Paddle
Swell
| Feature | Paddle | Swell |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $5/mo | Free / from $299/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | saas-companies, b2b-software, subscription-businesses, international-saas | developers, subscription-businesses, custom-ecommerce, b2b-commerce |
| Founded | 2012 | 2016 |
| Payments | ✓ | ✗ |
| Subscriptions | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tax Compliance | ✓ | ✗ |
| Retain Churn Reduction | ✓ | ✗ |
| Profitwell Metrics | ✓ | ✗ |
| Checkout | ✓ | ✗ |
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Headless Api | ✗ | ✓ |
| Multi Currency | ✗ | ✓ |
| Custom Models | ✗ | ✓ |
| Webhooks | ✗ | ✓ |
| Admin Dashboard | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Swell Pros
- Extremely flexible API
- Built-in subscription support
- Good for unique business models
- Developer-friendly
✗ Swell Cons
- Requires development resources
- Expensive for small stores
- Smaller ecosystem
The Verdict
Paddle is built for saas companies and b2b software, with a focus on payments and subscriptions. Swell targets developers and subscription businesses and leads with headless-api and subscriptions.
On pricing, Paddle is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $5/mo compared to $299/mo for Swell. That $294/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Swell has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Paddle requires a paid subscription from day one.
Feature-wise, Paddle offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Swell takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for subscription businesses — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.