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Recurly vs Zuora: Which is right for you? (1970)

TL;DR

  • Choose Recurly if keeping fees low matters most.
  • Choose Zuora if your stack already leans in that direction.
  • Both work for: enterprise, b2b, usage_based_billing.

Recurly

From $249/month

Enterprise subscription billing with deep dunning and revenue recovery. Not relevant below serious scale.

Zuora

Custom pricing (enterprise only)

The original enterprise subscription platform. Only relevant at $1M+ ARR.

Pricing comparison

Pricing model
flat_monthly
custom
Detail
From $249/month
Custom pricing (enterprise only)

Feature comparison

Recurly
Zuora
Merchant of record
No
No
Paywalls
No
No
A/B testing
No
No
Tax handled
Yes
Yes
No-code
No
No
Open source
No
No
Ease of setup
2/5
1/5
Fee competitiveness
2/5
1/5
Conversion tooling
1/5
1/5
Advanced billing
5/5
5/5

Best for

Recurly is best for Enterprise, B2B, Teams scaling up, Usage-based billing, Global tax & VAT compliance. Zuora is best for Enterprise, B2B, Usage-based billing, complex pricing, Teams scaling up, Global tax & VAT compliance.

FAQ

Is Recurly better than Zuora?

Neither is universally better. Recurly is the right pick if keeping fees low matters most; Zuora wins if your stack already leans in that direction.

Which is cheaper, Recurly or Zuora?

Recurly ranks higher on fee competitiveness (2/5). Recurly pricing: From $249/month. Zuora pricing: Custom pricing (enterprise only).

Can I switch from Recurly to Zuora?

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 Recurly handle sales tax?

Yes. Recurly handles global sales tax and VAT for you.

All Recurly alternatives →All Zuora alternatives →

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