Stripe vs Polar
SEPT 2026 auditA comparison of Stripe and Polar 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 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.
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.
- 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.
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
Polar 0
At a glance.
| Criterion | Stripe | Polar |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| 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. | 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 | 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% + 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 | ||
| 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. | 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. |
| Compliance | ||
| Merchant of record | Not supported | Supported |
Where they differ.
Free tier
- Stripe
- No
- Polar
- Yes
Sources (2) →Sources ↓
- Pricing & Fees — Stripe UK ↗
“simple, pay-as-you-go pricing. No setup fees, monthly fees, or hidden fees.”
Read 2026-09-15 · official pricing
- Fees — Polar Documentation ↗
“StarterFree5% + 50¢Standard Support”
Read 2026-09-15 · official docs
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.
- 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.
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
- Fees — Polar Documentation ↗
“PlanMonthly feePer transactionSupportIncludedStarterFree5% + 50¢Standard SupportPro$20 /mo3.8% + 40¢Prioritized Support”
Read 2026-09-15 · official docs
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.
- 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.
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
- Fees — Polar Documentation ↗
“PlanMonthly feePer transactionSupportIncludedStarterFree5% + 50¢Standard SupportPro$20 /mo3.8% + 40¢Prioritized Support”
Read 2026-09-15 · official docs
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.
- 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.
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
- Fees — Polar Documentation ↗
“PlanMonthly feePer transactionSupportIncludedStarterFree5% + 50¢Standard SupportPro$20 /mo3.8% + 40¢Prioritized Support”
Read 2026-09-15 · official docs
Merchant of record
- Stripe
- Not supported
- Polar
- 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
- Fees — Polar Documentation ↗
“Merchant of Record (MoR) Introduction Fees Supported countries Acceptable use”
Read 2026-09-15 · official docs
When these numbers change, hear about it. Sources are re-checked monthly; a repricing goes out as a short note.
Documented by only one.
These criteria are published by one provider and not the other. An absence here means we have not found a source, not that the feature is missing.
Questions this comparison answers.
Free tier: Stripe or Polar?
Stripe: No
Polar: Yes
Should I choose Stripe or Polar?
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 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.