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1Capture vs Recurly (2025): Pricing, Reviews, and the Best Alternative

Unbiased look at Recurly's pricing, real user reviews, and when 1Capture is the better alternative for trial-to-paid conversion.

January 2, 2025
7 min read

This page is independent editorial content and is not affiliated with Recurly. Facts are sourced and linked below.

This page is independent editorial content and is not affiliated with Recurly. All facts about Recurly are sourced and linked. Opinions are clearly labeled.

TL;DR Verdict

  • If you need enterprise-grade subscription billing with advanced revenue operations and dunning management, Recurly is a robust, established platform.
  • If your immediate goal is multiplying trial-to-paid conversion rates with minimal effort — including smart payment capture at signup, AI-optimized trial pages, and performance-based pricing — 1Capture is purpose-built for that.

Ready to 3.7x your trial conversions? 5 min setup • No credit card • 3.7x avg revenue increase


Pricing at a Glance (Sourced)

Recurly's Pricing Model: Fixed monthly fee plus percentage of revenue

Core Package:

  • $149/month + 0.9% of revenue processed
  • Basic subscription management features
  • Standard integrations and support

Professional Package:

  • Custom pricing (contact sales)
  • Advanced features and analytics
  • Enhanced support and integrations

Elite Package:

  • Custom pricing (contact sales)
  • Enterprise-grade features
  • Dedicated account management

Sources:

Note: Pricing varies based on volume and specific requirements. Always check with Recurly for current enterprise rates.


What Recurly Is (Facts)

Recurly provides subscription billing and revenue management platform for businesses, offering automated recurring billing, subscription lifecycle management, revenue recognition, and dunning management capabilities.

Key offerings:

  • Subscription billing and invoicing
  • Revenue recognition and accounting
  • Failed payment recovery (dunning management)
  • Revenue analytics and reporting
  • Payment gateway integrations

Sources:


Feature Comparison (Facts + Sources)

Capability 1Capture Recurly Notes Source
Subscription Billing Not our focus Yes Recurly's core offering for recurring billing https://recurly.com/features/
Trial Payment Capture at Signup (Pre-Auth) Yes Limited 1Capture validates and pre-authorizes cards at signup; Recurly focuses on post-trial billing https://1capture.io/features/payment-capture
AI-Powered Conversion Optimization Yes No 1Capture generates and tests trial page variants; Recurly doesn't offer this https://1capture.io/features/ai-optimization
Analytics Focused on Trial → Paid Yes General revenue analytics 1Capture specializes in trial conversion; Recurly provides billing analytics https://recurly.com/features/
Setup Time to First Optimized Trial ~5 minutes Weeks to months Depends on complexity of billing requirements https://1capture.io/how-it-works
Pricing Model Alignment Performance-based Fixed + percentage Different incentives and cost structures https://1capture.io/pricing
Dunning Management N/A Yes Automated failed payment recovery https://recurly.com/features/
Revenue Recognition N/A Yes Automated accounting compliance https://recurly.com/features/

Notes:

  • Features marked as N/A indicate they're outside 1Capture's core focus area
  • Always validate current capabilities via latest official documentation

What Users Say (Reviews)

Positive Feedback:

  • "Recurly's subscription management has streamlined our billing operations significantly" - G2 Review
  • "The revenue recognition features help with accounting compliance and reporting" - Capterra Review
  • "Customer support is knowledgeable and responsive to technical questions" - G2 Review

Common Concerns:

  • "Initial setup and configuration took longer than expected, nearly 2 months" - G2 Review
  • "The coupon and discount functionality can be confusing and limited" - Capterra Review
  • "Pricing becomes expensive as you scale, especially with the percentage fees" - G2 Review
  • "Some features feel overly complex for simpler billing scenarios" - Trustpilot Review

Overall Ratings:

  • G2: 4.2/5 stars (based on 300+ reviews)
  • Capterra: 4.1/5 stars (based on 150+ reviews)
  • TrustRadius: 8.1/10 (based on 50+ reviews)

Sources:


Recurly's Strengths and Gaps

Recurly's Strengths:

  • Comprehensive Billing: Full-featured subscription billing with complex pricing models
  • Revenue Operations: Built-in revenue recognition and accounting compliance
  • Dunning Management: Advanced failed payment recovery and customer retention
  • Enterprise-Ready: Handles high-volume, complex billing scenarios
  • Integrations: 20+ payment gateways and 30+ business applications
  • Established Platform: 10+ years in market with proven reliability

Recurly's Gaps:

  • Trial Optimization: No specific tools for trial-to-paid conversion optimization
  • Payment Pre-Authorization: Limited trial signup payment validation
  • AI-Powered Testing: No AI-driven A/B testing for conversion optimization
  • Performance Pricing: Fixed fees regardless of your conversion success
  • Setup Complexity: Implementation often takes weeks to months
  • Trial-Specific Analytics: Limited insights focused specifically on trial performance

Sources:


When to Choose Recurly vs 1Capture

Choose Recurly if you:

  • Need comprehensive subscription billing with advanced revenue operations
  • Require automated dunning management and customer retention features
  • Handle high-volume, complex recurring billing scenarios
  • Need deep integrations with finance and accounting systems
  • Want established platform with proven enterprise reliability
  • Have dedicated technical resources for implementation

Choose 1Capture if you:

  • Want to multiply trial conversion rates immediately (3.7x average increase)
  • Need smart payment capture and validation at trial signup
  • Want AI-powered trial page optimization and testing
  • Prefer performance-based pricing (only pay when you convert trials)
  • Need results in days, not weeks or months
  • Already have billing sorted but want better trial conversions
  • Want minimal technical implementation requirements

Migration Path: Recurly → 1Capture (Complementary Use)

  1. Keep Recurly for existing subscription billing and revenue operations
  2. Add 1Capture for trial optimization and payment pre-authorization at signup
  3. Connect the flow: 1Capture captures payment info and validates cards; successful trials flow to Recurly for billing
  4. Run A/B tests on trial pages and monitor conversion improvements
  5. Scale winning variants while maintaining Recurly's robust billing infrastructure

This approach leverages both platforms' strengths without disrupting existing billing operations.

Internal links: /how-it-works, /pricing, /features/payment-capture


FAQs about Recurly (Sourced)

What is Recurly's pricing model?

Recurly uses a tiered pricing model starting at $149/month plus 0.9% of revenue processed for the Core package. Professional and Elite packages have custom pricing based on volume and features needed. Source: Recurly Pricing

How long does Recurly implementation typically take?

Implementation time varies from weeks to months depending on complexity. Simple setups may take 2-4 weeks, while enterprise implementations with custom integrations can take 2-3 months. Source: User reviews and implementation guides

Does Recurly handle failed payment recovery?

Yes, Recurly provides comprehensive dunning management with automated retry logic, customer communication campaigns, and flexible recovery workflows to maximize revenue retention. Source: Recurly Features

What integrations does Recurly offer?

Recurly integrates with 20+ payment gateways including Stripe, PayPal, and Braintree, plus 30+ business applications like Salesforce, QuickBooks, and HubSpot. Source: Recurly Integrations

Does Recurly optimize trial conversions?

Recurly focuses on subscription billing and revenue management post-conversion. For dedicated trial conversion optimization with AI-powered testing and payment pre-authorization, 1Capture is purpose-built for that specific use case.

Can I use both Recurly and 1Capture together?

Yes, many companies use 1Capture for trial optimization and payment capture, then pass successful conversions to Recurly for ongoing subscription billing and revenue management. This leverages each platform's strengths.


Ready to Increase Trial Conversions?

While Recurly excels at subscription billing and revenue operations, 1Capture is built specifically to multiply your trial-to-paid conversions.

Ready to 3.7x your trial conversions? 5 min setup • No credit card • 3.7x avg revenue increase

Start For Free

Robby Frank
Robby Frank
Head of Growth
Calm down, it's just life

Self-taught entrepreneur and technical leader with 12+ years building profitable B2B SaaS companies. Specializes in rapid product development and growth marketing with 1,000+ outreach campaigns executed across industries. Author of "Evolution of a Maniac."

Full-Stack DevelopmentCold Email Outreach (1,000+ Campaigns)Guerilla MarketingGrowth Hacking & PPCRapid PrototypingCrisis Management0-to-1 Product CreationMarketing Automation
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