# How do we map a legacy platform's subscription-app integration to Recharge, Skio, or Loop Subscriptions, given the 2026 Recharge-Skio acquisition uncertainty?

Reviewed by Martin Dejnicki, Director of SEO & AI Search · facts verified October 9, 2026 · canonical: https://deploi.ca/shopify/faq/subscription-integration-mapping-recharge-skio-loop

## Short answer

A legacy subscription integration maps onto Shopify's subscription contract first, not a vendor. Rebuild selling plans (Shopify's subscription options) and the product-page purchase option, then pick the portal app ([Shopify developer docs](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/purchase-options/subscriptions/migrate-to-subscriptions-api), October 2026). Loop Subscriptions wins that choice because it is independent, at $99 to $399 a month ([Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/loop-subscriptions)). Recharge owns Skio and promised their combined roadmap "in the months ahead" ([Recharge's announcement](https://getrecharge.com/blog/recharge-welcomes-skio-to-build-the-future-of-subscription-commerce/)).

- **Recharge and Skio:** One owner since the April 2026 deal. Recharge announced in April 2026 that Skio is joining it; both platforms keep operating, with a combined roadmap promised "in the months ahead" (October 2026) ([Recharge, Recharge welcomes Skio to build the future of subscription commerce](https://getrecharge.com/blog/recharge-welcomes-skio-to-build-the-future-of-subscription-commerce/))
- **Loop Subscriptions:** Free to 50 subscriptions; $99 or $399 a month. Plus 1.0% or 0.75% per transaction and no per-order charge. Loop's pricing page includes white-glove migration on every paid plan (October 2026) ([Loop Solutions Inc, Loop Subscriptions App on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/loop-subscriptions); [Loop Solutions Inc, Loop Subscriptions Pricing](https://www.loopwork.co/pricing))
- **Recharge and Skio fees:** Recharge $99 or $499; Skio $599 a month. Plus 1.49% or 1.34% + 19¢ (Recharge) and 1% + 20¢ (Skio) per transaction. Skio's $5,988 is its yearly price; Recharge Plus adds migration support (October 2026) ([Recharge, Subscription pricing plans for every stage of growth](https://getrecharge.com/pricing/); [Recharge, Recharge Subscriptions App on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/subscription-payments); [Skio, Skio, a Recharge Company on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/skio))
- **Card number (PAN) migration:** Shopify Plus or Enterprise; credit cards only. Paid Shopify service; Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay, bank accounts and PayPal billing agreements can't move this way. Tokens move on every plan from Stripe, Braintree, PayPal Express or Authorize.net (October 2026) ([Shopify Help Center, Migrating payment methods to your Shopify account](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/migrating-payment-methods); [Shopify developer docs, Migrate customer information to Shopify](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/purchase-options/subscriptions/migrate-to-subscriptions-api/migrate-customer-information))

## Deploi's call

Map a legacy subscription integration onto Shopify's own subscription contract first, then treat Recharge or Loop as the portal layer you rent on top of it. The product-page purchase option is yours to rebuild either way. We scored Skio versus native subscriptions WAIT before the acquisition news, and we still do.

**BUY: Map the portal layer to Loop or Recharge when**

- The program is retention-led, with swaps, gifting or cancellation-save flows: Deploi's Recharge vs. Loop record picks Loop, the independent platform ([Deploi Build vs. Buy](https://deploi.ca/shopify/build-vs-buy/recharge-vs-loop-subscriptions), October 2026).
- An ERP (enterprise resource planning system), several regions or heavy integrations make breadth matter more than independence; the Recharge vs. Loop record picks Recharge there, with exit terms negotiated at signature.
- You want the vendor to move the contracts: Loop includes white-glove migration on every paid plan, and Recharge lists end-to-end migration support on its Plus plan, at $499 a month ([Loop pricing](https://www.loopwork.co/pricing), [Recharge pricing](https://getrecharge.com/pricing/), October 2026).

**WAIT: Stay on Shopify Subscriptions, or hold the move, when**

- The program is fixed-cadence replenishment, which the free Shopify Subscriptions app renews weekly, monthly or yearly ([Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/shopify-subscriptions), October 2026).
- You run Skio and are weighing Recharge: until Recharge publishes the combined roadmap it promised, that is a move inside one company ([Recharge](https://getrecharge.com/blog/recharge-welcomes-skio-to-build-the-future-of-subscription-commerce/), October 2026).
- The storefront cutover is still in flight, so the subscription choice would be made on calendar pressure.

## Why doesn't a legacy subscription integration map app to app?

A legacy subscription integration doesn't map app to app, because it is three layers and on Shopify each layer has a different owner. Shopify's guide for migrating a legacy subscriptions app splits the work the same way: selling plans and the product-page plan picker, then contracts and payment methods ([Shopify developer docs](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/purchase-options/subscriptions/migrate-to-subscriptions-api), October 2026).

**Only the third layer of a legacy subscription integration is a vendor choice on Shopify**

| Layer | On the legacy platform | Owner on Shopify | Does it migrate? |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Purchase option on the product page | Plugin-rendered radio buttons and cadence picker | Your theme, reading the selling plan group; Recharge and Loop ship widgets | No. Rebuilt on the new theme |
| Contract and billing schedule | The plugin's recurring-order table | Shopify's subscription contract, which the app bills against | Recreated in Shopify, not copied |
| Portal, failed-payment recovery, cohort reporting | The plugin's account area | The subscription app you buy | Partly, through the vendor's migration service |

Sources: [Shopify developer docs, Subscriptions API migration guide](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/purchase-options/subscriptions/migrate-to-subscriptions-api); [Shopify developer docs, About subscription contracts](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/purchase-options/subscriptions/contracts); [Shopify developer docs, subscriptionContractAtomicCreate](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/admin-graphql/latest/mutations/subscriptionContractAtomicCreate); [Recharge, Subscription pricing plans for every stage of growth](https://getrecharge.com/pricing/); [Loop Solutions Inc, Loop Subscriptions App on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/loop-subscriptions); [Deploi Build vs. Buy, Recharge Alternatives: Build or Buy the Subscription Migration?](https://deploi.ca/shopify/build-vs-buy/subscription-platform-migration). Verified October 9, 2026.

So map each layer separately, and the vendor question shrinks. Only the third layer is a purchase decision. The first is theme work with any vendor. The second belongs to Shopify, because Shopify generates a subscription contract whenever a customer buys a selling plan with recurring billing ([Shopify developer docs](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/purchase-options/subscriptions/contracts), October 2026). Three settings travel outside the layers: checkout discount codes, subscription delivery profiles and custom tax rules are each recreated in Shopify ([Shopify developer docs](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/purchase-options/subscriptions/migrate-to-subscriptions-api), October 2026).

## How do Recharge, Skio and Loop compare as the portal layer after the Skio deal?

Recharge, Skio and Loop now differ most on ownership, because Recharge announced in April 2026 that Skio is joining it ([Recharge](https://getrecharge.com/blog/recharge-welcomes-skio-to-build-the-future-of-subscription-commerce/), October 2026). Recharge says both platforms keep operating while it prepares a combined roadmap. Recharge's founder put the price at $105M ([Oisin O'Connor on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/oisino_recharge-just-acquired-skio-for-105m-the-share-7455655148250386433-S610/), October 2026).

**Loop is the independent paid option, Recharge and Skio share one owner, and Shopify Subscriptions is free**

| Criterion | Shopify Subscriptions | Recharge | Skio | Loop Subscriptions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Plan fee (USD a month) | Free | $99 Starter, $499 Plus; $25 up to 50 subscribers | $599, or $5,988 billed yearly | Free to 50 subscriptions; $99 Starter, $399 Pro |
| Per transaction | None | 1.49% + 19¢, or 1.34% + 19¢ on Plus | 1% + 20¢ | 1.0% or 0.75%, no per-order charge |
| Owner | Shopify | Recharge | Recharge, since April 2026 | Loop Solutions Inc, independent |
| Migration help | Not published | End-to-end support on Plus | "We move your subscribers" on its listing | White-glove migration on every paid plan |
| App Store rating | 3.7 stars, 850 reviews | 4.8 stars, 3,130 reviews | 5.0 stars, 242 reviews | 5.0 stars, 781 reviews |

Sources: [Shopify App Store, Shopify Subscriptions](https://apps.shopify.com/shopify-subscriptions); [Recharge, Subscription pricing plans for every stage of growth](https://getrecharge.com/pricing/); [Recharge, Recharge Subscriptions App on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/subscription-payments); [Skio, Skio, a Recharge Company on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/skio); [Loop Solutions Inc, Loop Subscriptions App on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/loop-subscriptions); [Loop Solutions Inc, Loop Subscriptions Pricing](https://www.loopwork.co/pricing). Verified October 9, 2026.

Skio's $5,988 is its yearly price: Skio's own pricing page shows the same plan at $499 a month billed annually ([Skio pricing](https://skio.com/pricing), October 2026). Where the free native app is enough on its own is the subject of [the native versus paid subscriptions answer](https://deploi.ca/shopify/faq/shopify-subscriptions-vs-recharge-skio-loop).

## Which payment methods move with the subscribers?

Cards and PayPal billing agreements can move with subscribers; most wallets and bank debits can't, and that gap decides how many subscribers you keep. Shopify imports payment tokens from four gateways connected to the store: Stripe, Braintree, PayPal Express and Authorize.net. From Stripe it takes credit cards only; from Braintree, cards and Apple Pay. PayPal billing agreements come across through PayPal Express ([Shopify developer docs](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/purchase-options/subscriptions/migrate-to-subscriptions-api/migrate-customer-information), October 2026). Token migration runs on every Shopify plan. Moving raw card numbers, a primary account number (PAN) migration, is a paid Shopify service on Shopify Plus or Enterprise. It takes credit cards only: Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay, bank accounts and PayPal billing agreements can't move that way ([Shopify Help Center](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/migrating-payment-methods), October 2026). Recharge adds SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) direct debit to that list ([Recharge Help Center](https://support.getrecharge.com/hc/en-us/articles/31801129461015), October 2026).

Read that list against your legacy subscriber base before you choose a vendor. If a meaningful slice of recurring revenue bills to Google Pay, Venmo, a bank debit or a PayPal agreement you can't reach through PayPal Express, those customers re-authorize by hand, so the re-authorization rate is your real migration risk. Deploi's subscription migration record puts community-reported migrations at 60 to 90 days with 2 to 5% subscriber loss, and says the loss concentrates in re-collected cards ([Deploi Build vs. Buy](https://deploi.ca/shopify/build-vs-buy/subscription-platform-migration), October 2026). [How billing dates and payment tokens carry across](https://deploi.ca/shopify/faq/subscription-billing-cycles-payment-tokens-migration) covers the mechanics.

## Which subscription platform fits which merchant profile?

Loop Subscriptions fits a $20M to $100M DTC (direct-to-consumer) brand on one storefront with a retention-led program. Loop is the independent option now that Recharge owns Skio, at $99 to $399 a month ([Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/loop-subscriptions), October 2026). Deploi's Recharge vs. Loop record scores the head-to-head DEPENDS, with Loop named for retention depth ([Deploi Build vs. Buy](https://deploi.ca/shopify/build-vs-buy/recharge-vs-loop-subscriptions), October 2026).

Three other profiles get different answers:

- **Integration breadth matters more than independence.** Recharge, for its scale and its range of integrations. Deploi's Recharge vs. Loop record also says to negotiate exit and export terms at signature.
- **Fixed-cadence replenishment on standard products.** Shopify Subscriptions, which is free, so spend the difference on the product page. Deploi's Skio versus native record scores this profile WAIT ([Deploi Build vs. Buy](https://deploi.ca/shopify/build-vs-buy/skio-vs-native-subscriptions), October 2026).
- **A Skio account considering a move to Recharge.** Wait: Recharge owns Skio, so the move stays inside one company until Recharge puts their combined roadmap in writing ([Deploi Build vs. Buy](https://deploi.ca/shopify/build-vs-buy/subscription-platform-migration), October 2026).

## Which other legacy plugins split into the same layers?

Email, reviews, loyalty and affiliate plugins split the same way as subscriptions: the data imports, and the logic around it is rebuilt on Shopify. So each needs its own map, because each loses something different:

- **Email marketing.** Klaviyo's built-in integrations sync lists, unsubscribes and bounces from four email platforms, while autoresponders are rebuilt as flows ([Klaviyo Help Center](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005082767), October 2026). [What email platforms lose in translation](https://deploi.ca/shopify/faq/email-plugin-mapping-klaviyo-attentive-postscript) runs asset by asset.
- **Reviews and user-generated content (UGC).** Star ratings and text move between apps through standard exports, while photos and verified-buyer flags migrate imperfectly ([Deploi Build vs. Buy](https://deploi.ca/shopify/build-vs-buy/product-reviews), October 2026). [How ratings and photos transfer](https://deploi.ca/shopify/faq/review-plugin-mapping-yotpo-okendo-judge-me) compares Judge.me, Okendo and Yotpo.
- **Loyalty.** Smile.io's points import takes only two columns, email and points ([Smile Help Center](https://help.smile.io/en/articles/4036233-import-points-via-csv-file), October 2026), so earning rules are rebuilt by hand. [The loyalty module mapping](https://deploi.ca/shopify/faq/loyalty-module-mapping-smile-io-loyaltylion) treats the move as a liability reconciliation.
- **Affiliate.** Shopify Collabs' bulk import takes only an email and a creator code for each creator ([Shopify Help Center](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/promoting-marketing/collabs/merchants/migrating-creators), October 2026), so commission rules stay behind. [The affiliate plugin mapping](https://deploi.ca/shopify/faq/affiliate-plugin-migration-app-options) weighs Collabs against Refersion and UpPromote.

## When should you not choose the subscription platform yet?

Don't choose the subscription platform in the same sprint as the storefront cutover, because a choice made then is made on calendar pressure.

> **When not to do this**
> - **During the replatform itself.** Land the store, keep the legacy program billing on the old platform where the gateway allows, and move the contracts as a scoped second project. [Moving subscriptions after the storefront cutover](https://deploi.ca/shopify/faq/migrate-active-subscriptions-during-replatform) sets out that order.
> - **Inside your peak season.** Community-reported subscription migrations run 60 to 90 days, per Deploi's subscription migration record ([Deploi Build vs. Buy](https://deploi.ca/shopify/build-vs-buy/subscription-platform-migration), October 2026), so the window has to clear peak.
> - **Before you have counted wallet, bank-debit and PayPal subscribers.** None of them moves in a card-number migration ([Shopify Help Center](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/migrating-payment-methods), October 2026). Only some move as tokens, such as PayPal agreements through PayPal Express and Apple Pay from Braintree ([Shopify developer docs](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/purchase-options/subscriptions/migrate-to-subscriptions-api/migrate-customer-information), October 2026), so the rest set your re-authorization risk.

## Deploi's point of view

**What we've seen.** The purchase option is the piece every mapping doc assumes the import covers. App widgets and theme support exist, but placing and testing them on the new product template is theme work, and teams discover it in week three, after the contract model is already decided, which is the worst possible order to learn it in.

**Where we disagree.** The category frames this as picking a winner among three vendors. The durable part of the decision is the layer underneath all three, and the vendor you pick in 2026 is the one you are most likely to be migrated off of by someone else's corporate development team.

## When this answer changes

- Recharge publishes the combined Recharge and Skio roadmap, merges the two portals or announces a migration between them.
- Recharge, Skio or Loop changes plan fees, per-transaction rates or which plans include migration help.
- Shopify opens card-number (PAN) migration below Shopify Plus, or lets it move wallets, bank accounts or PayPal billing agreements.
- Loop Subscriptions is acquired, which would remove the independent option.
- Shopify Subscriptions adds the retention tooling that today justifies a paid portal app.

## Follow-up questions

- [How does a legacy platform's affiliate-marketing plugin map onto Shopify's affiliate app options, and is native affiliate tracking even comparable?](https://deploi.ca/shopify/faq/affiliate-plugin-migration-app-options)
- [How does a legacy platform's built-in loyalty/rewards module map to Smile.io or LoyaltyLion on Shopify, and what program rules commonly don't survive the switch?](https://deploi.ca/shopify/faq/loyalty-module-mapping-smile-io-loyaltylion)
- [What email marketing plugin functionality (from any platform) maps to Klaviyo, Attentive, or Postscript on Shopify, and what's typically lost in translation?](https://deploi.ca/shopify/faq/email-plugin-mapping-klaviyo-attentive-postscript)
- [What review-and-UGC plugin functionality maps to Yotpo, Okendo, or Judge.me on Shopify, and how do star ratings/photos actually transfer?](https://deploi.ca/shopify/faq/review-plugin-mapping-yotpo-okendo-judge-me)

## Sources

1. [Shopify developer docs, Subscriptions API migration guide](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/purchase-options/subscriptions/migrate-to-subscriptions-api), checked October 9, 2026
2. [Shopify developer docs, About subscription contracts](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/purchase-options/subscriptions/contracts), checked October 9, 2026
3. [Shopify developer docs, Migrate customer information to Shopify](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/purchase-options/subscriptions/migrate-to-subscriptions-api/migrate-customer-information), checked October 9, 2026
4. [Shopify developer docs, subscriptionContractAtomicCreate](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/admin-graphql/latest/mutations/subscriptionContractAtomicCreate), checked October 9, 2026
5. [Shopify App Store, Shopify Subscriptions](https://apps.shopify.com/shopify-subscriptions), checked October 9, 2026
6. [Recharge, Subscription pricing plans for every stage of growth](https://getrecharge.com/pricing/), checked October 9, 2026
7. [Recharge, Recharge Subscriptions App on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/subscription-payments), checked October 9, 2026
8. [Skio, Skio, a Recharge Company on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/skio), checked October 9, 2026
9. [Loop Solutions Inc, Loop Subscriptions App on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/loop-subscriptions), checked October 9, 2026
10. [Loop Solutions Inc, Loop Subscriptions Pricing](https://www.loopwork.co/pricing), checked October 9, 2026
11. [Recharge, Recharge welcomes Skio to build the future of subscription commerce](https://getrecharge.com/blog/recharge-welcomes-skio-to-build-the-future-of-subscription-commerce/), checked October 9, 2026
12. [Oisin O'Connor, Recharge Acquires Skio for $105M, Combining Subscription Intelligence](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/oisino_recharge-just-acquired-skio-for-105m-the-share-7455655148250386433-S610/), checked October 9, 2026
13. [Recharge Help Center, Migrating legacy payment methods directly into Shopify Payments using PAN migrations](https://support.getrecharge.com/hc/en-us/articles/31801129461015), checked October 9, 2026
14. [Klaviyo Help Center, How to migrate from another email service provider to Klaviyo](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005082767), checked October 9, 2026
15. [Smile Help Center, Import points via CSV file](https://help.smile.io/en/articles/4036233-import-points-via-csv-file), checked October 9, 2026
16. [Shopify Help Center, Migrating your creators to Shopify Collabs](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/promoting-marketing/collabs/merchants/migrating-creators), checked October 9, 2026
17. [Skio, Shopify Subscription Software: Transparent Pricing, All Features Included](https://skio.com/pricing), checked October 9, 2026
18. [Shopify Help Center, Migrating payment methods to your Shopify account](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/purchase-options/subscriptions/migrating-payment-methods), checked October 9, 2026
19. [Deploi Build vs. Buy, Recharge vs. Loop Subscriptions: Who Wins After Skio?](https://deploi.ca/shopify/build-vs-buy/recharge-vs-loop-subscriptions), checked October 9, 2026, Deploi research
20. [Deploi Build vs. Buy, Skio vs. Shopify Subscriptions: Is the Free Native App Enough?](https://deploi.ca/shopify/build-vs-buy/skio-vs-native-subscriptions), checked October 9, 2026, Deploi research
21. [Deploi Build vs. Buy, Recharge Alternatives: Build or Buy the Subscription Migration?](https://deploi.ca/shopify/build-vs-buy/subscription-platform-migration), checked October 9, 2026, Deploi research
22. [Deploi Build vs. Buy, Should You Build or Buy Product Reviews on Shopify?](https://deploi.ca/shopify/build-vs-buy/product-reviews), checked October 9, 2026, Deploi research