Softwr

Software · head to head

FastSpring vs Flipboard

FastSpring logo

FastSpring

Software

Merchant-of-record commerce platform for global payments, subscriptions, and tax compliance

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Flipboard logo

Flipboard

Software

Your personal magazine for news and stories

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Flipboard has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: FastSpring pricing is not published and requires contacting sales for a quote, making cost comparison difficult upfront.; Flipboard flipboard is free to use with no paid tier; the product carries no subscription, so there is no plan limit to compare against rivals that charge
  • They diverge on capability: FastSpring covers Global online payments, Flipboard covers Magazine-style layout.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FastSpring and Flipboard actually diverge.

Attributes where FastSpring and Flipboard differ
AttributeFastSpringFlipboard
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modeltransactionfree
Free tierNoYes
Platformsweb, apiWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20062010

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in FastSpring

  • Global online payments
  • Subscription billing
  • Branded checkout
  • Tax compliance
  • Fraud prevention
  • Digital invoicing and quotes

Only in Flipboard

  • Magazine-style layout
  • Content curation
  • Topic discovery
  • Smart magazines
  • Social sharing
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

FastSpring

  • Selling software or SaaS internationally without a local tax entitynot Flipboard
  • B2B invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise SaaS dealsnot Flipboard
  • Recurring subscription billing for digital productsnot Flipboard
  • Reducing fraud and chargebacks on digital purchasesnot Flipboard

Flipboard

  • News consumptionnot FastSpring
  • Content discoverynot FastSpring
  • Magazine creationnot FastSpring
  • Social readingnot FastSpring

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

FastSpring

  • Pricing is not published and requires contacting sales for a quote, making cost comparison difficult upfront.
  • As a merchant-of-record, FastSpring takes on more control of the checkout and payment relationship than a pure payment gateway like Stripe.
  • Revenue share pricing can become more expensive than flat per-transaction gateway fees at very high volumes.
  • Primarily targeted at software/digital goods sellers, so it is less suited to physical product e-commerce.

Flipboard

  • Flipboard is free to use with no paid tier; the product carries no subscription, so there is no plan limit to compare against rivals that charge

Pricing, plan by plan

FastSpring

On request
  • Custom$undefined/mo
    • All-in-one transaction-based pricing based on sales volume
    • No subscription fees or per-feature charges
    • Discounted rates for ACH and wire transfers

Flipboard

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited reading
    • Personalized feeds
    • Magazine creation

Which should you pick?

Choose FastSpring if

  • You need global online payments.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want subscription billing.
FastSpring review

Choose Flipboard if

  • You need magazine-style layout.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want content curation.
Flipboard review

Questions people ask

Is FastSpring or Flipboard better?
Neither clearly leads. FastSpring starts at On request and Flipboard at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FastSpring or Flipboard?
Flipboard has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for FastSpring and Free for Flipboard.
Does FastSpring or Flipboard run on more platforms?
FastSpring runs on web, api. Flipboard runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Flipboard for free?
Yes. Flipboard has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. FastSpring starts at On request.
What is FastSpring best used for?
FastSpring is most often used for selling software or saas internationally without a local tax entity, b2b invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise saas deals, recurring subscription billing for digital products, reducing fraud and chargebacks on digital purchases. Of those, selling software or saas internationally without a local tax entity and b2b invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise saas deals are not what Flipboard is typically brought in for.
What can FastSpring do that Flipboard cannot?
FastSpring covers Global online payments, Subscription billing, Branded checkout, Tax compliance. Flipboard covers Magazine-style layout, Content curation, Topic discovery, Smart magazines.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

FastSpring: What does FastSpring cost?

FastSpring uses flat-rate, all-in-one pricing based on transaction volume, with fees withheld from payouts. There is no minimum volume or subscription fee, and pricing is typically quoted based on expected sales volume after contacting their sales team.

Source
FastSpring: Is there a free plan?

FastSpring does not offer a free plan; instead pricing is transaction-based with no upfront subscription cost, and merchants only pay a commission on completed sales.

Source
FastSpring: What does FastSpring integrate with or include compared to a payment gateway like Stripe?

FastSpring bundles international payments, subscription management, tax compliance, fraud prevention, reporting, and B2B invoicing into one price, whereas gateways like Stripe charge separately for many of these features.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on FastSpring

More on Flipboard

Keep looking

Other head to heads