---
title: "Paddle vs TrialValid: pricing and fit"
url: "https://trialvalid.com/comparison/paddle.md"
canonical_url: "https://trialvalid.com/comparison/paddle"
last_updated: "2026-10-29"
type: "guide"
summary: "Paddle compared with TrialValid: 5% + 50 cents per checkout transaction, no monthly fee. Checked 2026-10-19."
related: ["https://trialvalid.com/comparison.md", "https://trialvalid.com/pricing.md"]
---

# Paddle vs TrialValid: pricing and fit

> **For AI agents:** the complete index of TrialValid pages is [llms.txt](https://trialvalid.com/llms.txt). Every page is also served as markdown at its URL plus .md.

Paddle compared with TrialValid: 5% + 50 cents per checkout transaction, no monthly fee. Checked 2026-10-19.

> Paddle takes the sale as merchant of record for a single 5% plus 50 cent fee, while TrialValid leaves the sale in your Stripe account and only runs the card hold, the trial and the first capture. (2026-10-19)

## What each one costs

TrialValid Starter is $29 a month for accounts under $10,000 of monthly recurring revenue, starting with a 14-day trial for $1; larger bands follow your revenue: Growth is $95 a month, Scale $295, Pro $595 and Max $995, and Enterprise from $1,995 a month. Paddle: 5% + 50 cents per checkout transaction, no monthly fee (read 2026-10-19, see the pricing table below).

| At a glance | Paddle |
| --- | --- |
| What it is | A payments, checkout, subscription billing and tax platform for SaaS and apps in which Paddle is the merchant of record, so it also handles global sales tax, fraud protection, chargebacks and buyer support. |
| Who it suits | Software and app businesses that want one provider to take the sale, collect and file tax, and answer buyer billing questions. |
| Starting price | 5% + 50 cents per checkout transaction, no monthly fee |
| Free tier | There is no free plan; the pay-as-you-go plan has no monthly fee, so you pay only when a transaction happens. |
| Date checked | 2026-10-19 |

## Paddle pricing

| Plan | Price | Billing basis | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Pay-as-you-go | 5% + 50 cents per checkout transaction | Per transaction, no monthly fee, with payments, checkout, billing, tax compliance, fraud protection, chargebacks and buyer support included | [vendor page](https://www.paddle.com/pricing) |
| Custom pricing | Contact sales | For high-volume businesses or more complex needs; the page routes you to book a demo | [vendor page](https://www.paddle.com/pricing) |
| Orders under $10 | Contact sales | The page says to get in touch for bespoke pricing on products under 10 dollars | [vendor page](https://www.paddle.com/pricing) |

The Paddle prices above come from www.paddle.com, read on 2026-10-19. Paddle can change them at any time.

## What Paddle is

A payments, checkout, subscription billing and tax platform for SaaS and apps in which Paddle is the merchant of record, so it also handles global sales tax, fraud protection, chargebacks and buyer support.

## Feature comparison

| Capability | TrialValid | Paddle | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Card hold at sign-up before a trial starts | yes | not stated | none |
| Trial subscription created in your own Stripe account | yes | different approach | [source](https://www.paddle.com/pricing) |
| Capture before the trial ends with retries | yes | not stated | none |
| Exact agreement text stored with time, IP and terms version | yes | not stated | none |
| Statement descriptor rules | yes | not stated | none |
| First-touch attribution per signup | yes | not stated | none |
| Automatic recovery after a failed charge | no | yes | [source](https://www.paddle.com/pricing) |
| Global sales tax collection and filing handled for you | no | yes | [source](https://www.paddle.com/pricing) |

## Where TrialValid and Paddle overlap

Choosing between them is mostly choosing who sells. With Paddle, Paddle is the seller, files tax and fields buyer billing questions, so the sale never passes through your Stripe account. TrialValid assumes Stripe is already your processor and adds a card hold, a trial subscription and a capture just before the first invoice. A team on Paddle checkouts has no use for TrialValid on those sales, and a team on Stripe has no need for Paddle to run a trial.

## When to pick which

### Pick Paddle when

- You would rather have Paddle appear as the seller and handle sales tax filing than do it yourself.
- A flat rate of 5% plus 50 cents per transaction, covering checkout, billing, fraud screening and chargebacks, suits your volume.
- Handing the sale to a merchant of record is acceptable, even though it leaves your Stripe account out of the flow.

### Pick TrialValid when

- Stripe stays your processor and you want every charge to remain there.
- A buyer should hold a real card before a trial starts, with capture shortly before it ends and retries if that capture fails.
- You would rather pay a monthly plan tied to connected MRR than 5% of each order plus 50 cents.
- Every signup should carry the stored wording, time, IP address and terms version.

## Sourced facts

| Fact | Read on | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The pay-as-you-go plan is priced at 5% plus 50 cents per checkout transaction. | 2026-10-19 | [vendor page](https://www.paddle.com/pricing) |
| The page states there are no monthly fees, no migration fees and no hidden extras on its pay-as-you-go tier. | 2026-10-19 | [vendor page](https://www.paddle.com/pricing) |
| Paddle describes itself as the merchant of record, which the page ties to global tax and regulatory compliance. | 2026-10-19 | [vendor page](https://www.paddle.com/pricing) |
| Included in the standard fee are payments, checkout and billing in one platform, plus fraud protection, chargebacks and buyer support. | 2026-10-19 | [vendor page](https://www.paddle.com/pricing) |
| A custom pricing tier exists for high-volume businesses or more complex needs and is reached by booking a demo. | 2026-10-19 | [vendor page](https://www.paddle.com/pricing) |
| The FAQ says Paddle collects the correct tax rate, tracks filing deadlines and submits sales tax returns for you. | 2026-10-19 | [vendor page](https://www.paddle.com/pricing) |
| For products priced under 10 dollars, the FAQ says to contact Paddle for bespoke pricing instead of using the standard fee. | 2026-10-19 | [vendor page](https://www.paddle.com/pricing) |
| The FAQ says there is no lock-in period and that your data can be migrated to another provider. | 2026-10-19 | [vendor page](https://www.paddle.com/pricing) |
| A premium advisory service is offered to SaaS businesses with large transaction volume. | 2026-10-19 | [vendor page](https://www.paddle.com/pricing) |
| The included list names a migration service, billing support for buyer questions about payments, subscriptions and cancellations, and reporting. | 2026-10-19 | [vendor page](https://www.paddle.com/pricing) |
| Invoicing, advisory services and implementation support are listed as additional features and services outside the standard list. | 2026-10-19 | [vendor page](https://www.paddle.com/pricing) |
| The navigation lists a metrics product described as real-time subscription analytics and a retain customers product aimed at reducing churn. | 2026-10-19 | [vendor page](https://www.paddle.com/pricing) |

## Questions

### What does Paddle charge per sale?

The pay-as-you-go plan is 5% plus 50 cents per checkout transaction with no monthly fee. Larger or more complex businesses are sent to a demo for custom pricing.

### Is Paddle the seller of record for my sales?

That is how the page describes it, and it links the role to global tax and regulatory handling.

### What if my products cost under 10 dollars?

The page says to contact Paddle for bespoke pricing on those, so the standard rate is not what applies.

### Would TrialValid sit on top of a Paddle checkout?

No. TrialValid works through your own Stripe account, and a Paddle sale runs through Paddle instead.

### Does Paddle tie me in?

The page says there is no lock-in period and that your data can be migrated to another provider.

## What we could not verify

- Whether Paddle can place a hold on a card at sign-up and capture it before a trial ends: the page covers fees and tax rather than trial mechanics.
- The size of Paddle custom pricing: the page sends buyers to a demo and prints no figure.
- The quote for orders under 10 dollars: the page names no number.
- Whether Paddle stores authorization wording, descriptor rules or signup attribution: nothing on the page mentions them.

> Spot something wrong or out of date? Write to hello@meralume.com and we will review it.

## Related

- [TrialValid compared with billing and growth tools](https://trialvalid.com/comparison.md)
- [Plans from $29 with a 14-day trial for $1](https://trialvalid.com/pricing.md)