Paddle vs Lemon Squeezy fee calculator

Guide

About the Paddle vs Lemon Squeezy Fee calculator

Paddle and Lemon Squeezy are the two best-known merchant-of-record platforms for selling software and digital products — and choosing between them often comes down to fees and features. This Paddle vs Lemon Squeezy calculator settles the fee question by computing both on the same sale and showing exactly where (and whether) they differ.

On domestic sales, they're identical

Here's the headline most comparison articles bury: Paddle and Lemon Squeezy charge the same base fee — 5% + $0.50 per transaction. Both are merchants of record, so that fee includes card processing, fraud protection, and global sales-tax/VAT compliance in every country you sell to. On a standard domestic (US-card) sale, the two are penny-for-penny identical, and our calculator will tell you so with a "they cost exactly the same" verdict. When the price is the same, the decision should rest on features, developer experience, and product direction — not cost.

Where they diverge: international cards

The real fee difference is international payments. When a customer pays with a non-US card, Lemon Squeezy adds a 1.5% surcharge, taking its rate to 6.5% + $0.50, while Paddle keeps its flat 5% + $0.50. On a $100 international sale, that's $7.00 for Lemon Squeezy versus $5.50 for Paddle — Paddle keeps you $1.50 more. For a business whose customers are largely overseas, that 1.5% adds up quickly across a year, and it's the single most important number in this comparison. Toggle the international card option above and the calculator shows the gap on your amount.

Beyond the headline rate

Lemon Squeezy applies a few additional surcharges that Paddle generally folds into its flat rate: subscription payments and PayPal can add a small percentage, abandoned-cart recovery adds more, and affiliate-referred orders carry an extra cut. Paddle, on the other hand, directs products priced under $10 to custom pricing. Neither difference is captured by the headline 5% + $0.50, which is exactly why a calculator that models the international case — and a clear explanation of the surcharges — is more useful than a static fee table.

Choosing between them

On fees alone: if you sell mostly to US customers, it's a tie — pick on features. If a meaningful share of your customers pay with international cards, Paddle's flat rate is cheaper. Beyond fees, both offer subscriptions, global tax handling, and a checkout; Lemon Squeezy is known for a fast, indie-friendly setup, while Paddle has a longer enterprise track record. Note too that Stripe acquired Lemon Squeezy and now offers its own merchant-of-record product at the same 5% + $0.50 — worth factoring into a long-term choice. Run your real numbers above, then weigh the features that matter to how you sell.

Accuracy and notes

Both platforms publish a 5% + $0.50 base rate; Lemon Squeezy's 1.5% international surcharge and feature surcharges are documented, and we stamp the page with a "fees last verified" date. These are standard published rates — large or scaling companies can negotiate custom pricing with either. Confirm the final figure in each dashboard before deciding, but for a fast, honest read on which merchant of record costs less on your sales, this side-by-side gives you the answer in seconds.