SendOwl focuses on simple digital product delivery with strong file protection, while SamCart offers a full-featured checkout platform with built-in LMS and advanced funnels. Both charge monthly fees based on your revenue.
The Recurring Revenue Jail
Your recurring payments are being held captive.
Here’s something most creators don’t think about until it’s too late. You spend months building a subscriber base. You create the content, run the marketing, and nurture those customer relationships. But on SendOwl or SamCart, those recurring payments aren’t really yours.
If you ever decide to leave either platform, your subscribers stay behind.
I’m not talking about exporting a CSV of email addresses. I mean the actual billing relationships. The recurring charges that hit your customers’ cards every month. Those belong to the platform, not you.
Think about that. You did all the work to earn those subscribers. You created the digital products they wanted. You convinced them to pay monthly. And yet the platform holds that revenue relationship like a hostage.
Both SamCart and SendOwl work this way. Even when you connect your own Stripe and PayPal account, the subscription data lives on their servers. Leave the platform, and you start over from scratch and lose your recurring payments.
Breaking Free From Platform Lock-In
There’s a different approach. One where the creator keeps what they built.
I built CartMango on a simple principle: if you earned a customer, that relationship is yours. Not the platform’s. When you connect your Stripe account to CartMango, the subscription lives in your Stripe. If you leave CartMango tomorrow, your recurring revenue keeps flowing.
No hostage situation. No starting over.
CartMango is free until 2027. Zero monthly fees. Zero transaction fee from the platform. You just pay standard Stripe or PayPal processing fees like you would anywhere else. The goal was to build a solution to sell digital products that doesn’t punish creators for growing.
This isn’t the right choice for everyone. But if ownership matters to you, it’s worth knowing the option exists. If you want to sell ebooks, online courses, or subscriptions and memberships without platform lock-in, this is an alternative to SamCart and SendOwl worth considering.
SendOwl vs SamCart vs CartMango
Here’s the comparison chart showing how all three platforms stack up:
| Feature | SendOwl | SamCart | CartMango |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your recurring payments gone if you leave the platform? | ❌ Recurring revenue disappears when you leave, even if you connect your own Stripe or PayPal | ❌ Recurring payments lost if you leave: – Stripe fixed-term subs – All PayPal & non-Stripe subs – Still lost even with your own Stripe / PayPal | ✅ You retain your recurring payments |
| TOTALLY free? (note: Stripe/PayPal fees are standard across all cart platforms) | ❌ $39/mo for up to $833/mo in revenue. $87/mo for up to $3,000/mo in revenue. $159/mo for up to $8,333/mo in revenue | ❌ $79/mo for up to $3,000/mo in revenue. $219/mo for up to $10,000/mo in revenue. $849/mo for up to $100,000/mo in revenue. | ✅ Yes, zero monthly fees, zero commission. Every feature included (until 2027). |
| Learning management system (LMS) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ Future |
| Funnels (upsells & downsells) AFTER customers paid for the main product | ⚠️ Only supports 1 upsell, and order bumps cannot be used at the same time. It’s strictly one or the other. No downsells available. | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Customer support | ⚠️ Decent customer service overall, no live chat option. In 2025, hundreds of users pushed back against the major 3x-10x price increases. (source 1, source2) | $19/mo additional for live support: Mon-Fri, 9-5 CT | Founder-led personal support, no chatbots, no live chat. Average response time is 1hr+ |
| Buy now, pay later (BNPL) support for your customers (boost your sales) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Order bumps to boost sales | ⚠️ Enabling order bumps turns off upsells | ✅ | ✅ |
| Subscriptions (support trials & set up fees) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Dynamic coupons & discounts | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Optimized & fast checkouts | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Customers need NOT log in before buying (quick checkout experience) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Direct, instant payout to your Stripe/PayPal (no withholding payments) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| If download links are shared by rogue customers, will they work? | ✅ Links are protected | ✅ Links are protected | ✅ Links are protected |
| Integrations | ✅ Works with Shopify and Square, direct email marketing connections to Mailchimp, Kit, and ActiveCampaign. Also connects through Zapier, Make, Pabbly, and webhooks. | ✅ Connects directly to HighLevel, iContact, Shopify, Slack, Digital Access Pass, and more. Links to thousands of additional apps through Zapier. | ⚠️ Fewer native integrations, but the Make.com connection opens access to 3,000+ apps. Native integrations include Kit, ActiveCampaign, Beehiiv, and BirdSend, with more on the way. |
| Affiliate management | ✅ | ✅ Yes | ❌ Coming soon |
| Best for | Creators focused on protecting digital files who don’t require advanced funnels. Pricing runs high for what you get (revenue caps, only 1 upsell, and upsells can’t coexist with order bumps). | Creators with budget who want the complete feature set, even if half those features go unused. | Solo digital creators who don’t want recurring revenue held hostage, plus instant setup, human support, and zero platform fees (free until 2027). |
| Free migration | ❌ No free migration | ❌ No free migration | ✅ Free migration included |
These are the links for each platform: SendOwl, SamCart, CartMango.
CartMango: Not For Everyone
CartMango works best for a specific type of seller. Solo creators looking to sell digital downloads. Coaches selling courses. Consultants with digital products who want to start selling without paying platform fees.
If you need a built-in LMS, CartMango isn’t there yet. That feature is planned but not available today. Same with affiliate management. It’s coming, but if you need it now, SamCart has it ready.
What CartMango does well: subscriptions, one-time purchases, upsells, downsells, order bumps, coupon codes, and a checkout page that loads fast. The user-friendly interface makes it easy to upload your products and start taking payments. You get all of this for zero monthly fees until 2027.
The real difference is ownership. Your Stripe account holds the subscription data. Your customer relationships stay yours.
SendOwl: Simple Digital Delivery With Limits
SendOwl started as a straightforward way to sell digital downloads. It handles the basics well: upload your files, set a price, protect your download links. SendOwl offers a focused ecommerce experience for creators who don’t need complex sales funnels.
What SendOwl offers
- Digital product delivery with link protection
- Subscription support with free trial options and setup fees
- Integration with Shopify, Square, and email marketing platforms like Mailchimp, Kit, ActiveCampaign
- Zapier, Make, Pabbly, and webhook connections for CRM integration
- Affiliate management built in
- Buy now pay later (BNPL) payment options through payment gateways like Stripe
SendOwl pricing structure
SendOwl uses revenue-based tiers:
- $39/mo gets you up to $833 in monthly revenue.
- $87/mo covers up to $3,000.
- $159/mo handles up to $8,333.
- There’s no free plan available.
In 2025, SendOwl raised prices by 3x to 10x for some users. This caused major pushback in the creator community.
The limitations
SendOwl only allows one upsell per product. If you want order bumps, you lose your upsell capability. It’s one or the other, not both. There are no downsells at all. The customization options for your checkout are limited compared to SamCart.
No live chat support exists. Customer service is decent but limited in availability. If you’re looking to start an all-in-one e-commerce platform with advanced marketing tools, SendOwl may feel limiting.
Check out SendOwl if simple digital delivery is your main need. It can integrate with many popular tools and makes it easy to protect files. Good for creators looking to sell digital and physical products with basic needs.
This is the link for SendOwl.
SamCart: Feature-Rich and Expensive
SamCart positions itself as the premium checkout platform for creators who want to sell digital products with advanced ecommerce features. It packs in features that many creators will never use, but everything is there if you need it.
What SamCart offers
- Built-in learning management system (LMS) for online courses
- Full funnel support with upsells and downsells across your entire sales process
- Order bumps that work alongside upsells
- Extensive native integrations with HighLevel, Shopify, Slack, and more marketing platforms
- Thousands of additional apps via Zapier to automate your workflows
- Affiliate management included
- Customizable sales page and product page templates
SamCart pricing structure
SamCart is the most expensive option in this comparison:
- $79/mo covers up to $3,000 in monthly revenue.
- $219/mo gets you up to $10,000.
- $849/mo handles up to $100,000.
Live support costs an extra $19/mo on top of your plan. That’s Monday through Friday, 9-5 Central Time only. This all-in-one platform that allows full customization comes at a premium price.
The limitations
The pricing structure is the main limitation. If you’re doing $5,000/mo in revenue, you’re paying $219/mo for the platform alone. That’s before Stripe fees.
Many features go unused by smaller creators. The LMS is powerful but adds complexity you might not need. SamCart is built for scale, which means paying for scale even when you’re not there yet.
The simple interface it promises gets complicated once you dig into the settings. It can help you grow your online business if you use what you pay for. While not an all-in-one solution, works well if you need an online store with advanced pre-purchase and post-purchase flows.
This is the link for SamCart.
Pricing Simulation: What You’ll Actually Pay
Here’s what each platform costs at different revenue levels. This includes Stripe processing fees (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) assuming a $50 average order value. This helps you understand the real cost of selling internationally or anywhere online.
| Monthly Revenue | SendOwl Total | SamCart Total | CartMango Total | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000/mo | $74 | $114 | $35 | $39-79/mo |
| $5,000/mo | $262 | $394 | $175 | $87-219/mo |
| $10,000/mo | $509 | $569 | $350 | $159-219/mo |
| $50,000/mo | N/A (cap) | $2,599 | $1,750 | $849/mo |
Note: SendOwl’s highest tier caps at $8,333/mo revenue. Processing fees calculated as 2.9% + $0.30 per $50 transaction.
At $10,000/mo revenue, CartMango saves you $159-219 every month compared to the alternatives. That’s $1,908-2,628 per year staying in your pocket instead of going to platform fees.
SendOwl vs SamCart vs CartMango: Which Fits Your Business?
Links: SendOwl, SamCart, CartMango.
Choose SendOwl if you sell digital downloads and want strong file protection without complex funnels. Be aware of the revenue-based pricing and the recent price increases. Starting at $39/mo, it’s the cheaper traditional option.
Choose SamCart if you need a built-in LMS, want full funnel capabilities with upsells, downsells, and order bumps all working together, and your revenue can support $79-849/mo in platform fees. It’s feature-complete for course creators who use what you pay for.
Choose CartMango if you want to keep your recurring revenue if you ever decide to leave, avoid monthly platform fees, and prefer a simpler checkout experience. It’s free until 2027, includes free migration from your existing website, and gives you founder-led support. Your customers’ subscriptions stay yours. CartMango can help you sell without the platform taking a cut.
Related Reading
- SamCart vs Sellfy: the customer cash hostage (2026)
- Payhip vs ThriveCart: losing what you built (2026)
- ThriveCart vs Gumroad: the recurring revenue trap (2026)
- Where to Buy Digital Products to Resell: 6 Top Places in 2026 (+ a glaring problem)
- SamCart vs Gumroad: who actually owns your customers? (2026)
- Is Gumroad Safe in 2026? Uncovering the Hidden Pros and Cons
- Payhip vs Podia: The Recurring Income Hostage (2026)
- Payhip vs SamCart: The Recurring Revenue Handcuffs (2026)
- SamCart vs ClickFunnels: The Recurring Revenue Hostage (2026)
- SendOwl vs ThriveCart: Which has a hidden trap in 2026?