Finding software can be overwhelming. Software Advice has helped hundreds of small businesses choose the right subscription management software to manage their subscription-based products and services.
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Deskera ERP is designed as a powerful and intuitive suite of business solutions with one goal in mind – to make digital transformation simple. This transformation has to be simple and economical. It is why Deskera has trusted users... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
NetSuite is a business management software suite offered as a service that performs enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) functions. It is a horizontal package designed for an extensive range... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
FINSYNC provides multi-user cash flow management in the cloud to US-based small and medium-sized businesses. Businesses can upgrade from payments to invoicing, bill pay, payroll, project tracking, time tracking, expense reimbursement,... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
For organizations seeking a solution that conforms to their existing operations, Multiview offers a suite of financial solutions. With Multiview, companies gain visibility over corporate data. The solution includes 14 modules that... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: CloudOn premise
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Sage Intacct is a provider of cloud-based financial management and accounting software. Sage Intacct's software solution is suitable for small to midsize accounting firms and can provide financial reporting and operational insights... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
AccuFund is an online accounting and financial reporting solution designed specifically for the nonprofit industry. Integrated into one, AccuFund's Accounting suite helps nonprofit organizations and government agencies report funding... Read more
Platforms: MacWin
Deployments: CloudOn premise
Business Size:
Aplos fund accounting is a cloud-based system designed specifically to serve the needs of churches and nonprofit organizations. Aplos fund accounting is available on a standalone basis or within an integrated suite with online donation... Read more
Platforms: MacWin
Deployments: Cloud
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Certify is a web-based expense management solution recommended to companies in any industry. The solution can be used to track, approve, and reimburse expenses; book travel; and analyze spend. With Certify Mobile, users can capture... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
Plooto saves you hours of work by automating Accounts Payable (AP) and Accounts Receivable (AR) workflows. Trusted by thousands of accounting professionals, Plooto transforms AP and AR services, making them more efficient, streamlined... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
Your cloud-based, all-in-one business management solution. Striven is ready for your business right out of the box. With fully integrated accounting, CRM, inventory, project management, human resources features, it's the only software... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
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Financial Edge NXT is a cloud accounting solution from Blackbaud that provides transparency across teams, security, compliance, and reduces the need for manual processes. The system is a fund accounting solution that provides a general... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
Purpose-built to meet the needs of the modern nonprofit and government agency, MIP Fund Accounting® empowers organizations to track by fund, manage restrictions based on unlimited funding sources, and meet complex reporting requirements.... Read more
Platforms: MacWin
Deployments: CloudOn premise
Business Size:
Fattmerchant is a cloud-based accounting solution suitable for businesses of all sizes across industries such as e-commerce, healthcare and retail. Key features of the solution include point of sale integration, mobile processing,... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
FreshBooks takes billing out of your hands and puts it on autopilot. Set up automated invoicing, online payment options (ACH and Credit Card), and late payment reminders to get paid 2x faster. Next, boost team productivity with precise... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne is a cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and supply chain management solution that provides ERP applications and tools for finance, consumer goods, human resources, distribution and manufacturing... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: On premise
Business Size:
AvidXchange is an accounts payable solution for midsize companies in industries including real estate, HOA, construction and financial services. AvidXchange’s cloud-based solutions automate accounts payable processes including purchase... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
Flexi is an on-premise as well as a cloud-based accounting solution for the banking, insurance, healthcare and service industries. The Flexi accounting solution features automation of accounting process and completion of audit trails... Read more
Platforms: Win
Deployments: CloudOn premise
Business Size:
Fintainium is a cloud-based platform built for businesses looking for a comprehensive accounts payable, accounts receivable, and consumer payment solution. The Fintainium Payment Hub consists of payment, invoice, and business intelligence... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
Cougar Mountain Software’s Denali Business is an accounting solution with the ability to customize 10 integrated modules. It is for small to midsize businesses and can be deployed on premises or in the cloud. Key features include... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: CloudOn premise
Business Size:
Tipalti is a cloud-based accounting management solution that helps users automate their accounts payable process. It offers a variety of features, including invoice automation, payment remittance, regulatory compliance management,... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
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The billing process for subscription-based services isn't easy. It requires you to do all the following tasks:
- Process online transactions in bulk
- Manage tiered-pricing structures and discounts
- Remind customers about the due dates of subscription renewals
- Create invoices for successful transactions
- Provide terms of service
For a small business, using spreadsheets and other manual methods to do these tasks can be time-consuming and frustrating. Moreover, manually managing bills could result in introduced errors, leading to revenue loss and a poor customer experience.
With subscription management software, your small business can automate the process to ensure error-free and hassle-free subscription billing. This results in a better customer experience that generates more revenue.
To help you choose the right software for your business, this guide will cover the "what" and "how" of subscription management software. Here's what we discuss:
What Is Subscription Management Software?
Common Features of Subscription Management Software
What Type of Buyer Are You?
Benefits and Potential Issues
Key Considerations
Pricing and Purchasing Options
Market Trends to Understand
What Is Subscription Management Software?
Subscription software allows users to manage the billing and collections processes for services that charge on a recurring basis. The software is a mix of the following three solutions:
- Billing management: This software helps businesses bill their clients more efficiently. It allows them to allocate products or services to customers and track the usage of service. They can also manage access permissions based on the terms of service.
- Customer management: This software allows users to record customer data and use it to prepare bills, information circulars and emails.
- Payment processing: Subscription management solutions also help businesses collect customer payments via different modes such as online, credit cards and mobile payments. This is often an important software integration.
Client dashboards in Pabbly Subscriptions (Source)
Common Features of Subscription Management Software
The first step in selecting a subscription management solution is to understand its features. Analyzing the offerings of various subscription management solutions will help you shortlist products that are better suited to your business needs.
The first step in selecting a subscription management solution is to understand its features. Analyzing the offerings of various subscription management solutions will help you shortlist products that are better suited to your business needs.
| Subscription billing | Automate the notifications, collection and invoicing of recurring bills. Users can also manage different pricing models such as tiered pricing and volume pricing. |
| Payment processing | Collect payments from customers using third-party payment processors such as PayPal and Stripe. |
| Invoice history | Track historical invoice data for each customer. This information is particularly useful during audits as proof of payment and revenue generated. |
| Multi-period recurring billing | Bill customers for the varying duration of service such as by month, quarter, half-year or annual. Users can also roll out discounts for long-term contracts, e.g., annual packages. |
| Multi-tiered pricing | Manage the pricing tiers based on usage levels. This is helpful in online services, such as email marketing solutions, which charge for the number of emails or subscribers. |
| Reporting | Create reports on different subscription metrics and KPIs, e.g., churn rate, revenue and subscriber attrition rate. |
What Type of Buyer Are You?
Based on our research, we've identified two broad categories of subscription management software buyers. Here are the details of each category:
eCommerce businesses. These buyers need to manage online access, authorization, billing and payments on a large scale. They require software that offers subscription billing, multi-period recurring billing, payment processing and reporting.
Brick-and-mortar shops and real estate firms. These buyers focus on customer payments. They need to accept payments via different modes such as by cards and near-field communication (NFC) devices. They need software that supports credit card readers, NFC devices, mobile devices and online payment methods.
Benefits and Potential Issues
There are many benefits of using a subscription management solution. It automates recurring billing based on pricing tiers, packages, discounts etc. It also sends payment reminders to customers, automates payment collection and records transactions and invoice history, which are useful during audits.
However, there are some potential issues that could arise if you fail to consider the following factors:
- Data portability. Before purchasing a solution, ensure that it offers data portability to help users migrate to other software, when needed. The feature ensures that a record of historical purchases and invoices is available even after you move to a new solution.
- Scalability. Ensure that the software is able to easily add new users as your business expands. It should also be able to handle a sudden increase in workload to accommodate increased demand during peak sales periods such as Christmas.
- Accounting integration. If you currently use an accounting solution, choose software that integrates with it. This will ensure that your accounting books are up-to-date after every transaction.
Market Trends to Understand
The market for cloud products is growing fast, driving the demand for subscription-based products and services. The growth has also triggered a disruption in the subscription software space, with vendors making frequent upgrades to gain market share.
For successful deployment, ensure that the software you select incorporates recent market trends. Here are two key trends you should know about:
Cloud pushes adoption rates among small businesses. As businesses digitize their processes, subscription-based offerings are increasing in number. This pricing model lets you spread the costs across the customer base, making your products and services more affordable. This trend will drive the adoption of subscription software until 2023.
Smart “dunning" is the next big thing. Dunning refers to the process of retrying a transaction after payment failure. However, numerous retries can lead to a bad customer experience. Smart dunning uses machine learning to find the optimal time for payment processing and retrying, reducing customer involvement. With more and more online transactions, we expect smart dunning to be a core software feature by 2022.