# Lemon Squeezy vs Polar

Canonical: https://inetgeek.com/compare/lemon-squeezy-vs-polar/

Every value below is read from Lemon Squeezy's and Polar's own documentation. See https://inetgeek.com/methodology/ for how.

## At a glance

| Criterion | Lemon Squeezy | Polar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Pricing model | A cut of each sale and nothing else: no monthly charge for ecommerce features, no trial and no contract. | Tiered: the monthly fee buys the transaction percentage down rather than unlocking features. Starter is free at 5% + 50 cents, Pro is $20/month at 3.8% + 40 cents, Growth $100/month lower again. |
| Per-transaction fee | 5% + 50 cents per sale, with no monthly charge for ecommerce features. | 5% + 40 cents on the free Starter plan; 3.8% + 40 cents on Pro at $20/month. A monthly fee that lowers the percentage, which is the opposite shape to the rest of this category. |
| Support on entry paid plan | No support tier is published on the pricing page: the single 5% + 50 cents rate carries whatever support exists, with none described or differentiated. | Standard Support on the free Starter plan; Prioritized Support from Pro at $20/month. Support is one of the two things the monthly fee buys, the other being the lower transaction rate. |
| Merchant of record | Supported | Supported |

## Where they differ

### Free tier

- Lemon Squeezy: No ([source](https://www.lemonsqueezy.com/pricing))
- Polar: Yes ([source](https://polar.sh/docs/merchant-of-record/fees))

### Pricing model

- Lemon Squeezy: A cut of each sale and nothing else: no monthly charge for ecommerce features, no trial and no contract. ([source](https://www.lemonsqueezy.com/pricing))
- Polar: Tiered: the monthly fee buys the transaction percentage down rather than unlocking features. Starter is free at 5% + 50 cents, Pro is $20/month at 3.8% + 40 cents, Growth $100/month lower again. ([source](https://polar.sh/docs/merchant-of-record/fees))

### Per-transaction fee

- Lemon Squeezy: 5% + 50 cents per sale, with no monthly charge for ecommerce features. ([source](https://www.lemonsqueezy.com/pricing))
- Polar: 5% + 40 cents on the free Starter plan; 3.8% + 40 cents on Pro at $20/month. A monthly fee that lowers the percentage, which is the opposite shape to the rest of this category. ([source](https://polar.sh/docs/merchant-of-record/fees))

### Support on entry paid plan

- Lemon Squeezy: No support tier is published on the pricing page: the single 5% + 50 cents rate carries whatever support exists, with none described or differentiated. ([source](https://www.lemonsqueezy.com/pricing))
- Polar: Standard Support on the free Starter plan; Prioritized Support from Pro at $20/month. Support is one of the two things the monthly fee buys, the other being the lower transaction rate. ([source](https://polar.sh/docs/merchant-of-record/fees))

## Which should you choose?

Pick Lemon Squeezy if Digital products and small SaaS that want checkout, subscriptions and global tax compliance with nothing to configure and no monthly charge — a flat 5% + 50¢ of each sale and no trial or contract to start.

Pick Polar if Developers who expect volume and would rather pay a subscription than a percentage. Polar is the only merchant of record here whose monthly fee buys the rate down — $20/month takes 5% + 50¢ to 3.8% + 40¢ — so the maths flips in its favour as revenue grows.

Consider something else: Lemon Squeezy — The rate is the cost you are optimising. It is the category's standard number rather than its lowest: Dodo Payments publishes 4% + 40¢, and Polar's paid tier buys the percentage down to 3.8%.

Consider something else: Polar — You are starting out or your volume is uneven. On the free Starter plan the rate is the same 5% + 50¢ everyone else charges, and the tiers only pay for themselves above the revenue where the percentage saved exceeds the monthly fee.

## Documented by only one

- Entry paid plan: Polar: $20/month for Pro, which is not an access fee — the free Starter plan is fully functional. It buys the transaction rate down from 5% + 50 cents to 3.8% + 40 cents, and prioritised support.
- Countries served: Lemon Squeezy: Not given as a number. Lemon Squeezy says payments are accepted globally and that it handles tax collection, calculation and payment on your behalf, without stating a country count.

## Questions this comparison answers

**Free tier: Lemon Squeezy or Polar?**

Lemon Squeezy: No
Polar: Yes

**Should I choose Lemon Squeezy or Polar?**

Pick Lemon Squeezy if Digital products and small SaaS that want checkout, subscriptions and global tax compliance with nothing to configure and no monthly charge — a flat 5% + 50¢ of each sale and no trial or contract to start.
Pick Polar if Developers who expect volume and would rather pay a subscription than a percentage. Polar is the only merchant of record here whose monthly fee buys the rate down — $20/month takes 5% + 50¢ to 3.8% + 40¢ — so the maths flips in its favour as revenue grows.