Stripe vs Paddle
SEPT 2026 auditA comparison of Stripe and Paddle built from values read directly from each provider's own documentation, with the source recorded against every figure.
The short answer
Choose Stripe if…
Selling where you already handle your own tax registrations. At 1.5% + 20p on a standard UK card, Stripe is roughly three and a half points cheaper than every merchant of record here, and that gap is the whole reason to take on the VAT work yourself.
Editorial · Palash Bagchi · approved
Choose 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.
Editorial · Palash Bagchi · approved
Consider something else if…
- Stripe: You sell internationally and do not want to register for sales tax in each jurisdiction. Stripe moves the money and leaves the liability with you — and its rate is set per country, so the number you budget from is not the number a buyer elsewhere generates.
- 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.
5 sourced criteria separate them — see where, with sources, below.
Pick the criteria you care about. The chart counts how many of them lean toward each provider — the same read as scanning the bars below, just totalled for the ones you chose.
Stripe 0
Paddle 0
At a glance.
| Criterion | Stripe | Paddle |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Free tier | No | No |
| Pricing model | Pay-as-you-go per successful charge, with no setup fee, no monthly fee and rates set per country. Volume discounts, multi-product discounts and interchange-plus pricing are offered on a custom package. | One rate per checkout transaction, worldwide, with custom pricing offered to high-volume sellers. Sales-tax compliance is included rather than billed separately. |
| Per-transaction fee | 1.5% + 20p for standard UK cards and 2.5% + 20p for EU cards, on the UK pricing page. Rates are per-country: the same URL family prints 2% for cards issued in India on stripe.com/in/pricing. | 5% + 50 cents per checkout transaction, the same worldwide, with no migration fees, monthly fees or hidden extras. |
| Infrastructure | ||
| Countries served | 195 countries for cardholders, listed as available out of the box. That is where a buyer can pay, not where a business can incorporate — Stripe accounts are available in far fewer. | 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. |
| Support | ||
| Support on entry paid plan | Technical support through the official Stripe Developer Discord server, listed among the features available out of the box on the pricing page. | 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. |
| Compliance | ||
| Merchant of record | Not supported | Supported |
Where they differ.
Pricing model
- Stripe
- Pay-as-you-go per successful charge, with no setup fee, no monthly fee and rates set per country. Volume discounts, multi-product discounts and interchange-plus pricing are offered on a custom package.
- Paddle
- One rate per checkout transaction, worldwide, with custom pricing offered to high-volume sellers. Sales-tax compliance is included rather than billed separately.
Sources (2) →Sources ↓
- Pricing & Fees — Stripe UK ↗
“No setup fees, monthly fees, or hidden fees. Get started 1.5% + 20p for standard UK cards 2.5% + 20p for EU Cards Custom Design a custom package - available for businesses with large payments volume or unique business models.”
Read 2026-09-15 · official pricing
- Paddle Pricing ↗
“5% + 50¢per Checkout transactionGet startedCustom pricingTailored pricing for rapi”
Read 2026-09-15 · official pricing
Per-transaction fee
- Stripe
- 1.5% + 20p for standard UK cards and 2.5% + 20p for EU cards, on the UK pricing page. Rates are per-country: the same URL family prints 2% for cards issued in India on stripe.com/in/pricing.
- Paddle
- 5% + 50 cents per checkout transaction, the same worldwide, with no migration fees, monthly fees or hidden extras.
Sources (2) →Sources ↓
- Pricing & Fees — Stripe UK ↗
“Standard Access a complete payments platform with simple, pay-as-you-go pricing. No setup fees, monthly fees, or hidden fees. Get started 1.5% + 20p for standard UK cards 2.5% + 20p for EU Cards”
Read 2026-09-15 · official pricing
- Paddle Pricing ↗
“No migration fees, monthly fees, or hidden extras5% + 50¢per Checkout transaction”
Read 2026-09-15 · official pricing
Support on entry paid plan
- Stripe
- Technical support through the official Stripe Developer Discord server, listed among the features available out of the box on the pricing page.
- 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.
Sources (2) →Sources ↓
- Pricing & Fees — Stripe UK ↗
“Technical support on Discord Chat to our technical team on the official Stripe Developer Discord server.”
Read 2026-09-15 · official pricing
- Paddle Pricing ↗
“Customer supportOur support team are on hand to assist you and your customers 24/7 with a 93% CSAT score”
Read 2026-09-15 · official pricing
Merchant of record
- Stripe
- Not supported
- Paddle
- Supported
Sources (2) →Sources ↓
- Pricing & Fees — Stripe UK ↗
“Standard Access a complete payments platform with simple, pay-as-you-go pricing. No setup fees, monthly fees, or hidden fees.”
Read 2026-09-15 · official pricing
- Paddle Pricing ↗
“The only complete Merchant of Record solution purpose-built for SaaS and apps”
Read 2026-09-15 · official pricing
Countries served
- Stripe
- 195 countries for cardholders, listed as available out of the box. That is where a buyer can pay, not where a business can incorporate — Stripe accounts are available in far fewer.
- 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.
Sources (2) →Sources ↓
- Pricing & Fees — Stripe UK ↗
“Features available out of the box: Global access 195 countries Accept payments around the world with cardholder support in”
Read 2026-09-15 · official pricing
- Paddle Pricing ↗
“Tax & compliance Eliminate sales tax headaches with full, automatic global tax compliance”
Read 2026-09-15 · official pricing
When these numbers change, hear about it. Sources are re-checked monthly; a repricing goes out as a short note.
Questions this comparison answers.
Should I choose Stripe or Paddle?
Pick Stripe if Selling where you already handle your own tax registrations. At 1.5% + 20p on a standard UK card, Stripe is roughly three and a half points cheaper than every merchant of record here, and that gap is the whole reason to take on the VAT work yourself.
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.