Payments and billing · Comparison
Paddle vs Stripe
2 products compared side by side: what you pay for with each one first, then the five access facts, entry prices, recorded plan limits and the bottom line of each review. The evidence note under the table says how each product was checked.
Side by side
| Metric | Paddle | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| What you're paying for | Compliance includedPaddle becomes the seller of record: it files and remits sales tax and VAT and answers buyer billing questions, all inside 5% + 50¢. | Saves engineering timeCard payments, subscriptions and tax calculation as separate per-transaction lines, with the lowest total of the three in our scenario: $500 on $10,000. |
| Overall score | 6.9 | 8.1Best |
| Free option | –Not measured | –Not measured |
| Card to start | –Not measured | –Not measured |
| Getting access | Approval wait | Self-serve |
| Starter priceCheapest paid plan | 5% + 50¢/transaction | 2.9% + 30¢/US card charge |
| Pricing model | Usage-based | Usage-based |
| Pricing page | Public prices | Public prices |
| Model | Merchant of record | Payment processor; you are the seller |
| Base fee | 5% + 50¢ per transaction | 2.9% + 30¢ per US card |
| $10,000/mo scenario | $600 (6.0%), computed | $500 (5.0%), computed |
| Sales tax and VAT filing | Paddle files and remits | Yours; Tax Complete from $90/mo, or Managed Payments +3.5% |
| Dispute fee | $20, not refunded if won | $15, plus $15 to counter (refunded if won) |
| Payouts | Monthly, $100 minimum | Daily, weekly or monthly; standard schedule free |
| Charge currencies | 33 | 135+ |
| Team access | Five roles, 2FA | Granular roles, SAML SSO, audit log |
| Card export if you leave | Not documented; data portability stated | Documented, to a PCI DSS Level 1 processor |
| Security reports | PCI DSS attestation, SOC 2 Type II | PCI Service Provider Level 1, SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type II |
| Bottom line | From its public pages, Paddle is the most complete merchant of record here for a SaaS business: tax filing, buyer support and security reports in one 5% + 50¢ fee. Plan around monthly payouts and the $20 chargeback fee. | From its public pages, Stripe has the lowest fees in our scenario and the strongest controls and exit path here. Tax registration and filing stay with you unless you pay for Tax Complete or Managed Payments. |
Evidence: Paddle: facts checked 2026-10-15 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Stripe: facts checked 2026-10-15 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run. Prices in USD as listed, excluding tax. "–" means not recorded.
When to pick each
In the words of each review, with the date its facts were checked.
From our Paddle review
Checked Oct 15, 2026- Pick Paddle when
- You want a merchant of record to file sales tax and VAT and handle buyer billing questions, in one fee.
- Pick Stripe when
- You want the lowest fees, frequent payouts and granular roles with SSO, and can handle tax filing or pay for it.
From our Stripe review
Checked Oct 15, 2026- Pick Stripe when
- You want the lowest per-transaction cost and your own checkout and billing logic, and can handle tax registration and filing.
- Pick Paddle when
- You want a merchant of record that files sales tax and VAT and answers buyer billing questions for one 5% + 50¢ fee.
Entry price
Baseline: each product's cheapest paid plan, per month. Included usage differs, so read the line under each price.
- PaddlePay-as-you-go5% + 50¢/transactionNo monthly or migration fees
- Paddle as merchant of record
- Sales tax and VAT collection and filing
- Fraud protection and chargeback handling
- Buyer billing support
- StripePayments2.9% + 30¢/US card chargeStandard pricing; no setup, monthly or closure fees
- +1.5% for international cards
- +1% if currency conversion is required
- $15 per dispute
- Standard-schedule payouts free
Prices as listed on each pricing page, in USD per month, excluding tax. Observed: Paddle 2026-10-15, Stripe 2026-10-15.
Which one fits
- If you need to start today without a sales call
- StripeSelf-serve sign-up; the only one here you can use right after signing up.
- Highest overall score
- Stripe8.1/10 (Excellent). The review shows the score breakdown and the run behind it.
Picked by fixed rules from the table above, not by hand. How we score
Full reviews
More in Payments and billing
Add a product
Search by product name or by what it does, such as “email” or “feature flags”. 2 more fit in this comparison.