For years, “Skio vs Recharge” was a challenger-versus-incumbent story. Skio was the fast, modern platform brands “graduated to.” Recharge was the established giant. Then, on April 30, 2026, Recharge announced that Skio was joining the company.
So which one should you pick now? They’re still separate products with different pricing, plans, and support styles. This guide compares them on pricing and fee math, features, support, migration, and risk, and shows which store sizes each one suits.
Plan details and ratings come from the Shopify App Store listings, the official Recharge pricing page, and the Skio pricing tiers, checked on October 9, 2026.
Skio vs Recharge: Quick Verdict
There’s no single winner. Recharge is the better starting point for new and smaller subscription programs, and Skio can cost less and include more once you’re at higher volume.
- Pick Recharge if: You’re starting out, want a lower entry price, or want the largest, most established platform.
- Pick Skio if: You’re a growing brand with steady subscription volume that wants features like Build-a-Box, SMS, and API access on one plan, with hands-on support.
- Ownership: Both are now Recharge products. Recharge says both continue to operate as normal for now.
- Ratings: Recharge 4.8 (3,129 reviews). Skio 5.0 (242 reviews).
- Entry price: Recharge from $25 per month or $99 per month. Skio from $499 per month billed annually.
Skio vs Recharge at a Glance
| Detail | Recharge | Skio |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | Recharge | Recharge (acquisition announced April 30, 2026) |
| On the Shopify App Store since | October 2014 | April 2021 |
| Shopify App Store rating | 4.8 (3,129 reviews) | 5.0 (242 reviews) |
| Entry pricing | $25/month (first 50 subscribers), or Starter $99/month | Scale $499/month annual or $599/month monthly |
| Transaction fee | 1.49% + 19¢ (Starter); 1.34% + 19¢ (Plus) | 1% + 20¢ on orders involving a subscription |
| Free trial | 60 days on Starter | Not listed; book a demo |
| Brand count (vendor claim) | 20,000+ combined with Skio | 1,000+ brands before the acquisition |
| Best for | New to mid-size programs, broad integrations | Growing and scaling brands wanting hands-on support |
What Changed When Recharge Bought Skio
Recharge announced that Skio is joining its team. The combined companies say they power more than 20,000 brands and over $20 billion in annual GMV. Press and deal trackers report the price at $105 million in cash, though Recharge’s own post doesn’t state it.
For merchants, Recharge says nothing is changing today. Both platforms keep operating, your existing team remains your point of contact, and a combined roadmap will be shared in the coming months.
That leaves a real question: if you sign a long contract with either, will the products merge, change pricing, or change support? Nobody outside Recharge can answer that yet, so build it into your decision. Ask each vendor what’s in writing about pricing and roadmap.
Who Each App Is For
Recharge Is a Good Fit If You…
- Are launching or testing a subscription program and want a low entry price.
- Want the most established platform, with a wide integration list that syncs easily with your other must-have Shopify apps, including Klaviyo, Gorgias
- Need a free trial to test, since Starter includes 60 days.
- Plan to add bundles, loyalty, and SMS later on the Plus plan.
Skio Is a Good Fit If You…
- Already have steady subscription volume and can absorb a $499 per month platform fee.
- Want bundles, SMS, journeys, and API access without paying for a higher tier.
- Value hands-on onboarding and support.
- Plan to commit to annual billing to get the $499 rate.
Look Elsewhere If You…
- Have very few subscribers and don’t want a $99+ monthly fee. A lighter app or Shopify’s own tools may be enough.
- Want a subscription platform that isn’t owned by Recharge. See the alternatives below.
Feature Comparison
| Area | Recharge | Skio |
|---|---|---|
| Customer portal | No-code portal for skip, swap, and reschedule (all plans) | No-code portal with passwordless login and quick actions |
| Cancellation prevention | Smart cancellation flows with branching and A/B testing (all plans) | Multi-step cancel flow builder |
| Failed payment recovery | AI-powered retries and notifications; vendor claims recovery of up to 88% of failed payments | Smart payment recovery campaigns with timing optimization |
| Bundles | Preset and customizable bundles, subscription bundles (Plus and up) | Build-a-Box, static and dynamic, plus a smart upsell carousel |
| Loyalty and referrals | Rewards and referral program (Plus and up) | Rewards, tiers, and referrals built into the portal (Skio says) |
| SMS | Concierge SMS (Plus and up), $0.03 US / $0.06 international per message segment | SkioSMS, one-way and two-way, listed among Scale features |
| Analytics | Revenue, retention, subscription health, and industry benchmarks | Analytics suite with advanced segmentation and real-time reporting |
| Automation | Workflows, automated abandoned cart win-backs, and product journeys | Journeys (lifecycle automation) |
| Developer tools | API on all plans; JavaScript SDK and Storefront API on Plus and up | Native integrations, webhooks, and API on Scale |
| Migration | End-to-end migration support on Plus | “Comprehensive” zero-downtime migration |
| Shopify checkout | Unified checkout on Shopify | Works with Shopify Checkout and customer accounts |
Skio says every feature is included on one plan, with Enterprise adding roadmap input, a dedicated success manager, and custom development.
Pricing: Recharge
| Plan | Price | Transaction fee | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| New-merchant plan | $25/month | No fees on your first 50 subscribers | Starter feature set; 60-day free trial |
| Starter | $99/month | 1.49% + 19¢ per transaction | Subscription widget, no-code portal, basic upsell and cross-sell tools (often paired with an AI upsell engine like Rebuy), cancellation prevention… |
| Plus | $499/month | 1.34% + 19¢ per transaction (scalable rates) | Everything in Starter, plus hands-on implementation, migration support, bundles, tiered discounts, Concierge SMS, loyalty, referrals, SDK and Storefront API |
| Custom | Volume-based | Negotiated | Custom implementation, priority technical support, architecture review, business reviews |
Billing runs on a monthly cycle. Plus and Custom plans run on 12-month terms, and you can upgrade during the term but downgrade only when it ends. Support response targets listed by Recharge are within 8 hours on Starter, within 6 hours on Plus, and live video support within 4 hours on Custom.
Pricing: Skio
| Plan | Price | Transaction fee | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scale | $499/month billed annually ($5,988/year), or $599/month billed monthly | 1% + 20¢ on orders involving a subscription | Customer portal, journeys, cancel flow builder, Build-a-Box, SkioSMS, analytics, payment recovery, migration, API, hands-on onboarding |
| Enterprise | Custom | Volume pricing | Everything in Scale, plus roadmap input, early access, emergency support, dedicated success manager, custom development |
Skio doesn’t publish a cheaper plan, and its FAQ says it focuses on companies with a “pay money to make money” mindset. If you’re just starting with subscriptions, the entry price is a real hurdle.
The Fee Math: What Each Actually Costs
The headline monthly fees hide the real difference. These totals use each vendor’s published rates and are illustrative, not quotes.
Assumptions: every order is a subscription order, average order value is $50, Recharge is billed monthly, and Skio is billed annually. They exclude payment processor fees, SMS charges, and taxes.
| Subscription orders per month | Revenue (GMV) | Recharge Starter | Recharge Plus | Skio Scale (annual) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | $15,000 | About $380 | About $860 | About $709 |
| 1,000 | $50,000 | About $1,034 | About $1,359 | About $1,199 |
| 3,000 | $150,000 | About $2,904 | About $3,079 | About $2,599 |
(Recharge Plus at 300 orders is $499 + $201 + $57 = $757. Update: about $757, not $860. See corrected row below.)
Corrected 300-order row for Recharge Plus: about $757. Here’s the clean table:
| Subscription orders per month | Revenue (GMV) | Recharge Starter | Recharge Plus | Skio Scale (annual) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | $15,000 | About $380 | About $757 | About $709 |
| 1,000 | $50,000 | About $1,034 | About $1,359 | About $1,199 |
| 3,000 | $150,000 | About $2,904 | About $3,079 | About $2,599 |
What this shows:
- At $50 average order value, Recharge Starter costs less than Skio below roughly 1,700 subscription orders per month, and Skio costs less above that.
- But Starter doesn’t include bundles, loyalty, Concierge SMS, or the SDK. For a like-for-like comparison, compare Skio Scale with Recharge Plus. On the listed rates, Skio’s annual price comes out lower than Plus at any realistic volume, since the base fee is the same and Skio’s per-order fees are lower.
- If you pay Skio monthly ($599), it only overtakes Recharge Plus above about 625 orders per month at $50 average order value.
- Recharge says Plus has “scalable transaction rates,” so your real rate at volume may be lower. Ask for a quote.
Support and Migration
Recharge lists response-time targets by plan and offers hands-on implementation and end-to-end migration support on Plus. Recent reviewers praise its implementation team, though one long-time merchant described some migration and plan-change steps as less than friendly.
Skio says its support team includes former Shopify and Recharge staff, and merchants frequently describe the support as hands-on and strategic. Skio’s pricing page asks you to book a demo rather than self-install, so expect a more guided process.
Whichever you pick, ask in writing about migration cost, timing, and whether any fees apply.
Pros and Cons
Recharge Pros
- The most established platform, with 4.8 stars across more than 3,100 reviews.
- Lower entry points: $25 per month and Starter at $99 per month.
- A 60-day free trial on Starter.
- Wide integrations and API access on all plans.
Recharge Cons
- Higher per-transaction fees than Skio on the published rates.
- Bundles, loyalty, Concierge SMS, and the SDK sit on the $499 per month Plus plan.
- Plus and Custom plans run on 12-month terms.
- 148 one-star reviews out of 3,129.
Skio Pros
- A lower percentage fee, and one plan that includes bundles, SMS, journeys, and API.
- 5.0 stars, with merchants praising support, the portal, and the cancel flows.
- Hands-on onboarding and migration.
Skio Cons
- A high price floor: $499 per month annually or $599 monthly, with no cheaper tier.
- A small review base (242) compared with Recharge’s.
- Now owned by Recharge, so the long-term roadmap is uncertain.
- The $499 rate requires an annual commitment.
Other Shopify Subscription Apps to Consider
| App | Price (per listing) | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loop Subscriptions | Free plan available | 5.0 (780) | A widely used independent subscription app |
| Subi Subscriptions | Free to install | 4.9 (926) | Built for Shopify; subscriptions, memberships, bundles, loyalty |
| Supr Bundle & Subscription | Free | 5.0 (285) | Built for Shopify |
| PayWhirl Subscriptions | Free to install | 4.7 (189) | Built for Shopify |
| Bold Subscriptions | Free trial available | 4.0 (381) | Longer-running app with lower ratings |
Ratings come from the Shopify App Store at the time of writing. If you want an independent platform, compare these against Recharge and Skio on fees and features.
What Merchants Say
On the Shopify App Store, 89% of Recharge’s ratings are five stars. Merchants highlight reliability at scale, bundles, integrations, smooth migrations, and responsive support. A minority report friction, and 148 reviews are one star.
Skio’s 242 reviews are nearly all five stars. Merchants praise the portal, cancel flows, migrations, and “white glove” support. One merchant reports cancellation saves rising from 2% to 22% after using Skio’s multi-step flows—a massive win for standard Shopify conversion rate optimization
Which Should You Choose?
| Your situation | Suggested pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Brand new to subscriptions | Recharge ($25 plan or Starter) | Lowest entry cost and a free trial |
| Up to about 1,700 subscription orders a month, basic needs | Recharge Starter | Cheaper than Skio on published rates at this volume |
| Need bundles, loyalty, SMS, or API at growing volume | Skio Scale (annual) or Recharge Plus | Compare quotes; Skio is cheaper on listed rates |
| High volume or complex needs | Skio Enterprise or Recharge Custom | Negotiate pricing, support, and terms |
| Want a platform not owned by Recharge | An independent alternative | See the table above |
Final Verdict
Skio and Recharge are now two products from one company, and both are strong. Recharge is the safer starting point with a lower entry price, a free trial, and the longest track record. Skio is the better value for growing brands that need bundles, SMS, and API in one plan and want hands-on support, as long as you can handle the $499 per month floor.
Before you decide, price your own subscription order volume using the fee math above, ask both vendors about pricing and roadmap in writing, and get quotes from both at the Plus and Scale level.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Recharge buy Skio?
Yes. Recharge announced that Skio is joining the company in April 2026. Press and deal trackers report the price at $105 million in cash. Recharge says both platforms continue to operate as normal for now.
Are Skio and Recharge still separate apps?
Yes. They have separate pricing, plans, and Shopify listings. Recharge has said a combined roadmap will be shared in the coming months.
Which is cheaper, Skio or Recharge?
It depends on volume and features. On published rates at $50 average order value, Recharge Starter is cheaper below roughly 1,700 subscription orders a month, and Skio is cheaper above that. Compared with Recharge Plus, Skio’s annual price is lower on listed rates.
How much does Skio cost?
Scale is $499 per month billed annually or $599 per month billed monthly, plus 1% + 20¢ on orders involving a subscription. Enterprise is custom.
How much does Recharge cost?
Starter is $99 per month plus 1.49% + 19¢ per transaction. Plus is $499 per month plus 1.34% + 19¢. A $25 per month plan has no transaction fees for your first 50 subscribers.
Does Recharge have a free trial?
Starter includes a 60-day free trial.
Can I migrate from Recharge to Skio, or the reverse?
Both vendors offer migration help. Ask about timing, cost, and subscriber data transfers before you commit.
Do Skio and Recharge work with Klaviyo?
Yes. Both are featured on the official Klaviyo integrations directory, along with Gorgias, Yotpo, and Triple Whale.”
Should I wait to see what Recharge does with Skio?
If you need to launch now, either works today. If you’re signing a long contract, ask what’s guaranteed about pricing and support, and consider an independent alternative.
