Moonbase vs Shopify
Shopify is an excellent store builder. However, selling audio software on it means stitching together a subscriptions app, a delivery app, a license-key app, an affiliate app, a tax service and a mailing list sync, then keeping them all talking. Moonbase is one platform that already does those jobs out of the box, because we’re built specifically for plugin and sample-library companies.
Shopify gives you themes, a proven checkout and a huge app store. For physical goods that is hard to beat, and many audio companies keep Shopify for merch and hardware. Its data model is built around physical products, though, so licenses, activations, trials and rent-to-own all have to be added through third-party apps that were not designed to know about each other.
Moonbase treats a customer, their purchases, their licenses and their subscriptions as one record. Cart and checkout embed on your existing website, licensing ships with SDKs for JUCE, .NET and JavaScript, and Moonbase acts as merchant of record so VAT and sales tax are collected and remitted for you. There is no monthly fee; you only pay when you sell.
One platform instead of an app stack
Eight things a Shopify store needs apps for, all included in Moonbase
Each item on the left is a separate install, usually a separate subscription, and always a separate place your customer data ends up.
- Subscriptions appapp
- Digital delivery appapp
- License key appapp
- In-app activation SDKcustom code
- Affiliate appapp
- Tax calculation and filingservice
- Mailing list sync appapp
- Customer portal for licensesapp + code
- Subscriptions and rent-to-own
- Installer and file delivery
- Licensing with offline and floating
- SDKs for JUCE, .NET and JavaScript
- Affiliate revenue sharing
- Merchant of record for VAT and tax
- Newsletter and CRM integrations
- Customer self-service portal
- €0
- monthly fee
- 1
- place your customer lives
What the stack costs before you sell anything
Estimated fixed monthly fees
Typical ranges for each app category. Your stack will differ; the shape rarely does. Payment processing and transaction fees are shown separately below.
- Shopify plan €30–€350/moBasic through Advanced, published monthly rates
- Subscriptions app €99–€1,000/moShopify’s own app is free but only places recurring orders; extending a license needs a paid app, usually with a revenue share on top
- Digital delivery app €100–€1,500/moFile size and bandwidth capped by tier
- License key app €100–€1,000/moKey generation only, activation server not included
- Affiliate and loyalty tools €100–€500/moSeparate dashboard and payouts
- Tax calculation and filing €100–€1,000/moRegistrations and audits extra
MoonbaseNo monthly fee. Storefront, delivery, subscriptions, tax and integrations are included in the transaction fee. Licensing is metered separately, free up to 10,000 validations a month.
Card processing on Shopify Payments, varying by plan and region. Add the revenue share most subscription and affiliate apps take on top, and the VAT or sales tax you register for and remit yourself in each jurisdiction.
Higher per transaction, and it covers card processing, merchant-of-record tax collection and remittance worldwide, file delivery, subscriptions and marketing integrations. Licensing is billed separately at €5 per 10,000 validations, with the first 10,000 a month free.
Not every payment costs the same. European cards are covered by the rate above; international cards add 1%, PayPal adds 1.5%, and non-EUR currencies can add a 1% handling fee.
Shopify plan prices are published monthly rates. The app and service ranges are indicative and change often; they are the same ranges used on our pricing page. One-time build costs sit on top: a customer portal and an in-app activation integration are each commonly quoted around €1,000.
Feature comparison
MoonbasePlatform
Shopify’s core strength: themes, checkout, app store
Built in, with SDKs for JUCE, .NET and JavaScript
Key generation apps exist; validation and activation are yours to build
Large ecosystem, each app holding its own copy of the customer
Trials, floating licenses, rent-to-own, iLok
Data model built around physical products
Keep Shopify for merch and hardware if you sell them
E-commerce and payments
Moonbase is merchant of record and remits worldwide
Shopify Tax calculates; you register and remit in each jurisdiction
Cart and checkout embed on any site or stack
Buy Button embeds exist; the full experience lives on a Shopify theme
Shopify’s free app covers recurring orders; renewals that extend a license need a paid app, usually with a revenue share
Installment plans that unlock a perpetual license
Orders, downloads, licenses and subscriptions in one account
Orders and addresses; licenses live in another app
Installers and sample libraries hosted and delivered
Delivery apps cap file sizes and bandwidth by tier
Software licensing
Customers deactivate and move machines themselves
Handled by your support inbox
Issued on demand without a purchase
JUCE module, .NET and JavaScript
You write and host the activation server
iLok and existing license servers
Marketing
Purchase and license data synced to Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Brevo and others
UTM-based reports; no license or renewal attribution
Owner-only pricing, upgrade paths, loyalty discounts
Customer segments on higher plans; product-ownership rules need apps
Built-in affiliate accounts and payouts
Third-party app with its own dashboard and fee
- Built in
- Via third-party app or limited
- Not available natively
The customer’s path
Seven steps, one hand-off or six
Every hand-off between systems is a place where an email goes missing, a license does not match an order, or a refund does not revoke an activation.
- Browse
- Cart
- Checkout
- Download
- Activate
- Manage
- Renew
Where your data lives
One customer record, syncing outward
In an app stack, each app keeps its own copy of the customer and syncs pieces of it to the others. Moonbase holds the record and pushes to the tools you already use.
Mailchimp
Brevo
MailerLiteFrequently asked questions
Yes. Many audio companies run Moonbase for software and keep Shopify for physical goods. Moonbase embeds on any website, so both can live on the same domain, and the mailing list integrations can receive customers from either side.
Yes. Moonbase supports importing existing customers and issuing licenses for products they already own. Because it can operate alongside external systems, current activations keep working while you transition.
No. Moonbase provides the cart, overlay checkout, customer accounts and downloads as embeddable components for your existing site, whatever it is built with. You keep your design and your domain.
Moonbase. It collects and remits VAT and sales tax worldwide on your behalf. On Shopify, you are the merchant of record and handle registration and filing yourself or through a paid service.
Comparing other platforms? Compare Moonbase with Paddle, FastSpring and Gumroad.
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We’ll give you an honest assessment of whether Moonbase fits your needs, including whether to keep Shopify for the rest of your catalogue. No pressure, no generic sales pitch.