Lisensio vs Paddle: the 5% forever fee
Paddle's 5% + $0.50 merchant-of-record model handles your global tax — a real service with a real price that scales linearly with your success. Forever. Here's the honest trade-off.
Lisensio vs Paddle: Paddle charges 5% + $0.50 per transaction as merchant of record (handling global tax); Lisensio is $89/year flat and includes WordPress licensing and updates that Paddle does not provide.
At a Glance
Side-by-side comparison
| Lisensio | Paddle | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee structure | $89/yr flat, unlimited sales | 5% + $0.50 per transaction, no cap |
| Cost at $50K/yr revenue | $89 | ≈ $3,000+ (plus 1.5–2% FX spread) |
| Sales tax / VAT | Via WooCommerce tax plugins (e.g. automated tax services) | Fully handled as merchant of record |
| Invoices issued by | You — you're the seller of record | Paddle — they are the reseller |
| WordPress updates | Native wp-admin updates built in | Not included — you'd build this yourself |
| Checkout approval | None — it's your store | 1–2 week approval process, strict requirements |
| Chargeback liability | Yours (standard for any store) | Paddle's |
| Customer data | 100% yours, in your database | Lives in Paddle's platform |
| Refunds | Your policy; fees returned by your gateway per their terms | Paddle doesn't return the original transaction fee |
Paddle figures from published 2026 pricing: 5% + $0.50, merchant of record. Currency conversion typically adds 1.5–2% on cross-border sales.
Be Honest
When Paddle is the better choice
- You sell globally into many tax jurisdictions and don't want to register or file anywhere — MoR is genuinely valuable
- You sell non-WordPress software or SaaS — Paddle isn't WordPress-specific
- You want chargeback & fraud liability off your plate entirely
For WordPress plugins and themes, you're paying the 5% MoR premium and still building your own licensing and update delivery. Lisensio gives you both — and WooCommerce tax automation covers most sellers' VAT needs for a fraction of the 5%.
Keep the 5%. Keep the keys.
Purpose-built WordPress licensing on your own store — $89/year, 30-day money-back guarantee.
Get Lisensio — $89/yearMore comparisons: all competitors · vs Gumroad · vs Freemius