An independent ProfitWell alternative
ProfitWell was acquired by Paddle in 2022. If you're not on Paddle, your analytics tool now belongs to a competitor's payment processor. ChurnWard is independent and includes dunning.
What is ProfitWell?
ProfitWell (now part of Paddle) started as a free subscription analytics tool with paid add-ons for retention and pricing optimisation. Since Paddle acquired it in 2022, the product's roadmap is controlled by Paddle. The free Metrics tier still works, but Retain (their dunning product) is enterprise-priced and increasingly geared towards Paddle customers.
Strengths
- Free analytics tier (ProfitWell Metrics)
- Retain product for churn reduction
- Pricing optimisation tools
- Large historical dataset
Limitations
- Owned by Paddle, roadmap tied to Paddle's priorities
- Retain pricing is enterprise-level (performance-based)
- Product direction favours Paddle customers
- No support for newer processors like Dodo Payments
Side by side
How ChurnWard compares
| Feature | ChurnWard | ProfitWell |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $29/mo flat | Metrics: free. Retain: enterprise pricing |
| Independence | Independent, works with any supported processor | Owned by Paddle |
| Revenue analytics | MRR, churn rate, recovery metrics | Full analytics suite |
| Dunning recovery | Included | Retain product (separate, enterprise-priced) |
| Pre-dunning alerts | Included | Part of Retain |
| Processor support | Stripe, Dodo Payments (Paddle coming soon) | Stripe, Chargebee, Braintree, Paddle |
Why choose ChurnWard over ProfitWell
Independent and processor-agnostic
ProfitWell is now owned by Paddle. ChurnWard doesn't belong to any payment processor and works equally well across Stripe, Dodo Payments, and more.
Dunning included at $29/month
ProfitWell's dunning product (Retain) uses enterprise-level performance-based pricing. ChurnWard includes full dunning recovery at $29/month flat.
No platform risk
ProfitWell's roadmap is now tied to Paddle's priorities. If you're on Stripe, that means your analytics and retention tools are controlled by a competing processor. ChurnWard's entire roadmap is built around the founders who use it.
Pricing
A fraction of the cost
ProfitWell
Metrics: free. Retain: enterprise pricing (performance-based)
ChurnWard
$29/month flat
ProfitWell's free analytics are appealing, but its dunning product is enterprise-priced. ChurnWard bundles both for $29/month.
Frequently asked questions
ProfitWell Metrics (analytics) is still free, but the product's direction is now controlled by Paddle. For Stripe users, that means relying on analytics owned by a competing payment processor. How long the free tier lasts is anyone's guess.
Retain is now part of Paddle's product suite. It's enterprise-priced and increasingly focused on Paddle customers. If you're on Stripe and need dunning, ChurnWard gives you the same recovery for $29/month.
If you're using ProfitWell Metrics for free analytics and don't need dunning, there's no rush. But if you want analytics and dunning in one independent tool without platform risk, ChurnWard is $29/month with no processor lock-in.
No. ChurnWard focuses on revenue analytics and payment recovery. If you rely on ProfitWell's pricing tools, you'd need a separate solution for that. Most early-stage SaaS aren't at the stage where pricing optimisation software moves the needle.
Independent analytics + dunning
No processor lock-in, no enterprise pricing. $29/month flat.