LicenseManagerCompare
Lemon Squeezy vs LicenseManager
Looking for a Lemon Squeezy alternative? Here's how LicenseManager compares, feature by feature and price by price.
This page is written by the LicenseManager team. Prices and features come from each vendor's public pricing page and documentation, checked on 2026-10-25. Report an error.
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.
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.
Compare the cost
Enter your price and monthly sales to see the monthly cost of each tool, with the cheapest plan that fits.
Monthly revenue: €9,900.
- With LicenseManager, you'd pay €323 less per month: Lemon Squeezy is 2.1x 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.
Why choose LicenseManager over Lemon Squeezy
Offline validation
LicenseManager lets your app check a license offline, while Lemon Squeezy needs a connection to check a license. Ed25519-signed tokens, checked offline.
Stripe integration
LicenseManager creates licenses from Stripe payments without code, while Lemon Squeezy has no native Stripe integration. Each Stripe payment or subscription creates a license and emails the key.
A flat price
LicenseManager charges a monthly price and takes nothing on your sales. Lemon Squeezy takes at least 5% + $0.50 on each sale.
Official SDKs
For Electron, Tauri, Swift, Go, Python, Ruby, Java, C# (.NET), and PHP, LicenseManager has an official SDK and Lemon Squeezy doesn't.
Lower cost in most cases
LicenseManager costs less than Lemon Squeezy in 11 of 12 scenarios we computed. When 10 licenses sold a month at €99 each: with LicenseManager, you'd pay €35.21 less per month: Lemon Squeezy is 2.4x more expensive.
Free tier
You can start on LicenseManager's free plan, for up to 100 active licenses, with no cut of your sales. Lemon Squeezy charges on every sale or every month.
What Lemon Squeezy does well
Merchant of record
Lemon Squeezy is the merchant of record and handles sales tax and VAT, while LicenseManager leaves sales tax and VAT to you.
Built-in checkout
Unlike LicenseManager, Lemon Squeezy includes a hosted checkout.
File hosting and downloads
Lemon Squeezy hosts your installers and downloads, while LicenseManager doesn't host your files.
More features
Lemon Squeezy also has outgoing webhooks and usage metering, which LicenseManager doesn't.
Lower cost in some cases
In 1 of 12 scenarios we computed, Lemon Squeezy is the cheaper one. With 30 licenses sold per month at €19: with Lemon Squeezy, you'd pay €4.36 less per month: LicenseManager is 10% more expensive.
Feature by feature
Features the vendor doesn't document are marked as such, not as missing.
| Feature | LicenseManager | Lemon Squeezy |
|---|---|---|
| Offline validationThe app can check a license without reaching the vendor's servers, usually with a signed file or token. | YesEd25519-signed tokens, checked offline | 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. | YesCustomers keep the last version released in their period | Not documented |
| Customer portalA page where customers find their keys and manage their devices on their own. | YesCustomers find their keys, free machines, cancel for a refund and manage their subscription | Yes |
| Money back guaranteeCustomers cancel a license on their own during a set period: it stops working and their payment is refunded. | YesSet in days on each offer, refunded through your Stripe account | Not documented |
| Subscription licensesLicenses that renew with each recurring payment and stop when the subscription ends, without code on your side. | YesRecurring Stripe prices, valid while paid, every update included | YesKeys stay active while the subscription is, and expire with it |
| Stripe integrationLicenses are created from Stripe payments with no code on your side. | YesEach Stripe payment or subscription creates a license and emails the key | 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. | NoUses your Stripe checkout or payment links | Yes |
| AnalyticsDashboards of licenses, usage or revenue. | YesActive machines, versions, platforms, revenue, MRR and churn | Yes |
| Test modeA separate environment or sandbox to build the integration. | Yes | Yes |
| Audit logA history of what happened to each license. | YesEvents on every license | Not documented |
| File hosting and downloadsThe vendor hosts your installers or packages. | No | Yes |
| Outgoing webhooksYour server is notified of license events. | No | Yes |
| Floating licensesA pool of seats shared by several machines, checked out and released. | No | No |
| Usage meteringLicenses that count consumption, like API credits. | No | Yes |
| SSO for your teamSign in to the dashboard with SAML or another identity provider. | No | Not documented |
| Self-hostingRun the licensing server on your own infrastructure. | No | No |
| Open sourceThe service's source code is public. | No | No |
SDKs and languages
Licensing SDKs handle validation in your app. API clients wrap the REST API.
| Technology | LicenseManager | Lemon Squeezy |
|---|---|---|
| Electron | @licenseman/electronLicensing SDK | Through @lemonsqueezy/lemonsqueezy.js |
| JavaScript | TypeScript SDKAPI client | @lemonsqueezy/lemonsqueezy.jsAPI client |
| Python | Python SDKAPI client | REST API |
| Go | Go SDKAPI client | REST API |
| Java | Java SDKAPI client | REST API |
| C# (.NET) | C# SDKAPI client | REST API |
| PHP | PHP SDKAPI client | REST API |
| Ruby | Ruby SDKAPI client | REST API |
| Swift | licensemanager-swiftLicensing SDK | REST API |
| Tauri | tauri-plugin-licensemanagerLicensing SDK | REST API |
| REST APIUsable from any language | YesWith an OpenAPI document | Yes |
Plans and limits
LicenseManager
| Plan | Per month | Active licenses (last 90 days) | API requests / month | Products |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | €0 | 100 | 10,000 | 3 |
| Startup | €29 | 1,000 | 100,000 | 10 |
| Standard | €99 | 5,000 | 1,000,000 | Unlimited |
| Custom | Custom | Unlimited | Unlimited | - |
- Every feature is on every plan, plans only differ by their limits.
- No fee on sales: payments go to your own Stripe account.
- Over a limit, a 7-day grace period starts and the app keeps working.
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.
Summary
LicenseManager is a good fit for indie developers and small teams selling desktop apps with Stripe, who want licensing without building a backend. Choose Lemon Squeezy for sellers who want tax handled for them and only need basic license keys. In 11 of 12 price scenarios, LicenseManager costs less than Lemon Squeezy.
In short, LicenseManager stands out for offline validation, Stripe integration, and a flat price.
See also
Start with LicenseManager's free plan
Up to 100 active licenses for free, every feature included, no credit card.