The verdict
For most small B2B software teams, I'd pick Stripe by default. It is the safest first choice, because most tools in your stack already integrate with it, and you keep control of checkout, customers and data. If you sell digital products worldwide, have no one to run tax and compliance, and would rather hand that over, I'd pick Paddle.
Stripe needs a developer for anything custom, and its billing, tax and reporting add-ons are priced separately. Paddle means customers see its name on their statements, and it reviews your account. Whichever you start with, ask how subscriptions and stored payment methods can migrate if you switch.
Side by side
| 8 points compared | ||
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | ||
| Free plan | Yes | |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server | Yes | Yes |
| Dunning & churn recovery | Yes | Yes |
| Hosted self-serve checkout | Yes | Yes |
| Merchant of record | Yes | Yes |
| Usage-based metering | Yes | Yes |
| Links |
Plans and pricing
Paddle
- Pay-as-you-goFree
Stripe
Pricing not in our catalogue yet.
Who each is for
Choose Paddle if…
Pick Paddle if you sell SaaS, apps or digital products to customers in many countries and nobody on the team has time for VAT and sales tax. Paddle is the legal seller and remits the tax. Its Retain product recovers failed payments, and ProfitWell Metrics gives subscription analytics.
There is no monthly fee on the pay-as-you-go rate. You also give up some control. Paddle sets rules on what you can sell, customers see its name on their bank statement, and low-priced products or invoicing-heavy businesses may need a custom quote.
It is a good match for an early-stage company that wants to sell abroad before it has a finance team.
Choose Stripe if…
Pick Stripe if you build software or sell online, you have a developer or access to one, and you want to stay the merchant. The API is well documented, and there are webhooks, a command-line tool, a no-code workflows builder and an official MCP server.
The same account grows from a first payment link to subscriptions, invoicing, tax and fraud tools. Dutch businesses can accept iDEAL next to cards. There is no plan fee, but you pay per transaction, and the add-ons are priced on their own.
Stripe is not an accounting system, so you still need books. And once billing and reporting live there, leaving is slow, so decide with that in mind.
Other options worth a look
Bills digital products as merchant of record, handling subscriptions, usage metering, tax compliance and payouts.
Acts as merchant of record for software and digital product sales, handling global tax compliance.
Manages subscription billing, invoicing and revenue recognition for recurring businesses with your own payment gateways.
Send invoices, track expenses, reconcile banks and prepare VAT returns for Dutch small businesses.
Ties agency projects, time, budgets and profitability together in one place for managing client work.
