Softwr

Software · head to head

FastSpring vs Lulu

FastSpring logo

FastSpring

Software

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lulu logo

Lulu

Software

Quality book printing at a reasonable price

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: FastSpring pricing is not published and requires contacting sales for a quote, making cost comparison difficult upfront.; Lulu production requires 3-5 business days before shipping, with the first printing day starting only after the order is placed

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FastSpring and Lulu actually diverge.

Attributes where FastSpring and Lulu differ
AttributeFastSpringLulu
Pricing modeltransactionusage-based
Platformsweb, apiWeb
Founded2006Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), 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 Lulu

Nothing recorded that FastSpring does not also cover.

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 Lulu
  • B2B invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise SaaS dealsnot Lulu
  • Recurring subscription billing for digital productsnot Lulu
  • Reducing fraud and chargebacks on digital purchasesnot Lulu

Lulu

No use cases recorded yet. See the Lulu review.

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.

Lulu

  • Production requires 3-5 business days before shipping, with the first printing day starting only after the order is placed

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

Lulu

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Lulu review.

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 Lulu if

Nothing in the data separates Lulu from FastSpring on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Lulu review

Questions people ask

Is FastSpring or Lulu better?
Neither clearly leads. FastSpring starts at On request and Lulu at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FastSpring or Lulu?
FastSpring starts at On request and Lulu at On request.
Does FastSpring or Lulu run on more platforms?
FastSpring runs on web, api. Lulu runs on Web.
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 Lulu is typically brought in for.
What can FastSpring do that Lulu cannot?
FastSpring covers Global online payments, Subscription billing, Branded checkout, Tax compliance.

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
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Related pages

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