LicenseManagerComparison
Keygen vs Lemon Squeezy
How do Keygen and Lemon Squeezy differ? A factual comparison of their features, SDKs and pricing.
This page is written by the team behind LicenseManager, an alternative to both. Prices and features come from each vendor's public pricing page and documentation, checked on 2026-10-25. Report an error.
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.
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.
What you'd pay
Monthly cost of Keygen and Lemon Squeezy for your sales, with LicenseManager for reference.
€2,450 in monthly sales.
- You'd save €6.55 per month with Keygen. Lemon Squeezy is 4% more expensive.
- You'd save €56.14 per month with LicenseManager. Keygen is 56% more expensive.
- You'd save €62.69 per month with LicenseManager. Lemon Squeezy is 63% more expensive.
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.
Where Keygen fits better
Offline validation
Keygen lets your app check a license offline. Lemon Squeezy needs a connection to check a license.
A flat price
Keygen charges a monthly price and takes nothing on your sales. Lemon Squeezy takes at least 5% + $0.50 on each sale.
Floating licenses
Keygen supports floating licenses, while Lemon Squeezy has no floating licenses.
Self-hosting
Keygen can be self-hosted, while Lemon Squeezy is cloud only. Keygen CE (free) and Keygen EE (paid).
Lower cost in most cases
In 8 of 12 scenarios we computed, Keygen is the cheaper one. With 10 sales a month at €99: Lemon Squeezy is 2.4x more expensive than Keygen, a difference of €35.21 per month.
Free to start
Keygen has a free plan with no fee on sales, up to 100 active licenses. Lemon Squeezy has no free tier without fees.
Open source
Keygen is open source, while Lemon Squeezy is closed source.
SDK coverage
Official Keygen SDKs exist for Go, with no Lemon Squeezy equivalent.
Lemon Squeezy's advantages
Merchant of record
Unlike Keygen, Lemon Squeezy is the merchant of record and handles sales tax and VAT.
Subscription licenses
Lemon Squeezy keeps licenses valid while a subscription is paid, and stops them when it ends. Keygen leaves renewing licenses with subscription payments to your own code. Keys stay active while the subscription is, and expire with it.
Built-in checkout
Lemon Squeezy includes a hosted checkout. Keygen has no checkout of its own.
Cheaper at some volumes
Lemon Squeezy costs less than Keygen in 4 of 12 scenarios we computed. With 30 sales a month at €19: Keygen is 2.3x more expensive than Lemon Squeezy: you'd save €60.50 per month with Lemon Squeezy.
SDK coverage
For JavaScript, Lemon Squeezy has an official SDK and Keygen doesn't.
Feature by feature
| Feature | Keygen | Lemon Squeezy |
|---|---|---|
| Offline validationThe app can check a license without reaching the vendor's servers, usually with a signed file or token. | Yes | NoThe License API validates online |
| Machine activation limitsA license can be limited to a number of devices, enforced by the service. | Yes | YesActivation limit per product variant |
| TrialsTime-limited licenses to let users try the app. | Yes | YesFree trials on subscriptions |
| Perpetual licensesLicenses that never expire. | Yes | Yes |
| Updates for a limited timeCustomers keep the versions released while their license was valid, after it ends. | Yes | Not documented |
| Customer portalA page where customers find their keys and manage their devices on their own. | Not documented | Yes |
| Subscription licensesLicenses that renew with each recurring payment and stop when the subscription ends, without code on your side. | NoYou renew and suspend licenses from your own Stripe webhook handler, or Zapier | YesKeys stay active while the subscription is, and expire with it |
| Stripe integrationLicenses are created from Stripe payments with no code on your side. | NoThrough Zapier, or your own webhook handler | NoPayments are processed by Lemon Squeezy |
| Merchant of recordThe vendor sells on your behalf and handles sales tax and VAT for you. | No | Yes |
| Built-in checkoutA hosted checkout page sold with the tool. | No | Yes |
| AnalyticsDashboards of licenses, usage or revenue. | Yes | Yes |
| Test modeA separate environment or sandbox to build the integration. | YesCustom environments | Yes |
| Audit logA history of what happened to each license. | Yes | Not documented |
| File hosting and downloadsThe vendor hosts your installers or packages. | YesDocker, npm, RubyGems, PyPI, Tauri, Electron and binaries | Yes |
| Outgoing webhooksYour server is notified of license events. | Yes | Yes |
| Floating licensesA pool of seats shared by several machines, checked out and released. | Yes | No |
| Usage meteringLicenses that count consumption, like API credits. | Yes | Yes |
| SSO for your teamSign in to the dashboard with SAML or another identity provider. | YesSAML on Ent tiers | Not documented |
| Self-hostingRun the licensing server on your own infrastructure. | YesKeygen CE (free) and Keygen EE (paid) | No |
| Open sourceThe service's source code is public. | Yes | No |
Supported languages
| Technology | Keygen | Lemon Squeezy |
|---|---|---|
| JavaScript | REST API | @lemonsqueezy/lemonsqueezy.jsAPI client |
| Go | keygen-goLicensing SDK | REST API |
| REST APIUsable from any language | Yes | Yes |
Plans and limits
Keygen
| Plan | Per month | Active licenses (last 90 days) | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dev | $0 | 100 | 1 |
| Std 1 | $99 | 1,000 | 5 |
| Std 2 | $299 | 10,000 | Unlimited |
| Std 3 | $599 | 25,000 | Unlimited |
| Std 4 | $999 | 100,000 | Unlimited |
| Std 5 | $1,999 | 250,000 | Unlimited |
| Ent 1 | $2,999 | 250,000 | Unlimited |
| Ent 2 | $6,999 | 500,000 | Unlimited |
| Ent 3 | $9,999 | 1,000,000 | Unlimited |
- Active licensed users are licenses with API activity in the last 90 days.
- Paid tiers have soft limits.
- Keygen CE can be self-hosted for free, Keygen EE under a paid license.
- Whitelabel API domain: $995 per year per domain.
Lemon Squeezy
| Plan | Per month | Fee per sale |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $0 | 5% + $0.50 |
- +1.5% for transactions outside the US, +1.5% for PayPal.
- +0.5% for subscription payments.
- 1% per payout to bank accounts outside the US.
Which one to choose
Keygen is a good fit for teams that need advanced licensing models, like floating or metered licenses, or want to self-host. Choose Lemon Squeezy for sellers who want tax handled for them and only need basic license keys. On price, Keygen is the cheaper one in 8 of the 12 scenarios we computed.
The main reasons to pick Keygen: offline validation, a flat price, and floating licenses.
LicenseManager, an alternative to both
With 50 sales a month at €49, LicenseManager costs €99.69 per month, card processing included: less than both.
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.
Stripe integration
LicenseManager creates licenses from Stripe payments without code. Keygen has no native Stripe integration. Each Stripe payment or subscription creates a license and emails the key.
Compare with LicenseManager
See if LicenseManager fits your app
The Free plan includes every feature, for up to 100 active licenses. No credit card needed.