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Polar

Open source merchant of record for developers, with subscriptions, usage-based billing and license keys built on Stripe.

Global paymentsOpen source
Website Official pricing
Price
5% + 50¢ on Starter; from $20/month for lower rates
Free plan
No
Setup
A little code
Up and running
Checkout in an afternoon with the SDK; up to 14 days for the review before the first payout.

What Polar is for

Polar is an open source merchant of record built for developers: it sells your software in its own name and takes care of sales tax and VAT worldwide. On top of checkout and subscriptions, it bills by usage (tokens, credits, API calls) and issues license keys, which suits AI products. It pays out through Stripe, and only to the countries Stripe Connect covers.

How it plugs into your product

  1. 1Create an organization and set up products, prices and usage meters in the sandbox.
  2. 2Add the checkout to your app with the SDK or a checkout link, and handle webhooks to grant access.
  3. 3Before the first payout, pass the account review: business and product details, owner ID plus selfie, and a Stripe Connect payout account. It can take up to 14 days.
  4. 4Once approved, request payouts whenever you want to a local bank account in a supported country.

Does it fit your idea?

It fits if

  • An AI SaaS that charges per credit or token and wants usage billing without building it.
  • A founder with a company and bank account in a supported country, such as a US LLC, selling to a global audience.
  • A developer tool or open source project selling paid tiers and license keys.

Look elsewhere if

  • Your company is in a country Polar can't pay out to, or your only bank account is in another country.
  • You sell human services, physical products or run a marketplace.
  • You sell cheap one-off items: on a $5 sale, 5% + 50¢ keeps 15% before the non-US card fee.

What people only find out after building

Read this before you build on it. Each item links to the official page that says so.

  • Check that your country is on the payout list. Polar says that if your country doesn't appear during onboarding, it can't pay you there, and the bank account must match your business's country. Wise, Payoneer or Revolut accounts don't pass.

    Official source: polar.sh

  • Your first payout waits for an account review that can take up to 14 days. Later reviews kick in at sales thresholds, and payouts sit as 'held for review' meanwhile.

    Official source: polar.sh

  • Non-US cards add 1.5% to every plan, each dispute costs $15 even if you win, and Stripe's payout fees ($2/month plus 0.25% + 25¢ per payout, plus up to 1% currency conversion) come on top.

    Official source: polar.sh

  • Products that are mostly human services, physical goods or marketplaces are banned; marketing services get a closer review and may be refused.

    Official source: polar.sh

Price

5% + 50¢ on Starter; from $20/month for lower rates

Starter has no monthly fee; you pay 5% + 50¢ per sale.

Fee per sale
5% + 50¢ (3.4% + 30¢ on Scale), +1.5% non-US
Handles taxes (merchant of record)
Yes
Subscriptions
Yes, plus usage-based billing

Checked on Oct 28, 2026 · official pricing

What it costs in practice

Estimate for a SaaS with a US LLC and 200 subscribers at $20/month, all on non-US cards. On Starter: 200 × (6.5% of $20 + 50¢) = about $360/month. On Pro: $20 + 200 × (5.3% of $20 + 40¢) = about $312/month. Stripe's payout fees add a few dollars.

Estimate from the official price. Check it before you decide.

At a glance

  • Open source: yes

“Not stated” means the official site doesn’t say.

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