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Head-to-head · Paywall Software

Pigeon vs Pelcro

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score Pigeon #1 in Paywall Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Pigeon
Pelcro #7 in Paywall Software 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Pelcro

Pigeon leads on 1 check, Pelcro on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scorePigeon · 9.4/10
  • Lowest starting pricePigeon · $99/mo
  • Free planboth

Pigeon scores higher on our rubric for paywall software: 9.4 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #7.

Pigeon is cheaper to start at $99/mo against $450/mo.

Pigeon is the better fit for publishers needing broad paywall control. Pelcro is the better fit for publishers needing affordable multichannel access.

  • Pigeon fits best

    Publishers needing broad paywall control

  • Pelcro fits best

    Publishers needing affordable multichannel access

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Pigeon 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Pelcro 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.6
Ranking #1 in Paywall Software #7 in Paywall Software
Best for Publishers needing broad paywall control Publishers needing affordable multichannel access
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $99/mo (best) $450/mo
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud, Mobile
Platforms Web Web, iOS, Android
Support Email, Docs Email, Phone, Docs
Integrations 20 integrations 5 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Pigeon 4/4 · Pelcro 4/4
Metered paywall ✓ ✓
Registration wall ✓ ✓
One-time payments ✓ ✓
Entitlement rules ✓ ✓
Specs
Included pageviews Not checked yet Not checked yet
Supported CMS WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, HubSpot, Magento, Wix, Squarespace, Concrete, Hugo, Gatsby, Jekyll, Eleventy, Nuxt.js, Next.js, Astro, custom CMS Not checked yet
Payment processors AlignPay, Authorize.net, Clover, Braintree, PayPal, Stripe Stripe, WorldPay, Tap Payments, Braintree (PayPal only), Cybersource
Our review
Pros
  • Eight paywall modes, including hard, soft, metered, and time-based
  • Rules can use URLs, CMS categories, tags, and API parameters
  • Billing, entitlements, analytics, CMS, and payment integrations in one platform
  • Metered and premium paywalls with audience targeting
  • Web, iOS, Android, API, SDK, and webhook support
  • Free plan includes billing, authentication, authorization, and paywalls
Cons
  • The free Experiment plan does not allow transactions
  • Publishers plan charges 10% transaction fees
  • Enterprise pricing starts at $500 per month with variable transaction fees
  • Free plan is limited to 100 customers
  • Advanced starts at $450 per month
  • CMS support is described generally rather than by named systems
Our verdict

Pigeon is a cloud-based paywall and subscription management platform for newspapers, magazines, blogs, education providers, and other digital content publishers. It supports hard, soft, metered, time-based, cookie, ads, newsletter, and…

Read the review →

Pelcro combines paywalls, subscription management, authentication, billing, e-commerce, and entitlement controls for publishers and membership organizations. It supports metered and premium access models, registration and one-time…

Read the review →
  1. PigeonPaywall Software 9.4Free plan
  2. PelcroPaywall Software 8.6Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Pigeon — where it wins

    • Eight paywall modes, including hard, soft, metered, and time-based
    • Rules can use URLs, CMS categories, tags, and API parameters
    • Billing, entitlements, analytics, CMS, and payment integrations in one platform

    Where it doesn't

    • The free Experiment plan does not allow transactions
    • Publishers plan charges 10% transaction fees
    • Enterprise pricing starts at $500 per month with variable transaction fees

  • Pelcro — where it wins

    • Metered and premium paywalls with audience targeting
    • Web, iOS, Android, API, SDK, and webhook support
    • Free plan includes billing, authentication, authorization, and paywalls

    Where it doesn't

    • Free plan is limited to 100 customers
    • Advanced starts at $450 per month
    • CMS support is described generally rather than by named systems

More comparisons

All paywall software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update