Three payment platforms with very different liability models — pick based on whether you want raw infrastructure, a merchant of record, or something in between.
Pick Stripe when you want maximum flexibility — full control over checkout, billing logic, and the customer relationship — and you're willing to own tax and compliance yourself. Pick Paddle when you sell software globally and want a merchant-of-record model that takes sales-tax and compliance off your plate at scale. Pick Lemon Squeezy when you're a solo dev or small team selling digital goods globally and you'd rather trade some flexibility for a lighter, indie-friendly merchant-of-record onramp.
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| Attribute | Stripe | Paddle | Lemon Squeezy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Payments | Payments | Payments |
| Pricing Model | freemium | paid | freemium |
| Starting Price | Free | $0/mo | Free |
| Free Tier | Yes | No | Yes |
| Open Source | No | No | No |
| Platforms | web, mobile, platforms, marketplaces | web, mobile | web |
