E-commerce · head to head
FastSpring vs Marq
FastSpring
E-commerce
Merchant-of-record commerce platform for global payments, subscriptions, and tax compliance
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Marq
Print & Publishing
Web-based design and publishing for brand templates
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Marq 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.; Marq free plan caps at 25 MB cloud storage and a 3 project limit
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which FastSpring and Marq actually diverge.
| Attribute | FastSpring | Marq |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | transaction | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | web, api | Web |
| Category | E-commerce | Print & Publishing |
| Founded | 2006 | Unknown |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Marq
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 Marq
- B2B invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise SaaS dealsnot Marq
- Recurring subscription billing for digital productsnot Marq
- Reducing fraud and chargebacks on digital purchasesnot Marq
Marq
No use cases recorded yet. See the Marq 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.
Marq
- Free plan caps at 25 MB cloud storage and a 3 project limit
- Enterprise-only unlimited storage requires custom quoted pricing rather than a published rate
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
Marq
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Marq review.
Which should you pick?
Choose FastSpring if
- You need global online payments.
- You work on web, api.
- You also want subscription billing.
Questions people ask
- Is FastSpring or Marq better?
- Neither clearly leads. FastSpring starts at On request and Marq at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, FastSpring or Marq?
- Marq has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for FastSpring and Free for Marq.
- Does FastSpring or Marq run on more platforms?
- FastSpring runs on web, api. Marq runs on Web.
- Can I use Marq for free?
- Yes. Marq 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 Marq is typically brought in for.
- What can FastSpring do that Marq 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.
SourceFastSpring: 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.
SourceFastSpring: 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.
SourceRelated pages
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