Global payments

RevenueCat vs Stripe vs Paddle

RevenueCat, Stripe, Paddle side by side: price, free tier, who each one fits and when to skip it.

Item	RevenueCat	Stripe	Paddle
What it does	Subscription layer for mobile apps that ties App Store, Google Play and web purchases together, with paywalls and revenue charts.	Payments API with checkout, subscriptions and billing, used by most SaaS companies worldwide.	Merchant of record for software: it sells your SaaS in its own name and handles sales tax and VAT in every country.
Best for	Founder with an AI app sold as an in-app subscription on iPhone and Android who wants one subscriber status across both stores.	A SaaS billing monthly plans by card in several currencies that wants upgrades, trials and retries handled by the best subscription API around.	Founder selling a SaaS worldwide who doesn't want to register for VAT or sales tax in every country they sell to.
Skip it if	Your SaaS only sells on the web, since RevenueCat doesn't move money and you'd still need Stripe or Paddle underneath.	You sell to consumers in many countries and don't want to register for VAT and sales tax yourself, since Stripe isn't the merchant of record.	You need the money every week, since Paddle pays out once a month and holds balances under the $100 minimum.
Setup	Needs a developer. The SDK takes a day or two; store setup and app review add several days to a couple of weeks.	Needs a developer. Checkout and subscriptions in test mode in an afternoon; real payments after the account activation review.	Needs a developer. Checkout in a day or two; domain review is often automatic, but a manual one takes about 5 to 7 business days.
Price	Free up to $2.5k MTR, then 1% of tracked revenue	2.9% + 30¢ per US card; international cards cost more; Billing 0.7%	5% + 50¢ per transaction, taxes included
What it costs in practice	Estimate for an app with 300 subscribers at $10/month ($3,000 tracked): RevenueCat takes 1% of $3,000 = $30/month. Apple at 15% takes $450 first. Under $2,500 a month, RevenueCat costs $0.	A SaaS with 200 subscribers at $29 on US cards: 200 × (2.9% of $29 + $0.30) ≈ $228, plus Billing at 0.7% of $5,800 ≈ $41. About $269 a month in fees, roughly 4.6% of revenue (estimate).	Estimate for a SaaS with 200 subscribers at $20/month (tax added on top for the customer): 200 × (5% of $20 + 50¢) = about $300/month in fees, with tax filing included. You keep roughly $3,700, paid once a month.
Free plan	Free up to $2,500 in monthly tracked revenue.	No monthly fee; you pay per transaction.	No monthly fee; you pay per transaction.
Fee per sale	1% above $2.5k/month, plus store fees	2.9% + 30¢ (US cards); more on international cards	5% + 50¢
Handles taxes (merchant of record)	No; Apple and Google are, in their stores	No by default; Managed Payments is separate	Yes, files and remits taxes
Subscriptions	Yes, its core feature	Yes, Stripe Billing (+0.7% of volume)	Yes, included in the fee
Open source	No: no	No: no	No: no
Before you build	Apple requires in-app purchase to unlock features or subscriptions inside the app. Outside the US storefront you can't add buttons or links to pay elsewhere unless Apple grants a special entitlement. The store keeps its cut before you see the money. Apple's reduced 15% rate only applies if you enroll in the Small Business Program and stay under $1 million a year. Once you pass $2,500 in tracked revenue, RevenueCat charges 1% of all of it, not just the part above. It's measured before the store cut and taxes, so you pay on money you never receive. RevenueCat's own web checkout runs on Stripe and only takes cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. No PayPal or bank payments.	Stripe isn't the merchant of record: registering for, collecting and filing sales tax or VAT in each country you sell to is on you. Stripe Tax only calculates and collects tax, for 0.5% of volume where you're registered. Filing the returns needs the separate Tax Complete plan. Your first payout usually lands 7 to 14 days after your first live payment, depending on your industry, country and risk level. Subscriptions run on Stripe Billing, which adds 0.7% of the billed volume on top of the card fee. Each card dispute costs $15 in the US, and countering it costs another $15 that you only get back if you win.	You can't go live until your website passes domain review. Most are approved automatically, but a manual review takes an estimated 5 to 7 business days and can stretch if they ask for more documents. The banned list includes pure consulting, marketplaces, exam and certification prep, medical advice, and donations or community access without real software. Check it before you build. You can't withdraw on demand. Paddle creates the payout on the 1st, sends it by the 15th, holds balances under $100, and some countries pay a $15 SWIFT fee. Local methods only show when the currency and country match: iDEAL, for example, appears only to customers in the Netherlands paying in euros. If you only list dollar prices, many buyers abroad see card and wallets only. The 50¢ per sale is flat, so cheap products hurt: on a $5 sale, Paddle keeps 15%. Products under $10 can ask for custom pricing.
Price checked	Checked on Oct 28, 2026 · official pricing	Checked on Oct 28, 2026 · official pricing	Checked on Oct 28, 2026 · official pricing

Prices are read from each official pricing page on the date shown and can change. Always confirm before signing up.

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