Recurly vs Stripe:Which is more popular?
In October 2026, Recurly had more branded searches than Stripe among subscription billing platforms worldwide. Recurly had about 5,440 branded searches, while Stripe had 4,400. Recurly made up 9% of all subscription billing platform searches we track, and Stripe accounted for 7.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about subscription billing platforms, both Recurly and Stripe appeared in all five answers. Stripe was mentioned before Recurly in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Recurly, about 24% more searches than Stripe
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
Stripe, named ahead of Recurly in every answer
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Top subscription billing platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both Recurly and Stripe showed up in all five answers. Stripe was listed before Recurly in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Chargebee5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Recurly5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Stripe5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Zuora4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Maxio3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Paddle3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Recharge2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Seal Subscriptions0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Ordway0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about subscription billing platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which subscription billing platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best subscription billing platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best subscription billing platform for a subscription business?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“subscription billing platforms”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best subscription billing software”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Recurly or Stripe more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Recurly and Stripe by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine subscription billing platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Recurly, Stripe. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Chargebee | Zuora | Maxio | Recurly | Stripe | Recharge | Paddle | Seal Subscriptions | Ordway |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 40.8% | 22.5% | 10.1% | 12.2% | 9.9% | 1.7% | 0.72% | 1.5% | 0.52% |
| Dec 2025 | 42.6% | 23.5% | 10.5% | 10.4% | 8.5% | 1.8% | 0.75% | 1.4% | 0.47% |
| Jan 2026 | 39.7% | 21.9% | 12% | 11.9% | 9.6% | 1.9% | 0.86% | 1.5% | 0.51% |
| Feb 2026 | 40.7% | 22.4% | 10.1% | 12.2% | 9.9% | 1.9% | 0.88% | 1.5% | 0.52% |
| Mar 2026 | 41.8% | 23% | 10.3% | 10.2% | 10.2% | 1.7% | 0.74% | 1.6% | 0.42% |
| Apr 2026 | 41.7% | 22.9% | 10.3% | 10.2% | 10.1% | 1.9% | 0.9% | 1.5% | 0.54% |
| May 2026 | 41.9% | 23.1% | 10.3% | 10.2% | 10.2% | 1.7% | 0.91% | 1.4% | 0.46% |
| Jun 2026 | 42.5% | 23.5% | 10.5% | 8.5% | 10.3% | 1.7% | 0.92% | 1.6% | 0.55% |
| Jul 2026 | 47.6% | 17.6% | 9.6% | 9.5% | 11.6% | 1.5% | 0.85% | 1.3% | 0.53% |
| Aug 2026 | 47.6% | 21.4% | 9.6% | 9.5% | 7.7% | 1.5% | 0.69% | 1.3% | 0.66% |
| Sep 2026 | 45.2% | 24.8% | 9.1% | 9% | 7.3% | 1.8% | 0.98% | 1.2% | 0.5% |
| Oct 2026 | 45.2% | 24.9% | 9.1% | 9% | 7.3% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 0.98% | 0.65% |
Stripe sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “stripe billing”.
How has branded search for Recurly and Stripe changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending October 2026: Stripe took it in June 2026, Recurly took it in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Recurly’s share of searches among subscription billing platforms worldwide moved from 12.2% to 9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 8.1K to 5.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Stripe’s share of searches among subscription billing platforms worldwide moved from 9.9% to 7.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 6.6K to 4.4K.
How did search popularity change for subscription billing platforms worldwide in October 2026?
2 changes
Stripe’s share of searches among subscription billing platforms worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 11.6% to 7.3% in October 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Recurly worldwide fell 33.2% over 12 measured months, from 8.1K to 5.4K in October 2026.
How are Recurly’s and Stripe’s branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Recurly’s and Stripe’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among subscription billing platforms
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