10 PHP-based applications for subscription, membership, packages management, & payment gateway
Here is a list of the top 10 PHP-based applications that provide subscription management, membership management, packages management, and payment gateway integration (including PayPal & PayPal UPI support). These solutions are a mix of open-source and paid platforms.
Top 10 PHP-Based Applications for Subscription & Membership Management
1. Laravel Spark (Paid)
- Features: Subscription management, membership packages, recurring billing, PayPal, Stripe.
- Why Choose: Built specifically for Laravel applications, integrates seamlessly.
- Website: https://spark.laravel.com/
2. Payplans for Joomla (Paid)
- Features: Subscription plans, user memberships, package-based access control, multiple payment gateways including PayPal.
- Why Choose: Works well for Joomla-based applications but can be adapted for Laravel.
- Website: https://www.readybytes.net/payplans
3. aMember Pro (Paid)
- Features: Membership subscriptions, digital product selling, recurring payments, PayPal, Stripe, and 100+ gateways.
- Why Choose: A powerful membership solution with strong integration support.
- Website: https://www.amember.com/
4. Stripe & PayPal Subscriptions for Laravel (Open Source)
- Features: Provides an API-based solution for subscriptions using Laravel Cashier with PayPal & Stripe.
- Why Choose: Developer-friendly, Laravel-native, and customizable.
- GitHub Repo: https://github.com/laravel/cashier-paypal
5. MemberPress for WordPress (Paid)
- Features: Membership subscriptions, recurring billing, advanced reports, PayPal & Stripe support.
- Why Choose: If you integrate Laravel with WordPress, MemberPress is one of the best solutions.
- Website: https://memberpress.com/
6. WHMCS (Paid)
- Features: Subscription-based billing, membership tiers, automated invoicing, PayPal & UPI.
- Why Choose: Best for SaaS & hosting companies but can be adapted.
- Website: https://www.whmcs.com/
7. RCP (Restrict Content Pro) (Paid)
- Features: Membership subscriptions, content restriction based on packages, PayPal/Stripe integration.
- Why Choose: Best for content-based platforms.
- Website: https://restrictcontentpro.com/
8. PHP Membership Script – PaidMembershipsPro (Open Source)
- Features: Membership plans, subscription tiers, PayPal support, integration with Laravel.
- Why Choose: Free & open-source alternative for membership management.
- Website: https://www.paidmembershipspro.com/
9. BoxBilling (Open Source)
- Features: Subscription & billing automation, membership & package management, PayPal integration.
- Why Choose: Free, self-hosted, and customizable.
- Website: https://boxbilling.com/
10. Sngine (Paid)
- Features: Membership-based social network features, subscription plans, PayPal support.
- Why Choose: If you want a community/social media style membership.
Recommendations Based on Your Needs:
- For Laravel-Specific Integration: Laravel Spark or Laravel Cashier (Stripe & PayPal)
- For SaaS or Hosting Business: WHMCS or BoxBilling
- For Content Membership Sites: Restrict Content Pro or PaidMembershipsPro
- For Simple & Open-Source Solution: BoxBilling or PHP Membership Script
Considering your Laravel-based project that offers worldwide services, the ideal solution should be Laravel-friendly, scalable, and support the following features:
✅ Subscription Management
✅ Membership Management
✅ Packages Management
✅ Payment Gateway with PayPal
✅ Payment Gateway with PayPal UPI
✅ Payment Installments
✅ Payment Recurring
Feature Comparison Table of Top Solutions
| Solution | Laravel Integration | Subscription Management | Membership Management | Package Management | PayPal Support | PayPal UPI | Installments | Recurring Payments | Open Source / Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laravel Spark | ✅ Native Support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | Paid |
| Laravel Cashier (Stripe & PayPal) | ✅ Native Support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (Stripe) | ✅ Yes | Open Source |
| aMember Pro | ✅ Can integrate | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Paid |
| WHMCS | ✅ Can integrate | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Paid |
| BoxBilling | ✅ Can integrate | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | Open Source |
| PayPlans for Joomla | ❌ Not Laravel | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Paid |
| MemberPress | ❌ Not Laravel | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Paid |
| Restrict Content Pro | ❌ Not Laravel | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Paid |
| PaidMembershipsPro | ❌ Not Laravel | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Open Source |
| Sngine | ✅ Can integrate | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Paid |
Best Option for Your Laravel Project
🏆 Laravel Cashier (Stripe & PayPal) – Open Source
Why? ✔ Best Laravel Integration – It is officially supported by Laravel.
✔ Subscriptions & Membership – Handles everything including trial periods, grace periods, and automatic renewals.
✔ Payment Installments & Recurring – Supports installment plans via Stripe and recurring payments via Stripe & PayPal.
✔ Scalable & Open Source – No additional licensing cost and highly customizable.
❌ No Direct PayPal UPI – You may need a third-party API workaround.
👉 Ideal for: Businesses wanting a Laravel-native solution with full customization control.
🥈 Laravel Spark – Paid
Why? ✔ Built by Laravel – No compatibility issues.
✔ Subscription & Membership Management – Supports multi-tier plans and add-ons.
✔ Payment Gateways – Supports PayPal but not PayPal UPI.
✔ Simple to Set Up – Comes with a UI for managing users.
❌ No Installment Support – Lacks direct payment installment features.
👉 Ideal for: Businesses needing a ready-made Laravel solution with minimal coding effort.
🥉 aMember Pro – Paid
Why? ✔ Supports Laravel Integration via API.
✔ Installments & Recurring Payments – One of the few that supports both.
✔ Subscription & Package Management – Well-structured and user-friendly.
❌ Not Laravel-native – Requires some work to integrate.
❌ No PayPal UPI Support – Requires manual workaround.
👉 Ideal for: Businesses needing installments & recurring payments with less Laravel customization.
Final Recommendation
If you want full Laravel compatibility & open-source freedom → Laravel Cashier
If you want an out-of-the-box Laravel package → Laravel Spark
If you need payment installments & recurring → aMember Pro
Here is a comprehensive feature comparison between Laravel Cashier and Laravel Spark, considering various aspects such as ease of use, customization, pricing, and core functionalities.
Laravel Cashier vs. Laravel Spark: Comprehensive Comparison
| Feature | Laravel Cashier | Laravel Spark |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Open Source | Paid ($99 – $199 per project) |
| Laravel Compatibility | ✅ Fully Laravel Native | ✅ Fully Laravel Native |
| Ease of Integration | ✅ Easy, but requires manual UI setup | ✅ Easier with pre-built UI |
| Subscription Management | ✅ Yes (Stripe & PayPal) | ✅ Yes |
| Membership Management | ✅ Yes (User-based subscriptions) | ✅ Yes (With team-based memberships) |
| Package/Plan Management | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| One-Time Payments | ✅ Yes (Stripe/PayPal) | ✅ Yes |
| Recurring Payments | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Payment Installments | ✅ Yes (Via Stripe only) | ❌ No direct support |
| Trial Periods & Grace Periods | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Coupon & Discount Support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| User Subscription Cancellation | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Subscription Resumption | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Multi-Plan Subscriptions | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Team-Based Subscriptions | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (Built-in) |
| Multi-Tenancy Support | ✅ Possible via custom coding | ✅ Built-in support for teams |
| PayPal Support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| PayPal UPI Support | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Stripe Support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Custom Payment Gateway Support | ✅ Can be added manually | ❌ No (Only PayPal & Stripe) |
| Pre-Built UI | ❌ No (Must build own UI) | ✅ Yes (Dashboard included) |
| Admin Panel for Subscription Management | ❌ No (Custom-built needed) | ✅ Yes (Built-in) |
| API Support for Custom Workflows | ✅ Yes (Fully extensible) | ❌ Limited (Restricted to Laravel Spark functionality) |
| Invoice & Billing System | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Webhook Events & Notifications | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Refund Management | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| SaaS Ready Features | ❌ No (Requires custom setup) | ✅ Yes (Ideal for SaaS) |
| Self-Hosted vs Managed | ✅ Self-hosted | ✅ Self-hosted |
| License & Pricing | Open Source (Free) | Paid: $99 for single-project license & $199 for unlimited projects |
Key Differences & When to Choose Which
✅ Choose Laravel Cashier If:
✔ You want an open-source and cost-effective solution
✔ You need complete flexibility over UI and logic
✔ You need subscription & package management without additional licensing costs
✔ You plan to integrate additional payment gateways beyond PayPal & Stripe
✔ You are comfortable building your own admin dashboard & UI
✔ You need installment-based payments (via Stripe)
👎 Why Laravel Cashier Might Not Be the Best Choice?
- No built-in UI for managing subscriptions
- Requires manual integration of team-based plans
- No ready-made admin panel
✅ Choose Laravel Spark If:
✔ You need a ready-to-use Laravel subscription solution
✔ You want a built-in admin panel for managing users & subscriptions
✔ You are building a SaaS application with team-based pricing
✔ You want to save development time with a pre-built UI
👎 Why Laravel Spark Might Not Be the Best Choice?
- Paid ($99 for a single project, $199 for unlimited projects)
- Only supports PayPal & Stripe (No custom payment gateways)
- Limited customization (You must work within Laravel Spark’s pre-defined structure)
- No support for Installments
Final Verdict
💡 Best for Developers Who Want Full Control → Laravel Cashier
Why? It’s open-source, flexible, and allows custom implementations.
💡 Best for SaaS Businesses That Need a Quick Setup → Laravel Spark
Why? It comes with a built-in UI, team-based subscriptions, and an admin dashboard.
Implementation Estimates for Laravel Cashier vs. Laravel Spark
The estimated implementation time for integrating Laravel Cashier and Laravel Spark into your Laravel-based project depends on factors like customization needs, UI development, and payment gateway setup.
🕒 Laravel Cashier Implementation Estimate: 8-15 Days
| Task | Estimated Time |
|---|---|
| Install & Configure Laravel Cashier | 1 Day |
| Setup Stripe & PayPal Integration | 1-2 Days |
| Create Subscription & Membership Models | 1-2 Days |
| Develop Subscription Logic (Trial, Grace Period, Cancellation, Resumption, etc.) | 2-3 Days |
| Build Custom UI for Subscription Management (User Dashboard, Admin Panel, etc.) | 3-5 Days |
| Implement Webhooks & Event Handling | 1-2 Days |
| Testing & Debugging | 2-3 Days |
| Total Time Estimate | 8-15 Days |
✅ Pros of Laravel Cashier Implementation
✔ Highly customizable
✔ No additional cost
✔ Works with both Stripe & PayPal
❌ Cons of Laravel Cashier Implementation
- Requires building a custom UI for managing subscriptions
- No built-in team-based membership system (requires additional coding)
- PayPal UPI & installment plans need extra development efforts
🕒 Laravel Spark Implementation Estimate: 3-6 Days
| Task | Estimated Time |
|---|---|
| Install & Configure Laravel Spark | 1 Day |
| Setup Stripe & PayPal Integration | 1-2 Days |
| Configure Membership & Subscription Plans | 1-2 Days |
| Adjust Laravel Spark’s Pre-Built UI & Dashboard | 1-2 Days |
| Test Payment Flows & Webhooks | 1 Day |
| Total Time Estimate | 3-6 Days |
✅ Pros of Laravel Spark Implementation
✔ Faster setup (pre-built UI & admin panel)
✔ Includes team-based subscriptions
✔ Less development effort required
❌ Cons of Laravel Spark Implementation
- Paid License ($99-$199 per project)
- Limited customization (must work within Laravel Spark’s structure)
- No installment payment support
- Only works with PayPal & Stripe (No additional payment gateways)
Final Recommendation
| Feature | Laravel Cashier (8-15 Days) | Laravel Spark (3-6 Days) |
|---|---|---|
| Customization | ✅ High | ❌ Limited |
| UI Development Needed? | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (Pre-built) |
| Team-Based Membership | ❌ No (Custom required) | ✅ Yes (Built-in) |
| Installment Payment Support | ✅ Yes (Stripe) | ❌ No |
| PayPal UPI Support | ❌ No (Requires workaround) | ❌ No |
| Overall Cost | 💰 Free | 💰 Paid ($99-$199) |
| Implementation Speed | 🚀 Medium (8-15 Days) | ⚡ Fast (3-6 Days) |
What’s Best for Your Project?
1️⃣ If you need a fully customizable solution with support for installments & other payment gateways, go with Laravel Cashier (but expect a longer development time).
2️⃣ If you want a ready-to-use system with minimal coding effort and don’t need installments or extra payment gateways, Laravel Spark is the better choice.