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battles / Subscriptions

Ongoing Subscriptions vs Subkit

Ongoing Subscriptions ($29/mo/mo, vibe code 7/10) vs Subkit ($99/mo/mo, vibe code 7/10). Subkit 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 →
Subkit
CLONE

Subscriptions

$99/mo/mo

Vibe code7/10
Moat2/10
MVP
1 weekend
Full replacement
1-2 months, primarily to handle edge-case dunning, multi-currency webhooks, and self-serve management

easier to rebuild

get the build prompt →

price gap / year

$840/mo

running both / year

$1,536/mo

our call

Start with Subkit — 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

Subkit

Subkit's core capability is wrapping recurring payments with a simple storefront and self-serve portal. By pairing Next.js with Stripe Billing and Stripe Customer Portal, you can build an identical subscription flow in a weekend.

you can rebuild

  • Hosted subscription plan storefront and checkout flow
  • Self-serve customer portal for pausing, skipping, or canceling subscriptions
  • Recurring payment scheduling and automated charging via Stripe
  • Subscriber status management dashboard and active customer list
  • Automated email notifications for upcoming renewal charges and card failures

what you lose

  • Zero-code theme customizer for rapid storefront launches
  • Pre-packaged dunning email templates and automated retry rules
  • Turnkey subscriber administration dashboard out of the box
  • Managed webhook infrastructure for real-time subscription status changes
  • Integrated customer support interface for manual plan adjustments

real moats

  • Stored customer billing tokens inside original gateway accounts
  • Historical lifetime value and churn analytics logs
  • Zero-friction onboarding for non-technical creators

open source escape hatches

Questions people ask

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

Subkit. It scores 7/10 on vibe code with a moat of 2/10, so an AI-assisted MVP takes about 1 weekend and a full replacement about 1-2 months, primarily to handle edge-case dunning, multi-currency webhooks, and self-serve management.

Which one costs less, Ongoing Subscriptions or Subkit?

Ongoing Subscriptions at $29/mo/mo for a typical mid-market store. The gap between the two is about $840/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 Subkit?

Zero-code theme customizer for rapid storefront launches Pre-packaged dunning email templates and automated retry rules Turnkey subscriber administration dashboard out of the box

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