Card payments, subscriptions and tax tools. You are the seller.
Stripe takes card payments and runs subscriptions. You are the seller, so your business is responsible for VAT and sales tax; Stripe Tax can calculate it for a fee. Checkout gives you a hosted payment page and the Customer Portal lets subscribers manage their own plan.
Good for
Watch out for
| Build | Role | Plan | Monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auth-heavy B2B app (Neon + Clerk) | PaymentsSubscriptions billed to the org | 1.5% + 20p per standard UK card; Billing 0.7% | No monthly fee | VAT "may be charged" |
| Digital products shop (downloads / courses): Stripe vs merchant of record | Payments, Path ALowest fees | 1.5% + 20p per standard UK card | No monthly fee | You are the seller and handle UK/EU VAT yourself |
| Digital products shop (downloads / courses): Stripe vs merchant of record | Tax (optional, Path A)Calculates and files tax | Basic: 40p per transaction via payment APIs; Complete from £70/mo on a 1-year contract | per sale / £70.00 | Basic rate for Checkout integrations unknown (not shown on the page) |
| Directory site with paid listings | PaymentsCheckout for one-off listing fees | Pay as you go: 1.5% + 20p per standard UK card | No monthly fee | Fees are per sale (see below) |
| SaaS with payments | PaymentsCard + Billing fees published in GBP | Pay as you go | No platform fee + % fees | 1.5% + 20p (standard UK cards) + 0.7% Billing |
Stripe vs Lemon Squeezy vs Paddle for selling digital products
1.5% + 20p per standard UK card
You're the seller, so VAT is yours: get tax advice before you sell. Stripe Tax adds 40p a sale (Basic, via payment APIs) or £70/mo (Complete, 1-year contract).
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Netlify
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Lemon Squeezy
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Used in 1 build, compared in 1
Paddle
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Good for: Software and SaaS sold internationally
Used in 1 build, compared in 1