Main / Blog / 
PayKickstart Alternative: Subscription Billing, Payment Processing & Checkout Tools

PayKickstart Alternative: Subscription Billing, Payment Processing & Checkout Tools

Explore this comprehensive comparison between PayKickstart and its alternatives. Discover features, pros, and cons for informed decision-making.

Comparing PayKickstart and Its Competitors

A Close Look at PayKickstart

PayKickstart is a web-based shopping cart solution and subscription management system. Its purpose is to help meet the needs of e-commerce businesses, online retailers, and merchants. 

It's fully automated and highly customizable. Also, it has many capabilities and features for boosting sales, conversion rates, and revenue. Its features include:

  • Coupons
  • Customizable checkout pages and popup widgets
  • Free-paid trials
  • 1-click upsells
  • Payment plans
  • Order bumps
  • Subscription saver sequence
  • Address auto-complete
  • Exit intent popup

Pitfalls of Sticking to Just PayKickstart

Although PayKickstart is an impressive tool with robust features, some limitations may make it unsuitable for certain situations. 

For instance, the platform does not offer a well-rounded suite of e-commerce integration options. Also, its user interface, particularly the affiliate request pages, could be more convenient and user-friendly. 

The lack of A/B testing features and incomplete integration capabilities may also deter businesses searching for a more comprehensive solution. 

Pros of PayKickstart

  • Streamlined tools for managing recurring billing, trials, and subscription plan adjustments for an improved user experience.
  • A wide range of integrations and software services. They allow for seamless business operations and integration with multiple platforms.
  • Advanced cart and checkout features include customizable checkout pages, one-click upselling, and tax calculations, which improve conversion rates.
  • Streamlined and automated billing and accounting processes. They include automatic invoicing, tax calculation, and integration with popular accounting software. All of them enable hassle-free financial management. 
  • Customizable subscription plans with flexible pricing structures, multiple tiers, and trial options for tailored customer offerings.
  • Support for various payment processors. They work for global transactions and have flexible payment options. You can choose from a wide range of currencies.

Cons of PayKickstart

  • Challenges for existing users. This is due to limited integration with popular eCommerce platforms like Shopify or BigCommerce.
  • Steep learning curve for new users due to complex settings and interface design.
  • Lack of direct customer support options like live chat or phone support.
  • Limited software integrations and client support for integrations.
  • No comprehensive tools to address cart abandonment. This lack may cause missed revenue. 
  • Additional third-party services are required for payment processing setup since there is no integrated payment gateway, which could negatively impact the user experience.

Pricing of PayKickstart vs its Alternatives

PayKickstart offers three main pricing plans:

  • Starter plan – $99/month
  • Growth plan – $199/month
  • Scale plan – price is provided upon quotation

All plans provide robust features to help businesses increase their online sales. However, additional transaction costs apply.

In comparison, almost every PayKickstart alternative provides reasonably priced options. For example, DepositFix starts at $90 per month, while ThriveCart has a one-time fee of $495. SendOwl has plans starting as low as $9 per month. Kartra's starter plan costs $99 monthly, providing similar features at a lower price than PayKickstart. These alternatives can offer better value for cost-sensitive businesses.

Starter Plan Price
Platform
PayKickstart
DepositFix
ThriveCart
SendOwl
Kartra

Top 8 Billing and Checkout Alternatives to PayKickstart

1. DepositFix

Best for: Small to medium-sized businesses that use HubSpot 

DepositFix is an affordable PayKickstart alternative. The company works with HubSpot CRM. It has automated tax calculations and responsive customer support, making business easy and secure. However, it has limited options for customizing cart and checkout.  

Top 3 features:

  • Integration with HubSpot CRM
  • Automated tax calculations
  • Responsive customer support

Top 3 benefits:

  • Cost-effectiveness
  • Simplified management of customer data
  • Enhanced security with SSL encryption and PCI compliance

Con:

  • Limited options for customizing cart and checkout
PayKickstart vs DepositFix

2. Thrivecart

Best for: SMEs and startups looking for a budget-friendly yet feature-packed solution.

ThriveCart is a great PayKickstart alternative. It is known for its high-converting checkout pages and efficient affiliate management. Its one-time payment option makes it cost-effective and easy to use when creating checkout pages and upsells. 

Top 3 features:

  • Checkout pages with high conversion rates
  • Efficient affiliate management system
  • One-time payment option

Top 3 benefits:

  • Cost-effective with a one-time fee
  • Easy-to-use checkout page builder
  • Wide range of third-party integrations

Con:

  • Limited subscription customization
PayKickstart Alternative

3. SendOwl

Best for: Businesses that focus primarily on digital product sales and subscriptions

SendOwl is a cost-effective PayKickstart alternative. It is easy to use and has robust features for selling both physical and digital goods. 

Customized checkout fields and marketing tools improve the buying experience. These tools include discount codes and cart abandonment emails, which boost sales and security.

Top 3 features:

  • Custom checkout fields
  • Discount & promo codes
  • 1-click upsells

Top 3 benefits:

  • Easy-to-use platform
  • Customizable checkout fields for brand continuity
  • Advanced security features to deter product piracy

Con:

  • Limited product limit in the base plans
PayKickstart Alternative

4. Kartra

Best for: Online businesses that require an “all-in-one solution” for complete business operation management.

Kartra is a comprehensive business management platform and a robust PayKickstart alternative. It provides an all-in-one solution. It includes website building, email marketing, and webinar hosting. This makes it an efficient and versatile option for online businesses.

Top 3 features:

  • Website builder
  • Email marketing tool
  • Landing page designs

Top 3 benefits:

  • Consolidates multiple roles in a single platform
  • Seamless integration of all features
  • Flexible pricing options for selling unlimited products

Con:

  • More expensive than many alternatives
PayKickstart Alternative

5. GrooveFunnels (GrooveKart)

Best for: Online marketers and content creators for selling their products, services, and memberships

GrooveFunnels, particularly GrooveKart, is now a formidable competitor to PayKickstart as it provides a wide range of services. Its offerings include sales funnels, email marketing, affiliates, webinars, and the ability to sell unlimited products. 

GroovePage lets businesses create great landing pages. Flexible payment options add to its appeal.

Top 3 features:

  • Efficient sales and affiliate platform
  • Email marketing CRM
  • Membership capabilities

Top 3 benefits:

  • All-in-one functionality (sales, funnels, landing pages, etc.)
  • Various built-in marketing tools
  • Seamless synchronization of all services

Con:

  • Some features are still in beta testing
PayKickstart Competitor

6. Gumroad

Best for: Solo creators or small businesses prioritizing simplicity and ease of use over advanced functionalities.

Gumroad provides a great  PayKickstart alternative. It offers a simple, user-friendly platform for creators selling digital goods. It has features like on-demand streaming, many integrations, and support for various payment plans. It also has an analytics dashboard to track product performance.

Top 3 features:

  • On-demand streaming
  • Multiple integrations
  • Multiple payment plans support

Top 3 benefits:

  • User-friendly platform suitable for non-technical users
  • Free plan available for those starting out
  • Built-in affiliate marketing features

Con:

  • Features are basic compared to competitors
PayKickstart Alternatives

7. Ontraport

Best for: Mid-size businesses and large enterprises seeking a comprehensive CRM, sales, and marketing platform

Ontraport offers a feature-rich PayKickstart alternative. It is an all-in-one business automation software with CRM, sales, and marketing capabilities. It enables personalized customer journeys, easy tracking of customer behaviors, and comprehensive membership site functionality. However, the learning curve may be steep for beginners. 

Top 3 features:

  • Full-feature CRM
  • Rule-based triggers and sequences
  • Email and SMS marketing

Top 3 benefits:

  • Combines CRM, sales, and marketing platform
  • Enables rule-based customer journeys
  • Comprehensive membership site functionality

Con:

  • The learning curve may be steep for beginners
PayKickstart Alternatives

8. Chargebee

Best for: Businesses with subscription-based models seeking advanced subscription management capabilities

Chargebee stands out as a compelling PayKickstart alternative. It specializes in robust subscription management and recurring billing solutions. Its key features include comprehensive tools for subscription management, billing, and recurring billing. 

Chargebee also offers revenue operations capabilities and customer-centric subscription experiences, making it ideal for businesses poised for rapid growth.

Top 3 features:

  • Subscription Management
  • Billing & Invoicing
  • Recurring Billing Management

Top 3 benefits:

  • Comprehensive suite for managing subscriptions
  • Advanced invoicing and dunning management
  • Supports multiple currencies and payment gateways

Con:

  • Limited capabilities for one-time product sales
PayKickstart Competitor

PayKickStart vs Depositfix: Billing and Checkout Platform Comparison

1. Shopping cart

PayKickstart and Depositfix are two different e-commerce tools. PayKickstart provides a shopping cart with numerous features, including one-click upsells, coupon codes, and multilingual support. This shopping cart is designed to increase conversion rates. 

In contrast, Depositfix integrates with HubSpot, offering a simpler customer data management solution. Both e-commerce tools allow tax calculations and coupon creation. But, PayKickstart's shopping cart has more features. 

DepositFix
PayKickstart
Coupons
HubSpot CRM Integration
Customizable checkout pages
Coupon creation capabilities
Free-paid trials
Automated tax calculations
1-click upsells
Grip over refunds
Payment plans
Price adjustments

When choosing between the two, businesses must pick a more thorough shopping cart or a seamless CRM. PayKickstart supports a wide range of product types, while Depositfix's integration with HubSpot provides a smooth user experience for committed users.

2. Integration

PayKickstart offers many integrations. These include CRM systems, email tools, webinars, and payment processors. Conversely, DepositFix prioritizes seamless integration with HubSpot, emphasizing comprehensive control over customer data.

PayKickstart offers many integration options with over 60 native applications. But, DepositFix's integration with HubSpot is tailored for businesses already using the platform. In the end, the choice between PayKickstart and DepositFix depends on the company's integration needs.

subscription management platform
subscription management platform
PayKickstart Competitor DepositFix

3. Subscription billing

Both PayKickstart and Depositfix are subscription billing management services, but their focus differs. PayKickstart provides various tools for managing recurring billing, trials, plan changes, and automated revenue retention features like dunning management. 

Depositfix emphasizes HubSpot integration, tax calculations, and coupon creation. But, it may have less advanced automation than PayKickstart. 

While PayKickstart offers comprehensive functionality, including dunning management and global payments, Depositfix specializes in personalized pricing integration with HubSpot. Ultimately, your choice will depend on whether you prioritize broad functionality (PayKickstart) or customized pricing integration with HubSpot (Depositfix).

4. Payment Gateway

PayKickstart and DepositFix share common payment gateway options, such as credit card payments, PayPal, and digital wallets like Apple or Google Pay. They both serve many payment types. This ensures flexibility for businesses and convenience for customers. 

However, PayKickstart stands out by providing an upcoming invoicing feature. This can help specific businesses and customers who need more flexible billing

shopping cart and checkout

5.  Analytics

PayKickstart gives businesses many reporting options. These include detailed sales reports, churn rates, and customer value metrics. This enables companies to gain a thorough understanding of their financial performance.

DepositFix provides simpler sales and transaction analytics. But, it excels in tracking customer behavior through HubSpot. This helps enhance personalized marketing efforts. 

If you prioritize detailed sales reports, then PayKickstart is the better choice. However, if you value customer behavior analytics, then DepositFix will likely be more suitable for your business.

DepositFix
PayKickstart Analytics Features
Detailed sales reports
Simple sales analytics and transactions
Churn Rates
Tracks customer behavior
Customer value metrics

6. Funnels

PayKickstart offers a customizable funnel builder that helps businesses create tailored sales journeys. This includes options for upsells, downsells, and cart abandonment strategies. 

On the other hand, DepositFix does not have a dedicated funnel builder but integrates with HubSpot. This allows businesses to create marketing funnels within the platform. 

While PayKickstart provides more comprehensive funnel customization, DepositFix may be a better choice for businesses already using HubSpot. PayKickstart enables features like one-click upsells, order bumps, and cross-sells, while Depositfix utilizes HubSpot's features for automated buyer journey management.

7. Conversion rate

PayKickstart focuses on increasing conversion rates. The company does this by offering custom checkout pages, 1-click upsells, and subscription recovery tools. Depositfix uses HubSpot integration to track interactions and personalize marketing. This can increase conversion rates for users of the CRM platform. 

PayKickstart provides direct conversion-focused features, while Depositfix caters to those who prefer to use CRM data for marketing customization and to increase conversions.

8. Affiliate management

PayKickstart is a leading software for managing affiliates. It has robust features like contests, tracking, payouts, and reporting. Additionally, it supports second-tier commissions to incentivize affiliates. 

DepositFix provides agencies with an affiliate management program to help them improve their services to clients and boost their earnings. The program has valuable features. These include training and onboarding support, revenue sharing, and co-marketing opportunities. With DepositFix, partners can effectively expand and promote their client base while earning commissions.

9. User interface

PayKickstart offers a modern, intuitive, and user-friendly interface. Setting up funnels, managing subscriptions, and configuring integrations is straightforward. However, some users have noted that the affiliate request pages could improve.

DepositFix, however, offers a simple interface. It is designed for easy navigation and efficient usage.

subscription management tool
PayKickstart Competitor DepositFix

10. Security

Both PayKickstart and DepositFix are committed to ensuring secure and compliant payment processing. PayKickstart takes Enterprise-level standards seriously. It complies with PCI DSS Level 3, follows EU-GDPR, and adheres to SCA regulations.

To further enhance security, DepositFix provides user management features and fraud detection tools. It prioritizes security and uses SSL encryption, Stripe, and PayPal for PCI compliance and encrypted data storage. 

Both platforms use host security measures like SSH keys and two-factor authentication. However, PayKickstart offers a wider range of compliance certifications and user management features, while DepositFix specializes in encrypted data storage and strict vulnerability scanning.

11. Sales Reports

PayKickstart and Depositfix are two software solutions that offer strong reporting capabilities. PayKickstart provides real-time analytics on key metrics like churn and LTV (lifetime value). Depositfix integrates with HubSpot to offer personalized reports on customer behavior. 

You may prefer platform-specific insights, like those from PayKickstart. Or, you may need integrated data for tailored reporting, like that from Depositfix. The choice depends on your specific business needs.

12. Complex Checkout Options

PayKickstart is known for its highly customizable checkout pages. They include popup forms, multi-pay options, and embedded checkout forms. These features create an optimized user experience. 

Depositfix does not offer as much customization. But, it supports single or recurring payments. This makes it ideal for subscription-based services. 

If you prioritize extensive customization, then PayKickstart is the preferred choice. However, if you need basic features for simple transactions, Depositfix is a good option.

13. Integration with Accounting

PayKickstart seamlessly integrates with QuickBooks and other accounting software, making financial record-keeping easy. In contrast, Depositfix offers transaction data exporting that requires manual import into accounting software. 

The choice between these two options may depend on the level of automation required. PayKickstart offers more extensive integration options, while Depositfix allows manual data import.

14. Sales Tax Calculation

PayKickstart offers a VAT Tax integration. It simplifies the checkout process for global sales and ensures compliance for EU businesses. It does this by streamlining sales tax calculations. 

Depositfix lacks direct sales tax calculation. But, it provides flexibility through HubSpot form fields. This comes with some required manual setup.

If you're looking for automated VAT and tax compliance, PayKickstart is ideal. However, if you prefer simpler tax arrangements or are willing to invest effort in manual setup, Depositfix might be more suitable.

15. Send Customer Info Into a CRM

Both PayKickstart and Depositfix integrate with CRM systems. This allows businesses to store and use customer information well. 

PayKickstart supports integration with popular CRMs like Infusionsoft and ActiveCampaign. Depositfix specializes in integrating with HubSpot CRM. 

Your CRM preference will determine whether you prefer PayKickstart's versatility with various CRM options or Depositfix's expertise in HubSpot integration.

16. Calculating Sales Commissions

PayKickstart has built-in tools to simplify managing affiliate commissions. They also support second-tier commissions. 

On the other hand, Depositfix does not have dedicated commission management features and requires integration with tools like Post Affiliate Pro. If efficient commission management is essential for your business, PayKickstart might be the better choice.

17. Sales Forecasting

Both PayKickstart and Depositfix are transaction-focused platforms and do not offer specific sales forecasting features. However, PayKickstart does provide useful analytics such as churn, MRR, and LTV, which can help predict future sales. 

However, when added to HubSpot CRM, Depositfix can access advanced sales forecasting tools. Neither platform offers direct sales forecasting, but you can bridge the gap by using them with analytics tools or CRM systems.

18. Verdict

After thoroughly comparing PayKickstart and Depositfix across various dimensions, the final decision depends on your business's specific needs and priorities.

PayKickstart is the best choice for businesses that require a comprehensive e-commerce solution with robust features. The platform offers versatile shopping cart functionalities, including one-click upsells, multilingual support, and customizable checkout pages, which provide unmatched flexibility for optimizing the customer experience and driving conversions. 

PayKickstart also integrates CRM systems and accounting software. This enables smooth data management and financial record-keeping. It makes PayKickstart a powerful tool for businesses that want to streamline operations.

On the other hand, Depositfix is ideal for businesses that use HubSpot CRM, as it offers seamless integration with the HubSpot ecosystem. 

Depositfix may have fewer features for cart customization than PayKickstart. However, it provides a simple and efficient way to manage customer data and improve personalized marketing in HubSpot.

Ultimately, pick PayKickstart or Depositfix based on your business's needs and setup. If you prioritize extensive customization options and a wide range of features to optimize your checkout process, PayKickstart is the optimal choice. 

But, if you already use HubSpot CRM and want it to integrate smoothly with your workflows, Depositfix offers a tailored solution. Therefore, your decision should be guided by a careful assessment of your business objectives and the unique capabilities provided by each platform.

See how you can save up to 60%+ with DepositFix.
Get Started
Table of Contents:

Ready to streamline your payment operations?

Discover the hidden automation potential in your payment, billing and invoicing workflows. Talk to our experts for a free assessment!