Comparisons

Subscription management software for UK publishers: the options compared

A plain guide to the subscription and circulation systems UK publishers shortlist, grouped by the kind of publisher each one is built for. We make two of them, so we've stuck to what each vendor says about itself.

By Rob SherwoodLast updated

We make Avio and Adeptis, so we're one of the options here. Everything about other vendors comes from their own websites, checked in October 2026. Products change, so check details with each vendor. If you spot something out of date, tell us and we'll fix it.

If you're replacing a subscription system, the first job is working out which kind of system you need. A paywall platform built for a national news site and a circulation system built for a controlled circulation B2B title are both "subscription software", but they solve very different problems.

So rather than ranking them, we've grouped the systems UK publishers commonly shortlist by the kind of publisher they're built for, using what each vendor says about itself. We make two of them (Avio and Adeptis), which you should bear in mind.

Subscription and circulation platforms for established publishers

These handle the full subscription operation: orders, renewals, payments, fulfilment and reporting, usually across print and digital, often with a managed service option.

Avio (Adept Data Services, UK)

Our enterprise platform, for publishers with several titles, currencies and corporate deals. It covers paid, trial and controlled circulation orders, corporate licences with named seats and IP-range access, tracked renewal batches, point-in-time circulation counts for audits, a multi-currency sales ledger, deferred revenue and a rules-based VAT engine. Our bureau can run it for you. More about Avio.

Myriad (InterMedia, UK)

InterMedia is based in Crawley and part of the InterGo Group. Myriad is offered as software you run yourself or as a fully managed bureau service powered by Myriad. InterMedia's material describes time- and issue-based subscriptions, a CRM at the core, multiple currencies with VAT support, Direct Debit and card payments, digital paywalls, a renewals engine, a sales ledger and warehouse fulfilment integration. It's aimed at publishers and membership organisations.

Advantage (AdvantageCS, US)

Advantage is a managed SaaS platform from Ann Arbor, Michigan, used by publishers and membership organisations internationally, with UK clients named on its site. Its publisher pages describe print and digital subscriptions and bundles, controlled circulation with requalification, audit compliance support, site licences and IP authentication, digital entitlements, invoicing and multi-currency fulfilment. Pricing isn't published.

Publishing CRMs for smaller UK publishers

These bring contacts, advertising and subscriptions together, which suits smaller publishers who also sell advertising and events.

Adeptis (Adept Data Services, UK)

Our all-in-one system for SME publishers: a contacts and companies CRM, paid and controlled circulation subscriptions with ABC-ready reports, a gone-away desk, news sites and digital editions, advertising and a media pack worked out from live data. More about Adeptis, or see Avio or Adeptis? if you're between the two.

Pulse (The Engine Shed, UK)

A London-based CRM for publishers and media companies covering advertising sales, subscriptions, circulation management, events, invoicing and a single customer view, with an optional paywall connection to your own CMS. Its directory listing mentions a per-user subscription fee.

AdMan and SubMan (Publishing Software Company, UK)

From Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire. SubMan covers subscription sales, renewals, payments, CRM and accounts integration, alongside AdMan for advertising. It can run in the cloud or on your own server, and a free trial is offered.

Affino (UK)

A London-based business platform combining a website builder and CMS with CRM, subscriptions and membership, commerce, events and ad serving. It suits publishers who want their website and their subscriptions on one platform.

Paywall and digital subscription platforms

These are built mainly for digital publishers: paywalls, sign-up journeys, pricing experiments and billing. Several handle print subscriptions too.

  • Zephr (Zuora, US): now part of Zuora. Paywalls (metered, hard and dynamic), corporate subscription management for B2B, bundles and pricing experiments, connected to Zuora Billing.
  • Piano (US, with a London office): analytics, subscriptions, audience and personalisation tools, with billing on Stripe and support for print subscriptions.
  • Pelcro (Canada): subscriptions, memberships and paywalls, group licences, multi-currency billing, deferred revenue reporting and print fulfilment. Published pricing runs from a free tier to $800 a month, then enterprise pricing.

If most of your revenue is digital and you want fine control over the paywall, start here. If you're mainly print or controlled circulation, check carefully how each handles fulfilment, qualification and audit reporting.

Low-cost tools for small titles

Two US tools publish their prices and are aimed at small and niche magazines:

  • SimpleCirc: circulation management for magazines, newspapers and trade publications, including qualification and BPA and AAM reports. From $99 a month, by number of active subscribers.
  • Subscription Genius: subscriber management, renewals, hosted checkout and a paywall, with audit options for US bodies. From $99 a month.

Both are built for the US market (US audit bodies, USPS address checking), so check UK VAT, Direct Debit and ABC requirements before choosing one.

How to choose

Whatever you're looking at, these questions sort the options out quickly:

  1. What's your hardest case? Controlled circulation, corporate licences, multi-currency, bundles. Ask to see it in the demo, with your own example.
  2. Who reports your audit figures, and can the system produce the counts as at any past date?
  3. What does finance need? Deferred revenue, a proper sales ledger and VAT handled by rules, or just invoices and payments?
  4. Who runs it day to day? Your team, the vendor's bureau, or a mix.
  5. How fast can it change? Ask how a change you need would be made, and how long it would take.
  6. Can you get your data out? In a usable format, on a timescale written into the contract.
  7. Is it ready for the 2027 subscription rules? Reminders, online cancellation and cooling-off notices. See our guide to the new rules.

We wrote more on this in choosing subscription software for publishers. If you'd like to see how Avio or Adeptis handles your hardest case, book a demo.

Questions

What's the most important thing to check when choosing?

Whether the system handles the awkward parts of your business properly: controlled circulation and audit reporting if you're audited, corporate licences if you sell them, deferred revenue and VAT if finance needs them. Most systems handle a simple paid subscription. Ask each vendor to show you your hardest case in a demo.

Do US systems work for UK publishers?

Some UK publishers use them. Check UK specifics before you commit: ABC rather than US audit bodies, UK VAT on print, digital and bundles, Direct Debit, UK address formats, UK GDPR and, from 2027, the new UK consumer subscription rules.

Should we buy software or use a bureau?

It depends on your team and volumes. Several vendors here, including us, offer both. Our comparison of in-house and bureau sets out the trade-offs.

Sources

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