Paddle

Merchant of record that handles payments, subscriptions and global sales tax for software.

PaidEcommerce platforms

Updated Nov 2, 2026 · AppBreakup editorial · Web

Visit Paddle See 9 alternatives

Is Paddle free?

No, it's a paid product

4 alternatives with a free option

Switch from Paddle to

All 9

Lemon Squeezy
Free
Gumroad
Free
Sellfy
Starting price: $22 a month billed yearly, or $29 monthly (Starter)

Verified facts: 6 of 6
Alternatives ranked: 9
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Paddle

Paddle is a payments and billing platform for SaaS, apps, games and other digital products that acts as the merchant of record. Instead of you registering for and filing VAT and sales tax in every country, Paddle sells to the customer on your behalf, collects and remits the tax, and handles payment-related buyer support, chargebacks and fraud screening. On top of that it offers a hosted or embedded checkout in local currencies, subscription management, invoicing for B2B customers, dunning to recover failed payments, and revenue reporting, plus a developer API and sandbox. Pricing is a percentage of each transaction with no monthly fee, and high-volume sellers can negotiate custom terms. It is web-based and aimed at software companies from early startups up to enterprise. It suits teams that want global tax compliance off their plate; sellers of physical goods or simple one-off downloads may find a store builder or Gumroad-style platform a better fit.

Best for: SaaS and app companies that want payments and global sales tax handled by a merchant of record..

Paddle pricing (checked Nov 8, 2026)

Each line is quoted from Paddle's own site, with the page it came from.

Plan or term	What it says	Checked	Source
Enterprise plan	Custom pricing for high-volume businesses	Nov 8, 2026	paddle.com

What works

Takes on global sales tax and VAT collection and filing
No monthly fee; you pay per transaction
Subscriptions, invoicing and dunning in one platform

Why people leave

Per-transaction fee is higher than a plain payment processor
Built for software and digital goods, not physical products
Low-value products need a custom pricing conversation

Paddle vs Lemon Squeezy, Gumroad and Sellfy

From each app's listing and the prices verified on its own site. A dash means we haven't verified it yet.

Attribute	Paddle	Lemon Squeezy	Gumroad	Sellfy
Pricing	Paid	Free	Free	Paid
Verified price	—	—	—	$22 a month billed yearly, or $29 monthly (Starter)
Free plan	No	Free app	Free app	No
Open source	No	No	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No	No	No
Platforms	Web	Web	Web, iOS, Android	Web

Top Paddle alternatives

See all 9

1
Lemon Squeezy
Also a merchant of record, with a simpler setup aimed at indie developers and creators selling software.
68.8
2
Gumroad
Quick to start selling digital downloads and memberships, with its own storefront and audience features.
64.8
3
Sellfy
Store builder for digital products and subscriptions with a monthly plan instead of a pure per-sale fee.
61.8
4
FastSpring
Long-running merchant of record for software, with B2B quotes and invoicing.
42.3
5
Dodo Payments
Merchant of record that accepts individual founders and verifies accounts quickly, with similar tax handling.
42.3

Why people left Paddle

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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Paddle: common questions

What is Paddle?

Paddle: Merchant of record that handles payments, subscriptions and global sales tax for software. Best for saaS and app companies that want payments and global sales tax handled by a merchant of record. Available for Web.

Is Paddle free?

No, Paddle is a paid product. Enterprise plan: Custom pricing for high-volume businesses (checked on Paddle's own site).

How much does Paddle cost?

Paddle is a paid product. Enterprise plan: Custom pricing for high-volume businesses. Checked on Paddle's own site, November 2026.

Is Paddle open source?

No, Paddle is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Polar.

What platforms does Paddle run on?

Paddle is available for Web.

What are the best alternatives to Paddle?

The highest-ranked Paddle alternatives right now are Lemon Squeezy, Gumroad and Sellfy. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

Paddle vs Lemon Squeezy: what's the difference?

Paddle is a paid product; Lemon Squeezy is free to use. Both run on Web.

See all 9 Paddle alternatives

Paddle facts

6 of 6 verified

Transaction fee: 5% + 50¢ per checkout transaction; Checked Nov 8, 2026paddle.com(opens source in a new tab); “5% + 50¢ per Checkout transaction”
Monthly fee: None; Checked Nov 8, 2026paddle.com(opens source in a new tab); “No monthly fees, migration fees”
Merchant of record: Yes; Checked Nov 8, 2026paddle.com(opens source in a new tab); “Pay-as-you-go Start selling globally with Paddle as your Merchant of Record.”
Tax coverage: 100+ jurisdictions; Checked Nov 8, 2026paddle.com(opens source in a new tab); “As your Merchant of Record, Paddle takes care of all your global sales tax obligations in over 100 jurisdictions.”
Currencies: 20+; Checked Nov 8, 2026paddle.com(opens source in a new tab); “Paddle's subscription billing solution supports over 20 currencies”
Enterprise plan: Custom pricing for high-volume businesses; Checked Nov 8, 2026paddle.com(opens source in a new tab); “Custom pricing For high-volume businesses or more complex needs.”