# Start with ThriveCart if the bill worries you · Campaign Buyer > Source: https://campaignbuyer.com/alternatives/samcart-complaints ## Start with ThriveCart if the bill worries you By [Dana Rourke](/authors/dana-rourke), Lead Reviewer. Reviewed by [Campaign Buyer Editorial](/authors/editorial). Updated 16 October 2026\. **Disclosure:**We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. It never affects our rankings. Renewals and refunds are what put people off SamCart. The carts below are the ones buyers compare with SamCart when the monthly bill is the reason they hesitate. Still comparing? Read our full [SamCart complaints review](/reviews/samcart-complaints) first, then come back to these. SamCart, the tool these alternatives are weighed against. ### Quick answer The best alternative to SamCart is [ThriveCart](/reviews/thrivecart). ThriveCart charges a one-time fee. Order bumps and upsells run through the payment processor you connect. ### The shortlist 1. [1\. ThriveCart](/reviews/thrivecart) is the best SamCart alternative for one-time checkout with order bumps and upsells. 2. [2\. Gumroad](/reviews/gumroad) is the best SamCart alternative for a first ebook or course with no monthly fee. ### Compared at a glance __Feature comparison across 2 tools__ | Tool | From | | ------------- | --------- | | 1. ThriveCart | $37/mo | | 2. Gumroad | Free tier | ### The alternatives, ranked #### 1\. ThriveCart Best SamCart alternative for one-time checkout with order bumps and upsells ThriveCart, our number 1 SamCart alternative. ThriveCart charges a one-time fee. Order bumps and upsells run through the payment processor you connect. Read the full [ThriveCart review](/reviews/thrivecart), or put the two side by side in [SamCart vs ThriveCart](/compare/samcart-vs-thrivecart). #### 2\. Gumroad Best SamCart alternative for a first ebook or course with no monthly fee Gumroad, our number 2 SamCart alternative. Gumroad charges no monthly fee and takes a cut of each sale. That suits a first ebook or course. Read the full [Gumroad review](/reviews/gumroad), or put the two side by side in [SamCart vs Gumroad](/compare/samcart-vs-gumroad). ### My take I would start with ThriveCart if you want to avoid a monthly renewal. I would start with Gumroad if the product is still a first ebook or course. How we evaluated these We ranked these using the same rubric as the incumbent: we read what long-term users report about each one, checked its documentation and pricing, and verified prices with the vendor before reaching a verdict. The order shows which option fits the largest group of SamCart users. Where an alternative wins only for a specific traffic source or team size, we say so on that card. Our [methodology page](/methodology) sets out the full process. ### Frequently asked questions Which cart should you open first? ThriveCart comes first on this page. Gumroad is second. Should you read the billing terms before you switch? Yes. The renewal and refund clauses decide whether a cheaper cart is actually cheaper for you. ### Sources #### From SamCart complaints * * Core, Pro and Done For You * The upsell builder Pro buyers use #### Other sources 13 discussions and reviews read for this page. Quotes are excerpts; open a link to read the original in context. 1. \[tp-surprise-239\] [One year later: surprise charges ](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/samcart.com) Trustpilot, 1 Mar 2026 2. \[tp-auto-renew\] [SamCart reviews page 9 ](https://ie.trustpilot.com/review/samcart.com?page=9) Trustpilot, 1 Jan 2025 3. \[reddit-upgrades-cost\] [Order Upgrades (Thrivecart Alternative?) ](https://www.reddit.com/r/digital%5Fmarketing/comments/1ex2vmu/order%5Fupgrades%5Fthrivecart%5Falternative/) Reddit, 1 Aug 2024 4. \[reddit-reliable\] [Order Upgrades (Thrivecart Alternative?) ](https://www.reddit.com/r/digital%5Fmarketing/comments/1ex2vmu/order%5Fupgrades%5Fthrivecart%5Falternative/) Reddit, 1 Aug 2024 5. \[reddit-300-month\] [Thrivecart vs Samcart decisions ](https://www.reddit.com/r/martechstacks/comments/1f64i9g/thrivecart%5Fvs%5Fsamcart%5Fdecisions/) Reddit, 1 Sep 2024 6. \[capterra-slow-support\] [Slow customer support ](https://www.capterra.com/p/204117/SamCart/reviews/) Capterra, 27 Oct 2021 7. \[capterra-spotty\] [SamCart reviews page 2 ](https://www.capterra.com/p/204117/SamCart/reviews/?page=2) Capterra, 1 Jan 2020 8. \[vendor-no-monthly-refund\] [SamCart Terms and Conditions ](https://www.samcart.com/terms-and-conditions) Blog, 16 Oct 2026 9. \[vendor-cancel-5days\] [SamCart Terms and Conditions ](https://www.samcart.com/terms-and-conditions) Blog, 16 Oct 2026 10. \[vendor-no-prorate\] [SamCart Terms and Conditions ](https://www.samcart.com/terms-and-conditions) Blog, 16 Oct 2026 11. \[vendor-annual-refund\] [SamCart Terms and Conditions ](https://www.samcart.com/terms-and-conditions) Blog, 16 Oct 2026 12. \[help-multi-sub\] [How to cancel in the app ](https://help.samcart.com/support/solutions/articles/60001119291-how-to-cancel-in-app) Blog, 4 Jun 2026 13. \[help-refund-email\] [How to cancel in the app ](https://help.samcart.com/support/solutions/articles/60001119291-how-to-cancel-in-app) Blog, 4 Jun 2026 [SamCart complaints review](/reviews/samcart-complaints) [Every review](/reviews) [Head-to-heads](/compare) Written by Dana Rourke Lead Reviewer Dana Rourke is the lead reviewer at Campaign Buyer. She covers trackers and attribution on this site: she reads what long-term users report about each tool, checks its documentation and pricing, and verifies prices with the vendor before writing the verdict. Keeping the rankings honest mostly means writing down what the top pick gets wrong, so she does that first. [danar@campaignbuyer.com](mailto:danar@campaignbuyer.com) Last checked 2026-10-16 --- Campaign Buyer reviews the trackers, landing page builders, attribution tools and ad-spy software that performance media buyers actually run. We read what long-term users report and verify pricing with each vendor, so every pick names what it is bad at, not just what it sells. [Campaign Buyer](/) © 2026 Campaign Buyer. Independent and reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. It never affects our rankings.