discount](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/shopify-subscriptions/manage-subscriptions/add-edit-plans), and customers manage their subscription in Shopify's customer accounts. Use it while you find out whether your customers subscribe at all. Nothing more, but nothing less. ## When do you outgrow Shopify Subscriptions? [Subscriptions that last](https://zubs.app/playbooks/subscriptions-that-last) need more than a repeat order: subscribers stay when they can shape what they get, are rewarded for staying and get an alternative before they cancel. Each point below is something Shopify Subscriptions doesn't do: - **Customers fill their own box.** Shopify states that [bundles aren't compatible](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/shopify-subscriptions/considerations) with the app. With [build-a-box](https://zubs.app/features/build-a-box) in Zubs, customers subscribe to a box and choose its items for every order in the portal. - **You want to know why people cancel and make them an offer.** In Shopify Subscriptions, a cancellation [ends billing and delivery immediately](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/shopify-subscriptions/customer-experience); it asks for no reason and makes no offer. Zubs asks for a reason, can ask a follow-up question and makes one retention offer per reason: a discount on the next order, a skip or a new date. See [cancellation flow](https://zubs.app/features/cancellation-flow). - **You reward subscribers who stay.** With [sequential flows](https://zubs.app/features/sequential-flows), a subscription changes at order milestones: a free gift with the 3rd order, 10% off from the 4th, or the full size after a starter kit. - **Your offers are more than one discount.** Zubs plans can add an [introductory discount](https://zubs.app/features/subscription-plans) on the first orders, on top of the regular subscription discount, and customers can pay upfront with [prepaid billing](https://zubs.app/glossary/prepaid-subscription), such as 6 months paid upfront with monthly deliveries. The app's plans have a delivery frequency and a discount. - **Stock has to be there on billing day.** When stock runs out, the app falls back to [retries, flagged contracts, overselling or waiting](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/shopify-subscriptions/manage-subscriptions/manage-contracts). Zubs forecasts the units your customers need and holds them in Shopify before each billing date. See [inventory reservation](https://zubs.app/features/inventory-reservation). - **Your emails and automations run on subscription events.** The app sends no subscription events to Klaviyo and adds no Flow triggers of its own. Zubs sends [subscription events to Klaviyo](https://zubs.app/features/klaviyo-subscription-events) and has [Shopify Flow](https://zubs.app/features/shopify-flow-subscriptions) triggers for subscription events and actions such as skipping the next order. - **You want to see why subscribers stay or leave.** Zubs has a [subscription analytics](https://zubs.app/features/subscription-analytics) dashboard with churn, skip rate and cancellation insights. - **You want a team behind your subscriptions.** Our team answers on Slack, email, WhatsApp or phone, whichever suits you, answers quickly and shares what we've learned from running subscription programs with other stores. ## How do the two compare feature by feature? Every capability from our fact sheet, with the source behind each cell and the day we checked it: Shopify Subscriptions and Zubs, capability by capability. Every cell links the page it is based on — Shopify Subscriptions's own pages, and the Zubs help center for Zubs. | Capability | Shopify Subscriptions | Zubs | | --- | --- | --- | | **Build-a-box**: Customers pick several products for one subscription box. | **No.** Shopify's considerations page states: 'Bundles aren't compatible with the Shopify Subscriptions app.' ([Source](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/shopify-subscriptions/considerations), checked 2026-10-02) | **Yes.** Customers subscribe to a box and choose its items for every order in the customer portal. ([Source](https://help.zubs.app/docs/subscription-management/build-a-box/), checked 2026-10-02) | | **Local pickup**: Subscription orders can be picked up locally. | **Yes.** Subscription orders can use local delivery and pickup in store. The contract CSV import supports a 'Local Pick up' delivery method with a location ID. Shopify's general subscription considerations page also says subscription orders can use local delivery and pickup in store. ([Source](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/shopify-subscriptions/import-export/importing-and-exporting), checked 2026-10-02) | **Yes.** Built in: subscribers move between pickup locations and home delivery, and you can add pickup locations of your own. ([Source](https://help.zubs.app/docs/subscription-management/shopify-pickup/), checked 2026-10-02) | | **Inventory reservation**: Stock is held for upcoming subscription orders. | **No.** No forecasting or reservation. If stock is short at billing, the payment-retry settings apply, the contract is flagged, and you oversell or wait for restock and retry. ([Source](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/shopify-subscriptions/manage-subscriptions/manage-contracts), checked 2026-10-06) | **Yes.** Forecasts the stock upcoming subscription orders need, reserves it in Shopify before each billing date and shows where it will run short. ([Source](https://help.zubs.app/docs/subscription-management/merchant-portal/section-inventory-planner/), checked 2026-10-02) | | **Prepaid subscriptions**: Customers pay upfront for several deliveries. | **No.** Plans have a delivery frequency and a discount; billing follows each delivery, with no separate billing interval. ([Source](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/shopify-subscriptions/manage-subscriptions/add-edit-plans), checked 2026-10-06) | **Yes.** Any subscription plan can be prepaid, for example 6 months paid upfront with monthly deliveries. ([Source](https://help.zubs.app/docs/subscription-management/create-subscription-plan/), checked 2026-10-02) | | **Retention tools**: Reasons and retention offers before a cancellation. | **No.** Customers can cancel, skip or pause in their account. Cancelling ends billing and delivery immediately, with no reason asked and no offer made. ([Source](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/shopify-subscriptions/customer-experience), checked 2026-10-06) | **Yes.** Customers give a reason when they cancel, and each reason can come with one retention offer: a discount, a skip or a new date. ([Source](https://help.zubs.app/docs/subscription-management/merchant-portal/settings-general/), checked 2026-10-02) | | **Failed-payment recovery**: Failed payments are retried and customers notified. | **Yes.** Configurable number of retry attempts, days between retries, and a final action (skip, pause or cancel). The customer is notified in each case. The same settings apply to inventory failures. ([Source](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/shopify-subscriptions/manage-subscriptions/manage-app-settings), checked 2026-10-02) | **Yes.** You decide how often failed payments are retried, how far apart and what happens after the last attempt; the customer gets an email on each failure. ([Source](https://help.zubs.app/docs/subscription-management/automation/payment-failures/), checked 2026-10-02) | | **Portal in Shopify customer accounts**: Subscriptions managed inside Shopify's customer accounts. | **Yes.** Subscribers manage subscriptions in Shopify customer accounts, reached from the store login or the 'Manage your subscription' email link. ([Source](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/shopify-subscriptions/customer-experience), checked 2026-10-02) | **Yes.** The customer portal lives inside the customer accounts Shopify provides. ([Source](https://help.zubs.app/docs/subscription-management/customer-portal/), checked 2026-10-02) | | **Klaviyo**: Integrates with Klaviyo. | **No.** The app sends no subscription events to Klaviyo. Its App Store 'Works with' list shows Checkout, Customer accounts, Shopify POS and Shopify Admin. ([Source](https://apps.shopify.com/shopify-subscriptions), checked 2026-10-06) | **Yes.** Sends subscription events to Klaviyo and adds subscription details to customer profiles. ([Source](https://help.zubs.app/docs/subscription-management/merchant-portal/settings-integrations/), checked 2026-10-02) | | **Shopify Flow**: Shopify Flow triggers or actions. | **Partly.** Shopify Flow's built-in subscription triggers, such as 'Subscription billing attempt failure', fire on the app's contracts. The app adds no triggers or actions of its own. ([Source](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/shopify-flow/reference/triggers/subscription-billing-attempt-failure), checked 2026-10-06) | **Yes.** Triggers for subscription events such as a failed payment or a skipped order, and actions such as skipping an order, cancelling a subscription or adding a free item. ([Source](https://help.zubs.app/docs/subscription-management/automation/shopify-flow/), checked 2026-10-02) | | **Languages**: Customer-facing portal, widget and email languages. | **Yes.** Subscription plan titles are translated automatically into 20 languages, including German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Polish, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Turkish and Portuguese (Brazil and Portugal). Plans created before March 20, 2024 must be re-saved to get translations. The App Store lists 19 app languages. ([Source](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/shopify-subscriptions/manage-subscriptions/translate-subscription-plans), checked 2026-10-02) | **Yes.** Each customer sees Zubs in their own language: the storefront widget and checkout in many languages, the customer portal and subscription emails in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch. You translate your own texts with Translate & Adapt. ([Source](https://help.zubs.app/docs/getting-started/languages-and-regions/), checked 2026-10-03) | | **EU/DACH support**: German-language UI or support, EU hosting or an EU office. | **Partly.** Shopify contracts with EU merchants through Shopify International Limited in Dublin, Ireland (Terms of Service, section 13), and German and other EU-language translations are available. The App Store listing gives the developer as Shopify, Ottawa, Canada. ([Source](https://www.shopify.com/legal/terms), checked 2026-10-06) | **Yes.** Made by Zubs GmbH in Germany, running on servers in the EU (Netherlands). Admin, customer portal, subscription emails and support work in German; a data processing agreement (GDPR) is available on request. ([Source](https://help.zubs.app/docs/getting-started/languages-and-regions/), checked 2026-10-03) | Spot something outdated? Tell us and we'll re-check it. ## What does moving from Shopify Subscriptions take? Shopify Subscriptions [exports your contracts](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/shopify-subscriptions/import-export/importing-and-exporting), and our team moves subscriptions from other Shopify subscription apps for free (see [migration](https://zubs.app/migration)). Your subscribers keep their products and next delivery dates, and their next order bills on the day it was due. ## Bottom line Zubs is built for subscriptions that do more than repeat an order: customers build their own box, each cancellation reason can come with a retention offer, stock is reserved before billing day and customers can pay upfront. If that's where your subscriptions are heading, [book a call](https://zubs.app/migration) and we'll go through your setup with you. ## Frequently asked questions ### When should I switch from Shopify Subscriptions? When subscriptions are more than simple replenishment for your store, for example when customers should fill their own box, when you want to keep subscribers who are about to cancel or when customers should pay upfront. Our team then moves your subscribers to Zubs for free. ### Can I sell build-a-box subscriptions with Shopify Subscriptions? No; Shopify states that bundles aren't compatible with the Shopify Subscriptions app. In Zubs, customers subscribe to a box and pick its items for every order in the customer portal. ### What support do I get with Zubs? Our team answers on Slack, email, WhatsApp or phone, whichever suits you, in English or German. We answer quickly and share what we've learned from running subscription programs with other stores. ### Does Shopify Subscriptions retry failed payments? Yes. You set the number of retries, the days between them and whether to skip, pause or cancel after the last one, and Zubs gives you the same choices. ### Where do the facts on this page come from? From our fact sheet on both apps. Shopify Subscriptions claims link Shopify's help center or the App Store listing, Zubs claims the Zubs help center, and every cell in the table shows the day we checked it; we re-check every source at least once a quarter. ## Related - [Playbook: what it takes to run subscriptions that last](https://zubs.app/playbooks/subscriptions-that-last) - [Feature: build-a-box subscriptions](https://zubs.app/features/build-a-box) - [Feature: cancellation flow and pausing](https://zubs.app/features/cancellation-flow) - [Feature: forecast demand and reserve stock](https://zubs.app/features/inventory-reservation) - [Migrating from Recharge: what carries over](https://zubs.app/migration/from-recharge) - [Migration: how our team moves your subscriptions](https://zubs.app/migration)