Stripe vs Polar.sh: Which Payment Platform is Best for Your SaaS?

When it comes to integrating payments into your SaaS, you’ve got a ton of options. But two tools stand out for very different reasons: Stripe, the long-time king of global payment infrastructure, and Polar.sh, a rising open-source alternative aimed at solo devs, indie projects, and digital tools.

Both are great—but which one is right for you?

In this beginner-friendly guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know: features, pricing, dev experience, setup, and when to use which. If you're deciding how to power your SaaS billing, this is for you.

TL;DR: Stripe or Polar?

Meet the Platforms

🏦 Stripe: Payments Powerhouse

Stripe launched in 2010 and quickly became the default for online payments. It's used by giants like Shopify, Lyft, and Amazon. If you need to handle:

• Complex billing
• Global currencies
• Compliance
• Reporting
• Platform payouts

...Stripe is probably already on your radar.

🧪 Polar.sh: A Developer’s Best Friend

Polar is the new kid on the block—but with a fresh take. It’s open source, developer-first, and focused on simplicity. Think:

• 5-line integration
• License key generation
• Discord or GitHub repo access
• No-code customer portals

It’s everything a solo dev needs to sell software without headaches.

Features Breakdown

Stripe

• ✅ Credit cards, wallets, bank transfers, and more
• ✅ Subscriptions with metered usage + trials + add-ons
• ✅ Fraud detection (Radar)
• ✅ International compliance (135+ currencies)
• ✅ Hosted checkout and embeddable components
• ✅ Connect for marketplaces
• ✅ Smart retries and dunning

Polar.sh

• ✅ Sell digital products, SaaS, or one-off tools
• ✅ Built-in billing for monthly/annual plans
• ✅ Built-in license key delivery
• ✅ Discord role + GitHub repo access
• ✅ Hosted checkout, embeddable anywhere
• ✅ Self-serve customer portal
• ✅ Automated VAT and tax handling

Pricing Models

Stripe

• 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (US cards)
• International + currency conversion: additional
• Add-ons like Billing, Radar, and Connect may increase cost
• No monthly fees (pay-as-you-go)

Polar.sh

• 4% + $0.40 per transaction — that’s it
• No hidden charges
• Includes payment processing and all features
• Predictable cost scaling as you grow

Stripe may be cheaper at scale. But Polar is simpler for most small to mid-sized projects.

Developer Experience

Stripe: Powerful But Deep

• SDKs for every language: Node, Python, Ruby, Java, Go, .NET, PHP
• Advanced APIs and event-based architecture
• Fine-grained billing logic, metadata, webhooks
• Requires setup of multiple components (client, server, webhooks)

// Stripe: Server-side
const paymentIntent = await stripe.paymentIntents.create({
  amount: 1000,
  currency: 'usd',
});

// Stripe: Client-side
const result = await stripe.confirmPayment({ ... });

Polar.sh: Lightweight & Fast

• Open source
• Minimal lines of code to get started
• Framework-specific CLI (npx polar-init for Next.js, etc.)
• Built-in success pages and customer portals
• No server required for basic payments

const checkout = await polar.checkouts.custom.create({
  productId: 'abc123',
  successUrl: 'https://myapp.com/success'
});
redirect(checkout.url);

Polar is ideal for beginners or side projects where you want to sell fast and get back to building.

Subscription Logic

Stripe

• Multi-tier billing
• Usage-based pricing
• Trials, coupons, and prorating
• Invoicing and revenue recognition
• Complex but powerful

Polar.sh

• Flat-rate billing
• Monthly/annual toggle
• Price per seat/team
• Auto entitlement and license sync
• Easy to understand and implement

If you're charging per-user or with custom logic, Stripe wins. If you just need "$5/mo" or "$99/year," Polar is easier.

Checkout + Portal

Stripe

• Stripe Checkout (hosted)
• Stripe Elements (embeddable components)
• Self-serve portal via Stripe Billing
• Full styling control with custom UIs

Polar.sh

• One-line embed or redirect checkout
• Prebuilt checkout flows
• Hosted customer portal for subscription changes
• Automatic entitlement sync with GitHub, Discord

Compliance + Entitlements

Stripe

• You manage entitlements (e.g., roles, keys, etc.)
• You configure tax logic with Stripe Tax
• You monitor fraud with Radar (optional)

Polar.sh

• Built-in entitlements (license keys, Discord roles, GitHub repo access)
• Tax/VAT handled globally with no setup
• No Radar-style fraud tools, but simpler stack

Community + Docs

Stripe

• Massive ecosystem
• Tons of tutorials, integrations, and plugins
• Excellent API reference
• Active Stack Overflow community

Polar.sh

• Friendly Discord for dev support
• Open source contributors
• Smaller footprint, but fast-growing
• Docs focused on popular frameworks and use cases

When to Use Stripe

Choose Stripe if:

• You’re building a global SaaS with complex billing
• You need revenue recognition or advanced finance tools
• You’re a marketplace or platform paying out to users
• You need fine-grained control of billing flows

When to Use Polar.sh

Use Polar if:

• You’re solo or a small team
• You’re selling licenses, digital tools, or API access
• You want fast setup with built-in entitlements
• You value simplicity over power

Real-World Scenarios

Scenario 1: You’re building a design SaaS tool charging $29/month with a small team

• ✅ Use Polar.sh to launch faster

Scenario 2: You’re building a large B2B CRM with usage-based billing and a finance team

• ✅ Use Stripe for scale + complexity

Scenario 3: You’re monetizing a side project or open source repo

• ✅ Polar.sh gets you live in minutes

Final Take

Stripe is the heavyweight: flexible, powerful, and great at scale. But it comes with complexity.

Polar.sh is your fast, open-source alternative that makes selling software way easier—especially if you’re a solo dev or small SaaS team.

You really can’t go wrong with either. It just depends where you are in your journey.

Resources

• Stripe Docs
• Polar.sh Docs
• Polar GitHub

Happy shipping 💸