Payhip vs Polar: Which is right for you? (1970)
TL;DR
- Choose Payhip if your stack already leans in that direction.
- Choose Polar if you want global taxes and compliance handled for you.
- Both work for: teams in their respective categories.
Payhip
Free: 5% fee. Plus $29/mo: 2%. Pro $99/mo: 0%
More customizable than Gumroad with better fee structure at volume. Does not handle VAT globally.
Polar
4% + $0.40 per transaction (lowest MoR fees on the market)
Lowest MoR fees on the market (4% + $0.40). Open source, built for developers and OSS projects.
Pricing comparison
Feature comparison
Best for
Payhip is best for ebooks, templates, Courses, Memberships, Creators, Digital products. Polar is best for indie dev, open source, developers, Digital products, SaaS, web.
FAQ
Is Payhip better than Polar?
Neither is universally better. Payhip is the right pick if your stack already leans in that direction; Polar wins if you want global taxes and compliance handled for you.
Which is cheaper, Payhip or Polar?
Polar ranks higher on fee competitiveness (5/5). Payhip pricing: Free: 5% fee. Plus $29/mo: 2%. Pro $99/mo: 0%. Polar pricing: 4% + $0.40 per transaction (lowest MoR fees on the market).
Can I switch from Payhip to Polar?
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 Payhip handle sales tax?
No. Payhip does not handle tax registrations — you handle those yourself or via a separate tool.
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