Joy Subscriptions and Subi Subscriptions solve different core problems. Joy is built for product subscriptions — recurring physical or digital product orders, Subscribe & Save, Build-a-box bundles, and advanced dunning — with no monthly fee and 0% transaction fees for the first 6 months or first $1M in subscription revenue. Subi is built for subscriptions and memberships — it is the better choice if content access, exclusive member areas, or loyalty membership tiers are central to your model. If you sell physical products on subscription, Joy is the more focused and feature-complete tool.
At first glance, Joy and Subi look similar: both are Shopify subscription apps, both carry a 4.9-star rating, and both have meaningful merchant bases. But they are built for meaningfully different business models.
Subi positions itself as a subscriptions-and-memberships platform — it handles recurring billing but also covers membership access control, content gating, and loyalty program tiers. Joy is purpose-built for product subscriptions: recurring product deliveries, Subscribe & Save discounts, Build-a-box customization, and maximizing recovered revenue through smart dunning.
Choosing between them comes down to what your store actually needs. This comparison lays that out honestly. We built Joy, so we have noted that throughout and done our best to represent Subi fairly.
| Category | Joy Subscriptions | Subi Subscriptions |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Product subscriptions | Subscriptions + memberships |
| Product subscriptions | Deep feature set | Functional, not the primary focus |
| Membership / content access | Not supported | Core feature |
| Subscribe & Save | All plans | Available |
| Build-a-box bundles | All plans | Not a primary feature |
| Smart dunning | Full automation, all plans | Basic dunning available |
| Branded customer portal | Full customization, all plans | Customer portal included |
| Pricing model | 0% fees for first 6 mo. or first $1M revenue, then 1.5%; no monthly fee | Structured plans (check subi.co) |
| Free plan | Core features, no MRR cap | Check current plan details |
| Analytics | Starter plan (not on Free) | Included |
| 24/7 live chat support | All plans | Support available (check tiers) |
| Managed migration | Free, named contact | Limited migration support |
| App rating | 4.9 ★ (379+ reviews) | 4.9 ★ |
| Merchant base | 5,000+ merchants | 9,000+ stores, $100M+ GMV |
Joy charges no monthly fee. The Starter plan charges 0% transaction fees for the first 6 months or first $1,000,000 in subscription revenue, then 1.5%. No feature changes at any level — you always have the full product.
Subi uses structured monthly plans. Exact pricing changes over time — check subi.co for current rates before committing.
| Monthly Subscription MRR | Joy Subscriptions Cost | Subi Subscriptions Cost |
|---|---|---|
| $500 MRR | $0 (0% during intro period) | Check subi.co |
| $1,000 MRR | $15/month (after intro period) | Check subi.co |
| $3,000 MRR | $45/month (after intro period) | Check subi.co |
| $5,000 MRR | $75/month (after intro period) | Check subi.co |
| $10,000 MRR | $150/month (after intro period) | Check subi.co |
Joy's model is transparent. During the introductory period (first 6 months or first $1M in subscription revenue), Joy costs $0 in transaction fees. After that, costs scale proportionally with revenue. A flat monthly fee can be cheaper at high MRR if you are on a capped plan — run the numbers against Subi's current pricing at your actual MRR to make an accurate comparison.
This distinction matters more than any individual feature comparison.
A product subscription means a customer receives recurring deliveries of something physical or digital — coffee every four weeks, skincare every six weeks, supplements monthly. The value is in the product itself. The subscription is the delivery mechanism.
Joy is built for this model. Subscribe & Save discounts, Build-a-box customization, flexible billing intervals, smart dunning to recover failed payments, and a branded portal where subscribers manage their own deliveries — all of this is designed around recurring product commerce.
A membership means a customer pays recurring fees for access — to exclusive content, a members-only community, tiered pricing, or loyalty program benefits. The value is in the access, not a physical delivery.
Subi is built for this model too, alongside product subscriptions. If your business model involves content access, exclusive member areas, or access-based loyalty programs, Subi's membership features are purpose-built for that use case.
Most e-commerce stores selling physical products need product subscription tools, not membership management. If you sell consumables, beauty products, food and drink, supplements, pet products, or any category where repeat purchase is natural — Joy is built for you.
If your model includes exclusive member communities, content access tiers, or loyalty programs where the membership itself is the product — Subi's membership infrastructure is worth the consideration.
Some stores genuinely need both. In that case, evaluate whether Subi's product subscription depth matches your needs, or whether Joy's product subscription focus plus a separate membership tool gives you better outcomes overall.
Joy includes Build-a-box on all plans. Subscribers can customize their recurring box with product selections — a feature that increases average order value and subscriber engagement for product subscription businesses.
Subi does not focus on Build-a-box functionality. If curated or customizable recurring boxes are part of your model, Joy covers this more completely.
Involuntary churn — subscribers who cancel not by choice but because a payment fails and recovery does not happen — is one of the biggest avoidable losses in a subscription business.
Joy's smart dunning runs automatically on all plans: configurable retry logic, customer notification emails, and recovery sequences that work without manual intervention. Subi covers basic dunning. Joy's approach to failed payment recovery is more sophisticated for product subscription operations.
Joy's customer portal is fully branded and customizable on every plan — subscribers can pause, skip, swap products, change quantities, and update billing details without contacting your team. The portal is designed to reflect your store's visual identity.
Subi includes a customer portal. For product subscriptions, Joy's portal is more feature-complete and customizable. For membership-specific self-service (managing access tiers, member benefits), Subi's portal is purpose-built.
Both apps offer Subscribe & Save — customers lock in a discount by committing to recurring orders. This is standard functionality and both apps handle it well.
Joy includes MRR tracking, churn rate, subscriber growth, and order history on all plans. Subi includes analytics covering both subscription and membership activity. For product subscription analytics specifically, Joy's reporting is focused and accessible. Subi's analytics cover a broader model including membership metrics.
Subi has the longer track record by merchant volume: 9,000+ stores and $100M+ GMV processed. Those are meaningful numbers that reflect a platform that has operated at scale.
Joy launched in August 2024 and reached 5,000+ merchants in its first eight months — strong early growth that reflects genuine product-market fit. Both apps carry a 4.9-star rating.
If track record and GMV processed are important factors in your evaluation, Subi's numbers are stronger today. If you weight early growth trajectory and review quality, both apps perform well.
Joy offers 24/7 live chat on every plan, including the free tier. Merchant reviews consistently cite support responsiveness as a standout feature. You do not need to be on a premium plan to get fast, useful help.
Subi's support is available, with plan-tier-based access. Check their current support offerings for response time expectations at your plan level.
Joy provides free, fully managed migration from any subscription app. You get a named contact who handles the technical transfer — active subscribers, plans, billing intervals, billing dates — and stays with you until everything is confirmed working. Most migrations complete in 3 to 5 business days.
Subi's migration support is more limited. If you are moving from another app with an established subscriber base, Joy's managed process substantially reduces the risk of disruption.
One important note: if you are migrating from Subi specifically and your model includes membership data (access tiers, content entitlements), that data does not transfer to Joy — Joy does not replicate membership functionality. Product subscription data transfers cleanly.
Subi is the better choice if:
Subi has processed $100M+ GMV and serves 9,000+ stores for good reason. It is a capable platform, particularly for merchants whose model includes the membership dimension Subi is built around.
Joy is the better fit if:
For a broader view of the subscription app landscape, see the best Shopify subscription apps comparison. The Joy vs. Appstle comparison, Joy vs. Seal Subscriptions, and the best ReCharge alternatives guide are also useful if you are evaluating multiple options.
No. Joy is built for product subscriptions — recurring physical or digital product deliveries, Subscribe & Save, Build-a-box. It does not support content access control, exclusive member areas, or loyalty membership tiers. If memberships are your core model, Subi is the purpose-built choice.
A product subscription = recurring deliveries of a product. A membership = recurring access to something (content, community, exclusive pricing). Some stores need both. Most product-focused e-commerce stores need product subscription tools, not membership management.
Yes, if your model is primarily product subscriptions. Joy handles the transfer of active subscribers, subscription plans, billing intervals, and billing dates. Membership-specific data does not transfer, as Joy does not offer membership functionality.
Subi handles product subscriptions adequately. But its primary differentiation is memberships. For a store where recurring product orders are the core model, Joy is more focused and feature-complete — particularly on Build-a-box, smart dunning, and portal customization.
Subi can cover both in a single app. Joy specializes in product subscriptions and does not support membership access management. If you genuinely need both, evaluate whether Subi's product subscription depth meets your needs, or whether running Joy plus a separate membership tool gives better outcomes.
Both carry a 4.9-star rating. Subi has 9,000+ stores and $100M+ GMV. Joy has 5,000+ merchants and launched in August 2024. Subi has a longer track record. Joy has stronger early growth and a focused product subscription feature set.
Joy Subscriptions is built for product subscriptions — recurring physical or digital product orders, Subscribe & Save, and Build-a-box bundles. It does not offer the dedicated membership features Subi provides, such as content access control, exclusive member areas, or loyalty program membership tiers. If memberships are your core model, Subi is the more purpose-built choice.
A product subscription means a customer receives recurring deliveries of a physical or digital product — coffee bags every month, skincare every six weeks. A membership means a customer pays recurring fees for access to something — exclusive content, a members-only community, tiered loyalty benefits, or gated pricing. Some stores need both. Most stores need one or the other.
Yes, if your model is primarily product subscriptions. Joy provides free, fully managed migration — a named contact handles the transfer of your active subscribers, subscription plans, billing intervals, and billing dates. Membership-specific data (access tiers, content entitlements) does not transfer, as Joy does not replicate membership functionality.
Subi handles product subscriptions adequately, but its primary differentiation is memberships. If product subscriptions are your core model — Subscribe & Save, recurring boxes, replenishment programs — Joy is the more focused and feature-complete tool. Subi's product subscription depth is functional but not its strongest area.
If you genuinely need both product subscriptions and membership access management, you may need to evaluate whether one app covers both needs adequately or whether running two specialized tools makes more sense. Subi can cover both in a single app. Joy specializes in product subscriptions and does not cover membership access control.
Both apps carry a 4.9-star rating. Subi has 9,000+ stores and reports $100M+ GMV processed. Joy has 5,000+ merchants and launched in August 2024 — a newer app with strong early growth. Both have strong ratings, but Subi has a longer track record by merchant volume.
Joy has no monthly fee. The Starter plan charges 0% transaction fees for the first 6 months or first $1,000,000 in subscription revenue, then 1.5% — with no feature restrictions at any level. Subi uses structured monthly plans — check subi.co for current rates. Joy's model scales proportionally with your revenue. A flat monthly fee can be cheaper at very high MRR on a capped plan. Calculate against your actual subscription MRR to compare accurately.
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