Which is cheaper, Paddle or Recurly?

Pricing varies by tier and usage. Check both tools for current rates.

Does Paddle have a free tier?

Yes, Paddle offers a free tier with transactionFeePercent: 5, perTransactionFee: 0.5.

Paddle has significant switching cost. Recurly has architectural switching cost. Paddle is easier to switch away from.

Payments

Paddle

Complete payments infrastructure with checkout, subscriptions, and tax compliance as a Merchant of Record

Switching Cost: significant

Recurly

Enterprise subscription management platform with churn mitigation, payments orchestration, and revenue recognition

Switching Cost: architectural

Startups take note: Paddle provides a free tier, while Recurly requires payment from day one.

You'll notice different pricing structures: usage-based for Paddle versus hybrid for Recurly.

Paddle stands out for teams needing a free tier — zero upfront costs for prototyping and testing is a genuine advantage.

Paddle stands out for teams needing a free tier — zero upfront costs for prototyping and testing is a genuine advantage.

Free Tier

Paddle

Has a free tier option

Pricing Model

Different

Tools charge using different pricing philosophies

Switching Costs

Paddle

Lower switching costs for easier migration