Payments and billing · Comparison
Braintree vs Lemon Squeezy vs Paddle vs Stripe
4 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 | Braintree | Lemon Squeezy | Paddle | Stripe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What you're paying for | Worth the priceCards, PayPal and Venmo through one gateway, with the lowest card fees in our scenario: $368 on $10,000 a month, subscriptions included. | Compliance includedA merchant of record with a storefront, license keys and email marketing built in, so you can sell digital products globally without registering for tax. | 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 | 7.5 | 4.7 | 6.9 | 8.1Best |
| Free option | –Not measured | –Not measured | –Not measured | –Not measured |
| Card to start | –Not measured | No card needed | –Not measured | –Not measured |
| Getting access | Approval wait | Approval wait | Approval wait | Self-serve |
| Starter priceCheapest paid plan | 2.89% + 29¢/card transaction | 5% + 50¢/transaction | 5% + 50¢/transaction | 2.9% + 30¢/US card charge |
| Pricing model | Usage-based | Usage-based | Usage-based | Usage-based |
| Pricing page | Public prices | Public prices | Public prices | Public prices |
| Model | Payment processor; you are the seller | Merchant of record | Merchant of record | Payment processor; you are the seller |
| Base fee | 2.89% + 29¢ per US card | 5% + 50¢ per transaction | 5% + 50¢ per transaction | 2.9% + 30¢ per US card |
| $10,000/mo scenario | $368 (3.7%), computed | $680 (6.8%), computed | $600 (6.0%), computed | $500 (5.0%), computed |
| Sales tax and VAT filing | Yours; no tax product offered | Lemon Squeezy files and pays | Paddle files and remits | Yours; Tax Complete from $90/mo, or Managed Payments +3.5% |
| Dispute fee | $15, not refunded if won | $15 | $20, not refunded if won | $15, plus $15 to counter (refunded if won) |
| Payouts | Every weekday (US accounts) | Twice a month, $50 minimum | Monthly, $100 minimum | Daily, weekly or monthly; standard schedule free |
| Charge currencies | 130+, one merchant account per currency | USD only (prices shown in 130) | 33 | 135+ |
| Team access | Custom roles, SAML SSO, SCIM, 2FA required | Owner and members, 2FA | Five roles, 2FA | Granular roles, SAML SSO, audit log |
| Card export if you leave | Documented, free, to a PCI-compliant gateway | Not stated | Not documented; data portability stated | Documented, to a PCI DSS Level 1 processor |
| Security reports | PCI DSS Level 1 service provider; no SOC 2 stated | PCI DSS stated; no SOC 2 stated | 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, Braintree has the lowest fees in our scenario and strong access controls and exit terms. It leaves tax entirely to you and takes an application before you go live. | From its public pages, Lemon Squeezy bundles merchant-of-record tax handling with digital-product tools. Its lower score reflects surcharges listed only in the docs, USD-only charges and simple team controls, and its team now points sellers to Stripe Managed Payments. | 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: Braintree: facts checked 2026-10-15 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Lemon Squeezy: facts checked 2026-10-15 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; 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 Braintree review
Checked Oct 15, 2026- Pick Braintree when
- You want the lowest card fees, subscriptions without a billing fee, and PayPal and Venmo in the same integration.
- Pick Stripe when
- You want tax calculation or filing from the same vendor, charges in 135+ currencies, or an audit log.
From our Braintree review
Checked Oct 15, 2026- Pick Braintree when
- You can handle sales tax yourself and want lower fees, payouts every weekday, SAML SSO and a documented card export.
- Pick Paddle when
- You want a merchant of record to file sales tax and VAT and answer buyer billing questions inside one fee.
From our Lemon Squeezy review
Checked Oct 15, 2026- Pick Lemon Squeezy when
- You want a merchant of record with a storefront, license keys and email marketing, and no tax filing of your own.
- Pick Stripe when
- You want lower fees, charges in many currencies, SSO and roles, or Stripe Managed Payments directly.
From our Lemon Squeezy review
Checked Oct 15, 2026- Pick Lemon Squeezy when
- You sell digital downloads or courses and want selling and marketing tools in the same account, with payouts twice a month.
- Pick Paddle when
- You sell SaaS and want one fee without surcharges, SOC 2 Type II on file, charges in 33 currencies and role-based access.
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 Paddle review
Checked Oct 15, 2026- Pick Paddle when
- You sell SaaS and want one fee without surcharges, SOC 2 Type II on file, charges in 33 currencies and role-based access.
- Pick Lemon Squeezy when
- You sell digital downloads and want a storefront, license keys and email marketing in the same account.
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.
From our Stripe review
Checked Oct 15, 2026- Pick Stripe when
- You need granular roles, SSO, frequent payouts or charges in many currencies.
- Pick Lemon Squeezy when
- You sell digital products and want a merchant of record with a storefront, license keys and email marketing included.
Entry price
Baseline: each product's cheapest paid plan, per month. Included usage differs, so read the line under each price.
- BraintreeCards and digital wallets2.89% + 29¢/transactionUS standard rate; custom flat or interchange-plus pricing for established businesses
- +1% for cards issued outside the US
- +1% when presented in a currency other than USD
- $15 per chargeback
- Recurring Billing, no separate fee listed
- Lemon SqueezyEcommerce5% + 50¢/transactionNo monthly fee; surcharges in the fee docs
- +1.5% outside the US, +1.5% PayPal, +0.5% subscriptions
- Merchant of record: tax collected, filed and paid
- Storefront, license keys and secure downloads
- $15 dispute fee
- 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: Braintree 2026-10-15, Lemon Squeezy 2026-10-15, 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.
- If you want to try it without entering a card
- Lemon Squeezyno card needed; scored 4.7/10.
- 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