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Maybe this is a good place to ask. I'm considering trying a subscription model for some client side software I'm developing as as a side project. I think someth

Maybe this is a good place to ask. I'm considering trying a subscription model for some client side software I'm developing as as a side project. I think something like this would be overkill for me. For a single developer project, what would be the easy way here? Using something totally managed like Patreon? Would Patreon even be a reasonable choice?

nickstinemates 4y ago
Stripe is pretty straightforward if you're taking in USD
mansilladev 4y ago
I typically think of Patreon as a way for content creators to charge folks for "memberships." So, while I think their billing mechanisms may work for you from a mechanical perspective, I'd perhaps look at alternatives for monthly billing for your client side software licensing. As for Killbill being overkill.. I think that running/managing your own payment/subscription service behind the scenes probably isn't something you want to spend your time doing, nor would your customers want you spending your time on. Search google for "SaaS billing" and you'll find plenty of options to choose from.
- modeless 4y ago
  Yeah I know what Patreon is typically used for, but I'm still figuring out what will work best for me. It's possible that positioning myself as a content creator would be OK, with the software mostly free, maybe even open source, but a few paid features unlocked by Patreon. Or something. It's a developer tool and I think developers want everything to be free and open source so it will be tough to monetize.
dewey 4y ago
Look into Paddle or Stripe Checkout. It can be as easy as just dropping in a link if you want to do it half-manual until you have the need for it.
- steve_taylor 4y ago
  They’re quite different products. For the 5% you pay Paddle, they’ll resell your product and take care of global sales taxes. It requires a lot less paperwork. Other competitors in that space include Fastspring and Revin.
- modeless 4y ago
  Thanks for the pointer to Paddle. They look like a good option for me. Nearly as managed as Pateron (handling sales tax 100% along with fraud and chargebacks) but cheaper and more customizable. Gumroad seems OK too and very cheap but it looks like they handle US sales tax poorly.
ggregoire 4y ago
Stripe (and its competitors) solves exactly what you need. It takes 1 or 2 days to integrate into your app [1] and you more or less never have to deal with it again (i.e. very low maintenance/administration). I also think it's worth learning just to have an understanding of how online payment works. -- [1]: 1 day for a basic subscription model, with granting or removing access when the payment succeeded or failed or the period is over and a new payment hasn't been done. Maybe 2 days if you want to handle different plans (e.g. free, basic, pro) giving access to different features, and also like a 14 days free trial.
- adave 4y ago
  Just remember when you run into problems or have a spike they will temp ban and hold your funds so just like paypal. Depending on your situation the convivence might be worth it though. Do consider pros and cons as it'll be painful later on.
victor9000 4y ago
If you don't mind coding in php, check out Laravel Spark. https://spark.laravel.com/ https://spark.laravel.com/

nickstinemates 4y ago

Stripe is pretty straightforward if you're taking in USD

mansilladev 4y ago

I typically think of Patreon as a way for content creators to charge folks for "memberships." So, while I think their billing mechanisms may work for you from a mechanical perspective, I'd perhaps look at alternatives for monthly billing for your client side software licensing. As for Killbill being overkill.. I think that running/managing your own payment/subscription service behind the scenes probably isn't something you want to spend your time doing, nor would your customers want you spending your time on. Search google for "SaaS billing" and you'll find plenty of options to choose from.

modeless 4y ago
Yeah I know what Patreon is typically used for, but I'm still figuring out what will work best for me. It's possible that positioning myself as a content creator would be OK, with the software mostly free, maybe even open source, but a few paid features unlocked by Patreon. Or something. It's a developer tool and I think developers want everything to be free and open source so it will be tough to monetize.

dewey 4y ago

Look into Paddle or Stripe Checkout. It can be as easy as just dropping in a link if you want to do it half-manual until you have the need for it.

steve_taylor 4y ago
They’re quite different products. For the 5% you pay Paddle, they’ll resell your product and take care of global sales taxes. It requires a lot less paperwork. Other competitors in that space include Fastspring and Revin.
modeless 4y ago
Thanks for the pointer to Paddle. They look like a good option for me. Nearly as managed as Pateron (handling sales tax 100% along with fraud and chargebacks) but cheaper and more customizable. Gumroad seems OK too and very cheap but it looks like they handle US sales tax poorly.

ggregoire 4y ago

Stripe (and its competitors) solves exactly what you need. It takes 1 or 2 days to integrate into your app [1] and you more or less never have to deal with it again (i.e. very low maintenance/administration). I also think it's worth learning just to have an understanding of how online payment works. -- [1]: 1 day for a basic subscription model, with granting or removing access when the payment succeeded or failed or the period is over and a new payment hasn't been done. Maybe 2 days if you want to handle different plans (e.g. free, basic, pro) giving access to different features, and also like a 14 days free trial.

adave 4y ago
Just remember when you run into problems or have a spike they will temp ban and hold your funds so just like paypal. Depending on your situation the convivence might be worth it though. Do consider pros and cons as it'll be painful later on.

victor9000 4y ago

If you don't mind coding in php, check out Laravel Spark. https://spark.laravel.com/ https://spark.laravel.com/