Polar vs Lemon Squeezy
On a typical month ($29 product, 100 sales, half from abroad, subscriptions), Polar costs about $41 less in fees than Lemon Squeezy. Polar: 5% + $0.50, +1.5% international. Lemon Squeezy: 5% + $0.50, +1.5% international, +0.5% on subscriptions. Change the numbers below to see your own case.
What lands in your bank, Polar vs Lemon Squeezy
Estimate from published rates. "Foreign cards" means outside each provider’s home market (the US for most, the EEA for AgentaOS). Payout fees use one payout a month. AgentaOS fixed fees are in euros; amounts are shown in one currency for comparison. Card fees inside Gumroad and Payhip use a typical 2.9% + $0.30.
Fees, payouts and tax, side by side
| Polar | Lemon Squeezy | AgentaOS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fee per sale | 5% + $0.50, +1.5% international | 5% + $0.50, +1.5% international, +0.5% on subscriptions | 4.5% + €0.50, +1.5% international |
| Payout | Stripe payout fees pass through | Free in the US, 1% elsewhere | 1% (min €1) plus bank cost |
| Merchant of record (files sales tax and VAT) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | developer tools and open source | creators, courses and info products | AI agents running billing, and payouts where Stripe does not reach |
Published prices: Polar checked 14 Oct, Lemon Squeezy 14 Oct, AgentaOS 15 Oct 2026. AgentaOS is one of the providers compared.
Straight answers
Is Polar cheaper than Lemon Squeezy?
In our default example ($29 product, 100 sales a month, half of buyers abroad, subscriptions) Polar costs about $41 less a month. The answer changes with your price and how many buyers pay with foreign cards, so use the calculator.
What does Polar charge in 2026?
5% + $0.50, +1.5% international. Payouts: Stripe payout fees pass through. Checked 14 Oct 2026 on Polar’s pricing page.
What does Lemon Squeezy charge in 2026?
5% + $0.50, +1.5% international, +0.5% on subscriptions. Payouts: Free in the US, 1% elsewhere. Checked 14 Oct 2026 on Lemon Squeezy’s pricing page.
Which is better, Polar or Lemon Squeezy?
Polar suits developer tools and open source. Lemon Squeezy suits creators, courses and info products.
Is there another option?
AgentaOS is a merchant of record at 4.5% + €0.50 (4% + €0.40 on Pro), the one your AI agent can run over MCP, and it pays out in many countries Stripe does not reach. Creem (3.9% + $0.40) and Dodo (4% + $0.40) have lower headline rates. AgentaOS wrote this page.
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