PaywallTools monetization wizard

Orb vs Recharge: Which is right for you? (1970)

TL;DR

  • Choose Orb if you need advanced billing (usage, dunning, entitlements).
  • Choose Recharge if keeping fees low matters most.
  • Both work for: teams in their respective categories.

Orb

Custom pricing (contact sales)

Purpose-built for usage-based billing. Handles credits, seats, metered usage, and hybrid pricing. Designed specifically for AI products and modern SaaS.

Recharge

Standard: free + 1.25% + $0.19/transaction. Pro: $499/mo + 0% transaction.

Leading subscription management platform for Shopify and ecommerce. Handles recurring orders for physical products, boxes, and D2C brands. Not for SaaS or digital products.

Pricing comparison

Pricing model
custom
freemium
Detail
Custom pricing (contact sales)
Standard: free + 1.25% + $0.19/transaction. Pro: $499/mo + 0% transaction.

Feature comparison

Orb
Recharge
Merchant of record
No
No
Paywalls
No
No
A/B testing
No
No
Tax handled
No
No
No-code
No
No
Open source
No
No
Ease of setup
2/5
3/5
Fee competitiveness
3/5
4/5
Conversion tooling
1/5
3/5
Advanced billing
5/5
3/5

Best for

Orb is best for AI products, Usage-based pricing, SaaS, credits, metered, web. Recharge is best for ecommerce, shopify, physical products, subscriptions, d2c, SaaS.

FAQ

Is Orb better than Recharge?

Neither is universally better. Orb is the right pick if you need advanced billing (usage, dunning, entitlements); Recharge wins if keeping fees low matters most.

Which is cheaper, Orb or Recharge?

Recharge ranks higher on fee competitiveness (4/5). Orb pricing: Custom pricing (contact sales). Recharge pricing: Standard: free + 1.25% + $0.19/transaction. Pro: $499/mo + 0% transaction..

Can I switch from Orb to Recharge?

Yes — most subscription and billing tools support migration via CSV import or API. Expect to reconfigure webhooks, paywalls, and entitlements. Check both vendors' migration docs before committing.

Does Orb handle sales tax?

No. Orb does not handle tax registrations — you handle those yourself or via a separate tool.

All Orb alternatives →All Recharge alternatives →

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