An in-depth comparison of Stripe in comparison to. Paddle vs.

Feb 10, 2023

To help you decide between Stripe vs. Paddle vs. , this comparison guide:

  • What is the primary thing each provides a solution to (e.g., payment processing, gathering and remitting taxes as well as controlling subscriptions) and what additional software you'll require to integrate to your tech stack.
  • Which industries and businesses are in sync with each other.

In the next section in the next section, we will provide a thorough analysis of some of the key features like checkout and the ability to provide reports. Additionally, we offer customer reviews, as well as cases studies of each option.

In short, Stripe primarily deals with processing payments, while and Paddle deal with the processing of payments, managing subscriptions and tax collection and payment , as well as fraud prevention, as well as many other things and without need for extra software.

Table of Contents

Notification: Information in this article is true at the time when it was written, but it is subject to change.

What aspects of the process of payment will you be able to regulate and what other programs will you require to have a complete payment system?

Stripe: Payment Processing

Stripe is well-known because of its processing capabilities, so they assist you in obtaining payment details and get payments accepted. Additionally, they offer the basics that enable users to manage subscriptions, including fraud detection, invoicing and much more.

These additional features can satisfy the needs of a few early stage start-ups, however, many companies require greater options. With time you'll need more programs that are able to handle the more complicated recurring billing requirements as well as accept other payment methods around the world and even develop your own payment system. It's good to know that most developers are able to connect Stripe alongside other applications (however it is necessary to purchase each application individually).

Many companies that utilize Stripe require additional employees to handle the taxation of sales (and VAT) and compliance with regulatory requirements. While Stripe takes tax on VAT and sales on your behalf, you'll still be accountable for paying it. If you're negligent in remitting these taxes with the incorrect amount, or in the wrong time or by using an incorrect method it could result in penalty and financial losses. (More about this in the future. )

In addition, you'll have to keep up to date and following local laws and regulations where there are clients. This is a huge job for any business and is the reason why many firms dedicate entire departments for this task.

The Whole Payment Lifecycle

  • A variety of payment processors (which improves the frequency of authorization, and allows for easier transfer of funds internationally).
  • Flexible subscription management, as well as automated bill-paying tools.
  • B2B Digital Invoicing.
  • Advanced fraud detection.
  • Flexible check out (down down to the final pixels).
  • Detailed reports and analytics.
  • and there are many more.

It will be possible to control every aspect of your payments cycle by using your account without having to purchase additional headcount or software.

Paddle: Nearly all of the Payment Lifecycle

Paddle has solutions for payment processing as well as subscription management as well as fraud detection. Paddle has more options than Stripe's offers. But, some of the features are less robust than the capabilities of Stripe. The checkout, for instance, is more customizable in comparison to Paddle's checkout options (more on this later). the future).

If Paddle isn't able to provide what it requires it could be necessary to install additional software, or switch to another program or.

Like Paddle , Paddle is an MoR.

What types of companies and which industries are eligible to make use of the Platforms?

The Stripe Application: Nearly Any Business

It can be utilized by nearly any type of business in nearly all industries. However, SaaS companies will inevitably run into a few struggles with Stripe.

Like we said earlier, companies who use Stripe hold the sole responsibility of the payment of taxes on sales and VAT. There was a time that SaaS companies didn't need to pay sales tax or VAT However, a lot of states and countries are coming up with (and strictly enforcing) new laws that require SaaS businesses to pay VAT or sales tax.

Two examples are provided:

  • The 1st of January, 2015, the European Union began requiring software sellers to collect and remit VAT based on the location of the buyer instead of the location of the business or employees.
  • In 2018, it was the year in 2018 the United States Supreme Court decided that states are allowed to charge sales tax on transactions made by sellers who are not part of their state (including online sellers) however the seller does not have any physical presence within the state which is taxed.

Being aware of and adhering to constantly shifting tax law is an extremely difficult task. This is why SaaS firms (and those selling digital product) prefer one that is capable of the payment of VAT and sales tax on behalf of you.

: B2C and B2B SaaS or Digital Goods Companies

Since its inception, it has been providing services to B2B and B2C firms that market SaaS as well as digital products, the ability to download software

3,200+ SaaS and Software Companies Trust

Paddle B2C SaaS

Paddle has been serving SaaS businesses for about 10 years. Paddle's platform works better for B2C firms, but they are working on adding new features for B2B companies, such as automated billing.

Paddle will soon offer B2B billing and invoicing

If adding B2B services is in the near future, the features could be in place by the time you need they. However, if you're currently selling products that are B2B-related it's a good idea to look at a different option that has fully functioning B2B capabilities ('s Digital Invoicing tool which is specifically for B2B customers is in use for a number of years).

It will be followed by a comparison of Stripe with. vs. Paddle according to certain features.

Features and Functionality Comparisons

Payment Processing (Payment methods, currencies And More)

Stripe

To start processing payments with Stripe, you need to create each account using the option of payment and currency that you would like to use in the particular area. Once set to go active, Stripe will automatically convert price of the product and show relevant currency and payment options at the process of payment.

Stripe supports 135+ currencies.

It will accept payment from large credit card networks (including MasterCard and Visa), bank transfers, vouchers as well as the most popular wallets, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. The latter, however, do not take payments from PayPal.

Stripe is also able to support in-person transactions by using the Stripe Terminal as well as mobile SDKs.

This makes it easier to allow SaaS and also online retailers to accept payments with a wide range of currencies and payment options around the globe. Instead of establishing each payment method independently, businesses can switch on localized transactions and accept international payments immediately.

 Global Payments: Visa, Discover, Mastercard, PayPal, Amazon Pay, etc.

In contrast, Stripe automatically converts the price to local currency for you, it gives you more choice:

  • You can let the conversions for you, oryou can decide to set a specific price per item in all of the currencies.
  • The user can choose the appropriate currency for the user according to their place of residence or location. You may choose a particular currency for each location or it is possible to let the users select the currency that they like. supports 23+ currencies.

With , customers can pay with:

  • Credit cards include Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB and UnionPay.
  • ACH.
  • SEPA Direct Debit.
  • Wire transfers.
  • Wallets including PayPal, Apple Pay, Amazon, Alipay, and numerous others.
 Payment Methods: Visa, American Express, Mastercard, Discover, PayPal, ACH Direct Debit, SEPA Direct Debit

The success rate of payments is higher rate when the payment gateway is situated in the same place as the customer. automatically routes online payments through the gateway, which has the greatest rate of authorization for the kind of payment as well as its location.

In addition, having several payment options can solve a lot of failed problems with payments caused by network issues. When a gateway to process payments fails due to a glitch in the technology it uses, it automatically attempts to retry the transaction with a different option without your team having to move their fingers.

Benefit: Sift Partners as Sift

is the leader in the fraud and risk aspects (including the chargeback process). We work together with Sift, a global pioneer in the field of risk analysis and prevention, in order to protect your transactions. Sift employs machine learning and AI to:

  • Improve the accuracy of the fraud-related decision making.
  • Enhance approval rates, resulting in lower false positives.
  • Be sure that any bad actors stop transactions before they are completed.

also blocks transactions from countries and jurisdictions where companies can't currently conduct business.

Paddle

Paddle also utilizes multiple payment options and allows organizations to accept payments from all over the world with minimal configuration.

Paddle supports more than 20 currencies. The which include the most well-known credit card (including MasterCard, Union Pay as well as many others) wire transfer as also savings digital wallets (including Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Alipay) (although many of these are still being tested in beta).

The calculation of Sales Tax and Payment (VAT, GST) as well as Sales Tax

Stripe

Stripe has acquired TaxJar for the purpose of helping you calculate sales tax, VAT, and GST. They only offer instructions to activate tax-related features and provide tax codes. Users are responsible for every decision and all the consequences which result from the use of these instruments (e.g., knowing what your product's classification is according to tax law, and knowing if and where you are nexus-related, you must to be registered and collect, file and file taxes on consumption). If you're in doubt about how to reduce tax burdens and get tax reliefs rate, rates, or other tax-related question You'll probably be advised to consult the tax expert or go through the article on help.

     If you accidentally created it incorrectly and pay the wrong amount (or the wrong type) or tax, the IRS will hold you accountable.    

In addition, the process of filing sales tax forms is typically more difficult than simply filling in a spreadsheet and writing a check. As the years progress, nations are imposing more obligation in order to remain in compliance. Examples:

  • Certain countries such as Colombia, Japan, Mexico, Serbia, and others need local representation, meaning you have recruit someone physical presence in the country in order to fulfill the tax requirements. This can vary from $5 to $15k each year.
  • Countries such as India, Indonesia, Japan as well as others need your accounts "pre-funded" meaning you need to figure out how much tax you'll owe. put that amount in your account until the time you are ready to make a tax return (up up to 3 months ahead).
  • Certain countries such as Serbia, United Kingdom, Taiwan as well as others, require electronic invoicing (it also applies to non-resident companies also). It typically cost companies between $2 and $5k per year. Notification: E-invoicing mandates are expanding at a rapid pace as evidenced by the EU outlining an all-encompassing electronic invoicing requirement in 2028..
  • States like Taiwan, Indonesia, Nigeria, Vietnam, and others have you file tax returns on your income and in addition to indirect taxes (this can be as high as $5-10k per year).

In addition, wiring international tax payments are not simple or cost-free. The corresponding and receiving banks each have their own costs. The risk is also associated with foreign transactions.

Thus, even though Stripe has taken an important step to help you collect tax from sales, by buying TaxJar but they're a far further from having an end-to-end solution for tax collection , as well as international tax collection.

manages the entire process of collecting and sending sales tax, VAT, as well as GST to you .

Over 20 years of expertise in filing more than 1,200 tax returns each year. Our team makes sure you pay the correct amount (and the right type) of indirect tax is being taken into account when you pay your bill and we are able to handle tax-free transactions within the U.S. and 0% reverse charge when it is permitted in international.

Files and collects tax in 52 countries and 13 provinces, in addition to all the U.S. states that collect sales tax (five states don't collect taxes on sales).

Our team then pays these taxes on your behalf and ensures all the necessary procedures are in place to be in compliance. If a nation or state requires you to adhere to taxes, the tax experts from our company will advise you in the right method to deal with them, and even go as far as providing responses with copies and paste.

We establish and keep relationships with tax professionals around the globe, to ensure that we're informed of current laws and regulations which are changing.

Bonus: Tax Codes that are Customized

Tools such as TaxJar, Avalara, and other tax software can provide the tax code for all kinds of services and products. In reality, many companies eventually want to offer services or products which isn't covered by the terms of one of the tax codes that are provided (e.g. for example, hosting an event that is held in person, with online attendees and speakers). With a tool such as TaxJar it is your own to calculate and find the right amount as well as the kind of indirect tax due to the fact that they won't have the appropriate tax code to your specific circumstance.

It's not a problem for sellers, as we've just introduced a feature which allows us to design unique tax codes that are tailored to the specific use situation in mere minutes. We'll ask you for the specifics of the service or product you offer and we'll create the tax code you need.

Paddle

Like Paddle , Paddle takes the responsibility of collecting and remitting the sales tax, VAT as well as GST on behalf of the benefit of you. In contrast to Paddle , Paddle doesn't support tax exemptions for certain instances within the U.S.

Check-out

Stripe

Stripe Checkout can be described as a built-in payment system which can be utilized on every device. There are several possibilities of customizing (e.g. Font, block shapes, colors and many more.) However, the options are very limitless. Stripe instantly converts Checkout to the language of the buyer (35plus choices) in accordance with the purchaser's place of residence.

lets you customize every aspect of your checkout experience, from custom fields to branded colours. You can also decide if you'd like to grant your developer total control over the checkout process or let it the system handle everything for you (or someplace in between).

The following is a short review of checkout options:

  • Three variations: You have the option of embedding the checkout directly onto your website or use a pop-up checkout or redirect your clients to a Web Storefront managed by .
Rankmath's Secure Checkout with
  • Store Builder Library (SBL): 's SBL gives you full control over the design and feel of your checkout all the way down to the pixels, regardless of which checkout method you choose.
  • Localized checkout:Let customers choose their preferred language or choose the one that is appropriate based on their geographical location. Supports 19and more languages.
  • Tools for testing and tracking: With 's built-in tools to track, you'll be in a position to discover ways to boost conversion rates. The majority of companies using this method are able improve their conversion rates up to 30.
  • Personalized customer serviceAlthough we offer you total control over your shopping cart Our team is available to assist the best checkout experience for your company. Certain companies provide only personal support for their biggest clients while ignoring smaller companies. We aren't one of them. With our clients' best interests in mind. Our staff is happy to help with any way they can.

Paddle

Paddle provides two versions of the checkout process:

  • It is embedded on your site
  • Popup overlay

Within these two formats, you have a variety of options for personalization. Paddle can be used with 16 languages and can automatically translate your payments.

Subscription Management

Stripe

Stripe Billing includes a few diverse subscription options

  • Billing at a flat rate (for an annual or monthly cost) Annual price)
  • Multi-price billing (where the exact same product is offered at different prices in various locations)
  • Per-seat bill (based on active customers in the billing cycle)
  • Usage-based charging (single unit or tied)
  • Flat-rate + overage (a combination of flat-rate and usage-based billing)

This solution is ideal for businesses that have the basic subscription-based services but companies that have higher-level recurring billing requirements (e.g., SaaS) usually require additional software. In this regard, Stripe has developed a close partnership with Chargebee in order to make it simpler for customers to obtain the tools for subscription billing they need. It's not difficult to connect these two tools however it is necessary to control and buy both in separate ways.

Additionally, Stripe offers a customer portal where customers can manage their accounts (both as well as Paddle also offer this).

It offers an array of options for managing subscriptions specially designed to be utilized by SaaS firms.

Edit Subscription Pricing: Standard or Managed

Additionally, the majority of these options are set-up without having to write codes. You can, for instance to configure:

  • Automated monthly, weekly or even annual recurring bills.
  • Prorated billing to accommodate upgrade -- or downgrade during mid-cycle.
  • Trials at no cost or to any length.
  • Trials that don't include or have information about payment (by not collecting information about the payment) are less likely to experience friction at check-out and, in turn, leads to higher conversion rates).
  • Automatic or manual renewal.
  • Upsells, cross-sells, one-time discount, add-ons.
  • And there's even many more...

Access to our API and webhooks library to customize additional options.

     One major point that is frequently ignored is whether your recurring billing model follows local laws and regulations for transactions.    

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has specific rules concerning recurring payment. In the moment of writing it, the RBI limits automatic recurring payments up to 15,000 rupees (approximately 170 USD). If an order exceeds this amount, the buyer must approve each transaction manually. In addition, you must make an official order with the RBI to outline the steps to take for to ensure conformity. If you don't make an application for a mandate in writing or allow customers to approve massive transactions, you may receive heavy penalties or even be barred from selling items for sale to people from India.

While some subscription management applications are able to release updates to members of the community whenever they're informed of changes to regulations, you're held responsible for keeping track the relevant laws and regulations. If you do not follow the regulations, you may face sanctions or ban from conducting business within that region. The majority of companies will require more staff in order to handle the situation.

     Our customers don't have to be concerned about this since we'll take on transaction liability for our customers.    

Our legal team are up-to-date with all pertinent legalities, ensures the necessary processes are in place. leads audits and provides specific guidance on how to remain legally compliant- all for free of charge.

Bonus: Invoicing via digital

DI (DI) can help you handle B2B orders in conjunction with B2C purchases. With DI the system, you'll be in a position to:

  • Create and manage custom quotations in real-time (including coupon codes, custom tags discounts, coupons and other).
  • Set quote expiration dates.
  • Request and accept the payment.
  • Create custom notes to the prospective client or customer.
  • Provide a quote which is self-service (this is especially useful when clients require approval prior to purchasing).
  • Plus much plus.

Paddle

Utilizing a variety of webhooks as well as the API they provide, Paddle can support these subscription model:

  • Fixed
  • Tiered
  • Per-seat
  • Metered

Furthermore, some of these choices can be mixed. In this case, for instance, you can create a tiered system which allows every tier to make utilization of certain seats.

Paddle provides a paid or free trial. Users will need to submit payment details to participate in the trial. Paddle will also adjust rates when users change their plans mid-cycle (e.g. adding new users or make an upgrade).

Analytics and Reporting

Stripe

Stripe gives you a wide range of revenue recognition tools to help you cut your expenses and accounting, such as:

  • Basic accounting reports , like balance sheets, aswell in balance sheets and income.
  • Flexible revenue rules, like not passing through fees or auto-adjusting the duration of receipt.
  • Overview of revenue reports.
  • And more...

Reports can be reviewed on the Stripe dashboard and some reports are accessible for downloading in an CSV format. You can also incorporate it with the most widely used accounting applications, including QuickBooks Desktop and Xero. But, the capability to transfer data from companies that provide revenue recognition to Stripe is in the process of being tested.

Data and Analytics Reporting is an extensive package that can help you comprehend:

  • How each product contributes to the overall performance of your company.
  • When customers are most likely to be dropped off.
  • What promotions or coupons are working.
  • Which subscription model generates the highest amount of income.
  • The location of your clients.
  • Which payment options and currencies do users prefer.
  • And many plus...

Most of the data accessible is available in one of two dashboards that contain the Income overview dashboard along with the subscription overview dashboard.

's Revenue Overview Dashboard

The dashboard of the overview of revenue includes more general data including total transactions for each country, or net sales per product.

Transactions, Transaction Currencies, Net Sales and Net Sales by Country in

The dashboard for subscription overview permits you to dig more deeply into particular information like current customers or monthly recurring revenues (MRR) during the course of time.

's Subscription Overview Dashboard

If you aren't able to find the report you're looking for on these dashboards, then you can create and save custom reports. You can also contact our support team for assistance in finding (or create) the report you require. All reports can be seen on your dashboard, or downloaded in CSV PNG or XLSX.

Paddle

Paddle has recently bought ProfitWell in order to provide reports and analytics capabilities. The integration, however, is not yet fully operational so there could be some variances between these two platforms. In this case, they will show distinct MRR.

When fully integrated, Paddle will be able to:

  • Automatically keep track of the performance of key indicators such as MRR.
  • Monitor user engagement, churn and.
  • Use benchmarking and segmentation tools to aid you.
  • and more...

Pricing

Stripe

Since it is a self-contained platform, the cost of using Stripe is differently from Paddle or. When using Stripe you'll have to the payment of additional equipment and employees to take care of various aspects of the payment process that include advanced fraud detection and payment administration, subscription management VAT and sales tax as well as many more.

The company also rates its cards and wallets differently in comparison to other payment options including ACH and SEPA.

With all of the payment options listed above will allow you to use the features they offer, however not all. As an example, Stripe charges additional fees for secure 3D transactions, invoices, tax features, and more.

For more information about Stripe, visit their site.

Through, you'll get all access to whole platform (and all services) at a flat rate. We handle all responsibility for your transactions, and also lead the charge on VAT and sales tax which means you won't require any additional software or headcount.

Our staff works in partnership with you to come up with the most affordable cost depending on the number of transactions . Additionally, you'll be charged when transactions are executed.

Paddle

Paddle advertises a flat-rate fee for their main product, which covers the bulk of the features you will need -for example, the processing of payments, checkout subscriptions, tax and conformity, protection against fraud as well as reporting, and many more However, it does not cover all of the features.

In this instance, Paddle collects a 10% fee to replenish empty carts.

For more information on Paddle, visit their site.

Customer Review

Stripe

Stripe currently has 4.4 ratings at G2 (a famous software review site) with more than 82 reviews.

Stripe G2 review: My go to invoicing system

Presently, the site has a 4.5 rating in G2 as well as 184+ reviews.

Here's what a handful of our customers had to say:

 G2 review: A pleasure doing business
 G2 review: The best service that incorporates the best qualities and user-friendliness

Paddle

Paddle currently has 4.5 score on G2 with over 145 reviews.

Paddle G2 review: Perfect partner for business growth

The conclusion. Paddle vs. Stripe

When you're offering physical products or services, or products, then Paddle is not an option and that means that Stripe the most suitable choice of the three choices we've discussed. When you're offering digital products, Stripe may not be the best choice since you'll have to work on your own when it comes to constructing a fully-fledged payment solution (which could be costly and can take a lot of duration).

It has served SaaS firms for more than more than twice as long as Paddle and has additional features and features. It is also better prepared to assist B2B firms.

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