The verdict
For a small B2B team selling software abroad, I would pick Paddle. You skip VAT registration and filing, and billing, payments and fraud protection come from one provider. The fee is a share of each checkout with no monthly charge, which suits an early-stage company.
Pick Chargebee when pricing is the hard part. Usage, credits, several plans and custom enterprise terms are where a dedicated billing platform helps, and a finance team may want revenue recognition handled too. You will keep your gateway and the tax work.
If your average order is small or your invoicing is heavy, ask Paddle about custom pricing early.
Side by side
| 8 points compared | ||
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $99/mo | |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server | Yes | Yes |
| Dunning & churn recovery | Yes | Yes |
| Hosted self-serve checkout | Yes | Yes |
| Merchant of record | No | Yes |
| Usage-based metering | Yes | Yes |
| Links |
Plans and pricing
Chargebee
- Flow (Billing)$99/mo
- CPQ LiteFree
- Growth StarterFree
Paddle
- Pay-as-you-goFree
Who each is for
Choose Chargebee if…
Pick Chargebee if you run subscriptions with complex or changing pricing, want to keep your payment gateways, and have a finance or revenue team to own compliance. A product catalogue lets you change pricing without a developer, and it has machine-learning dunning for failed payments.
It is sold as several modules, each priced separately, and some plans carry a fee that scales with invoiced volume. Start with billing and add quoting or revenue recognition only when needed. If you want someone else to carry tax, it is the wrong shape.
Choose Paddle if…
Pick Paddle if you are a SaaS, app or digital product company selling internationally and would rather have a merchant of record carry tax than build that in house. You also get a sandbox, SDKs, an official MCP server, and Retain for recovering failed payments.
The trade-offs are real. Customers see Paddle on their statements, it sets rules for what you can sell, and it reviews your account before you start. Moving away takes planning, so keep your own copy of customer and revenue data. Compare the percentage fee with the alternatives at your expected volume.
Other options worth a look
Bills digital products as merchant of record, handling subscriptions, usage metering, tax compliance and payouts.
Acts as merchant of record for software and digital product sales, handling global tax compliance.
Send invoices, track expenses, reconcile banks and prepare VAT returns for Dutch small businesses.
Ties agency projects, time, budgets and profitability together in one place for managing client work.
