Paddle
Stripe
| Feature | Paddle | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $5/mo | From $2.9/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.7 / 5 |
| Best For | saas-companies, b2b-software, subscription-businesses, international-saas | saas-companies, developers, startups, e-commerce, marketplaces |
| Founded | 2012 | 2010 |
| Payments | ✓ | ✓ |
| Subscriptions | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tax Compliance | ✓ | ✗ |
| Retain Churn Reduction | ✓ | ✗ |
| Profitwell Metrics | ✓ | ✗ |
| Checkout | ✓ | ✓ |
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Connect Marketplace | ✗ | ✓ |
| Radar Fraud | ✗ | ✓ |
| Billing Portal | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Paddle Pros
- Merchant of record handles all tax compliance globally
- ProfitWell Metrics included for free
- Retain reduces involuntary churn
- Supports complex B2B SaaS pricing models
✗ Paddle Cons
- 5% + 50c per transaction is expensive
- Approval process can be slow
- Less control than direct Stripe integration
✓ Stripe Pros
- Best-in-class developer documentation
- Supports 135+ currencies and payment methods
- Powerful subscription and billing management
- Radar fraud prevention included
✗ Stripe Cons
- 2.9% + 30c per transaction adds up
- Account freezes can happen without warning
- Complex pricing for international payments
The Verdict
Paddle is built for saas companies and b2b software, with a focus on payments and subscriptions. Stripe targets saas companies and developers and leads with payments and subscriptions.
Pricing is close: Stripe starts at $2.9/mo versus $5/mo for Paddle — not a deciding factor on its own.
Neither tool offers a free plan, so factor the subscription cost into your decision from the start.
Stripe edges out on user ratings (4.7 vs 4.3). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Both tools are a solid fit for saas companies — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: Stripe has a slight overall edge — but if merchant of record handles all tax compliance globally matters most to you, Paddle may still be the right call.