Tool profile
Paddle: cost, fit and limits
Paddle is a merchant of record platform made by Paddle.com Market Ltd. that sells software products on a seller's behalf, takes a per-transaction fee on Paddle Checkout, and offers an AI Toolkit with a documentation MCP for coding assistants.
What to know first
Paddle publishes one self-serve rate: 5% plus $0.50 per Checkout transaction, with custom pricing arranged through a demo. Invoicing, advisory and implementation services appear on the pricing page without prices. The AI Toolkit includes a Docs MCP that gives an AI assistant current Paddle knowledge, and a RevenueCat integration is named. The privacy policy lists controller entities in London, New York, Dublin and Toronto.
Paddle at a glance
| Maker | Paddle.com Market Limited, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Free plan | No |
| Entry price | 5% + 50 cents per Checkout transaction |
| API access | Yes |
| Category | Best AI Merchant of Record Platforms in 2026, rank 7 of 13 |
| Website | paddle.com |
Who Paddle is best for
SaaS founders modeling margins
The printed 5% plus $0.50 rate lets a founder estimate fees for any order size before booking a demo or talking to a sales team.
Developers who build with AI assistants
The Docs MCP feeds Paddle documentation to a coding assistant, which can shorten the first integration for teams that already work inside an AI editor.
Mobile app teams using RevenueCat
Paddle names a RevenueCat integration on its pricing page, which fits app sellers who already manage entitlements there and want web checkout beside the store.
Paddle plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Pay-as-you-go | 5% + $0.50 per transaction | Applies to each Paddle Checkout transaction, with no other plan amounts shown on the pricing page we read. |
| Custom pricing | Quoted after a demo | Offered by booking a demo; the page does not say how it is billed or what volume qualifies for it. |
Checked October 2026.
What Paddle does
- Paddle Checkout
- Hosted checkout handles the sale as the seller, and the pay-as-you-go fee applies to each Checkout transaction. The pricing page treats Checkout as the base product to which other services attach.
- AI Toolkit and Docs MCP
- The pricing page names a Paddle AI Toolkit including a Docs MCP, described as a way to give an AI assistant up-to-date Paddle knowledge while you write code against the platform.
- RevenueCat integration
- A RevenueCat integration is named on the pricing page, which matters to app teams that track subscriptions there and want Paddle as a web payment route.
- Service add-ons
- Invoicing, advisory and implementation appear as separate services on the pricing page with no prices, so a buyer needs a conversation to learn what they cost.
How Paddle handles your data
The privacy policy keeps personal data for the applicable limitation period plus a short administrative period and lists four controller entities in London, New York, Dublin and Toronto. The page does not state a hosting region or whether customer data trains AI models. The footer links to a SOC 2 compliance page that we did not open, so no certification is confirmed here. Ask Paddle in writing which entity contracts with you and where your buyers' records sit.
Where Paddle falls short in practice
- Custom pricing sits behind a demo. The only route to a rate other than 5% plus $0.50 is booking a demo, and the page names no volume threshold, so a growing seller cannot plan the step down.
- Add-on services have no prices. Invoicing, advisory and implementation are listed without amounts, which makes the total cost of an enterprise rollout impossible to estimate from the public page. Read the current terms of Paddle on the day you decide, since vendor pages change often.
- Four controller entities. Because the policy names four controllers across three countries, a buyer's legal review has to establish which entity applies to its contract and customers. Ask Paddle support to confirm this in writing before your first live order.
Works with
Alternatives to Paddle
Paddle: common questions
How much does Paddle charge per transaction?
The pricing page we read shows 5% plus $0.50 per Checkout transaction on the pay-as-you-go option. Custom pricing is available by booking a demo, and the page does not say what it costs. Invoicing, advisory and implementation services appear without prices, so ask for a full quote if you need them.
What is the Paddle AI Toolkit?
The pricing page names a Paddle AI Toolkit and a Docs MCP, described as a way to give an AI assistant up-to-date Paddle knowledge. We did not run it, so how well it performs is the vendor's claim. Test it by asking your assistant to generate a checkout flow from the documentation.
Does Paddle publish a free plan?
The pricing page shows pay-as-you-go and custom pricing, and it does not name a free plan or a monthly subscription. A seller pays only when a Checkout transaction happens, at 5% plus $0.50. Confirm in a demo whether any minimums, payout fees or reserves apply.
Where does Paddle store customer data?
The privacy policy does not state a hosting region. It does list four controller entities, in London, New York, Dublin and Toronto, and keeps data for the limitation period plus a short administrative period. Ask which entity applies to you and where records sit before signing.
Does Paddle integrate with RevenueCat?
The pricing page names a RevenueCat integration. It does not describe what the integration does or which plans include it. App sellers who track subscriptions in RevenueCat should read the integration documentation and test a purchase before depending on it for entitlements.