I just went through this. I integrated Chargify, intending to use it with Braintree. Oops. Chargify doesn't yet support Braintree's new API (which I discovered after getting a merchant account with Braintree). So I dropped Chargify and redid everything with Braintree's API.
Braintree's API is pretty darn good. But it's not up to Charigfy's standards. Chargify has some pretty great features that are really simple to implement (like metered billing, and others of similar complexity). Not going with Chargify has slowed down my iteration speed when it comes to billing changes. It's just not as easy to do certain things when you have to write all the code yourself.
That said, you can do a lot with Braintree, and their customer support is fantastic. Their API is continually being improved. I also have a slight sense of relief that I won't be dependent on Chargify. Chargify, as we know, is a startup in search of a long term business model, and there are no guarantees that they'll be able to do what I need 6 months from now. But that security comes at a price - writing my own code.
What I would not do is use Chargify with a gateway with a crappy API. If something happens to Chargify, you could be stuck using something horrid.
In the end, most of what you get with Chargify is increased development speed if your billing gets complicated. But I wouldn't sweat the decision too much. It would be nice if Chargify supported Braintree V2 - as you'd have the best of both worlds.
"Chargify, as we know, is a startup in search of a long term business model"
I don't think this argument is valid. They already have a business model and currently implement it: they charge for their product. They might not become profitable with their pricing, but I feel like the way they are doing it is a valid and fair monetization model.
I still like the service, and I think they're getting a bit of a bad rap - they have a business to build, and this is the best way forward for them. Did anyone really think that such a great service would be so cheap forever?
But yeah, had I stuck with them at the beginning, I'd be madly coding to get rid of them now, as I can't justify the cost at this point in my business.
I bet in the long run, this will be seen as a good and bold move for Chargify, though.
Braintree's API is pretty darn good. But it's not up to Charigfy's standards. Chargify has some pretty great features that are really simple to implement (like metered billing, and others of similar complexity). Not going with Chargify has slowed down my iteration speed when it comes to billing changes. It's just not as easy to do certain things when you have to write all the code yourself.
That said, you can do a lot with Braintree, and their customer support is fantastic. Their API is continually being improved. I also have a slight sense of relief that I won't be dependent on Chargify. Chargify, as we know, is a startup in search of a long term business model, and there are no guarantees that they'll be able to do what I need 6 months from now. But that security comes at a price - writing my own code.
What I would not do is use Chargify with a gateway with a crappy API. If something happens to Chargify, you could be stuck using something horrid.
In the end, most of what you get with Chargify is increased development speed if your billing gets complicated. But I wouldn't sweat the decision too much. It would be nice if Chargify supported Braintree V2 - as you'd have the best of both worlds.