LicenseManagerCompare
Lemon Squeezy vs Polar
How do Lemon Squeezy and Polar differ? A factual comparison of their features, SDKs and pricing.
We build LicenseManager, mentioned at the end of this page. Prices and features come from each vendor's public pricing page and documentation, checked on 2026-10-25. Report an error.
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.
Polar
Merchant of record with license keys
An open source merchant of record for developers, with license keys as a benefit.
- Free tier
- No monthly fee, 5% + $0.50 per sale
- Paid plans from
- $20 / month
- Fee per sale
- 3.4% + $0.30 to 5% + $0.50
- Billed on
- Sales only
Best for: Developers selling subscriptions or digital products who want tax handled and an open source platform.
What you'd pay
Monthly cost of Lemon Squeezy and Polar for your sales, with LicenseManager for reference.
That's €2,450 of sales per month.
- Lemon Squeezy is 11% more expensive than Polar, a difference of €16.50 per month.
- You'd save €62.69 per month with LicenseManager. Lemon Squeezy is 63% more expensive.
- You'd save €46.19 per month with LicenseManager. Polar is 46% 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 Lemon Squeezy fits better
- Merchant of record: sales tax and VAT are handled for you
- Checkout, file delivery and license keys in one place
- No monthly fee
Polar's advantages
Lower or equal cost
In 8 of 12 scenarios we computed, Polar is the cheaper one. In the 4 others, they cost the same. With 300 sales a month at €99: Lemon Squeezy is 25% more expensive than Polar: you'd save €368 per month with Polar.
SDK coverage
For Python and PHP, Polar has an official SDK and Lemon Squeezy doesn't.
Open source
Unlike Lemon Squeezy, Polar is open source.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Lemon Squeezy | Polar |
|---|---|---|
| Offline validationThe app can check a license without reaching the vendor's servers, usually with a signed file or token. | NoThe License API validates online | NoKeys are validated with an API call |
| Machine activation limitsA license can be limited to a number of devices, enforced by the service. | YesActivation limit per product variant | YesOptional activation limits |
| TrialsTime-limited licenses to let users try the app. | YesFree trials on subscriptions | Yes |
| Perpetual licensesLicenses that never expire. | Yes | Yes |
| Customer portalA page where customers find their keys and manage their devices on their own. | Yes | Yes |
| Subscription licensesLicenses that renew with each recurring payment and stop when the subscription ends, without code on your side. | YesKeys stay active while the subscription is, and expire with it | YesLicense keys revoked when the subscription ends |
| Stripe integrationLicenses are created from Stripe payments with no code on your side. | NoPayments are processed by Lemon Squeezy | NoPayments are processed by Polar |
| Merchant of recordThe vendor sells on your behalf and handles sales tax and VAT for you. | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in checkoutA hosted checkout page sold with the tool. | Yes | Yes |
| AnalyticsDashboards of licenses, usage or revenue. | Yes | Yes |
| Test modeA separate environment or sandbox to build the integration. | Yes | YesSandbox environment |
| File hosting and downloadsThe vendor hosts your installers or packages. | Yes | Yes |
| Outgoing webhooksYour server is notified of license events. | Yes | Yes |
| Floating licensesA pool of seats shared by several machines, checked out and released. | No | No |
| Usage meteringLicenses that count consumption, like API credits. | Yes | YesUsage quotas on license keys |
| Self-hostingRun the licensing server on your own infrastructure. | No | Not documented |
| Open sourceThe service's source code is public. | No | Yes |
SDKs and languages
| Technology | Lemon Squeezy | Polar |
|---|---|---|
| JavaScript | @lemonsqueezy/lemonsqueezy.jsAPI client | @polar-sh/sdkAPI client |
| Python | REST API | polar-sdkAPI client |
| PHP | REST API | polar-sh/sdkAPI client |
| REST APIUsable from any language | Yes | YesWith an OpenAPI document |
Pricing plans
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.
Polar
| Plan | Per month | Fee per sale |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $0 | 5% + $0.50 |
| Pro | $20 | 3.8% + $0.40 |
| Growth | $100 | 3.6% + $0.35 |
| Scale | $400 | 3.4% + $0.30 |
- +1.5% for cards issued outside the US.
- Payouts: $2 per month of active payouts, plus 0.25% + $0.25 per payout.
- $15 per dispute.
Which one to choose
Lemon Squeezy suits sellers who want tax handled for them and only need basic license keys. Polar is a good fit for developers selling subscriptions or digital products who want tax handled and an open source platform. On price, Polar is the cheaper one in 8 of the 12 scenarios we computed, and they cost the same in 4.
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.
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
Unlike Lemon Squeezy, LicenseManager creates licenses from Stripe payments without code. Each Stripe payment or subscription creates a license and emails the key.
More 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
In 11 of 12 scenarios we computed, LicenseManager is the cheaper one. When 10 sales a month at €99: you'd save €35.21 per month with LicenseManager. Lemon Squeezy is 2.4x more expensive.
Other comparisons
See if LicenseManager fits your app
Up to 100 active licenses for free, every feature included, no credit card.