APIs · head to head
Basis Theory vs Paddle
Basis Theory
APIs
Developer tokenisation platform that holds card and sensitive data inside a PCI Level 1 environment you do not operate
- From
- $995/month
- Rated
- -
Paddle
Accounting
The complete payments infrastructure for SaaS
- From
- $5/percent_plus_transaction
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Basis Theory the Starter plan is 995 US dollars a month before any volume, which is a real floor for an early stage company and puts the product out of reach of teams tokenising a few thousand records.; Paddle paddle charges 5% plus 50 cents on every checkout transaction, which is well above a bare payment processor rate
- They diverge on capability: Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API, Paddle covers Payment processing.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Basis Theory and Paddle actually diverge.
| Attribute | Basis Theory | Paddle |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $995/month | $5/percent_plus_transaction |
| Pricing model | Per month by token volume | transaction |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, Linux | Web, Api |
| Category | APIs | Accounting |
| Founded | Unknown | 2012 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Basis Theory
- Tokenisation API
- Hosted elements
- Outbound proxy
- PCI attestation of compliance
- Processor portability
- Reactors
- Access controls and audit
- PII and PHI options
Only in Paddle
- Payment processing
- Sales tax handling
- Subscription management
- Checkout
- Revenue metrics
- Stripe
- PayPal
- Various
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Basis Theory
- A payments company that wants card on file without bringing its own infrastructure into PCI scope and paying for the assessment that followsnot Paddle
- A merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirernot Paddle
- A fintech collecting bank account and identity data that needs it isolated from its application database before an enterprise security reviewnot Paddle
- A team that needs to send stored card data to a third party for a one-off integration without that data traversing its own serversnot Paddle
Paddle
- Selling SaaS or digital products with a merchant of record handling taxnot Basis Theory
- Global subscription billing and checkoutnot Basis Theory
- Offloading sales tax and VAT compliance for cross border salesnot Basis Theory
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Basis Theory
- The Starter plan is 995 US dollars a month before any volume, which is a real floor for an early stage company and puts the product out of reach of teams tokenising a few thousand records.
- Starter is limited to the US region, so a company with European data residency requirements is pushed into a quoted Scale or Enterprise agreement immediately.
- Log retention on Starter is 24 hours, which is well below what most security teams expect for a system holding cardholder data and forces an upgrade for reasons unrelated to volume.
- Migrating away means moving card data out of the vault, which requires processor and assessor involvement and is slow, so the portability argument that attracts buyers cuts against them at exit.
- An attestation of compliance covers the vendor environment, not your assessment; your assessor still decides what is in scope, and buyers occasionally discover their integration pattern pulled systems back into scope anyway.
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
Basis Theory
$995/month- Starter$995/month
- 20,000 tokens included
- Production PCI Level 1 environment
- US region only
- Scale$undefined/month
- Quoted
- Higher token volumes
- Additional regions
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Quoted
- Additional compliance options for PII and PHI
- Responses for 95 percent of PCI SAQ D
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 Basis Theory if
- You need tokenisation api.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
- You also want hosted elements.
Choose Paddle if
- You need payment processing.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want sales tax handling.
Questions people ask
- Is Basis Theory or Paddle better?
- Neither clearly leads. Basis Theory starts at $995/month 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, Basis Theory or Paddle?
- Basis Theory starts at $995/month and Paddle at $5/percent_plus_transaction.
- Does Basis Theory or Paddle run on more platforms?
- Basis Theory runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux. Paddle runs on Web, Api.
- What is Basis Theory best used for?
- Basis Theory is most often used for a payments company that wants card on file without bringing its own infrastructure into pci scope and paying for the assessment that follows, a merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirer, a fintech collecting bank account and identity data that needs it isolated from its application database before an enterprise security review, a team that needs to send stored card data to a third party for a one-off integration without that data traversing its own servers. Of those, a payments company that wants card on file without bringing its own infrastructure into pci scope and paying for the assessment that follows and a merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirer are not what Paddle is typically brought in for.
- What can Basis Theory do that Paddle cannot?
- Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API, Hosted elements, Outbound proxy, PCI attestation of compliance. Paddle covers Payment processing, Sales tax handling, Subscription management, Checkout.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Basis Theory: Does this make us PCI compliant?
It removes cardholder data from your systems and gives you an AOC plus documented responses for most of a SAQ D. Your assessor still determines your scope, and a careless integration can pull systems back in.
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.
SourceBasis Theory: What does it cost to start?
995 US dollars a month on Starter, including 20,000 tokens, a production PCI Level 1 environment and US hosting. Higher tiers are quoted.
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.
SourceBasis Theory: Can we switch payment processors without re-collecting cards?
Yes, that is the main non-compliance reason to buy it. You hold the tokens and detokenise into whichever processor you route to.
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.
SourceBasis Theory: Is data stored outside the United States?
Not on Starter, which is US only. Other regions require a Scale or Enterprise agreement.
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