← All comparisons Direct comparison · reviewed 2026-07-27

PaddleVSStripe Payments

The central payments decision: outsource the legal sale and indirect-tax operations to an MoR, or keep control and remain the merchant with a processor.

Short answer

Choose Paddle when transferring indirect-tax filing, transaction support, and seller-of-record responsibility is worth the higher bundled fee. Choose Stripe Payments when control, modularity, and direct merchant ownership matter and your team can operate tax, disputes, billing, and support.

Decision area	Paddle	Stripe Payments	Why it matters
Legal seller	Paddle sells the product to the buyer as Merchant of Record.	Your business remains the seller; Stripe processes the payment.	This changes invoices, card statements, terms, tax responsibility, support, and migration planning.
Headline price	5% + $0.50 public checkout rate.	US domestic cards start at 2.9% + $0.30.	The direct-processing price excludes work and optional products that Paddle bundles.
Indirect tax	Paddle calculates, registers, files, and remits for covered transactions.	The merchant remains responsible; Stripe Tax products can assist without changing the seller.	Tax calculation is not the same as legal responsibility or filing.
Checkout control	Paddle-hosted or overlay checkout within its MoR requirements.	Hosted Checkout, Elements, Payment Links, mobile SDKs, and lower-level APIs.	Stripe offers more composability; Paddle offers a more complete operating boundary.
Product eligibility	Focused on approved software and digital products.	Broader eligible online business coverage.	Some businesses simply cannot use a digital-product MoR.

Choose by scenario

The right answer changes with the business.

WHEN

You are launching global B2C SaaS without a tax operations team.

Choose Paddle

The MoR responsibility transfer is the core value, not just payment processing.

WHEN

You sell mainly domestic B2B, need custom payment flows, and already run finance operations.

Choose Stripe Payments

Direct merchant control and modular tools may be the better fit.

WHEN

You need physical goods, services, or a marketplace model.

Choose Stripe Payments

Paddle's approved-product scope is narrower; verify Stripe eligibility and any Connect requirements.

Primary sources

Check the current terms.

paddle.comReviewed 2026-07-27
paddle.comReviewed 2026-07-27
stripe.comReviewed 2026-07-27
stripe.comReviewed 2026-07-27