Payments
The real split here is whether the provider is a merchant of record. If it is, it owns global sales tax and VAT registration on your behalf; if it is not, that work lands on you the moment you sell across a border.
6tools
- AdyenOne platform for online, in-store and marketplace payouts worldwideadyen.com
- Lemon SqueezyMerchant of record aimed at indie digital products and SaaSlemonsqueezy.com
- MollieEuropean payments with the local methods Stripe covers less wellmollie.com
- PaddleMerchant of record for software — it owns the global tax problempaddle.com
- PolarMerchant of record built for open-source maintainers and developer productspolar.sh
- StripeThe default payments API, with the documentation everyone else is judged againststripe.com
Head to head
Payments, compared
Merchant of record is the column that matters. Everything else follows from it.
| Tool | Merchant of record | Global tax | Checkout control | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adyen | No | Yours to file | Full | Enterprise and in-store volume |
| Lemon Squeezy | Yes | Handled | Their checkout | Indie digital products |
| Mollie | No | Yours to file | Full | European payment methods |
| Paddle | Yes | Handled | Their checkout | SaaS selling worldwide |
| Polar | Yes | Handled | Their checkout | Open source and devtools |
| Stripe | No | Add-on, you still file | Full | Any model, at any scale |