FastSpring vs PayWhirl
FastSpring
fastspring.comPayWhirl
paywhirl.comSide by side
| Figure | FastSpring | PayWhirl |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $9/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 11 |
| Spec score · Subscription Ecommerce Software | 8.8 (#4) | 8.8 (#5) |
| Spec score · Subscription Billing Software | 8.7 (#10) | 8.5 (#17) |
| Checkout options | Developers can use hosted web checkouts, popup checkouts or embedded checkouts with configurable styling and behavior. | PayWhirl offers embeddable widgets, hosted payment links, portals and custom API flows. |
| Integrations | Listed integrations include Google Tag Manager, Zapier, Nalpeiron, LicenseSpot, Soraco QLM, SoftwareKey, Drip, AdRoll, Bing Ads and multiple licensing services. | The integration directory lists Shopify, BigCommerce, Squarespace, Wix, ShipStation, Mailchimp, Google Analytics, Zapier, ReferralCandy and ShareASale. |
| Praise: support | Reviewers describe technical support and onboarding as responsive and helpful. | Shopify reviewers repeatedly describe PayWhirl support as fast, responsive and willing to make custom changes. |
| Rating on Capterra | 4.2 out of 5 from 37 reviews | 4.3 out of 5 from 16 reviews |
| Rating on G2 | 4.5 out of 5 from 204 reviews | 4.2 out of 5 from 12 reviews |
| Rating on GetApp | 4.2 out of 5 from 37 reviews | 4.3 out of 5 from 16 reviews |
| Support | FastSpring directs sellers to its Support & Documentation resources and provides developer documentation and a support case portal. | PayWhirl lists human help for setup, gateway configuration, subscriber imports, and launch details. |
| Webhooks | JSON webhooks let applications react to FastSpring events while reducing polling API calls. | Webhooks send JSON event notifications to merchant servers and can feed third-party services through their APIs. |
| What it does | FastSpring is a merchant-of-record platform for SaaS, software, games and other digital products that handles checkout, payments, taxes, subscriptions and compliance. | PayWhirl provides subscription management and recurring-billing software for ecommerce merchants and custom websites. |
| Who it serves | FastSpring is designed for SaaS, software, and digital product companies. | The service is described for merchants using BigCommerce, custom websites, and a separate Shopify application. |
Plans
FastSpring
- Free test modeFree
- Custom quotePriced on request
- Custom revenue-sharePriced on request
PayWhirl
- FreeFree
- FreeFree
- StarterFree
- StarterFree
- Pro$9 a month
- Traction$29 a month
- Business Pro$49 a month
- Business Plus$149 a month
- Scale$149 a month
- Business Ultimate$249 a month
In their own words
FastSpring
FastSpring has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
PayWhirl
PayWhirl provides subscription billing software for memberships, payment plans, recurring invoices, and recurring subscriptions. It also supports installments, retainers, pre-orders, donations, manual subscriptions, and one-time payments. For recurring billing, it automates scheduled charges, invoices, emails, retries, and dunning. Customers can manage payment methods, billing details, and subscription changes in a self-service portal, subject to merchant settings. Reporting covers MRR and ARR, customer lifetime value, churn, payment calendars, geographic reporting, and growth forecasting. Merchants can connect through embeddable widgets, hosted payment links, API access, webhooks, or custom scripts. Listed integrations include Shopify, BigCommerce, Squarespace, Wix, Stripe, Square, PayPal, Authorize.Net, Braintree, ShipStation, Mailchimp, Google Analytics, and Zapier. PayWhirl says it supports over 10 gateways and major cards in more than 100 currencies, depending on gateway capabilities. Plans include free options and paid plans from $9 a month; a 14-day free trial is available for paid plans. Transaction fees are additional to payment gateway or processor fees.