Baremetrics vs ProfitWell (2025): Feature & Pricing Comparison

Choose Baremetrics if: • You prefer all-in-one paid tools • Beautiful dashboards matter to you • You want Recover (dunning) integrated • Real-time updates are important Choose ProfitWell if: • Budget is your primary concern • You want free metrics • Retain (payment recovery) appeals to you • Industry benchmarking is valuable Consider QuantLedger if: • You want ML churn prediction • Flat $79/month pricing appeals to you • Predictive insights matter more than historical data

The fundamental difference is pricing philosophy: Baremetrics (Paid Model): • $10K MRR: $108/month • $50K MRR: $258/month • $100K MRR: $358/month • Plus add-ons: Recover, Cancellation Insights, Forecast+ ProfitWell (Free + Add-on Model): • Core Metrics: Free forever • Retain: % of recovered revenue • Recognized: Paid subscription Cost Comparison at $100K MRR: • Baremetrics (base): $358/month = $4,296/year • Baremetrics (+ Recover): ~$500/month = $6,000/year • ProfitWell (metrics only): $0/year • ProfitWell (+ Retain): Varies by recovery rate ProfitWell appears much cheaper for metrics alone. Add Retain, and costs depend on how much revenue you recover.

Both platforms offer payment recovery, and this is where real revenue impact happens: Baremetrics Recover: • Model: Fixed monthly fee (add-on pricing) • Features: Email sequences, payment retry, paywalls • Customization: Full control over messaging • Recovery rate: Industry competitive ProfitWell Retain: • Model: Percentage of recovered revenue • Features: Smart retries, payment update forms • Customization: Limited template control • Recovery rate: Claims 32%+ recovery Key Difference: • Recover: You pay regardless of results • Retain: You pay only when it works For high-volume businesses, Recover's fixed fee might be better. For uncertain volumes, Retain's performance-based model reduces risk.

Core Metrics • Both: MRR, ARR, churn, LTV, customer count • Edge: Tie Dashboard Quality • Baremetrics: Beautiful, simple, real-time • ProfitWell: Functional, clean, batch updates • Edge: Baremetrics Benchmarking • Baremetrics: Anonymized peer comparison • ProfitWell: Extensive industry benchmarks • Edge: ProfitWell (larger dataset) Cancellation Insights • Baremetrics: Paid add-on, surveys + analysis • ProfitWell: Not a core feature • Edge: Baremetrics Revenue Recognition • Baremetrics: Not available • ProfitWell: Recognized product (ASC 606) • Edge: ProfitWell Forecasting • Baremetrics: Forecast+ add-on • ProfitWell: Basic projections • Edge: Baremetrics Churn Prediction • Both: Not available • Edge: Neither (QuantLedger offers this)

Baremetrics: • Setup: 5-10 minutes • Learning curve: Very low • Updates: Real-time • UI philosophy: Beautiful and simple • Support: Good reputation ProfitWell: • Setup: 10-15 minutes • Learning curve: Low • Updates: Batch (not real-time) • UI philosophy: Functional and clean • Support: Variable (post-Paddle acquisition) Both are easy to use. Baremetrics edges out on design and real-time updates. ProfitWell is slightly more utilitarian but completely functional.

ProfitWell was acquired by Paddle in 2022. This matters: Implications: • Development focus shifted toward Paddle ecosystem • Long-term roadmap favors Paddle users • Standalone ProfitWell development has slowed • Support quality reports are mixed Who This Affects: • Paddle users: Great integration • Non-Paddle users: Consider whether trajectory aligns with your needs Baremetrics remains independent with clear product focus. If billing vendor independence matters, Baremetrics or other alternatives may be safer long-term bets.

Choose Baremetrics if: • You can afford $100-500/month • Beautiful dashboards improve your workflow • You want Recover for payment recovery • Real-time data matters • You prefer independent vendors Choose ProfitWell if: • Every dollar matters (free metrics) • You want to try before you pay (Retain) • You use or will use Paddle • Basic metrics are sufficient • Benchmarking is valuable to you Choose QuantLedger if: • You want churn prediction (neither offers this) • $79/month flat pricing appeals • Predictive analytics matter • You want modern ML-powered insights