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Stripe Billing vs. Lemon Squeezy / Paddle (MoR)

Stripe vs Lemon Squeezy vs Paddle · the 2026 SaaS payments call

Self-handling tax is a job. Merchant-of-Record (MoR) providers take it off your plate for a higher fee. Here's when each trade-off works.

PICK A TOPIC

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Stripe Billing

Pick this when…

  • · You already have an accountant handling tax across regions
  • · You want to own the payment relationship (refunds, disputes, data)
  • · ARR is > $5M and the fee delta adds up

Lemon Squeezy / Paddle (MoR)

Pick that when…

  • · Solo founder / small team wanting zero tax complexity
  • · Selling globally from day one without entity setup
  • · US LLC or EU sole-prop without VAT registration in 30 countries

FACTORS TO WEIGH

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Factors to weighStripe BillingLemon Squeezy / Paddle (MoR)
Fee (blended)~2.9% + $0.30~5-7% all-in (MoR)
Global tax / VATDIY (Stripe Tax helps)Fully handled
Subscription logicMost flexibleLemon less flexible, Paddle solid
Failed payment recoveryStripe Smart Retries + BillingDunning built-in
Dispute handlingMerchant responsibilityMoR absorbs
Payout scheduleInstant - weeklyBi-weekly / monthly
We recommendScale / enterpriseIndie / startup global

LET'S GET STARTED.

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Let's get started.

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