Softwr

Software · head to head

FastSpring vs Shopkeep

FastSpring logo

FastSpring

Software

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shopkeep logo

Shopkeep

Software

Cloud-based POS for small businesses

From
$49/month
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.; Shopkeep unreliable inventory control across multiple locations
  • They diverge on capability: FastSpring covers Global online payments, Shopkeep covers Point of sale.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FastSpring and Shopkeep actually diverge.

Attributes where FastSpring and Shopkeep differ
AttributeFastSpringShopkeep
Starting priceOn request$49/month
Pricing modeltransactionUnknown
Platformsweb, apiiPad, Web
Founded20062008

Identical on both: 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 Shopkeep

  • Point of sale
  • Payment processing
  • Inventory management
  • Customer profiles
  • Sales analytics
  • Employee management
  • Mobile POS
  • Reporting

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

Shopkeep

No use cases recorded yet. See the Shopkeep 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.

Shopkeep

  • Unreliable inventory control across multiple locations
  • Cloud-dependent with no offline transaction processing capability
  • Dropped Bluetooth connections cause lost sales and payment processing failures

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

Shopkeep

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Shopkeep 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 Shopkeep if

  • You need point of sale.
  • You work on iPad, Web.
  • You also want payment processing.
Shopkeep review

Questions people ask

Is FastSpring or Shopkeep better?
Neither clearly leads. FastSpring starts at On request and Shopkeep at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FastSpring or Shopkeep?
FastSpring starts at On request and Shopkeep at $49/month.
Does FastSpring or Shopkeep run on more platforms?
FastSpring runs on web, api. Shopkeep runs on iPad, 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 Shopkeep is typically brought in for.
What can FastSpring do that Shopkeep cannot?
FastSpring covers Global online payments, Subscription billing, Branded checkout, Tax compliance. Shopkeep covers Point of sale, Payment processing, Inventory management, Customer profiles.

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
Shopkeep: How much does Shopkeep cost?

Shopkeep by Lightspeed pricing varies by plan. Customers must request quotes for current pricing, which has shifted since the Lightspeed acquisition.

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
Shopkeep: What hardware does Shopkeep require?

Shopkeep operates on iPad tablets, cloud-based systems, and traditional cash register setups, requiring third-party hardware integration.

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 Shopkeep

Keep looking

Other head to heads