Polar
4% + $0.40/transaction (no monthly fees)Open-source billing platform with 20% cheaper pricing than competitors.
Why founders use Polar
The Good
The Bad
The Verdict
Polar is an open-source, developer-centric billing platform built specifically for indie hackers and startups. It offers complete billing infrastructure including automatic tax calculation, product management, and automated access delivery, eliminating the need to stitch together Stripe with custom logic. Unlike proprietary MoR solutions, Polar provides transparent pricing at 4% + $0.40 per transaction with no hidden fees.\n\nBest for indie hackers seeking full control and transparency: you can self-host, maintain ownership of your data, and avoid vendor lock-in. Polar handles subscriptions, usage-based billing, free trials, and complex pricing models natively, making it ideal for product-led growth companies and technical founders.