Polar
4% + 40¢ per transaction (no hidden fees)Developer-first Merchant of Record with open-source billing and 20% cheaper fees
Why founders use Polar
The Good
The Bad
The Verdict
Polar is a younger MoR platform specifically designed for technical founders and indie hackers who want simpler, cheaper payments without sacrificing control. Built on Stripe under the hood, Polar charges 4% + 40¢ per transaction—20% cheaper than Lemon Squeezy—while still handling all tax compliance, payments, and invoicing. The platform is open-source, giving you visibility into core billing logic and eliminating vendor lock-in concerns that plague traditional payment platforms.\n\nPolar shines for developers. You get a well-documented API, TypeScript SDK, and modern DX. The platform supports subscriptions, one-time products, usage-based billing, and license management. If you're a technical founder who values transparency, rapid iteration, and keeping more of your revenue, Polar delivers on all fronts. The community around Polar is particularly engaged and helpful.