Is an Open-Source Subscription Management Software the Right Fit For You?

Open-source subscription management software – as suggested by the name – is a system that helps businesses manage their software in highly customizable ways. The code for this software is open to be edited for customizability. It is this feature that is the biggest selling point of this software. Such customizability allows businesses to tweak this software however they see fit to suit their specific demands.

Yet having this high level of customizability comes with its own set of challenges. Businesses are expected to have a highly competent technical team that can configure this software to suit their business needs. Not having this crucial component makes licensing an open-source subscription management software useless as there is no way then for the business to harness its potential.

In this blog post, we will be exploring the benefits and drawbacks of using open-source subscription management software. We will also be looking at the specific industries whose businesses benefit the most from this software, all of which will be capped with the specific example of the open-source subscription management software SubscriptionFlow that offers its subscribers all these features and many more.

Why Customizability Matters?

1. Billing

Despite needing a similar suite of basic features, ultimately most businesses still require certain specifications that cater to their particular needs. Newspapers and online streaming services are telling examples that prove this point—while online streaming services require tiered subscriptions based on the extent and/or quality of access they provide to their subscribers, a newspaper does not operate well with the tiered-billing model. Newspapers usually flatly bill their subscribers or at the most charge their subscribers per article; online streaming sites do not do this and therefore, on top of requiring a basic subscription fee just like newspapers, require a different billing model.

A good open-source subscription management software ought to provide its subscribers with the basic billing model and, because it is open-source, also allow them the option of further customizing their billing based on their needs. SubscriptionFlow does both of these things which is what makes it a good fit for businesses in the verticals of both news media and OTT streaming sites.

Also Read: Cracking the Code of Recurring Revenue: Unveiling the Secrets Hidden in Billing Analytics

2. Checkout Page and Invoice

Checkout pages and invoices are the last points of contact between a business and its end consumer at the end of a transaction. Therefore, it is crucial for any good open-source subscription management software to offer maximum customizability to its clients to devise their checkout pages and invoices that reflect the aesthetics and values of their brand. According to Forbes, good checkout pages are instrumental in determining the success of most online sales’ dependent businesses as it can often be the make or break point of not only whether a client will go through the current transaction but also if they will flock back to the business to make another purchase in the future.

Likewise, invoices too are important because of similar reasons but also because they often get overlooked by many businesses when tweaking an open-source subscription management software’s services to suit their needs. Since customizable invoices are an underutilized tool by most businesses, the few that do use it to their fullest capacity can benefit tremendously from making sure that they retain their positive impression on the client via a customized invoice that reflects their brand’s commitment to providing quality products. This, in return, will inculcate brand loyalty in the customer.

SubscriptionFlow offers both these services to its clients. Doing so makes SubscriptionFlow the ideal subscription management software for businesses that wish to make an impact on their end consumers through their checkout pages and invoices.

3. Integration with Payment Gateways and Other Third-party Systems

Another important feature of any good subscription management software is its ability to integrate with payment gateways and other third-party systems and applications. Subscriptions cannot be managed by any software on its own and it needs a payment gateway to integrate with. Software like SubscriptionFlow offers their customers a long list of trusted payment gateways with which they can seamlessly integrate for smoother transactions. Doing this enriches the experience of the end consumer as they do not have to encounter any roadblocks that might hamper the ease with which they make their payments. Some of the payment gateways that SubscriptionFlow allows its users to integrate with are as follows: Stripe, PayPal, Adyen, and Square, among others.

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Likewise, SubscriptionFlow also lets its clients integrate with other third-party applications (such as Wix, to set up the website of their product). Doing this furthers the customizability aspect of subscription management as now clients are even able to add features to their product that does not fall directly under the banner of subscription management (such as setting up a website).

But Is Such a High Level of Customizability Valuable (or Even Desirable)?

While cost is also a factor that distinguishes between customizable and non-customizable subscription management software, the biggest factor remains the business’s technical experience to manage the customizable software. It is of utmost importance that businesses have technical experts on their teams that can handle the code of the open-source software or at the very least be able to customize the service enough for the business to make use of this option.

Also Read: Unify Your eCommerce Operations: Adyen-Shopify Integration

This is also where cost again comes into play because while a business may be able to afford the added cost of licensing a highly customizable subscription management software, the hidden costs of hiring a team of experts who can operate on that advanced software may be an expense too far for these businesses. Again, SubscriptionFlow can be of help to such businesses here due to its simple and easy-to-use API. SubscriptionFlow does not require any complicated understanding of code or software and even a person with a limited amount of tech-savviness will be able to operate the software to meet their business’s needs.

That said, businesses still need to take stock of their needs and resources before finally concluding if it is worth it for them to invest in an open-source subscription management software that offers them this much level of customizability. If you are running a business with a major online presence, then yes, it makes sense for you to invest this much in managing your subscriptions effectively. But if you run a mom-and-pop store that does not rely on its online for much of its income, then it might be better for such a business to settle for a cheaper and easier-to-manage ready-made alternative.