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Software · head to head

FastSpring vs Paddle

FastSpring logo

FastSpring

Software

Merchant-of-record commerce platform for global payments, subscriptions, and tax compliance

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paddle logo

Paddle

Software

The complete payments infrastructure for SaaS

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: FastSpring pricing is not published and requires contacting sales for a quote, making cost comparison difficult upfront.; Paddle paddle charges 5% plus 50 cents on every checkout transaction, which is well above a bare payment processor rate
  • They diverge on capability: FastSpring covers Global online payments, Paddle covers Payment processing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FastSpring and Paddle actually diverge.

Attributes where FastSpring and Paddle differ
AttributeFastSpringPaddle
Starting priceOn request$29/month
Pricing modeltransactionusage-based
Founded20062012

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (web, api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 FastSpring

  • Global online payments
  • Subscription billing
  • Branded checkout
  • Tax compliance
  • Fraud prevention
  • Digital invoicing and quotes

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.

FastSpring

  • Selling software or SaaS internationally without a local tax entitynot Paddle
  • B2B invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise SaaS dealsnot Paddle
  • Recurring subscription billing for digital productsnot Paddle
  • Reducing fraud and chargebacks on digital purchasesnot Paddle

Paddle

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

Where each one falls short

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

FastSpring

  • Pricing is not published and requires contacting sales for a quote, making cost comparison difficult upfront.
  • As a merchant-of-record, FastSpring takes on more control of the checkout and payment relationship than a pure payment gateway like Stripe.
  • Revenue share pricing can become more expensive than flat per-transaction gateway fees at very high volumes.
  • Primarily targeted at software/digital goods sellers, so it is less suited to physical product e-commerce.

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

FastSpring

On request
  • Custom$undefined/mo
    • All-in-one transaction-based pricing based on sales volume
    • No subscription fees or per-feature charges
    • Discounted rates for ACH and wire transfers

Paddle

$29/month
  • Standard$5/transaction
    • Payment processing
    • Tax compliance
    • Billing

Which should you pick?

Choose FastSpring if

  • You need global online payments.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want subscription billing.
FastSpring review

Choose Paddle if

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

Questions people ask

Is FastSpring or Paddle better?
Neither clearly leads. FastSpring starts at On request and Paddle at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FastSpring or Paddle?
FastSpring starts at On request and Paddle at $29/month.
Does FastSpring or Paddle run on more platforms?
FastSpring runs on web, api. Paddle runs on Web, Api.
What is FastSpring best used for?
FastSpring is most often used for selling software or saas internationally without a local tax entity, b2b invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise saas deals, recurring subscription billing for digital products, reducing fraud and chargebacks on digital purchases. Of those, selling software or saas internationally without a local tax entity and b2b invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise saas deals are not what Paddle is typically brought in for.
What can FastSpring do that Paddle cannot?
FastSpring covers Global online payments, Subscription billing, Branded checkout, Tax compliance. Paddle covers Payment processing, Sales tax handling, Subscription management, Checkout.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

FastSpring: What does FastSpring cost?

FastSpring uses flat-rate, all-in-one pricing based on transaction volume, with fees withheld from payouts. There is no minimum volume or subscription fee, and pricing is typically quoted based on expected sales volume after contacting their sales team.

Source
FastSpring: Is there a free plan?

FastSpring does not offer a free plan; instead pricing is transaction-based with no upfront subscription cost, and merchants only pay a commission on completed sales.

Source
FastSpring: What does FastSpring integrate with or include compared to a payment gateway like Stripe?

FastSpring bundles international payments, subscription management, tax compliance, fraud prevention, reporting, and B2B invoicing into one price, whereas gateways like Stripe charge separately for many of these features.

Source
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