Lemon Squeezy vs Stripe

Merchant of record meets the developer's best friend for payments, until you realize you're paying for every single api call. Here's our take.

Lemon Squeezy

Nice Pick

Merchant of record. They handle tax so you don't have to.

Pros

• Handles VAT/tax
• Simple setup
• Good for digital products

Cons

• Higher fees
• Less control
• Fewer features

Stripe

The developer's best friend for payments, until you realize you're paying for every single API call.

Pros

• Best DX
• Great docs
• Reliable
• All payment types
• Incredibly clean and well-documented APIs that just work
• Handles global compliance and fraud detection so you don't have to
• Seamless integration for subscriptions and recurring billing
• Extensive ecosystem with tools like Stripe Connect and Radar

Cons

• 2.9% + 30¢
• Complex for simple needs
• Account holds
• Transaction fees add up fast, especially for high-volume businesses
• Can get pricey for custom or advanced features beyond the basics

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Lemon Squeezy is a payments while Stripe is a hosting & deployment. We picked Lemon Squeezy based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Lemon Squeezy wins

Based on overall popularity. Lemon Squeezy is more widely used, but Stripe excels in its own space.