E-commerce · head to head
FastSpring vs Memberful
FastSpring
E-commerce
Merchant-of-record commerce platform for global payments, subscriptions, and tax compliance
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Memberful
E-commerce
Membership platform for creators to sell subscriptions, courses and gated content
- From
- $49/month
- Rated
- -
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.; Memberful charges a 4.9% transaction fee on top of the flat monthly fee on the Standard plan.
- They diverge on capability: FastSpring covers Global online payments, Memberful covers Membership checkout.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which FastSpring and Memberful actually diverge.
| Attribute | FastSpring | Memberful |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | $49/month |
| Pricing model | transaction | subscription |
| Founded | 2006 | 2013 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (web, api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-commerce).
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 Memberful
- Membership checkout
- Flexible subscriptions
- Member management
- Landing page builder
- Dynamic paywalls
- Third-party integrations
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 Memberful
- B2B invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise SaaS dealsnot Memberful
- Recurring subscription billing for digital productsnot Memberful
- Reducing fraud and chargebacks on digital purchasesnot Memberful
Memberful
- Selling paid membership subscriptions from an existing websitenot FastSpring
- Gating podcast, newsletter or course content behind a paywallnot FastSpring
- Running a WordPress site with paid member-only contentnot FastSpring
- Offering one-time purchases alongside recurring membershipsnot 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.
Memberful
- Charges a 4.9% transaction fee on top of the flat monthly fee on the Standard plan.
- Requires a separate Stripe account, adding setup complexity compared to all-in-one checkout platforms.
- Lacks built-in course-hosting depth found in dedicated learning management platforms.
- No free plan beyond the pre-launch trial period; charges begin once payments go live.
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
Memberful
$49/month- Standard$49/month
- 4.9% transaction fee
- Full platform access
- Free until you go live
- Enterprise$undefined/mo
- Custom volume-based rates
- Premium services and success management
- Dedicated migration support
Which should you pick?
Choose FastSpring if
- You need global online payments.
- You work on web, api.
- You also want subscription billing.
Choose Memberful if
- You need membership checkout.
- You work on web, api.
- You also want flexible subscriptions.
Questions people ask
- Is FastSpring or Memberful better?
- Neither clearly leads. FastSpring starts at On request and Memberful at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, FastSpring or Memberful?
- FastSpring starts at On request and Memberful at $49/month.
- Does FastSpring or Memberful run on more platforms?
- Both run on web, api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- 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 Memberful is typically brought in for.
- What can FastSpring do that Memberful cannot?
- FastSpring covers Global online payments, Subscription billing, Branded checkout, Tax compliance. Memberful covers Membership checkout, Flexible subscriptions, Member management, Landing page builder.
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.
SourceMemberful: What does Memberful cost?
Memberful's Standard plan costs $49/month plus a 4.9% transaction fee, while larger organizations can get custom volume-based rates on the Enterprise plan.
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.
SourceMemberful: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?
Memberful can be used for free while setting up a membership site, with no charges incurred until the creator goes live and starts accepting payments.
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.
SourceMemberful: What does Memberful integrate with?
Memberful integrates with WordPress, Mailchimp, Discord and Kit, among other tools, to connect membership data with existing sites and marketing systems.
SourceRelated pages
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