battles / Subscriptions
Recharge vs Sticky.io
Recharge ($499/mo/mo, vibe code 5/10) vs Sticky.io ($499/mo/mo, vibe code 4/10). Recharge is the easier one to rebuild yourself — here is what you lose either way.
Subscriptions
$499/mo/mo
- MVP
- 2-3 weeks
- Full replacement
- 6-12 months
easier to rebuild
get the build prompt →Subscriptions
$499/mo/mo
- MVP
- 2 weeks
- Full replacement
- 9-12 months, due to PCI compliance, payment token migrations, and multi-MID routing logic
price gap / year
usage-based
running both / year
$11,976/mo
our call
Start with Recharge — highest vibe code, weakest moat.
Recharge
Generating subscription contracts and running a skip/swap customer portal using Shopify's native APIs is completely trivial for an AI agent. However, replacing Recharge's advanced dunning algorithms, carrier-compliant SMS workflows, and complex retention tools requires serious engineering and operational overhead.
you can rebuild
- Subscription widget on Product Detail Pages (PDP) for subscribe-and-save options.
- Self-serve customer portal for skipping, swapping, delaying, and cancelling orders.
- Basic dunning logic and payment failure email notifications.
- Simple percentage or fixed-amount subscription discounts and recurring billing schedules.
- Basic cancellation prevention flows with discount offers or delay alternatives.
what you lose
- Access to pre-built integrations with major martech tools like Klaviyo, Attentive, and Gorgias.
- Recharge's machine-learning-driven payment recovery retries (Smart Retries).
- Turnkey SMS subscription management (Concierge SMS) with full TCPA compliance.
- Out-of-the-box build-a-box dynamic bundling mechanics.
- Managed migration services for moving subscriber credit card vaults securely.
real moats
- Deep native integration with Shopify Checkout and historical platform lock-in.
- Massive historical transaction dataset optimizing smart retry schedules for card recovery.
- Direct migration pipelines for migrating sensitive payment tokens between card vaults.
open source escape hatches
- Kill Bill Apache-2.0
- Medusa Subscriptions MIT
Sticky.io
Basic recurring billing logic using Stripe is easy to build with AI, but Sticky.io handles multi-MID processing, cascade routing, card account updates, and PCI vaulting. Migrating vaulted payment tokens away from a custom setup when gateways decline transactions is a compliance nightmare.
you can rebuild
- Basic subscriber portal for pause, skip, and swap
- Subscription catalog and discount code management
- Recurring order schedule generation
- Basic email notifications for upcoming rebills
- Standard churn reporting and dashboard metrics
what you lose
- Multi-MID and gateway cascade routing engine
- PCI Level 1 compliant token vaulting outside of standard gateways
- Visa/Mastercard Account Updater (VAU/ABU) integration for expired cards
- Sophisticated decline recycling and smart dunning sequences
- Built-in chargeback protection software integrations
real moats
- PCI-DSS compliant payment token vault across multiple gateways
- Pre-built integrations with merchant processing gateways and fraud tools
- Historical transaction routing data for decline optimization
open source escape hatches
- Kill Bill Apache-2.0
- Lago AGPL-3.0
- ActiveMerchant MIT
Questions people ask
Which is easier to rebuild with AI, Recharge or Sticky.io?
Recharge. It scores 5/10 on vibe code with a moat of 6/10, so an AI-assisted MVP takes about 2-3 weeks and a full replacement about 6-12 months.
Which one costs less, Recharge or Sticky.io?
Recharge at $499/mo/mo for a typical mid-market store. The gap between the two is about usage-based a year.
What do I lose if I replace Recharge?
Access to pre-built integrations with major martech tools like Klaviyo, Attentive, and Gorgias. Recharge's machine-learning-driven payment recovery retries (Smart Retries). Turnkey SMS subscription management (Concierge SMS) with full TCPA compliance.
What do I lose if I replace Sticky.io?
Multi-MID and gateway cascade routing engine PCI Level 1 compliant token vaulting outside of standard gateways Visa/Mastercard Account Updater (VAU/ABU) integration for expired cards
More battles
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