Guide
Stripe vs Lemon Squeezy vs Polar vs Paddle: Verified Revenue of 1,575 AI Businesses
Most comparisons of payment providers stop at fees. We also counted what AI businesses on each one actually earn, using revenue verified straight from the provider.
Every AI business in our directory with a verified revenue number got it from a payment provider. TrustMRR connects to the founder’s Stripe, Lemon Squeezy, Polar, Paddle, Dodo Payments, Creem or RevenueCat account and reads the revenue directly. So we know two things for each of the 1,575 businesses with verified monthly recurring revenue (MRR): how much they make, and which provider they use.
That makes this comparison a bit different. Fees matter, but the bigger question for a new founder is: which provider do the businesses that make money actually use, and does the choice tell you anything?
Verified revenue by payment provider
| Provider | Type | AI businesses with MRR | Median MRR | $1k+ MRR | $10k+ MRR | Top verified MRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | Processor (Managed Payments adds MoR) | 1,037 | $354 | 334 | 94 | $863,632 |
| RevenueCat (mobile) | In-app subscriptions | 287 | $292 | 69 | 19 | $52,068 |
| Dodo Payments | Merchant of record | 70 | $147 | 9 | 0 | $8,222 |
| Polar | Merchant of record | 62 | $118 | 9 | 1 | $10,790 |
| Lemon Squeezy | Merchant of record | 37 | $219 | 6 | 0 | $1,625 |
| Paddle | Merchant of record | 28 | $313 | 7 | 2 | $15,221 |
| Creem | Merchant of record | 12 | $34 | 2 | 0 | $3,040 |
All numbers are verified only (TrustMRR, October 29, 2026). We left out about 250 newer stacks whose numbers are self-reported by the operator.
What the numbers say
Stripe dominates. Two out of three verified AI businesses use it, and it has 94 of the 125 businesses that make $10,000 a month or more. Its median ($354) is also the highest. That does not mean Stripe makes you earn more. Older, bigger SaaS companies started on Stripe before the merchant-of-record (MoR) options were popular, so Stripe’s group skews older and larger.
The MoR providers skew newer and smaller. Polar’s median is $118 and almost half of its businesses make under $100 a month. Dodo Payments ($147) and Creem ($34) look similar. These providers are popular with indie hackers who launched in 2025 and 2026, so many of their businesses are still young.
Paddle is the exception. Only 28 businesses, but a $313 median and two above $10k, including a self-serve AI website builder at $15,221 MRR and an AI comment and DM assistant at $12,474. Paddle tends to attract founders who already sell globally and want tax handled.
Lemon Squeezy has no $10k business in our verified set. Its best is a social scheduling tool for AI agents at $1,625. Since Stripe bought Lemon Squeezy, several reviews advise new SaaS founders to look at Stripe Managed Payments or Paddle instead.
Fees, as published by each provider
| Provider | Headline fee (checked late October 2026) | Handles sales tax / VAT for you? |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe | 2.9% + 30¢ US cards, +1.5% international, +0.7% Billing | No, unless you add Stripe Tax or Managed Payments (+3.5%) |
| Lemon Squeezy | 5% + 50¢, plus surcharges for international and PayPal | Yes |
| Polar | 5% + 50¢ free plan; 3.8% + 40¢ on the $20/month plan | Yes |
| Paddle | 5% + 50¢, all-inclusive | Yes |
| Dodo Payments | 4% + 40¢ | Yes |
| Creem | 3.9% + 40¢ | Yes |
Fees change often, so check each provider’s pricing page before you choose (Stripe, Polar, Lemon Squeezy, Paddle).
The biggest verified earner on each
- Stripe: AI support chatbot builder, $863,632 MRR.
- Stripe: AI buying-signal prospecting tool, $424,368 MRR.
- RevenueCat: AI aesthetic selfie app, $52,068 MRR.
- RevenueCat: AI photo calorie tracker, $46,315 MRR.
- Paddle: self-serve AI website builder, $15,221 MRR.
- Polar: creative studio for Claude (MCP), $10,790 MRR.
- Polar: AI marketing team for small brands, $2,259 MRR.
- Dodo Payments: real-time AI copilot for interviews, $8,222 MRR.
- Dodo Payments: open-source AI computer agents, $7,327 MRR.
- Lemon Squeezy: AI video translation with voice dubbing, $1,589 MRR.
- Creem: multi-model AI video and image studio, $3,040 MRR.
- Creem: AI creation platform for Roblox UGC, $2,147 MRR.
Which one should you pick?
- Selling mostly in one country, comfortable with tax paperwork: Stripe. Lowest base fee and what most high earners use.
- Selling worldwide as a solo founder and you never want to file VAT: a merchant of record. Paddle if you want the most established option; Polar or Dodo if you want lower fees and a developer-friendly setup.
- Mobile app: RevenueCat on top of Apple and Google billing. See AI SaaS vs mobile apps.
- Do not switch providers to earn more. The median gap between providers comes from who uses them, not from the checkout. Distribution decides revenue.
For the full revenue distribution, read how much AI apps make, or browse verified-revenue AI businesses.
Every stack in this guide, side by side
This guide links 14 stacks. 14 have payment-verified revenue, 1 is rated Easy to build, and every disclosed startup cost is $99. The typical stack is about 85% automated, so plan on doing the rest yourself. "MRR" means monthly recurring revenue, what subscribers pay each month. Revenue figures come from each stack's source and date; tap a name for the full breakdown.
| Stack | Revenue (as reported) | Startup cost | Difficulty | Automated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-Serve AI Website Builder Platform | ~$15,221 MRR; $15,525 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/Paddle, Oct 23, 2026) | Not disclosed | Hard | 85% |
| AI Social Comments & DM Assistant | ~$12,474 MRR; $12,507 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/Paddle, Oct 23, 2026) | Not disclosed | Medium | 85% |
| Social Media Scheduling for AI Agents | ~$1,625 MRR; $2,093 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/LemonSqueezy, Oct 27, 2026) | Not disclosed | Medium | 80% |
| AI Support Chatbot Builder SaaS | $863,632 MRR (Stripe-verified, Jul 2026 snapshot) | Not disclosed | Hard | 70% |
| AI Buying-Signal Prospecting Tool | $424,368 MRR (Stripe-verified, TrustMRR) | Not disclosed | Hard | 75% |
| AI Aesthetic Selfie / Digicam Photo App | ~$52,068 MRR (RevenueCat-verified, TrustMRR, Oct 2026) | $99 | Hard | 90% |
| AI Photo Calorie Tracker (Calyra Pattern) | ~$46,315 MRR (RevenueCat-verified, TrustMRR, Oct 2026) | $99 | Hard | 90% |
| Creative Studio for Claude (MCP Image/Video Models) | ~$10,790 MRR; $104,192 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/Polar, Oct 23, 2026) | Not disclosed | Hard | 85% |
| AI Marketing Team That Learns Your Brand | ~$2,259 MRR; $2,318 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/Polar, Oct 25, 2026) | Not disclosed | Medium | 80% |
| Real-Time AI Copilot for Interviews and Meetings | ~$8,222 MRR; $13,999 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/DodoPayment, Oct 29, 2026) | Not disclosed | Easy | 85% |
| Open-Source AI Agents That Use a Computer | ~$7,327 MRR; $5,491 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/DodoPayment, Oct 29, 2026) | Not disclosed | Medium | 85% |
| AI Video Translation with Voice Dubbing | ~$1,589 MRR; $2,459 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/LemonSqueezy, Oct 24, 2026) | Not disclosed | Medium | 85% |
| Multi-Model AI Video and Image Studio | ~$3,040 MRR; $1,628 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/Creem, Oct 29, 2026) | Not disclosed | Medium | 85% |
| AI Creation Platform for Roblox UGC | ~$2,147 MRR; $2,730 verified revenue last 30 days (TrustMRR/Creem, Oct 27, 2026) | Not disclosed | Medium | 80% |
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