Softwr

Accounting · head to head

Adyen vs Paddle

Adyen logo

Adyen

Accounting

The payments platform built for growth

From
$0.13/per-transaction
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paddle logo

Paddle

Accounting

The complete payments infrastructure for SaaS

From
$5/percent_plus_transaction
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Adyen there is a minimum monthly invoice, set by industry and business model and only disclosed through the sales team, so small volumes are not economic; Paddle paddle charges 5% plus 50 cents on every checkout transaction, which is well above a bare payment processor rate
  • They diverge on capability: Adyen covers Risk management, Paddle covers Sales tax handling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adyen and Paddle actually diverge.

Attributes where Adyen and Paddle differ
AttributeAdyenPaddle
Starting price$0.13/per-transaction$5/percent_plus_transaction
Pricing modelusage-basedtransaction
PlatformsWeb, Api, PosWeb, Api
Founded20062012

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Accounting).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Adyen

  • Risk management
  • Unified commerce
  • Issuing
  • Platform payments
  • SAP
  • Salesforce
  • Oracle
  • PCI DSS Level 1

Only in Paddle

  • Sales tax handling
  • Subscription management
  • Checkout
  • Revenue metrics
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Various
  • PCI DSS

Both cover

  • Payment processing
  • SOC 2
  • Web support
  • Api support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Adyen

  • Card acquiring with interchange plus pricing for larger merchantsnot Paddle
  • Accepting local payment methods across multiple countriesnot Paddle
  • Settling in several currencies through linked bank accountsnot Paddle
  • Unified online and in-person paymentsnot Paddle

Paddle

  • Selling SaaS or digital products with a merchant of record handling taxnot Adyen
  • Global subscription billing and checkoutnot Adyen
  • Offloading sales tax and VAT compliance for cross border salesnot Adyen

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Adyen

  • There is a minimum monthly invoice, set by industry and business model and only disclosed through the sales team, so small volumes are not economic
  • Published fees are indicative rather than a rate card, with real pricing negotiated
  • Interchange++ means the card cost varies per transaction rather than being a single predictable percentage
  • Alternative payment methods carry their own rates on top, such as 3.3 percent plus $0.10 for American Express in North America

Paddle

  • Paddle charges 5% plus 50 cents on every checkout transaction, which is well above a bare payment processor rate
  • The 50 cent fixed component falls heavily on low value sales, and products under $10 require custom pricing agreed with sales
  • Invoicing is not covered by the published rate and requires custom pricing
  • As a merchant of record Paddle sits between the seller and the customer, so payouts and tax handling run through Paddle rather than the seller's own processor

Pricing, plan by plan

Adyen

$0.13/per-transaction
  • Transaction-Based Pricing$undefined/mo
    • Fixed $0.13 USD per transaction
    • Variable fee determined by payment method
    • No setup fees

Paddle

$5/percent_plus_transaction
  • Pay-as-you-go$5/percent_plus_transaction
    • 5% + 50¢ per checkout transaction
    • Global payments and billing unified in one platform
    • Cross-border sales tax compliance
  • Custom Pricing$null/contact
    • All pay-as-you-go features
    • Custom pricing tailored to business model
    • Optional premium services access

Which should you pick?

Choose Adyen if

  • You need risk management.
  • You work on Web, Api, Pos.
  • You also want unified commerce.
Adyen review

Choose Paddle if

  • You need sales tax handling.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want subscription management.
Paddle review

Questions people ask

Is Adyen or Paddle better?
Neither clearly leads. Adyen starts at $0.13/per-transaction and Paddle at $5/percent_plus_transaction, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adyen or Paddle?
Adyen starts at $0.13/per-transaction and Paddle at $5/percent_plus_transaction.
Does Adyen or Paddle run on more platforms?
Adyen runs on Web, Api, Pos. Paddle runs on Web, Api.
What is Adyen best used for?
Adyen is most often used for card acquiring with interchange plus pricing for larger merchants, accepting local payment methods across multiple countries, settling in several currencies through linked bank accounts, unified online and in-person payments. Of those, card acquiring with interchange plus pricing for larger merchants and accepting local payment methods across multiple countries are not what Paddle is typically brought in for.
What can Adyen do that Paddle cannot?
Adyen covers Risk management, Unified commerce, Issuing, Platform payments. Paddle covers Sales tax handling, Subscription management, Checkout, Revenue metrics. Both handle Payment processing, SOC 2, Web support, Api support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Adyen: How much does Adyen charge per transaction?

Adyen charges a fixed $0.13 USD per transaction plus a variable fee based on the payment method used. Credit cards typically cost $0.13 + 0.60% + interchange, while digital wallets and BNPL options cost between $0.13 + 0.99% to $0.13 + 4.99%+, depending on the specific method and region.

Source
Paddle: How much does Paddle charge per transaction?

Paddle charges 5% plus 50 cents per checkout transaction on their pay-as-you-go plan. Custom pricing is available for products under $10 or those requiring invoicing.

Source
Adyen: Does Adyen have monthly subscription or setup fees?

No, Adyen has no setup fees or monthly recurring charges. You pay only for each transaction processed. The transaction fee structure remains the same regardless of transaction volume or business size.

Source
Paddle: Are there hidden fees with Paddle?

No. Paddle emphasizes all-in-one pricing with no hidden costs, migration fees, or monthly fees. The stated 5% plus 50¢ rate covers payments, billing, tax compliance, fraud protection, and support.

Source
Adyen: What's Adyen's Interchange++ pricing option?

Adyen offers an Interchange++ transparent pricing model that passes interchange and scheme fees directly to merchants instead of bundling them into a percentage rate. This allows visibility into exact costs for each payment method.

Source
Paddle: Does Paddle offer custom pricing?

Yes. Paddle offers custom pricing arrangements for businesses with specific needs. Customers can contact Paddle directly to discuss custom pricing tailored to their business model.

Source
Adyen: Can I process payments in multiple currencies with Adyen?

Yes, Adyen supports 100+ payment methods across multiple currencies. You can link multiple bank accounts in different currencies to avoid currency conversion fees on international transactions.

Source
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