Lemon Squeezy vs Stripe Managed Payments
side by side.
How Lemon Squeezy and Stripe Managed Payments compare on model, pricing, tax coverage and who each one is really for.
Lemon Squeezy is an all-in-one indie MoR with affiliates and email; Stripe Managed Payments adds MoR coverage to an existing Stripe setup. Both refuse human services.
Pick Lemon Squeezy if
- ✓You want a finished checkout with affiliates and email out of the box
- ✓You're starting fresh rather than extending a Stripe integration
- ✓You sell software, downloads or courses
Pick Stripe Managed Payments if
- ✓You already run on Stripe and want to keep your APIs and data
- ✓You'd rather not adopt a second platform
- ✓Your catalog is digital goods or SaaS
How they actually differ
Grounded in each provider's documented model, pricing and tax coverage. Verify the details for your exact offer before signing.
All-in-one versus stay-on-Stripe
Seller-of-record status and tax coverage line up on both sides. What differs is how much comes with it. Lemon Squeezy is a complete indie platform: checkout, affiliates, email, the lot. Stripe Managed Payments is narrower on purpose — it exists so Stripe users can get MoR coverage without leaving Stripe.
If you're building from scratch and want the extras handled, Lemon Squeezy gives you more in one place. If your billing already lives in Stripe, the managed layer saves you a migration. Neither will touch coaching or consulting.
Lemon Squeezy
Merchant of Record for indie SaaS, digital downloads and software. Notably refuses services and human-delivered offers.
- Best for
- Indie SaaS, Digital downloads, Templates, Ebooks
- Avoid if
- Any human-delivered service, Coaching, Consulting
- Pricing
- 5% + 50¢ per transaction
Stripe Managed Payments
Stripe's MoR offering bundled with Stripe Tax. Targets digital goods and software with familiar Stripe APIs.
- Best for
- Digital products, SaaS already on Stripe, Software, Subscriptions
- Avoid if
- Human services not explicitly approved
- Pricing
- Approx. 5% + Stripe processing on managed flows
Product eligibility
| Product | Lemon Squeezy | Stripe Managed Payments |
|---|---|---|
| SaaS | Accepted | Accepted |
| Downloadable software | Accepted | Accepted |
| Online courses | Likely accepted | Likely accepted |
| 1:1 coaching | Refused | Refused |
| Consulting | Refused | Refused |
| Communities | Unclear | Unclear |
| Digital downloads | Accepted | Likely accepted |
| Templates | Accepted | Likely accepted |
| AI tools | Accepted | Accepted |
Tax coverage
Lemon Squeezy
- EU VAT
- Yes
- UK VAT
- Yes
- US sales tax
- Yes
- Canada GST/HST
- Yes
- Australia GST
- Yes
Stripe Managed Payments
- EU VAT
- Yes
- UK VAT
- Yes
- US sales tax
- Yes
- Canada GST/HST
- Yes
- Australia GST
- Yes