Billie vs Dollar Shave Club: Which One to Choose?
Do you love subscriptions as much as I do? Are you trying to decide between Billie and Dollar Shave Club? Or maybe you’re already using one of those subscriptions and you aren’t entirely happy with it. Don’t worry, I’ll break down each of these brands to help you decide which one is best for you.
I have been a customer of both brands – Billie for 3 months and Dollar Shave Club for 10 months.
I do prefer one over the other (I’ll get to that at the end!), but it depends on you and your personal needs when it comes to shaving.
We’ll compare these two based on a variety of factors: pricing, shipping frequency, what’s included in your box, quality of blades, and reward program.
Note: This post was written in 2019. Prices/info may have changed since then.
This post contains affiliate links that earn me a commission. For more information, read my disclaimer.
Pricing
Dollar Shave Club: $4, $7, or $10 per shipment
Billie: $9 per shipment
Both subscriptions include free shipping on every box.
Dollar Shave Club offers a selection of 3 different razors in varying blade count and prices. Billie offers one razor with 5-blades.
The Dollar Shave Club never actually offered $1 razors. It was $1 razors with $2 shipping. They have since raised their prices and at the time of posting, the cheapest option is $4/shipment.
What’s Included in your box
Dollar Shave Club: 4 or 5 blades
The first shipment of your Dollar Shave Club includes the handle of your chosen razor. There are 3 razor types: The Twin – 2 blades, The 4x – 4 blades, and The Executive – 6 blades. If you choose the 4x or The Executive, you will receive a 5-blade cartridge in each shipment. If you choose The Twin you will receive a 4-blade cartridge in each shipment.
Add-Ons: DSC has always had additional products like shaving cream and shampoo, but now they have the option to add those in as part of your monthly subscription. The first box includes trial versions of the products, then each additional shipment will include the full-size versions of your choice.
This is completely optional and you can still just get the blades by themselves (although they really push the additional products). I have used the shave cream and miracle repair serum and liked both, but wasn’t wowed by either.
Billie: 4-blades
The first shipment of Billie also includes the razor handle (your choice of 5 colors!), but the difference here is Billie also includes a magnetic holder that sticks to the shower wall. This way your razor doesn’t sit on the shower shelf and rust if you accidentally leave it blades-down. Since the first shipment has the handle and the magnetic holder, there are only 2 blades. Every other shipment contains 4 blades.
Add-Ons: Billie has their own line of products like shaving cream and body lotion. Like DSC, you can also add these products in as part of your subscription or just make a one-time purchase. I have not used any of these so I can’t speak to the quality, but the packaging is beautiful!
Shipping Frequency
Dollar Shave Club: Every 2, 3, or 4 months
Billie: Every 1, 2, or 3 months
If you’re like me, you will use a razor blade until it’s so dull you can run your finger across it without a scratch. I chose the every 2 months frequency for Dollar Shave Club and every 3 months for Billie. I’ll explain why there is a difference in the next section.
I like that both of these brands offer a variety of options since people shave in very different frequencies depending on hair growth, areas you shave, and type of hair in general.
Quality of Blades
I’ll give you my personal ratings for each brand and explain why below.
Dollar Shave Club: 3/5
Billie: 5/5
Dollar Shave Club
I decided to try Dollar Shave Club in the hopes of a less-expensive, cool-subscription-box alternative to womens’ razors from brands like Venus. It’s convenient, reliable, and the price is totally reasonable. The blades are great for legs, but anywhere else it gave me bad razor burn after I used the blade a few times.
I bought the miracle repair serum meant for razor burn and it didn’t help much. I switched from The Twin to The 4x and it did help slightly since there are 4 blades instead of 2 blades. (Is “blades” sounding weird now? I’ve typed it so many times). They claim to be unisex, but it is definitely marketed towards men – maybe they work better for faces?
Billie
I didn’t have any high expectations from Billie so when I tried it for the first time I was amazed at how sharp the blades were. After almost a year of Dollar Shave Club, I had become used to razor burn and non-so-smooth shaves. The Billie blades are sharp, give a close shave, and I have practically no razor burn!
I used the same blade for 2 months without needing to change it out – it is THAT sharp. This is why I decide to switch to every 3 months for my Billie shipments; the blades are just that good they last much longer. Plus, the Billie has 5 blades on each head!
Reward Program
Most companies these days have some sort of reward program where you earn points, carrots, gems, or whatever that translate into actual dollars or store credit for inviting friends. Dollar Shave Club and Billie both have affiliate/reward programs!
Dollar Shave Club: Earn up to $15 of store credit per friend that joins
Billie: Earn $1 of store credit for every friend that joins – max $20
Now, DSC seems to have the better rewards program, but it is ambiguous about how much you actually get person. Up to $15 probably means it depends on how much your friend spends on their first shipment, but that’s just me hypothesizing.
Billie is clear and even has a progress bar showing you how much you’ve earned. They call it the Pink Tax Rebate. It still just just $1 a person and that maximum you can earn is $20. The difference here is that people who use your link don’t even need to make a purchase, they just need to sign up!
My Overall Opinion
I love Billie. I switched 3 months ago from Dollar Shave Club to Billie and never looked back. The reason I switched in the first place was because I just wasn’t happy with the quality of Dollar Shave Club. When they announced they were raising their prices, I ditched them for the new razor on the block that looked appealing and had realistic commercials/ads.
Billie is most definitely more feminine and sleek compared to the dark and masculine look of Dollar Shave Club razors. I’m a marketing/graphic design gal and a total sucker for good packaging. Billie sold me on every aspect of the brand and absolutely delivered on their promise of a high-quality product. The magnetic holder is a dream and much better than suction cup holders that inevitable fall off. The color options are lovely and the packaging is modern, trendy, and very well done.
I wanted to try Billie out for a while before I wrote this post so I could have a well-formed opinion on both brands and I couldn’t be happier with them!
That’s not to say that Dollar Shave Club is bad – they’re decent razors and have a good selection of additional products that I liked. It’s all about you and what your needs are. If you have facial hair that needs to be shaved, DSC might be a good option, I don’t have experience in that area so I can’t comment on it.
I never tried their Executive razor and it may be great, but the 4x and Humble Twin just don’t stand up to the sharpness, quality, and usability of Billie in my opinion.
All photos via @dollarshaveclub and @billie on Instagram & their websites.
