Softwr

Accounting · head to head

Paddle vs Shopkeep

Paddle logo

Paddle

Accounting

The complete payments infrastructure for SaaS

From
$5/percent_plus_transaction
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shopkeep logo

Shopkeep

E-Commerce

Cloud-based POS for small businesses

From
$89/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Paddle paddle charges 5% plus 50 cents on every checkout transaction, which is well above a bare payment processor rate; Shopkeep all plans require 24/7 phone and chat support; no tiered support options
  • They diverge on capability: Paddle covers Sales tax handling, Shopkeep covers Point of sale.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Paddle and Shopkeep actually diverge.

Attributes where Paddle and Shopkeep differ
AttributePaddleShopkeep
Starting price$5/percent_plus_transaction$89/month
Pricing modeltransactionsubscription
PlatformsWeb, ApiiPad, Web
CategoryAccountingE-Commerce
Founded20122008

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 Paddle

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

Only in Shopkeep

  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Customer profiles
  • Sales analytics
  • Employee management
  • Mobile POS
  • Reporting

Both cover

  • Payment processing

What people use each for

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

Paddle

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

Shopkeep

No use cases recorded yet. See the Shopkeep review.

Where each one falls short

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

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

Shopkeep

  • All plans require 24/7 phone and chat support; no tiered support options
  • Prices vary by business type and industry with additional service fees possible
  • Extra locations and registers incur additional charges beyond base plan cost

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Shopkeep

$89/month
  • Basic$89/month
    • Retail POS platform
    • 1 register included
    • Integrated Payments 1.5%
  • Core$149/month
    • All Basic features
    • Advanced management tools
    • Business growth support
  • Plus$289/month
    • All Core features
    • Advanced customization
    • Established retail operations support

Which should you pick?

Choose Paddle if

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

Choose Shopkeep if

  • You need point of sale.
  • You work on iPad, Web.
  • You also want inventory management.
Shopkeep review

Questions people ask

Is Paddle or Shopkeep better?
Neither clearly leads. Paddle starts at $5/percent_plus_transaction and Shopkeep at $89/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Paddle or Shopkeep?
Paddle starts at $5/percent_plus_transaction and Shopkeep at $89/month.
Does Paddle or Shopkeep run on more platforms?
Paddle runs on Web, Api. Shopkeep runs on iPad, Web.
What is Paddle best used for?
Paddle is most often used for selling saas or digital products with a merchant of record handling tax, global subscription billing and checkout, offloading sales tax and vat compliance for cross border sales. Of those, selling saas or digital products with a merchant of record handling tax and global subscription billing and checkout are not what Shopkeep is typically brought in for.
What can Paddle do that Shopkeep cannot?
Paddle covers Sales tax handling, Subscription management, Checkout, Revenue metrics. Shopkeep covers Point of sale, Inventory management, Customer profiles, Sales analytics. Both handle Payment processing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Shopkeep: What is included in the Lightspeed Retail Basic plan at $89 per month?

The Basic plan includes 1 register, retail POS platform, integrated payments at 1.5% card-present rate, inventory management, Lightspeed Wholesale access, NuORDER Catalog with 5 million+ products, built-in eCommerce, loyalty programs, and 24/7 support.

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
Shopkeep: How much can I save by paying annually instead of monthly?

Shopkeep (Lightspeed Retail) offers up to 18% discount when paying annually instead of month-to-month. All three plans (Basic, Core, Plus) qualify for this annual discount.

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
Shopkeep: What additional costs should I budget beyond the monthly subscription?

Beyond the monthly plan cost, extra locations require additional charges, extra registers incur per-register fees, and hardware (terminals, scanners, iPad devices) have separate costs. Integrated payment processing charges 1.5% per transaction.

Source
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