Payments & Billing · decision tool
Migrate off Stripe — worth it, in months
Your Stripe bill at real usage vs the best alternative, with your migration hours priced in. Sometimes the math says stay — it decides, not a blog post.
Prices verified 2026-07-15 against official pricing pages · fit weights are our estimates (see methodology) · share the URL to share your configuration
Your situation
Usage drives both bills; effort drives the breakeven.
Migration verdict
Stay on Stripe
The best alternative doesn't even save money at your usage ($336.00 vs $196.60/mo) — migrating costs time AND money.
You today
- NOT a merchant of record: global sales tax/VAT registration and liability stay with you (Stripe Tax calculates, it doesn't assume liability)
- Headline 2.9% grows with add-ons: Tax +0.5%, Billing +0.7%, international +0.8–1.5%, conversion +2%
Best alternative
- Account approval takes days and product review is strict — you can't accept money in an afternoon like Stripe
- Sub-$10 products require custom pricing; checkout is Paddle-hosted (less flow control)
The math, line by line
Bills computed by the same engine and verified data as the payment provider selector; switching-cost inputs are yours to set — we only default them.
At a glance
| Tool | Free tier | Paid entry | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | No free tier | Pay-as-you-go — 2.9% + $0.30 per successful card charge (domestic). International cards +0.8–1.5%, currency conversion +2%. Stripe Tax (+0.5%/tx) and Billing (+0.7% of volume) are separate add-ons | 2026-07-15 |
| Paddle | No free tier | Pay-as-you-go — 5% + $0.50 per checkout, all-inclusive (tax remittance, compliance, chargebacks). Products under $10 need custom pricing | 2026-07-15 |
| Lemon Squeezy | No free tier | Pay-as-you-go — 5% + $0.50 base; surcharges stack: international +1.5%, PayPal +1.5%, subscriptions +0.5% — effective rate lands 5.5–8%+ depending on your mix | 2026-07-15 |
| Polar | No free tier | Pro (MoR) $20/mo | 2026-07-15 |
Data sources
| Tool | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe | Stripe pricing page | 2026-07-15 |
| Paddle | Paddle pricing page | 2026-07-15 |
| Lemon Squeezy | Lemon Squeezy fees docs | 2026-07-15 |
| Polar | Polar pricing (homepage table) | 2026-07-15 |
A monitor re-checks these pages for changes; when a vendor moves a price, the date updates and every verdict recomputes.