Stripe vs Paddle — which takes less?
| Stripe | Paddle | |
|---|---|---|
| Headline rate | 2.9% + $0.30 per online card transaction | 5% + $0.50 per transaction, all-inclusive MoR |
| $100 → fees | $3.20 | $5.50 |
| $100 → net | $96.80 | $94.50 |
SaaS billing vs Merchant-of-Record break-even
| Provider | Monthly | Annual | Eff. rate | vs cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe (+ Billing & Tax)CHEAPEST | $515.00 | $6,180.00 | 5.15% | — |
| Polar.sh | $575.00 | $6,900.00 | 5.75% | +$60.00/mo |
| Paddle | $600.00 | $7,200.00 | 6.00% | +$85.00/mo |
| Lemon Squeezy | $710.00 | $8,520.00 | 7.10% | +$195.00/mo |
| Gumroad | $1,450.00 | $17,400.00 | 14.50% | +$935.00/mo |
Side-by-side quick reference
| Amount | Stripe fees | Stripe net | Paddle fees | Paddle net | Difference | Stripe charge→net | Paddle charge→net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $0.59 | $9.41 | $1.00 | $9.00 | stripe +$0.41 | $10.61 | $11.06 |
| $25.00 | $1.03 | $23.97 | $1.75 | $23.25 | stripe +$0.72 | $26.06 | $26.85 |
| $50.00 | $1.75 | $48.25 | $3.00 | $47.00 | stripe +$1.25 | $51.81 | $53.16 |
| $100.00 | $3.20 | $96.80 | $5.50 | $94.50 | stripe +$2.30 | $103.30 | $105.79 |
| $250.00 | $7.55 | $242.45 | $13.00 | $237.00 | stripe +$5.45 | $257.78 | $263.69 |
| $500.00 | $14.80 | $485.20 | $25.50 | $474.50 | stripe +$10.70 | $515.25 | $526.85 |
| $1,000.00 | $29.30 | $970.70 | $50.50 | $949.50 | stripe +$21.20 | $1,030.18 | $1,053.16 |
Stripe formula
payment processing 2.90% + $0.30
2.9% + $0.30 per online card transaction — verified 2026-11-10
Paddle formula
payment processing 5.00% + $0.50
5% + $0.50 per transaction, all-inclusive MoR — verified 2026-11-10
Stripe fee formula & hidden costs
payment processing 2.90% + $0.30
Worked example: $100.00 gross → $3.20 fees → $96.80 net. Reverse gross-up: charge = (target + fixed) / (1 − rate) → to net $100.00 charge $103.30.
Hidden fees to watch
- International cards add +1.5% in the US — a $1,000 foreign card charge costs an extra $15.
- Currency conversion adds +1% (US) or +2% (UK/EU/CA/AU) on top of the card rate.
- Stripe does not refund the processing fee on refunds — refund a $100 charge and the $3.20 fee is gone for good.
- Stripe Invoicing (+0.4%), Billing subscriptions (+0.7%) and Radar/risk tools stack on top of the headline 2.9%.
- Instant Payouts cost an extra 1% of the payout amount (minimum $0.50).
Paddle fee formula & hidden costs
payment processing 5.00% + $0.50
Worked example: $100.00 gross → $5.50 fees → $94.50 net. Reverse gross-up: charge = (target + fixed) / (1 − rate) → to net $100.00 charge $105.79.
Hidden fees to watch
- The 5% is all-inclusive — no intl, PayPal or subscription surcharges — but volume discounts require negotiating.
- Chargebacks and refunds still cost you the lost revenue.
- Payout schedules and holding periods can pinch cash flow early on.
Frequently asked questions
Which takes less on a $100 sale: Stripe or Paddle?
Stripe takes $3.20 (net $96.80); Paddle takes $5.50 (net $94.50). Stripe wins by $2.30 at $100.
Which is better for international sellers, Stripe or Paddle?
Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30 per online card transaction. Paddle: 5% + $0.50 per transaction, all-inclusive MoR. Check the regional variants above — rates change materially by country.
What is the effective take rate difference between Stripe and Paddle?
At $100, Stripe takes 3.2% vs Paddle at 5.5% — a 2.3 point gap before modifiers.