Pelcro vs Piano for publisher subscriptions
Publishers shortlisting subscription software often compare Pelcro with Piano. Both are built around reader revenue, and both describe paywalls, recurring billing and print subscriptions. This page sets out what each vendor documents on its own public pages, with a source and date for every cell. It does not rate either product. Where a capability is not on a cited page, the table says “does not document”, which is not the same as not having it.
RunMags is a third option, described after the comparison. Explore the publishing software comparison hub.
How the sources were checked
Pelcro statements come from pages on get.pelcro.com and docs.pelcro.com retrieved 2026-10-05. Piano statements come from pages on piano.io retrieved 2026-10-04, plus Piano's Capterra listing for the trial row. Every statement is vendor-claimed: neither product was operated for this comparison. Ask each vendor to confirm the current edition, modules and terms.
Pelcro vs Piano at a glance
| Area | Pelcro | Piano |
|---|---|---|
| Subscriptions and billing | Recurring billing and invoices, with auto-renewal, smart retries and pre-dunning reminders. Subscribers update payment methods, download invoices and manage access in a client portal. Sources: Pelcro homepage and client portal page, retrieved 2026-10-05. | Automated billing cycles with failed-payment retries, reader trials, promo codes and upgrade paths, with billing through a native Stripe Billing integration. Sources: management and billing page and Piano Subscriptions page, retrieved 2026-10-04. |
| Paywall and access | Metered, freemium and hard paywalls, with offers shown in the reader’s country, language and currency. Subscription lifecycle webhooks let a website update reader access. Sources: magazine subscription page, paywalls page and subscription webhooks documentation, retrieved 2026-10-05. | Composer, a rules engine for paywalls and offers, plus identity management. Group and site licences give access by IP range, email domain or a user list. Sources: Piano Subscriptions page and enterprise subscriptions page, retrieved 2026-10-04. |
| CRM | Print and digital subscriber records. Does not document an advertiser sales CRM on the product pages reviewed; its magazine CRM article discusses subscriber and advertiser relationships. Sources: magazine subscription page and the article, retrieved 2026-10-05. | Piano Audience is one of four product lines on the media page, alongside Analytics, Subscriptions and Amplifier. Does not document an advertiser sales CRM on the pages reviewed. Source: media page, retrieved 2026-10-04. |
| Newsletters | Does not document a newsletter sender on the pages reviewed. Sources: Pelcro homepage and pricing page, retrieved 2026-10-05. | Amplifier sends behaviour-personalised emails and web push. Source: newsletters and notifications page, retrieved 2026-10-04. |
| Print circulation | Print and digital subscriptions on one platform, with print fulfilment lists. Plans record the number of shipments or issues per interval. Sources: fulfilment page and migration guide, retrieved 2026-10-05. | Print, digital and ePaper subscriptions in one catalogue with bundles, and print logistics through fulfilment partners. Does not document issue-based terms on the pages reviewed. Source: print subscriptions page, retrieved 2026-10-04. |
| Ad sales | Does not document advertising bookings, contracts or flatplanning on the product pages reviewed. Source: magazine subscription page, retrieved 2026-10-05. | Does not document ad orders, advertiser invoicing or flatplanning on the pages reviewed. Source: media page, retrieved 2026-10-04. |
| Accounting sync | Does not document a named accounting-system sync on the pages reviewed. Source: pricing page, retrieved 2026-10-05. | Invoicing through Stripe Billing, with revenue recognition including bundle splits. Does not document a named accounting-system sync on the pages reviewed. Source: print subscriptions page, retrieved 2026-10-04. |
| Published price | Priced by number of customers, in US dollars: Free up to 100 customers, Advanced $450 per month up to 2,000, Professional $800 per month up to 5,000, and Enterprise custom pricing above 5,000. Source: pricing page, retrieved 2026-10-05. | No public price; quote only. piano.io/pricing returns a not-found page, and the media page invites publishers to request a demo. Sources retrieved 2026-10-04. |
| Free trial | Does not document a time-limited trial; the pricing page lists the Free plan for up to 100 customers. Source: pricing page, retrieved 2026-10-05. | Does not document a free trial. Its Capterra listing lists no free trial or free version and says to contact the vendor. Source retrieved 2026-10-04. |
Prices are the vendors' published list prices on the date shown and exclude add-ons, services and taxes. Ask both vendors for a written quotation for the same number of subscribers, titles and modules.
Pick Pelcro if…
- you want a published price list, priced by number of customers, before the first sales call;
- you want to start on a Free plan for up to 100 customers;
- you want metered, freemium and hard paywalls with offers by country, language and currency;
- subscribers should update cards, download invoices and manage access themselves in a client portal.
Pick Piano if…
- you need a rules engine for paywalls and offers, with identity management, for a large digital audience;
- you sell group and site licences with access by IP range, email domain or a user list;
- you want analytics, audience data and personalised newsletters from the same vendor;
- you want billing to run on Stripe Billing underneath your subscription offers.
Both lists come from the vendors' own pages cited above. Either product may cover more than its public pages show, so ask each vendor to demonstrate the same job: one print and digital subscriber from sign-up through renewal to the next issue's mailing list.
A third option: RunMags
RunMags connects your magazine business from proposal to paid invoice, with Maggie built in. It is worth a look if you sell advertising as well as subscriptions and neither vendor's documented scope covers that.
- Print and digital in one system. Subscriptions run on issue-based or time-based terms. The same customer record holds advertising orders, which appear on the flatplan for their issue, and newsletters are sent from the same system.
- Published price and a self-serve trial. Plans are priced by the number of legal entities and magazine brands you run, current prices are on the RunMags pricing page, and you can start a 14-day free trial without a credit card.
- Fortnox and EU VAT. Advertiser invoices sync to Fortnox, QuickBooks Online or Xero, per legal entity, and RunMags handles EU VAT. Subscription invoices are not part of that sync.
RunMags has not verified a paywall for production use, does not yet schedule automatic renewals or retry failed card payments, and its subscriber portal does not yet let subscribers update cards, download invoices or cancel. If those matter most, compare all three carefully. For a step-by-step evaluation brief, read the Pelcro alternative or the Piano alternative guide.
Frequently asked questions
How does Pelcro pricing compare with Piano pricing?
On 2026-10-05 Pelcro's pricing page listed Free for up to 100 customers, Advanced at $450 per month and Professional at $800 per month, with custom Enterprise pricing, in US dollars. Piano publishes no price: on 2026-10-04 piano.io/pricing returned a not-found page and pricing is quote only. Compare written quotations for the same number of subscribers.
Do Pelcro or Piano offer a free trial?
Neither documents a time-limited free trial on the pages reviewed. Pelcro's pricing page lists a Free plan for up to 100 customers (2026-10-05); Piano's Capterra listing lists no free trial and says to contact the vendor (2026-10-04). RunMags offers a 14-day free trial without a credit card.
Do Pelcro or Piano handle advertising sales?
Neither documents ad orders, advertiser contracts or flatplanning on the pages reviewed (Pelcro 2026-10-05, Piano 2026-10-04). That is not proof that they lack them, so ask each vendor. RunMags keeps advertising orders, the flatplan and subscriptions on the same customer record.
Does RunMags have a paywall or automatic renewals like Pelcro and Piano?
Not today. RunMags has not verified a paywall for production use, and renewals are charged when your staff run the renewal batch; automatic scheduled renewals and failed-payment retries are not available yet.
Compare all three with your own workflow
Bring one subscriber who also advertises, one renewal and your next issue. Start a trial or book a walkthrough with the team.
