Cleeng

Cleeng is a direct-to-consumer platform for managing subscriptions and subscriber relationships across web and mobile. It is best suited to businesses selling content or services through multiple channels. Its breadth is compelling, but custom pricing and a certified-partner requirement for Pro in-app purchases may complicate the choice.

Overview

Cleeng brings subscriber management, analytics, payments and customer care into one platform. Its combination of products and sales channels can suit businesses that want to coordinate more of the subscriber lifecycle in one system; teams with a simpler, web-only setup may not need that reach.

Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Amsterdam, Cleeng reports 99.9% platform availability, more than 40 million transactions per day and more than 20 million hosted user accounts. These figures suggest a platform aimed at businesses operating at substantial scale, rather than a lightweight tool for a small publication.

Key features

Core handles subscriber management, ChurnIQ provides subscriber data and churn analytics, Merchant manages payment and checkout, and Hi5 supports customer care. Together, they cover several important parts of a subscription operation; the trade-off is a broader platform to evaluate than a single-purpose paywall product.

Cleeng supports subscriptions, live pay-per-view, video on demand, passes, one-time purchases, seasonal plans and live events. Its billing channels span web, Google Play, Google TV, Apple Store, Apple tvOS, Roku Pay, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Checkout, Android TV, Vizio and direct carrier billing. That range matters for businesses selling across storefronts and devices. However, Pro in-app purchases require implementation through a certified Cleeng partner, an important dependency for app-led services.

Pre-built connectors cover identity, data, payment, multi-channel billing, marketing, support and tax workflows. Open APIs and a MediaStore SDK support checkout, purchases, transaction history, account management, upgrades, downgrades and coupons. This gives teams building custom subscriber journeys room to integrate and adapt, but the value depends on having a use for that flexibility.

Merchant supports 37 currencies across 230 countries and territories, with tax remittance in more than 13,000 jurisdictions. Cleeng says it is GDPR, CCPA, PSD2 and PCI DSS compliant and SOC 2 Type 2 certified; its controls include encryption at rest and in transit, DDoS protection, access controls with infrastructure two-factor authentication, audits, incident response and employee security training. For international operations, payment and tax coverage can reduce operational complexity, while the security measures address important platform concerns.

Cleeng says its AI-enhanced customer care resolves over 90% of subscriber inquiries, with around 73% handled automatically by its chatbot. That could reduce the burden of routine support at scale, though businesses should consider whether the remaining inquiries fit their own service needs.

Pricing

Merchant Basic is free up to 10,000 subscribers and includes global payment processing, automatic local tax calculation, and fraud and chargeback management. It is a practical starting point for businesses within that cap that need core payment operations, but it does not provide the broader plan terms described for Pro or Enterprise.

Pro has custom pricing: it is free up to 10,000 monthly subscribers, then costs $0.39 per subscriber thereafter, with no setup or monthly fees. The per-subscriber charge offers a clear threshold for growing services, but costs rise beyond it, and app businesses must account for the certified-partner implementation requirement for in-app purchases.

Enterprise uses tailored, per-subscriber pricing and modular configuration for high-volume businesses. It is the more fitting option for larger operations that need a configured platform, though a custom quote makes it harder to compare costs upfront.

Merchant has custom pricing billed per transaction and supports 37 currencies, 230 countries and territories, and tax remittance in more than 13,000 jurisdictions. Its stated promo price is valid until September 30th.

Platforms

Cleeng lists Android, iOS, web and API platforms. Its cross-platform billing also extends to app stores and connected-TV services, making it more relevant to businesses with a multi-device subscriber base than to teams seeking only a standalone mobile app.

Who it's for

Cleeng identifies app agencies, growing startups, content creators, international brands, wellness companies, educators, streaming services and e-commerce businesses as potential customers. It is strongest for organizations that need to manage multiple sales channels, payment methods or markets. A small operation with one storefront and modest support needs may find the platform's breadth unnecessary.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Subscriber management, analytics, checkout and customer care sit within one platform, which can simplify operations across the subscriber lifecycle.
• Pros: Broad billing and global payment coverage supports businesses selling through multiple storefronts and internationally.
• Pros: APIs, SDK support and pre-built connectors give technical teams options for tailoring integrations and purchase flows.
• Cons: Enterprise and Merchant use custom pricing, so costs are less transparent upfront.
• Cons: Pro in-app purchases depend on implementation through a certified Cleeng partner, limiting independence for app teams.
• Cons: Pro charges $0.39 per subscriber after 10,000 monthly subscribers, so growing services should account for the usage-based cost.

Alternatives

Compare paywall software if you want to explore the category more broadly.

• Pelcro is worth considering for a simpler customer-count-based entry point: its free plan covers 100 customers, while Advanced costs $450 a month for up to 2,000 customers.
• Milkie is a free, open-source, MIT-licensed web option for readers who prefer that model.
• Pigeon offers a free WordPress demo with no transactions allowed; choose it to explore a publisher workflow before paying, or consider its Publishers plan at $99 a month.
• PostGate has no monthly subscription and charges a 5% platform fee on successful transactions, with Stripe processing fees separate; it suits businesses preferring a fee-based model.
• Uix Page Builder is a free web and self-hosted option for readers seeking a page builder rather than a subscriber-management platform.
• PaywallProject costs $10 a month for unlimited subscribers and e-editions, with hosting and setup handled by the customer; it may fit teams willing to run that infrastructure.
• InPlayer offers custom pricing that scales from one subscriber to millions, an alternative for businesses seeking that pricing approach.
• Steady is free until a creator earns, then applies a 10% fee; its membership and publishing tools may suit creators seeking that model.

Verdict

Cleeng is a strong fit for D2C businesses that need to coordinate subscriptions, payments, analytics and support across channels or international markets. Its main advantage is that breadth; its main reasons to look elsewhere are custom pricing on key plans and the partner dependency for Pro in-app purchases.