LicenseManager2026 guide
Best Polar alternatives in 2026
Looking for something other than Polar? Here are 9 tools, and how each one differs from it.
LicenseManager is our product, and is listed first. Prices and features come from each vendor's public pricing page and documentation, checked on 2026-10-25. Report an error.
Reasons to look elsewhere
- A fee on every sale, from 3.4% + $0.30 to 5% + $0.50
- License keys are validated online only
What Polar does well
- Merchant of record: sales tax and VAT are handled for you
- Open source platform
- Customers rotate their keys and free their devices in the portal
- Lower fees on paid plans, down to 3.4% + $0.30
Tools to consider instead of Polar
LicenseManager
Our productLicensing service
License keys for desktop apps, created from Stripe payments and validated with one request.
- Free tier
- Up to 100 active licenses
- Paid plans from
- €29 / month
- Fee per sale
- None
- Billed on
- Licenses active in the last 90 days
Best for: Indie developers and small teams selling desktop apps with Stripe, who want licensing without building a backend.
Over Polar:
- Offline validation. LicenseManager lets your app check a license offline, while Polar needs a connection to check a license. Ed25519-signed tokens, checked offline.
- Stripe integration. Unlike Polar, LicenseManager creates licenses from Stripe payments without code. Each Stripe payment or subscription creates a license and emails the key.
Lemon Squeezy
Merchant of record with license keys
A merchant of record for digital products, with license keys included.
- Free tier
- No monthly fee, 5% + $0.50 per sale
- Paid plans from
- -
- Fee per sale
- 5% + $0.50
- Billed on
- Sales only
Best for: Sellers who want tax handled for them and only need basic license keys.
Lemon Squeezy vs PolarMoonbase
Merchant of record with license keys
A merchant of record with licensing, built for audio plugins and desktop software.
- Free tier
- No monthly fee, 5% + €1 per sale
- Paid plans from
- -
- Fee per sale
- 5% + €1
- Billed on
- Sales only
Best for: Audio plugin makers (JUCE) and desktop developers who want a store and licensing from the EU.
What it does better than Polar:
- Offline validation. Unlike Polar, Moonbase lets your app check a license offline. Offline activations, counted once per device.
- More SDKs. For JUCE, C# (.NET), C++, and Rust, Moonbase has an official SDK and Polar doesn't.
Gumroad
Merchant of record with license keys
A store for creators selling digital products, with optional license keys.
- Free tier
- No monthly fee, 10% + $0.50 per sale
- Paid plans from
- -
- Fee per sale
- 10% + $0.50
- Billed on
- Sales only
Best for: Creators selling small apps, plugins or assets, who want the simplest setup.
Gumroad vs PolarLicenseSpring
Licensing service
A software licensing platform with SDKs for desktop, mobile and game engines.
- Free tier
- Up to 100 active licenses
- Paid plans from
- $199 / month
- Fee per sale
- None
- Billed on
- Active licenses
Best for: Companies licensing native or game-engine software, that need floating or air-gapped licensing.
What it does better than Polar:
- Offline validation. LicenseSpring lets your app check a license offline. Polar needs a connection to check a license. Air-gapped workflows on Enterprise.
- Stripe integration. LicenseSpring creates licenses from Stripe payments without code, while Polar has no native Stripe integration.
Keygen
Licensing service
A licensing and distribution API, available as a cloud service or self-hosted.
- Free tier
- Up to 100 active licenses
- Paid plans from
- $99 / month
- Fee per sale
- None
- Billed on
- Licenses active in the last 90 days
Best for: Teams that need advanced licensing models, like floating or metered licenses, or want to self-host.
Compared with Polar:
- Offline validation. Unlike Polar, Keygen lets your app check a license offline.
- No cut of your sales. With Keygen, a higher license price doesn't mean higher fees. Polar takes at least 3.4% + $0.30 per sale.
Cryptolens
Licensing service
A licensing service from Sweden, now sold under the Devolens brand.
- Free tier
- Up to 10 active licenses
- Paid plans from
- €299 / month
- Fee per sale
- None
- Billed on
- Active licenses
Best for: Companies that need EU data residency, a reseller portal or on-premise license servers.
Compared with Polar:
- Offline validation. Cryptolens lets your app check a license offline, while Polar needs a connection to check a license.
- A flat price. With Cryptolens, a higher license price doesn't mean higher fees. Polar takes at least 3.4% + $0.30 per sale.
Anystack
Sales, licensing and distribution platform
A platform to sell, license and distribute software, with a checkout on your Stripe account.
- Free tier
- No monthly fee, 15% per sale
- Paid plans from
- $39 / month
- Fee per sale
- 4% to 15%
- Billed on
- Active licenses
Best for: Developers who want checkout, licensing and auto-updates for Electron or PHP packages in one tool.
What it does better than Polar:
- Stripe integration. Unlike Polar, Anystack creates licenses from Stripe payments without code.
- Official SDKs. Official Anystack SDKs exist for Electron, WordPress, Ruby, and Tauri, with no Polar equivalent.
LimeLM
Licensing service
wyDay's licensing service, built around the TurboActivate and TurboFloat native libraries.
- Free tier
- Up to 10 activations in total
- Paid plans from
- $17 / month
- Fee per sale
- None
- Billed on
- Total activations
Best for: Native Windows, macOS and Linux apps, in languages like C++, C# or Delphi.
Over Polar:
- Offline validation. LimeLM lets your app check a license offline. Polar needs a connection to check a license.
- Stripe integration. Unlike Polar, LimeLM creates licenses from Stripe payments without code. Also PayPal, FastSpring, Skrill and authorize.net.
Compare the cost
Enter your license price and monthly sales to compare Polar with every alternative.
Monthly revenue: €9,900.
- Polar is 74% more expensive than LicenseManager, a difference of €213 per month.
Per month, excluding VAT. Assumes one-time purchases and customers using your app for 4 months, with Stripe's fees for the tools that aren't a merchant of record.
Pricing
| Tool | Free tier | Paid plans from | Fee per sale | Billed on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polar | No monthly fee, 5% + $0.50 per sale | $20 / month | 3.4% + $0.30 to 5% + $0.50 | Sales only |
| LicenseManager | Up to 100 active licenses | €29 / month | None | Licenses active in the last 90 days |
| Lemon Squeezy | No monthly fee, 5% + $0.50 per sale | - | 5% + $0.50 | Sales only |
| Moonbase | No monthly fee, 5% + €1 per sale | - | 5% + €1 | Sales only |
| Gumroad | No monthly fee, 10% + $0.50 per sale | - | 10% + $0.50 | Sales only |
| LicenseSpring | Up to 100 active licenses | $199 / month | None | Active licenses |
| Keygen | Up to 100 active licenses | $99 / month | None | Licenses active in the last 90 days |
| Cryptolens | Up to 10 active licenses | €299 / month | None | Active licenses |
| Anystack | No monthly fee, 15% per sale | $39 / month | 4% to 15% | Active licenses |
| LimeLM | Up to 10 activations in total | $17 / month | None | Total activations |
Features compared
Polar and the 4 closest alternatives.
| Feature | Polar | LicenseManager | Lemon Squeezy | Moonbase | Gumroad |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offline validationThe app can check a license without reaching the vendor's servers, usually with a signed file or token. | NoKeys are validated with an API call | YesEd25519-signed tokens, checked offline | NoThe License API validates online | YesOffline activations, counted once per device | NoKeys are verified with an API call |
| Machine activation limitsA license can be limited to a number of devices, enforced by the service. | YesOptional activation limits | Yes | YesActivation limit per product variant | Yes | NoThe verify API returns a uses count, your app enforces the limit |
| TrialsTime-limited licenses to let users try the app. | Yes | Yes | YesFree trials on subscriptions | Yes | YesFree trials on memberships |
| Perpetual licensesLicenses that never expire. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Updates for a limited timeCustomers keep the versions released while their license was valid, after it ends. | Not documented | YesCustomers keep the last version released in their period | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
| Customer portalA page where customers find their keys and manage their devices on their own. | Yes | YesCustomers find their keys, free machines, cancel for a refund and manage their subscription | Yes | YesCustomers manage activations and downloads | YesCustomers find their purchases in their library |
| Money back guaranteeCustomers cancel a license on their own during a set period: it stops working and their payment is refunded. | Not documented | YesSet in days on each offer, refunded through your Stripe account | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
| Subscription licensesLicenses that renew with each recurring payment and stop when the subscription ends, without code on your side. | YesLicense keys revoked when the subscription ends | YesRecurring Stripe prices, valid while paid, every update included | YesKeys stay active while the subscription is, and expire with it | YesRecurring price variations, with a grace period on failed payments | NoThe verify API returns the membership's status: your app enforces it |
| Stripe integrationLicenses are created from Stripe payments with no code on your side. | NoPayments are processed by Polar | YesEach Stripe payment or subscription creates a license and emails the key | NoPayments are processed by Lemon Squeezy | NoPayments are processed by Moonbase | No |
| Merchant of recordThe vendor sells on your behalf and handles sales tax and VAT for you. | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in checkoutA hosted checkout page sold with the tool. | Yes | NoUses your Stripe checkout or payment links | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AnalyticsDashboards of licenses, usage or revenue. | Yes | YesActive machines, versions, platforms, revenue, MRR and churn | Yes | Not documented | Yes |
| Test modeA separate environment or sandbox to build the integration. | YesSandbox environment | Yes | Yes | Not documented | Not documented |
| Audit logA history of what happened to each license. | Not documented | YesEvents on every license | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
| File hosting and downloadsThe vendor hosts your installers or packages. | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Outgoing webhooksYour server is notified of license events. | Yes | No | Yes | Not documented | YesPing notifications |
| Floating licensesA pool of seats shared by several machines, checked out and released. | No | No | No | Not documented | No |
| Usage meteringLicenses that count consumption, like API credits. | YesUsage quotas on license keys | No | Yes | No | No |
| SSO for your teamSign in to the dashboard with SAML or another identity provider. | Not documented | No | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
| Self-hostingRun the licensing server on your own infrastructure. | Not documented | No | No | No | No |
| Open sourceThe service's source code is public. | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
About this list
See also
- Polar vs LicenseManager
- Best Keygen alternatives in 2026
- Best LicenseSpring alternatives in 2026
- Best Cryptolens alternatives in 2026
- Best LimeLM alternatives in 2026
- Best Lemon Squeezy alternatives in 2026
- Best Gumroad alternatives in 2026
- Best Moonbase alternatives in 2026
- Best Anystack alternatives in 2026
Try LicenseManager for free
Every feature on every plan, and 100 active licenses on the Free plan.