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Orb vs Paddle: Which is right for you? (1970)

TL;DR

  • Choose Orb if you need advanced billing (usage, dunning, entitlements).
  • Choose Paddle if you want global taxes and compliance handled for you.
  • Both work for: saas.

Orb

Custom pricing (contact sales)

Purpose-built for usage-based billing. Handles credits, seats, metered usage, and hybrid pricing. Designed specifically for AI products and modern SaaS.

Paddle

5% + $0.50 per transaction

Merchant of Record for SaaS. Handles global VAT and tax remittance across 190+ countries.

Pricing comparison

Pricing model
custom
percentage
Detail
Custom pricing (contact sales)
5% + $0.50 per transaction

Feature comparison

Orb
Paddle
Merchant of record
No
Yes
Paywalls
No
No
A/B testing
No
No
Tax handled
No
Yes
No-code
No
No
Open source
No
No
Ease of setup
2/5
3/5
Fee competitiveness
3/5
3/5
Conversion tooling
1/5
2/5
Advanced billing
5/5
4/5

Best for

Orb is best for AI products, Usage-based pricing, SaaS, credits, metered, web. Paddle is best for SaaS, B2B, global, Teams scaling up, web, Usage-based billing.

FAQ

Is Orb better than Paddle?

Neither is universally better. Orb is the right pick if you need advanced billing (usage, dunning, entitlements); Paddle wins if you want global taxes and compliance handled for you.

Which is cheaper, Orb or Paddle?

Orb ranks higher on fee competitiveness (3/5). Orb pricing: Custom pricing (contact sales). Paddle pricing: 5% + $0.50 per transaction.

Can I switch from Orb to Paddle?

Yes — most subscription and billing tools support migration via CSV import or API. Expect to reconfigure webhooks, paywalls, and entitlements. Check both vendors' migration docs before committing.

Does Orb handle sales tax?

No. Orb does not handle tax registrations — you handle those yourself or via a separate tool.

All Orb alternatives →All Paddle alternatives →

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