Stay AI is built for one thing exceptionally well: wringing retention out of online Shopify subscriptions with ML cancel and winback flows, for bigger DTC brands. MemberZone doesn't chase that - it adds memberships and loyalty at the physical register, with no monthly platform fee. Scaling an online subscription brand around LTV? Stay AI. Running a program through a real register? MemberZone.
Which is right for you
Skip the spreadsheet. Here's the honest call.
Choose MemberZone if…
- Your business runs through a physical register, not only online
- You want memberships and loyalty at the point of sale
- You'd rather avoid a high monthly minimum
Choose Stay AI if…
- You're a larger pure-online Shopify brand engineering subscription retention
Capability scorecard
Line by line, no hand-waving
MemberZone leads on 2 of 5 buyer priorities below. The rest is an honest read of where each tool lands.
| Capability | MemberZone | Stay AI |
|---|---|---|
| Best channel | In-person and omnichannel (native Square and Toast) | Online Shopify storefront |
| Pricing | No monthly fee; percentage of membership volume only | Higher monthly minimum + percentage + per-order |
| Online retention / churn AI | Failed-payment retries; not an AI churn engine | Core strength - ML cancel flows and winback |
| Memberships & loyalty at the register | Memberships, rewards, and rewards at the POS | Online subscriptions; not register loyalty |
| Shopify online subscriptions | Shopify via guided onboarding; not Shopify-native | Native Shopify subscriptions |
Where Stay AI wins
An honest look.
No tool wins every dimension. Here is where Stay AI is the better fit.
Stay AI's machine-learning retention and winback tooling is its signature strength for high-volume online subscription brands.
For a scaling pure-online DTC brand focused on LTV, Stay AI targets problems MemberZone doesn't.
Pricing
MemberZone
No monthly platform fee. You pay a percentage of membership and loyalty volume processed (from 2.4%); everyday POS sales are not counted.
Stay AI
From ~$499/mo + 1% + per-order on higher tiers; confirm current rates with Stay AI.
Stay AI pricing last verified June 2026. Confirm current pricing on the Stay AI website before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
Is MemberZone a Stay AI alternative?
For in-person and omnichannel merchants, yes. For online subscription retention at scale, Stay AI is purpose-built and a better fit for pure-online brands.
More comparisons
MemberZone vs Recharge
The dominant Shopify subscription app (it acquired Skio in 2026) - deep online tooling, but online-only with monthly + per-order fees.
MemberZone vs Loop Subscriptions
Independent Shopify subscription app known for churn recovery, with no per-order fee.
MemberZone vs Smartrr
Budget-friendly Shopify subscription app with a polished portal, for small-to-mid DTC brands.