Oak Software
Oak Software is a UK-based SaaS company providing cloud-based subscription management software (Oak Subscribe) and an integrated ecommerce module (Oak WebShop) for publishers and subscription-based businesses, serving over 1,000 titles with 7 million issues mailed annually.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersCoalville, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Oak Software does
Oak Software, trading as Oak Cloud Software Ltd (Company No. 15696128), is a UK-based private SaaS company founded in 2001 and headquartered in Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire. The company develops and sells subscription management and ecommerce software targeted at publishers and other subscription-based businesses, primarily in the UK. Its core product, Oak Subscribe, is a cloud-based subscription management platform that handles print, digital, hybrid, and premium web content subscriptions, direct debit processing, GDPR consent management, and circulation fulfilment. Oak WebShop is a tightly integrated ecommerce module that synchronises in real-time with Oak Subscribe, supporting subscriptions, mail order products, and event ticket sales in a single basket, with PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PCI DSS-compliant card processing. A Virtual Subscription Manager (VSM) managed-service offering extends the platform with back-office outsourcing for direct debit processing and web import handling.
The business operates on a recurring revenue model combining SaaS licence fees for Oak Subscribe and Oak WebShop, managed-service fees for VSM, and transaction-based ecommerce processing. Customer reach is direct-to-publisher and direct-to-SME/corporate through its website, contact forms, phone, and email channels, with sales-led engagement and personalised demonstrations. Oak claims operational scale of 1,000+ subscription titles, approximately 7 million issues mailed annually, and over 200,000 customer orders per year processed through its webshops. The company is small (1-10 employees), has not disclosed external funding, and operates with no parent, subsidiaries, or disclosed acquisitions. In 2024 it released a fully cloud-based version of Oak Subscribe, formalising its transition from on-premise to SaaS delivery.
Oak Software firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Oak Software
- Legal name
- Oak Cloud Software Ltd
- Website
- https://oaksoftware.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Oak Software is a UK-based SaaS company providing cloud-based subscription management software (Oak Subscribe) and an integrated ecommerce module (Oak WebShop) for publishers and subscription-based businesses, serving over 1,000 titles with 7 million issues mailed annually.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Oak Software industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Subscription Management Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (513210), Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Billing, Payments & Subscription Support (BPAAABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Enterprise Application License Advisory, Vendor Management & Optimization (BPAEAGAO)
Keywords
Where Oak Software is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Coalville
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Oak Software business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Subscription Management Software: SaaS subscription management software providing publishers with tools to manage subscription fulfilment, circulation functions, and ecommerce operations. Revenue generated through software licensing/subscription fees for access to Oak Subscribe and Oak WebShop platforms.
- Virtual Subscription Manager Service: Managed back-office service where Oak Software handles subscription management functions on behalf of clients, including direct debit processing and web import management.
- Ecommerce Transaction Processing: Processing of customer orders through webshop including subscriptions, mail order products, and event tickets. Volume-based revenue from transaction processing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Oak Software product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Oak Software provides Oak Subscribe, a cloud-based subscription management platform that gives publishers complete control of subscription fulfilment, circulation, renewals, direct debit processing, and customer self-service. It is paired with Oak WebShop, a fully integrated ecommerce module that synchronises in real-time with the subscription database to enable online subscription sales, mail order product sales, digital content delivery, and event ticket sales. The company also offers Virtual Subscription Manager (VSM), a managed back-office service that handles direct debit processing and web import management on behalf of clients.
Product overview
Oak Software offers a platform-plus-modules product architecture centered on Oak Subscribe, its cloud-based subscription management platform. This core system is supplemented by Oak WebShop, a fully integrated ecommerce module that enables online sales of subscriptions and products within the same shopping basket. Additionally, the Virtual Subscription Manager (VSM) service provides a managed back-office option for clients preferring outsourced subscription handling. The products share a unified database ensuring real-time data synchronization between subscription management and web commerce functions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Oak Subscribe: Powerful cloud-based subscription management software with integrated ecommerce WebShop for publishers and subscription-based businesses.
- Oak WebShop
- Virtual Subscription Manager (VSM)
Products and services
- Oak Subscribe Cloud-based subscription management software providing publishers complete control of subscription fulfilment and circulation functions. Supports print, digital, print & digital, and premium web content or archive subscriptions. Includes mail order, web integration, marketing and contact management, direct debit processing, GDPR consent management, competition management, and comprehensive financial and analytical reporting. Targets publishers and subscription-based businesses.
- Oak WebShop Fully integrated ecommerce webshop that synchronises in real-time with the Oak Subscribe database. Enables online subscription sales, mail order product sales, digital content delivery, and event ticket sales within the same basket. Features include publisher-generated offers and promotions, voucher codes, abandoned basket notifications, newsletter management, multiple payment methods (PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay), and enhanced Google Analytics integration. Hosted on Oak's servers.
- Virtual Subscription Manager (VSM) Enhanced managed service built on Oak Subscribe where Oak Software handles back-office subscription management functions on behalf of clients, including direct debit processing and web import management, allowing clients to focus on customer service.
Quantifiable outcome
- Manages subscriptions for over 1,000 titles with approximately 7 million issues mailed each year
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Oak Software
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Oak Software technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature5 records
Oak Software partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Global Payment Service ProvidercoreStrategic partnership with a global payment service provider to supply secure credit/debit card transaction services, including continuous credit card agreements. Provides PCI compliant payment processing capabilities for the Oak Subscribe and Oak WebShop platforms.
- PayPalcorePayPal web integration provides customers with quick and easy payment options through the Oak WebShop platform.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Oak Software competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Recurly: Recurly provides subscription management and billing software for subscription-based businesses. Comparable in core subscription lifecycle and recurring billing functionality, though not publisher-specific.
- Zuora: Zuora is an enterprise subscription management and billing platform used by publishers and media companies. Direct competitor to Oak Subscribe's subscription lifecycle, billing, and renewal management functionality.
- Piano.io: Piano is a subscription and engagement platform purpose-built for digital publishers and media companies, offering subscription management, paywall, and analytics. Highly comparable to Oak Software's publisher-focused subscription and ecommerce platform.
- Chargebee: Chargebee is a subscription billing and revenue management platform supporting recurring billing, direct debit, and payment integrations. Closely comparable to Oak Subscribe's billing, direct debit, and renewal automation features.
- Zephr: Zephr provides a subscription commerce and customer journey platform with a strong focus on media and publishing clients. Comparable to Oak Subscribe's publisher-facing subscription fulfilment and digital content validation capabilities.
Emerging players
- Subbly: Subbly is a subscription ecommerce platform aimed at small subscription-box businesses. Comparable to Oak WebShop's ecommerce + subscription combination, though Subbly focuses on subscription-box use cases rather than publishing.
- Outseta: Outseta combines subscription billing, CRM, and email tools into one platform for subscription businesses. Functionally overlapping with Oak Subscribe's subscription and customer management features at a smaller scale.
- Bold Commerce: Bold Commerce offers subscription and ecommerce functionality as part of a broader checkout and commerce platform. Comparable to Oak WebShop's ecommerce + subscription basket features, though serving a wider range of merchants.
- Memberful: Memberful provides subscription and membership management software, often used by independent publishers and creators. Comparable to Oak Subscribe's recurring subscription and content access features for publisher-style customers.
Broad incumbents
- Stripe Billing: Stripe Billing is the subscription billing module within Stripe's broader payments platform, serving businesses of all sizes with recurring billing. Overlaps with Oak's subscription and payment processing capability, but is part of a much wider payments ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Oak Software social profiles
Digital presenceOak Software compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Oak Software financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Oak Software leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Oak Software funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Oak Software M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Oak Software
What does Oak Software do?
Oak Software provides Oak Subscribe, a cloud-based subscription management platform that gives publishers complete control of subscription fulfilment, circulation, renewals, direct debit processing, and customer self-service. It is paired with Oak WebShop, a fully integrated ecommerce module that synchronises in real-time with the subscription database to enable online subscription sales, mail order product sales, digital content delivery, and event ticket sales. The company also offers Virtual Subscription Manager (VSM), a managed back-office service that handles direct debit processing and web import management on behalf of clients.
Is Oak Software a public or private company?
Oak Software is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Oak Software founded?
Oak Software was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Oak Software based?
Oak Software is headquartered in Coalville, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Oak Software make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription Management Software is the primary driver. The others are virtual Subscription Manager Service and ecommerce Transaction Processing.
Who are Oak Software's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Recurly, Zuora, Piano.io, Chargebee and Zephr. Emerging players are Subbly, Outseta, Bold Commerce and Memberful. Stripe Billing is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Oak Software have an API?
No public API is recorded for Oak Software.
What industry is Oak Software in?
Oak Software's product category is Subscription Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAAABAC, Billing, Payments & Subscription Support, with a secondary code of BPAEAGAO, Enterprise Application License Advisory, Vendor Management & Optimization. Its NAICS code is 513210 and its SIC code is 7372.