Comparison · Updated September 20, 2026
Dodo Payments vs Polar
Dodo Payments
C+
Dodo Payments is a merchant-of-record billing platform for software, SaaS and AI products, founded in 2024 in Bengaluru by Rishabh Goel and Ayush Agarwal and backed by a $1.1 million pre-seed round in February 2025. It undercuts Paddle and Lemon Squeezy with a published 4% + 40¢ on US card and wallet payments, adds 1.5% on international cards, 0.5% on subscriptions and 3% on PayPal and BNPL, and onboards sellers from about 177 countries, including individuals without a company. Payouts run twice a month by default with a $50 threshold. Its 3.1 Trustpilot score over 124 reviews splits almost evenly between five-star praise for onboarding and one-star complaints about accounts closed with balances held for 120 days, and its master agreement still quotes 5% + 50¢ eight months after the pricing page moved to 4% + 40¢.
Polar
B-
Polar (polar.sh) is an open-source merchant of record and billing platform for developers selling software, SaaS subscriptions and digital products. It is run by Polar Software, Inc., a Delaware corporation whose team is based in Stockholm, and was founded in 2022 by Birk Jernström, who co-founded the e-commerce platform Tictail, sold it to Shopify in 2018 and then led product for Shopify's Shop app. Polar launched version 1.0 of its billing platform in September 2024 and raised a $10 million seed round led by Accel in June 2025, with angels from Shopify, Vercel, Supabase, Raycast, Resend and Framer. As merchant of record it is the legal seller of everything sold through it — it collects and remits US sales tax, EU VAT, Canadian GST and other taxes, carries chargeback liability and issues the invoices — and it charges a single platform fee on top of that. That fee changed on 27 May 2026. Organisations created before that date keep an 'Early Member' rate of 4% + 40¢ plus 0.5% on subscriptions indefinitely; new organisations pay 5% + 50¢ on the free Starter plan or buy down the rate with Pro ($20 a month, 3.8% + 40¢), Growth ($100, 3.6% + 35¢) or Scale ($400, 3.4% + 30¢). International (non-US) cards add 1.5%, disputes cost $15 each regardless of outcome, payouts go through Stripe Connect at Stripe's pass-through fees ($2 per active payout month, 0.25% + 25¢ per payout), and organisations created on or after 12 May 2026 have a seven-day settlement delay before they can withdraw. Its code is Apache 2.0 on GitHub, its SDKs and framework adapters are widely praised, and its weak points are the ones you would expect of a seed-stage company two years into operating: thin support, fixed dunning you cannot customise, and pricing for newcomers that is now level with Paddle and Lemon Squeezy rather than below them.
VS
Overview
Dodo Payments and Polar are the two young merchants of record that indie developers and SaaS founders now weigh against Paddle and Lemon Squeezy: both are the legal seller on every transaction, collect and remit sales tax and VAT worldwide, carry chargeback liability and pay the developer a net amount. Dodo, a Bengaluru start-up founded in 2023 or 2024 depending on the source and graded C+ on Payment Review, leads on headline price with a published 4% + 40¢ on US cards and no monthly fee, accepts PayPal and buy-now-pay-later for a 3% uplift, prices bank debit at 1.5% capped at $15, and ships SDKs in nine languages. Polar, founded in Stockholm in 2022, open source and graded B-, charges 5% + 50¢ on its free tier but sells paid plans from $20 a month that cut the rate to 3.8%, 3.6% and 3.4%, adds no subscription surcharge on new accounts, charges $15 per dispute against Dodo's $30, and lets you withdraw whenever the balance passes $10 instead of waiting for Dodo's twice-monthly cycle and $50 minimum. The contracts differ too: Dodo's master agreement still quotes 5% + 50¢, lets Dodo terminate at a 0.5% chargeback, cancellation or refund rate, and its Trustpilot record is dominated by accounts closed with balances held for 120 days; Polar's terms allow payment delays of up to 120 days on suspended accounts but its complaint record is thinner. Dodo is cheaper for a seller under about $10,000 a month who wants PayPal or bank debit; Polar is the better platform above that and for anyone who values on-demand payouts, a lower dispute fee and a better-capitalised, open-source operator.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Dodo's published rate is 4% + 40¢ against Polar's 5% + 50¢ on the free tier, but Polar's Pro plan at $20 a month brings its rate to 3.8% + 40¢ and undercuts Dodo above roughly $10,000 of monthly sales, with Growth and Scale going to 3.6% and 3.4%.
- ✓Both add 1.5% on non-US cards; Dodo adds 0.5% on subscriptions and 3% on PayPal and buy-now-pay-later, where Polar's current plans carry no subscription surcharge and list neither payment method.
- ✓Polar charges $15 per dispute to Dodo's $30, and Polar lets you withdraw on demand above $10 where Dodo pays twice a month above $50 — though Dodo's payouts arrive in 1–2 business days against Polar's 4–7 after a 7-day settlement delay on new accounts.
- ✓Dodo's master services agreement, last updated 26 February 2026, still states a 5% + 50¢ fee and lets Dodo terminate immediately if chargebacks, cancellations and refunds together exceed 0.5% of monthly orders; Polar's terms allow termination for excessive chargebacks and its docs cite a 0.7% chargeback rate.
- ✓Polar raised a $10 million Accel-led seed round in June 2025 and publishes its code under Apache 2.0; Dodo has disclosed $1.1 million of pre-seed funding and 43% of its 124 Trustpilot reviews are one star, most about accounts closed with funds held for 120 days.
Dodo Payments
Dodo Payments is for a developer or small SaaS selling under about $10,000 a month who wants the lowest headline merchant-of-record rate without a subscription, needs PayPal or buy-now-pay-later at checkout, sells to Indian buyers by UPI or takes bank debit for higher-ticket B2B plans, or is in a country Polar's Stripe Connect payouts do not reach.
Polar
Polar is for a SaaS founder or developer who will pass $10,000 a month or sells mainly subscriptions, wants to withdraw money on demand above $10, prefers a $15 dispute fee and no subscription surcharge, and values an open-source platform with a $10 million seed round behind it over a cheaper free tier.
Overall Winner
🏆 Winner
Polar
B-expert grade
Runner-up
Dodo Payments
Why?
Polar, for most sellers, and the grades agree: Payment Review rates Polar B- and Dodo C+. Dodo's 4% + 40¢ is the cheaper free rate and it wins the rows on PayPal, buy-now-pay-later, bank debit, SDK breadth and payout arrival time, which makes it the better pick for a small seller who needs those methods or is in a country Polar cannot pay. But Polar's paid plans overtake Dodo above about $10,000 a month, it charges no subscription surcharge and half the dispute fee, its money is available on demand above $10 rather than twice a month above $50, it is open source with a $10 million seed round behind it, and its contract does not let it terminate over a combined 0.5% chargeback, cancellation and refund rate or quote a different fee from the one on its pricing page. Both hold funds on risk grounds for up to 120 days and both have poor support and thin, unhappy Trustpilot records; Dodo's is the heavier complaint file. Choose Dodo for the lowest rate under $10,000 a month with PayPal or bank debit; choose Polar for subscriptions, scale and the safer contract.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
Merchant-of-record fees (USD, published rate cards, September 2026)
| Feature | Dodo Payments | Polar |
|---|---|---|
| Base rate | 4% + 40¢ on US cards and wallets; no monthly fee Winner | 5% + 50¢ on the free Starter plan |
| Both cover processing, tax handling and currency conversion. Polar organisations created before 27 May 2026 keep an Early Member rate of 4% + 40¢ plus 0.5% on subscriptions. Dodo's master services agreement (last updated 26 February 2026, clause 4.2) still states 5% of the sale price plus 50¢, and 3.5% for bank transfers, so the contract you accept does not match the price on Dodo's pricing page. | ||
| Paid plans | None; Enterprise on custom pricing | Pro $20/mo at 3.8% + 40¢; Growth $100/mo at 3.6% + 35¢; Scale $400/mo at 3.4% + 30¢ Winner |
| Polar's Pro plan beats Dodo's 4% + 40¢ once monthly sales pass about $10,000 (the 0.2% saving covers the $20 fee); Growth passes Dodo at about $25,000 and Scale at about $67,000 on the percentage alone, with the lower per-transaction cents adding to the saving. | ||
| International card surcharge | +1.5% on cards and local payment methods issued outside the US | +1.5% on non-US cards |
| Subscription surcharge | +0.5% on subscriptions, add-ons and usage-based billing | None on current plans (+0.5% for Early Member accounts only) Winner |
| PayPal and buy now, pay later | +3% each (PayPal; Klarna, Afterpay/Clearpay) | Not listed on Polar's fee page |
| Dodo supports both at checkout for the uplift. Polar processes through Stripe and its fee page lists neither; no Polar page read this run states they are unsupported. | ||
| Bank debit (ACH, SEPA) | 1.5% capped at $15 or €15, replacing the card fee with no international or subscription surcharge | Not listed on Polar's fee page |
| On a $500 annual B2B plan Dodo's ACH fee is $7.50 against $20.40 by card. | ||
| Indian buyers | 4% + 15¢ on domestic Indian cards and UPI, plus the 1.5% international surcharge | Standard rate plus 1.5% for non-US cards |
| Dispute fee | $30 per dispute, including Visa RDR cases | $15 per dispute, deducted regardless of outcome Winner |
| Dodo also lists Visa RDR at $18, Ethoca alerts at $27 and dispute deflections at $15 each. | ||
| Refunds | $1 per refund | No refund fee; the original transaction fee is not returned |
| Currency conversion | Seller pays none; buyers paying in a local currency are charged a 2–4% FX fee | Stripe's 0.25% in the EU or up to 1% elsewhere, applied at payout |
| Different mechanisms: Dodo charges the buyer at checkout, Polar charges the seller when a payout is converted. | ||
Base rate
Dodo Payments
4% + 40¢ on US cards and wallets; no monthly fee
Winner
Polar
5% + 50¢ on the free Starter plan
Both cover processing, tax handling and currency conversion. Polar organisations created before 27 May 2026 keep an Early Member rate of 4% + 40¢ plus 0.5% on subscriptions. Dodo's master services agreement (last updated 26 February 2026, clause 4.2) still states 5% of the sale price plus 50¢, and 3.5% for bank transfers, so the contract you accept does not match the price on Dodo's pricing page.
Paid plans
Dodo Payments
None; Enterprise on custom pricing
Polar
Pro $20/mo at 3.8% + 40¢; Growth $100/mo at 3.6% + 35¢; Scale $400/mo at 3.4% + 30¢
Winner
Polar's Pro plan beats Dodo's 4% + 40¢ once monthly sales pass about $10,000 (the 0.2% saving covers the $20 fee); Growth passes Dodo at about $25,000 and Scale at about $67,000 on the percentage alone, with the lower per-transaction cents adding to the saving.
International card surcharge
Dodo Payments
+1.5% on cards and local payment methods issued outside the US
Polar
+1.5% on non-US cards
Subscription surcharge
Dodo Payments
+0.5% on subscriptions, add-ons and usage-based billing
Polar
None on current plans (+0.5% for Early Member accounts only)
Winner
PayPal and buy now, pay later
Dodo Payments
+3% each (PayPal; Klarna, Afterpay/Clearpay)
Polar
Not listed on Polar's fee page
Dodo supports both at checkout for the uplift. Polar processes through Stripe and its fee page lists neither; no Polar page read this run states they are unsupported.
Bank debit (ACH, SEPA)
Dodo Payments
1.5% capped at $15 or €15, replacing the card fee with no international or subscription surcharge
Polar
Not listed on Polar's fee page
On a $500 annual B2B plan Dodo's ACH fee is $7.50 against $20.40 by card.
Indian buyers
Dodo Payments
4% + 15¢ on domestic Indian cards and UPI, plus the 1.5% international surcharge
Polar
Standard rate plus 1.5% for non-US cards
Dispute fee
Dodo Payments
$30 per dispute, including Visa RDR cases
Polar
$15 per dispute, deducted regardless of outcome
Winner
Dodo also lists Visa RDR at $18, Ethoca alerts at $27 and dispute deflections at $15 each.
Refunds
Dodo Payments
$1 per refund
Polar
No refund fee; the original transaction fee is not returned
Currency conversion
Dodo Payments
Seller pays none; buyers paying in a local currency are charged a 2–4% FX fee
Polar
Stripe's 0.25% in the EU or up to 1% elsewhere, applied at payout
Different mechanisms: Dodo charges the buyer at checkout, Polar charges the seller when a payout is converted.
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
Indie developer selling a one-time product under $10,000 a month
Recommended
Dodo Payments
Dodo's 4% + 40¢ beats Polar's 5% + 50¢ free tier at every ticket size, and at that volume Polar's $20 Pro plan does not yet pay for itself.
SaaS founder selling subscriptions
Recommended
Polar
Polar's current plans add no subscription surcharge where Dodo adds 0.5%, its Pro plan at 3.8% + 40¢ undercuts Dodo's 4.5% + 40¢ on subscriptions from about $3,000 a month, and its termination trigger is chargebacks alone rather than Dodo's combined 0.5% chargeback, cancellation and refund rate.
Seller whose buyers want PayPal, Klarna or Afterpay
Recommended
Dodo Payments
Dodo offers PayPal and buy-now-pay-later at checkout for a 3% uplift; Polar's fee page lists neither.
B2B software with higher-ticket annual plans
Recommended
Dodo Payments
Dodo's ACH and SEPA debit at 1.5% capped at $15 or €15 replaces the card fee with no international or subscription surcharge; a $2,000 annual plan costs $15 by bank debit against $80.40 on a US card.
Seller past $10,000 a month, or growing towards it
Recommended
Polar
Polar's Pro plan overtakes Dodo's rate at about $10,000 of monthly sales, Growth at about $25,000 and Scale at about $67,000, and Dodo publishes no discounted tier.
Developer who wants to withdraw money on their own schedule
Recommended
Polar
Polar pays out on demand above $10 after a 7-day settlement delay on new accounts; Dodo pays on the 18th and the 4th above $50, and only after bank, business and monitoring reviews are complete.
Seller in a country only one of them covers
Both accept individuals and companies from about 176–177 countries but the lists differ — Pakistan is on Polar's and not Dodo's, China on Dodo's — so eligibility, decided by your ID country, settles it before price does.
Dodo Payments: Best for 3 use cases
Polar: Best for 3 use cases
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
On a free plan, yes: Dodo charges 4% + 40¢ on US cards and wallets against Polar's 5% + 50¢ on its Starter tier, and neither charges a monthly fee at that level. Both add 1.5% on non-US cards. Dodo then adds 0.5% on subscriptions and 3% on PayPal and buy-now-pay-later, while Polar's current plans add no subscription surcharge. Polar becomes cheaper once a paid plan makes sense — Pro at $20 a month drops the rate to 3.8% + 40¢, which beats Dodo above about $10,000 of monthly sales, and Growth ($100, 3.6% + 35¢) and Scale ($400, 3.4% + 30¢) widen the gap. Polar also charges $15 per dispute to Dodo's $30. One caution: Dodo's master services agreement still states a 5% + 50¢ fee even though its pricing page says 4% + 40¢.
It depends on what you count. Dodo pays on a fixed cycle — sales from the 1st to the 15th on the 18th, and from the 16th to month end on the 4th — with a $50 minimum, and the money lands one to two business days later; weekly payouts are available on request for higher volumes, and payouts only begin once bank verification, business verification and a manual monitoring review are complete. Polar lets you withdraw whenever the balance passes $10, but organisations created on or after 12 May 2026 wait seven days for funds to settle, the batch runs 24 hours after you request it, and the transfer typically takes four to seven business days through Stripe Connect. End to end a first sale can take two to three weeks to reach your bank on either; Polar gives you control of the timing, Dodo gives you a faster final hop.
Polar's fee page does not list PayPal or buy-now-pay-later; it processes through Stripe and publishes rates for cards only, with a 1.5% uplift on non-US cards. Dodo Payments supports PayPal and Klarna, Afterpay and Clearpay at checkout, each for an extra 3% on top of its base rate, and also offers ACH and SEPA bank debit at 1.5% capped at $15 or €15. If your buyers expect PayPal, Dodo is the one of the two that offers it.
Because that is what happens to a balance when Dodo closes or restricts an account. As of September 2026 Dodo's Trustpilot profile shows a 3.1 score from 124 reviews, 43% of them one star, and the dominant complaint is an account approved for live payments, then put on hold or closed around the first payout with the funds held for 120 days; Dodo replies to 90% of negative reviews and describes the hold as an industry-standard chargeback window. Its agreement lets Dodo hold a reserve sized to your risk profile and terminate immediately if chargebacks, cancellations and refunds together exceed 0.5% of monthly orders. Polar's terms allow payment delays of up to 120 days on suspended or high-risk accounts too, and its 18 Trustpilot reviews are 83% one-star, so neither is hold-free; the difference is that Dodo's complaint record is larger and more specific. On either, complete every verification step before sending real traffic and do not route all your revenue through a new account until the first payout has landed.
Yes on both. Dodo offers individual accounts for creators and sole proprietors that need a product information form, identity verification and bank verification, with eligibility decided by the country that issued your government ID; registered entities add business verification. Polar pays out through Stripe Connect Express, which supports individual accounts paying to a personal bank account, in the 176 countries on its supported list. Both lists run to about 176–177 countries but they are not identical — Pakistan is on Polar's list and not Dodo's, and China is on Dodo's — so check your own country on each before building.
Dodo has the broader toolkit: official SDKs in TypeScript, Python, PHP, Go, Ruby, Java, Kotlin, C# and Rust, mobile checkout SDKs for iOS, Android, React Native and Flutter, and adapters for Next.js, SvelteKit, Nuxt, Remix, Express, Fastify, Hono, Astro, TanStack, Better Auth, Supabase and Convex, plus metered and credit billing for AI products and a bring-your-own-processor option at 0.5%. Polar's SDKs cover TypeScript, Python, Go, PHP and Ruby with adapters for Next.js, Nuxt, TanStack Start, Laravel and Better Auth, and its distinguishing feature is that the whole platform is open source under Apache 2.0, so the code that bills your customers is inspectable and the roadmap is public. Both handle licence keys, usage-based billing and webhooks.
Dodo Payments was founded in Bengaluru by Rishabh Goel and Ayush Agarwal — in 2023 according to the Indian press coverage of its funding round, in 2024 according to Inc42, Tracxn and Payment Review's own review — and contracts through Dodo Payments Inc, a Delaware corporation with group companies in the UK and India, and raised a $1.1 million pre-seed round in February 2025 led by Antler, 9Unicorns and Venture Catalysts. Polar was founded in 2022 by Birk Jernström, who co-founded Tictail, sold it to Shopify and led product for Shopify's Shop app; it is run by Polar Software, Inc., a Delaware corporation with its team in Stockholm, launched its billing platform in September 2024 and raised a $10 million seed round led by Accel in June 2025. Payment Review grades Polar B- and Dodo C+.
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