GlobalDev

Stripe vs Paddle

A detailed comparison to help you choose the right tool.

Stripe
Stripe
Paddle
Paddle
Pricingfreemiumpaid
Best ForDevelopers who want full control over their payment integration and have a registered business.Indie developers who want to sell globally without worrying about tax compliance.
Pros
  • +Excellent API documentation and developer experience
  • +Supports 135+ currencies and dozens of payment methods
  • +Great dashboard for managing subscriptions and revenue
  • +Handles VAT/GST compliance automatically as MoR
  • +Supports selling in 200+ markets out of the box
  • +Good subscription management and analytics dashboard
Cons
  • βˆ’Requires a registered business entity in supported countries
  • βˆ’Complex tax compliance β€” you handle VAT/GST yourself
  • βˆ’Account setup can be slow for non-US entities
  • βˆ’Higher fees than Stripe (5% + 50Β’ per transaction)
  • βˆ’Less flexible API compared to Stripe
  • βˆ’Payout delays can be 7-14 days

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Indie-friendly Merchant of Record with modern DX and generous free tier.

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PayPal

PayPal

The world's largest payment platform β€” trusted by billions of buyers globally.

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