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Two merchant-of-record providers with identical published rates, so the comparison is entirely about coverage.
Two merchant-of-record providers publishing identical headline rates, which means the entire comparison is about what each actually handles for you.
Published standard rates for domestic cards. Neither figure is a negotiated rate, and both providers may quote you something different.
On published rates these two cost exactly the same, so price is not the deciding factor — product, payouts and support are.
Cheaper of the two, by average transaction
Paydude is shown for reference, not as the answer to the question in the title. Excludes international, premium-card and dispute fees, which differ between all three.
| Paddle | Lemon Squeezy | |
|---|---|---|
| Card rate | 5% | 5% |
| Fixed fee | 50¢ | 50¢ |
| Monthly fee | $0 | $0 |
| Pricing model | Merchant of record | Merchant of record |
Both charge around 5% + 50¢ and both act as merchant of record, taking on global sales tax and VAT registration, remittance, invoicing and fraud liability. On price there is nothing to separate them.
Product fit. Compare checkout customisation, supported payment methods and currencies, subscription flexibility, payout schedules and the quality of the tax handling in the jurisdictions you actually sell into.
The calculator above also shows Paydude, which publishes 2.6% + 25¢ improving with volume. It is there as a third data point rather than as the answer to a question about Paddle and Lemon Squeezy — for every provider side by side see the full processor fee table.
GOOD QUESTIONS
Neither — both publish 5% + 50¢. Any cost difference between them comes from currency handling, payout fees and which payment methods they support in your markets, not from the headline rate.
It does not change on price, because the published rates are the same at every ticket size. It changes on which jurisdictions and payment methods each covers well.
Both are merchants of record for digital products. Lemon Squeezy is simpler and aimed at solo founders and small teams; Paddle is more established with deeper subscription and enterprise billing features. The tax handling is the shared core of both.
Both are publicly published standard rates for domestic card payments as of September 2026. Neither is a negotiated or promotional rate, and either provider may quote you something different from its list price.