paddle

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Hand-drawn editorial illustration of six identical indigo toll gates in a row on a near-black background, one of them with a small gold price tag hanging from its barrier arm

The cheapest merchant of record in 2026: Paddle, Lemon Squeezy, Polar, Creem, Dodo and FastSpring

On a $29 plan the spread between the cheapest and priciest merchant of record is $1.87 a sale. Every published fee, what each one adds on top, and why the lowest headline rate isn't always the cheapest.

Aliteq Team · Oct 3 · 11 min

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Payments

Stripe Managed Payments fees (2026): what the +3.5% buys, who can use it, and when Paddle is cheaper

Stripe's merchant of record looks like a flat 3.5% add-on. It isn't quite: the fee lands on the tax as well as the price, Billing charges its own 0.7% on subscriptions, and above about $9.52 a month Paddle keeps less. The full fee stack, the break-even formula, and the five checks you have to pass first.

Aliteq Team · Sep 27 · 11 min

Hand-drawn illustration of a young builder sitting on the floor with a laptop, looking up at two doors: one painted with bold stripes, one plain and ajar with warm gold light spilling out

Payments

Lovable asks "Stripe or Paddle?" Here's which to pick, and what each one does with your VAT

Lovable lets each project run one payment provider, and switching later leaves your subscribers behind. We read Lovable's payments docs on 27 September 2026 and worked out what each choice costs at $9, $29 and $99, who files your sales tax and VAT, and when to skip both and connect your own Stripe. Try your own price in the calculator.

Aliteq Team · Sep 27 · 10 min

Flat illustration of a founder holding a laptop watching a large gold coin roll through three toll gates, each clipping a slice off it

Payments

Stripe vs Paddle vs Lemon Squeezy for AI SaaS (2026): the fee at $9, $29 and $99, and who files your VAT

Lovable asks you to pick Stripe or Paddle, and every comparison quotes the same headline percentages. We worked the fees at the prices small apps actually charge, for US and EU sellers, and checked who ends up filing the tax, what Stripe's own merchant of record costs, and what's happening to Lemon Squeezy.

Aliteq Team · Sep 27 · 13 min