SamCart vs ThriveCart
By Marcus Reyes, Editor. Updated 27 September 2026.
Pick SamCart if you want the fastest checkout and are happy paying monthly; pick ThriveCart if you would rather pay once and your needs fit its Standard plan.
Quick answer
SamCart is our top pick for most people. SamCart is the pick if you want a fast, standalone checkout that raises revenue per sale without adopting a whole funnel platform.
- SamCart. Best for Creators and digital sellers who want a fast, high-converting standalone checkout. From $79/mo.
- ThriveCart. Best for Creators who want a high-converting checkout without a recurring subscription. From $495/mo.
Side by side
| SamCart | ThriveCart | |
|---|---|---|
| From | $79/mo | $495 once |
| Same-URL split test | No | No |
| Multi-MID routing | No | No |
| Order bumps & upsells | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 7 days | 30 days |
Both are checkout specialists rather than full funnel platforms, and both do order bumps and one-click upsells well. The real decision is how you want to pay.
SamCart is a subscription: Core is $79 a month and the growth features (upsells, order bumps, A/B testing, third-party processors) are on the $199 Pro plan. In exchange you get a checkout users describe as fast and reliable, and a product that is actively developed. ThriveCart flips the model with a one-time $495 Standard license and 0% platform fees, which pays for itself quickly, but the affiliate center, dunning, custom domains and multiple order bumps sit on Pro+ at $295 a year, so the honest price is upfront plus that annual fee.
Neither routes multiple processors, so a high-risk seller juggling merchant accounts should look past both. For a creator selling a handful of offers, ThriveCart is the cheaper lifetime bet; for a seller who wants the fastest checkout and ongoing development, SamCart edges it.
SamCart: strengths and trade-offs
What works
- The checkout is quick to set up and genuinely fast for buyers, with stored cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay cutting the pay step to seconds.
- Order bumps and one-click upsells are the core of the product, and they are the cheapest reliable way to raise average order value on an offer you already run.
- It plugs into an existing site or funnel, so you can keep your pages and only swap the checkout.
What to watch
- It is priced above rivals, and the parts most people come for (1-click upsells, order bumps, A/B testing, third-party processors) sit on the $199/mo Pro plan, not the $79 Core plan.
- It runs a single processor by default, so it is not built for routing across several merchant accounts; that matters most if you spread volume across more than one.
ThriveCart: strengths and trade-offs
What works
- A one-time lifetime license (Standard, $495) replaces a monthly bill, which pays for itself quickly on an offer with any volume.
- The revenue features are strong: order bumps, one-click upsells and downsells, A/B testing on checkouts and funnels, and subscription billing.
- It charges 0% platform fees on your sales, so you only pay your payment processor.
What to watch
- The lifetime price is Standard only. The affiliate center, dunning, custom domains, multiple order bumps and advanced reports sit on Pro+ at $295 a year, so budget it as $495 upfront plus that annual fee if you need those.
- It is a checkout and funnel tool, not a browse-and-cart storefront, and it routes a single processor rather than several; a seller needing to spread volume across merchant accounts will look elsewhere.
Our pick
SamCart
SamCart is the pick if you want a fast, standalone checkout that raises revenue per sale without adopting a whole funnel platform.