ecomrestack

battles / Subscriptions

Ongoing Subscriptions vs Subbly

Ongoing Subscriptions ($29/mo/mo, vibe code 7/10) vs Subbly ($69/mo/mo, vibe code 8/10). Subbly is the easier one to rebuild yourself — here is what you lose either way.

Ongoing Subscriptions
CLONE

Subscriptions

$29/mo/mo

Vibe code7/10
Moat3/10
MVP
1 week
Full replacement
1-2 months, due to Shopify Subscription API edge cases, app proxy integration, and payment retry logic
get the build prompt →
Subbly
CLONE

Subscriptions

$69/mo/mo

Vibe code8/10
Moat3/10
MVP
1-2 weeks
Full replacement
2-3 months

easier to rebuild

get the build prompt →

price gap / year

$480/mo

running both / year

$1,176/mo

our call

Start with Subbly — highest vibe code, weakest moat.

Ongoing Subscriptions

Shopify handles payment vaulting and card processing natively through its Subscription Contracts API. Ongoing Subscriptions provides an admin dashboard, discount configurations, and an embedded customer portal. Rebuilding a custom in-house subscription controller for a single store with Claude/Cursor requires executing standard webhooks and GraphQL mutations.

you can rebuild

  • Selling plan creation and product tier configuration
  • Customer portal for order pausing, skipping, and cancelling via App Proxy
  • Automated recurring order triggers via Shopify GraphQL Subscription API
  • Custom recurring discount rules (e.g., 10% off recurring items)
  • Subscriber transactional notification emails via Klaviyo or Resend

what you lose

  • Turnkey setup with zero infrastructure to host or maintain
  • Out-of-the-box Theme App Extensions for complex custom themes
  • Pre-built edge-case handling for Shopify API version upgrades
  • Pre-configured dunning schedules and automated credit card update prompts
  • One-click migration scripts from Recharge, Bold, or Seal

real moats

  • Deep native integration with Shopify Payments card vaulting
  • Zero-maintenance infrastructure and API compliance upkeep
  • Pre-configured compliance workflows for state auto-renewal laws

open source escape hatches

Subbly

Subbly combines a simple website builder with a subscription management layer. If you already have a website or write code, you can build the entire subscription backend and customer portal in a couple of weeks using Next.js and Stripe Billing.

you can rebuild

  • Subscriber management dashboard (pause, skip, cancel, swap).
  • Automated dunning and failed payment recovery emails.
  • Cancellation flows with automated retention counter-offers.
  • Recurring billing logic and cycle execution.
  • Embeddable subscription checkout widgets.

what you lose

  • The built-in drag-and-drop website builder.
  • Done-for-you concierge migration team for importing old customer tokens.
  • Out-of-the-box non-technical user interface for non-developer team members.
  • Pre-configured integration ecosystem with third-party app stores.

real moats

  • Free concierge data migration services for non-technical operators moving off platforms like Cratejoy or Recharge.
  • All-in-one ecosystem bundling builder, checkout, CRM, and automation for non-engineers.

open source escape hatches

Questions people ask

Which is easier to rebuild with AI, Ongoing Subscriptions or Subbly?

Subbly. It scores 8/10 on vibe code with a moat of 3/10, so an AI-assisted MVP takes about 1-2 weeks and a full replacement about 2-3 months.

Which one costs less, Ongoing Subscriptions or Subbly?

Ongoing Subscriptions at $29/mo/mo for a typical mid-market store. The gap between the two is about $480/mo a year.

What do I lose if I replace Ongoing Subscriptions?

Turnkey setup with zero infrastructure to host or maintain Out-of-the-box Theme App Extensions for complex custom themes Pre-built edge-case handling for Shopify API version upgrades

What do I lose if I replace Subbly?

The built-in drag-and-drop website builder. Done-for-you concierge migration team for importing old customer tokens. Out-of-the-box non-technical user interface for non-developer team members.

One e-commerce SaaS teardown every week.

Honest verdicts, build prompts and overlooked vertical SaaS opportunities. No tracking pixels, no drip sequence, unsubscribe in one click.

free forever · no third-party tracking · the prompts stay public