The verdict
For most small B2B teams with a developer, I'd pick Stripe. It is the safest first choice, it grows from a first payment to a platform, and your accounting tool and CRM probably already talk to it. If you sell software worldwide and do not want to deal with VAT, GST and sales tax in each country, pick Polar.
Do not choose on price alone. Both charge per transaction, and the cheapest option changes with your volume. Polar also has paid tiers that lower the rate. Work out your own sales mix first. If you are unsure whether you will want to be the seller later, remember that moving customers and subscriptions out of either tool takes effort.
Side by side
| 8 points compared | ||
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $20/mo | |
| 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
Polar
- StarterFree
- Pro$20/mo
- Growth$100/mo
- Scale$400/mo
Stripe
Pricing not in our catalogue yet.
Who each is for
Choose Polar if…
Pick Polar if you are a developer or a small software team selling subscriptions, licences or usage-based services across borders, and you want a merchant of record. Its meters suit pricing by tokens or API calls, and it can hand out licence keys or repository access after purchase.
You can start with no monthly fee, and there is a migration guide from Stripe. The trade-off is less control. Polar has an acceptable use policy, account reviews and a list of supported countries, so check that your product and country are covered. It is built for digital products, not for offline or service businesses.
Choose Stripe if…
Pick Stripe if you build software or sell online, have a developer or access to one, and want payments, subscriptions, invoices, tax and reporting on one account. It has an API-first design, good documentation, webhooks, a CLI and a no-code Workflows builder.
It also handles local methods such as iDEAL alongside cards, which matters if you sell in the Netherlands. Watch the add-ons, because Billing, Tax and Sigma are priced separately. Anything custom needs engineering time, and once billing and tax sit in Stripe, leaving is slow. Stripe is not an accounting system, so you still need one for the books.
Other options worth a look
Handle global subscriptions, payments and tax compliance without managing VAT registration across 300+ markets.
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.
