The Polar Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Polar in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Polar
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source billing and merchant of record for software sellers
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among tools for selling digital products, read from Polar’s own pages.
Made by Polar Software, Inc. · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Polar’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Polar’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 6 of the 14 other tools for selling digital products we grade
Polar is an open-source billing platform that acts as merchant of record, taking on sales tax, fraud, refunds and chargebacks in over 100 markets. Developers sell subscriptions, usage-based plans and one-off products, with file downloads, license keys, GitHub repository access and Discord roles delivered automatically. Its site now pitches it mainly at AI companies billing by usage.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Polar, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It's built for developers: the listing leads with an API, a Python SDK and webhooks, so expect some setting up.
- 1
Best for developers selling software and usage plans
It's built for developers and AI products, so creators wanting a store page, email or affiliates should look elsewhere.
- 2
Paid plans start at $20 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $20 per month, with a lower fee on each sale.
- 3
There is a free plan
Starter is free with all selling features and standard support; Polar takes 5% + 50¢ of each transaction, plus 1.5% for non-US cards.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Merchant of record
Polar resells your product in over 100 markets and is responsible for payments, sales tax and VAT, fraud, refunds and chargebacks.
- 6
Subscriptions and usage billing
Subscriptions, seat-based and unit-based pricing, prepaid credits and metered usage from live event meters, combined on one invoice.
- 7
Automated benefits
Deliver file downloads up to 10GB each, license keys, private GitHub repository invites, Discord roles, feature flags or a shared Slack channel.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 6 of 14
That is against the other tools for selling digital products we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Polar you would be making selling as the merchant of record, so sales tax and VAT are handled everywhere. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Polar at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $20 per month, with a lower fee on each sale
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Polar Software, Inc.
- Category
- Selling Digital Products
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for developers selling software and usage plans
Polar is open-source billing that acts as merchant of record, handling tax, fraud, refunds and chargebacks, and it delivers files, license keys, GitHub access or Discord roles after each sale. Starter is free, with 5% + 50¢ a sale. It's built for developers and AI products, so creators wanting a store page, email or affiliates should look elsewhere.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Starter is free and keeps 5% + 50¢ a transaction, so $1,000 costs $50 plus 50¢ a sale, with no separate card fee listed since Polar is the merchant of record. Pro at $20 only pays off above about $1,379 a month. Non-US cards add 1.5%. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Starter costs nothing a month and includes every selling feature, with standard support. You pay 5% + 50¢ a sale instead, and the value grade counts that. |
| Features | C | Subscriptions, seats, usage meters and credits, plus files, license keys, GitHub repo invites and Discord roles delivered automatically. It does billing for software fully, but nothing in the listing covers a store page, email or affiliates. |
| Ease of use | C | No App Store rating on record. It's built for developers: the listing leads with an API, a Python SDK and webhooks, so expect some setting up. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, with Stripe, GitHub, Discord and Slack, an API, a Python SDK and an MCP server for Claude, Cursor and ChatGPT. No phone or desktop app is listed. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Polar is for
- Great if you sell software or SaaS subscriptions to buyers worldwide
- Handy when your AI product bills by tokens, credits or other usage
- A treat if you're an open-source maintainer selling access to a repo or Discord
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you're a creator who wants a store page, email and affiliates
- Pricey if you get many disputes, as each one costs $15 whatever the outcome
Good to know
Good for
- Developers selling software, licenses or SaaS subscriptions worldwide
- AI products that bill by tokens, credits or other usage
- Open-source maintainers granting paid access to repos or Discord
Worth knowing
- Starter keeps 5% + 50¢ of each transaction, and non-US cards add 1.5%; the paid plans only lower that fee once sales are high enough.
- Each dispute costs $15 whatever the outcome, and Polar may suspend accounts whose chargeback rate gets too high.
- Payouts through Stripe cost $2 a month plus 0.25% + $0.25 per payout, and currency conversion adds 0.25% to 1%.
- Organizations created before May 27, 2026 keep an Early Member rate of 4% + 40¢ until they move to a paid plan.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$20
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Polar has a free plan. Paid plans start at $20 per month, with a lower fee on each sale.
Starter costs nothing a month and includes every selling feature, with standard support.
Starter
$0
All features to sell, standard support. Polar keeps 5% + 50¢ of each transaction, plus 1.5% for international cards.
Pro
$20
per month
Fee drops to 3.8% + 40¢ a transaction, with prioritized support and preview access to new features. Pays off above about $1,379 a month in sales.
Growth
$100
per month
Fee drops to 3.6% + 35¢ a transaction, with prioritized support. Pays off above about $5,634 a month in sales.
Scale
$400
per month
Fee drops to 3.4% + 30¢ a transaction, with a shared Slack channel, P1 support and single sign-on.
The free plan
Starter is free with all selling features and standard support; Polar takes 5% + 50¢ of each transaction, plus 1.5% for non-US cards.
Read from polar.sh on Oct 18, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Startups
Scale plan free for a year for AI startups
Polar's Startup Program gives early-stage AI startups the Scale plan free for twelve months, with its 3.4% + 30¢ fee, by application.
Stated on polar.sh
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Open-source billing and merchant of record for software sellers. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, public API, digital downloads, merchant of record.
Subscriptions, seats, usage meters and credits, plus files, license keys, GitHub repo invites and Discord roles delivered automatically.
- Merchant of record
- Polar resells your product in over 100 markets and is responsible for payments, sales tax and VAT, fraud, refunds and chargebacks.
- Subscriptions and usage billing
- Subscriptions, seat-based and unit-based pricing, prepaid credits and metered usage from live event meters, combined on one invoice.
- Automated benefits
- Deliver file downloads up to 10GB each, license keys, private GitHub repository invites, Discord roles, feature flags or a shared Slack channel.
- Cost and margin insights
- Attach inference or other costs to usage events to see gross margin per customer beside revenue.
- Checkout options
- Custom checkout fields, discounts, free trials and tax-inclusive pricing, with a Python SDK, webhooks and an API for developers.
- Open source and MCP
- Polar's code is open source, and its MCP server lets Claude, Cursor or ChatGPT query customers and revenue or create products and refunds.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Stripe
- GitHub
- Discord
- Slack
- Claude
- Cursor
- ChatGPT
Polar is made by Polar Software, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
6/14
Other tools for selling digital products it is graded above
Polar's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 6 of the 14 other tools for selling digital products we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 7 of 14) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $20 a month, against a middle price of $24.50 for the category: 4 of the 9 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 6 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 15 tools for selling digital products we grade, cut by the letter each got. Polar’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 3 of 14
- AFree plan and trialAbove 7 of 14
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 14
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 14
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 14
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 14 tools for selling digital products. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Polar is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Polar you would be making selling as the merchant of record, so sales tax and VAT are handled everywhere. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $240 a year. Polar is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Digital downloads: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Selling as the merchant of record, so sales tax and VAT are handled everywhere.
- It plugs into other products, Stripe, GitHub and Discord among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. Polar’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Lemon Squeezy, Gumroad, Whop, SendOwl and Payhip
The 5 tools Polar is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Lemon Squeezy
Free plan · from $10/mo
Merchant of record checkout for software, subscriptions and downloads.
- Polar is open source, according to its own site.
- Lemon Squeezy also covers email campaigns, affiliate tracking and online store.
- 2.6GPA
Gumroad
Free
Sell downloads, memberships and courses for a cut of each sale.
- Only Gumroad lists iOS and Android apps.
- Polar is open source, according to its own site.
- Gumroad also covers email campaigns and affiliate tracking.
- 3.4GPA
Whop
Free
Storefront, checkout and payouts for paid communities and products.
- Only Whop lists an iOS app.
- Polar is open source, according to its own site.
- Polar also covers merchant of record.
- 2.4GPA
SendOwl
Free trial · from $32.50/mo
Checkout and delivery for downloads, licenses and subscriptions.
- Polar has a free plan. SendOwl does not, though it has a free trial.
- Polar is open source, according to its own site.
- Polar also covers merchant of record.
- 2.6GPA
Payhip
Free plan · from $29/mo
Store for downloads, courses and memberships, with a free plan.
- Polar is open source, according to its own site.
- Polar also covers merchant of record.
- Payhip also covers online courses, affiliate tracking and online store.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Polar free?
Polar has a free plan. Starter is free with all selling features and standard support; Polar takes 5% + 50¢ of each transaction, plus 1.5% for non-US cards.
How much does Polar cost?
Polar lists 4 plans. Starter: $0.
What platforms does Polar work on?
Polar is available on Web.
Does Polar offer any discounts?
Polar publicly lists the following: Scale plan free for a year for AI startups.
Does Polar have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Polar is listed for Web.
Does Polar have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Polar is listed for Web.
Is Polar open source?
Yes. Polar is open source, according to its own site.
Does Polar have an API?
Yes. Polar offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Polar integrate with?
Polar's listing names Stripe, GitHub, Discord, Slack, Claude, Cursor and ChatGPT.
Who makes Polar?
Polar is made by Polar Software, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Polar?
The closest alternatives to Polar in our directory are Lemon Squeezy, Gumroad, Whop, SendOwl and Payhip.
How does Polar compare with other tools for selling digital products?
Polar's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 6 of the 14 other tools for selling digital products we grade, and level with 5.
Is Polar good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Polar C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $20 a month, against a middle price of $24.50 for the category: 4 of the 9 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Polar?
To replace Polar you would be making selling as the merchant of record, so sales tax and VAT are handled everywhere.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Polar’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Polar's own pages on 18 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Polar Software, Inc. Prices change, so check polar.sh before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,281
Tools graded, in 73 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,281
tools graded
73
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Polar, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/polar
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Polar: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/polar
Know someone choosing between tools for selling digital products?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/polar/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded tools for selling digital products after Polar, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Selling Digital Products Insider's GuideEvery one of the 15 tools for selling digital products we grade, compared
- Whop Insider's GuideStorefront, checkout and payouts for paid communities and products3.4 GPA
- Patreon Insider's GuidePaid memberships, a shop and community for creators and their fans3.0 GPA
- Lemon Squeezy Insider's GuideMerchant of record checkout for software, subscriptions and downloads2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Polar’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Polar is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Polar Software, Inc. Prices and plans change: check polar.sh before you buy.