Side-by-side comparison · 24 data points
Add subscribe and save plans to your products. Offer recurring payments, prepaid or pay-as-you-go.
| Essential Subscriptions App | Joy Subscriptions App | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | ||
| Description | ||
| Screenshots | images | images |
| Languages | ||
| Platforms | ||
| Developer | ||
| Listed |
Grow recurring revenue and keep subscribers longer with deep customization, analytics and win-back.
| Metric | Essential Subscriptions App | Joy Subscriptions App |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 5.0 ★ | 4.9 ★ |
| Total reviews | 7 | ★ 454 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing | Free plan available | Free plan available |
| Built for Shopify | — | ★ Yes |
| Pricing tiers | — | 3 tiers |
| Listed features | 5 | 5 |
| Featured placements | — | 2 |
| Languages | 1 supported | 6 supported |
| Listed since | Apr 2026 | Aug 2024 |
Essential Subscriptions App and Joy Subscriptions App are evenly matched on rating (5.0★ vs 4.9★) — the differentiator comes down to pricing fit, feature breadth, and which app's interaction pattern suits your team's workflow.
Pricing entry tiers: Essential Subscriptions App at Free plan available, Joy Subscriptions App at Free plan available. Check each app's tier structure for the capacity limits you actually need before deciding — the headline number is the same shape, but the gating shape per tier (seats, usage volume, integrations) varies.
Joy Subscriptions App has the larger user base (454 reviews vs 7), which usually maps to broader integration coverage, faster bug-fix cadence, and a deeper bench of community workflow patterns. Essential Subscriptions App's smaller cohort can be an advantage for niche workflows where the bigger app has accumulated bloat.
Recommended evaluation path: install both apps' free tiers (where available) and run them in parallel on a small cohort for 7-14 days before committing. The data tables below show the per-feature breakdown — for most merchants the deciding factor will be a single integration or workflow detail that's hard to compare from listing pages alone.
This verdict is generated from the live marketplace data on this page — rating, review count, pricing tier, and category position all refresh from the canonical Shopify App Store listing every 24 hours. AppRanks does not accept payment to influence comparison outcomes; the methodology is documented on the About page and applies identically to every pair on the site.
Read each app's audit: Essential Subscriptions App audit • Joy Subscriptions App audit
| Last updated | — | — |
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| Keyword | Essential Subscriptions App | Joy Subscriptions App |
|---|---|---|
| subscribe and save | #12 | #11 |
| subscription app | #164 | #8 |
| subscriptions app | #16 | #8 |
| subscribe | #15 | #13 |
| recurring subscription management | #23 | #7 |
Not featured in any section recently.
No tracked changes.
Both Essential Subscriptions App and Joy Subscriptions App offer paid plans only. Essential Subscriptions App starts at Free plan available; Joy Subscriptions App starts at Free plan available. Compare the per-tier features in the Pricing section above before committing.
Essential Subscriptions App (5.0★, 7 reviews) and Joy Subscriptions App (4.9★, 454 reviews) are essentially tied on rating. Look at review velocity and individual reviewer quotes — both visible on each app's detail page — to differentiate.
Essential Subscriptions App holds the higher average rating (5.0★ vs 4.9★). That is the one dimension AppRanks can separate them on here — read both apps' detail pages for the feature breakdown and recent listing changes.
Both apps are one-click installs from the Shopify App Store. Joy Subscriptions App has the deeper published review base (454 vs 7), which often — though not always — accompanies better-tested setup docs. AppRanks doesn't measure setup time directly: read the recent reviews on each app's detail page for user-reported install experience.
Essential Subscriptions App typically suits early-stage and growth-mode teams based on its published review base (7 reviews). Joy Subscriptions App typically suits early-stage and growth-mode teams based on its published review base (454 reviews). A larger review base generally means the app has been exercised at scale — relevant if you are processing high volume or handling enterprise compliance requirements.
Migration support varies by app and category. Essential Subscriptions App and Joy Subscriptions App both publish their export options on their marketplace listing pages (or in their support docs); some apps offer one-click import from competitors, others require CSV. The fastest check: search "import from Essential Subscriptions App" in each app's help center. AppRanks does not track migration tooling directly — this is a category-specific capability worth verifying before commitment.
