# Paddle vs Polar

Canonical: https://inetgeek.com/compare/paddle-vs-polar/

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

## At a glance

| Criterion | Paddle | Polar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Pricing model | One rate per checkout transaction, worldwide, with custom pricing offered to high-volume sellers. Sales-tax compliance is included rather than billed separately. | 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 checkout transaction, the same worldwide, with no migration fees, monthly fees or hidden extras. | 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 | A support team on hand 24/7 for you and for your customers — the second half matters, because as merchant of record Paddle is the party your buyer transacted with. Paddle reports a 93% CSAT score. | 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

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

### Pricing model

- Paddle: One rate per checkout transaction, worldwide, with custom pricing offered to high-volume sellers. Sales-tax compliance is included rather than billed separately. ([source](https://www.paddle.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

- Paddle: 5% + 50 cents per checkout transaction, the same worldwide, with no migration fees, monthly fees or hidden extras. ([source](https://www.paddle.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

- Paddle: A support team on hand 24/7 for you and for your customers — the second half matters, because as merchant of record Paddle is the party your buyer transacted with. Paddle reports a 93% CSAT score. ([source](https://www.paddle.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 Paddle if SaaS sold worldwide by a team that does not want tax registrations. One rate — 5% + 50¢ per checkout transaction, the same everywhere — with Paddle as the seller of record and the sales-tax liability its problem rather than yours.

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: Paddle — Your volume makes the percentage the dominant cost. At scale the gap to a plain processor is measured in points of revenue, and Dodo Payments asks 4% + 40¢ for the same merchant-of-record arrangement.

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: Paddle: Not given as a number on the pricing page. Paddle describes end-to-end global tax and compliance without stating a country count, so none is recorded.

## Questions this comparison answers

**Free tier: Paddle or Polar?**

Paddle: No
Polar: Yes

**Should I choose Paddle or Polar?**

Pick Paddle if SaaS sold worldwide by a team that does not want tax registrations. One rate — 5% + 50¢ per checkout transaction, the same everywhere — with Paddle as the seller of record and the sales-tax liability its problem rather than yours.
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.