Polar vs Creem (2026): fees, payouts, and the stay-the-merchant third option

The fee stack, side by side

Creem edges the base rate and keeps it simple: one rate, no monthly plan. Polar's headline 4% + 40c is its default and early-member rate; lower per-transaction rates exist but sit behind paid plans ($20/mo Pro at 3.8% + 40c, up to $400/mo Scale at 3.4% + 30c). The real difference is on the way out.

Scenario	Polar	Creem	paas.build (3.9% flat)
Base rate	4% + 40c (plans from $20-$400/mo lower it)	3.9% + $0.40 (no plan)	3.9%, no fixed fee
$9 subscription	$0.76 = 8.4%	$0.75 = 8.3%	$0.35 = 3.9%
$29 subscription	$1.56 = 5.4%	$1.53 = 5.3%	$1.13 = 3.9%
International cards	+1.5%	No intl-card fee	Included
Dispute	$15 per dispute	$25 chargeback (per founder)	-
Payout (via Stripe for Polar)	~$2/mo active + 0.25% + $0.25 each + FX	7 USD/EUR or 1%, whichever is higher	None

Polar's per-transaction fee can be lower than Creem's once you are on a paid plan, but its payouts route through Stripe and inherit Stripe's fees - roughly $2 per month of active payouts, 0.25% + $0.25 per payout, plus currency conversion (0.25% in the EU, up to 1% elsewhere). Its dispute fee is $15, cheaper than Creem's stated $25 chargeback. Creem keeps the base a fraction lower and adds no international-card fee, but its payout fee - "7 USD/EUR or 1% of the payout amount, whichever is higher" - applies each cycle. Both are transparent; they just move the cost to different places. Sources: polar.sh/docs - fees · creem.io/pricing · Creem docs - payouts

Approval and going live

Both review accounts before live payments, as any seller of record must. Polar being open source means you can self-host and inspect the platform, but the hosted MoR service still applies its own onboarding and risk checks. Creem's live review is "typically completed within 24-48 hours… up to 72 hours" after your site passes a checklist, and builders reported waitlist periods in mid-2026. On either, if you are launching this week, plan for a review window. Sources: Polar docs - account reviews · Creem docs - account reviews

Payout schedules and fund-holding

Both hold funds, because on an MoR the money is theirs until release. Polar uses manual withdrawals once your balance clears a currency-dependent minimum (a Stripe requirement), with a 7-day settlement delay for organizations created on or after May 12, 2026 - organizations created before that kept instant payouts. Creem holds payments 7-12 days for risk assessment, then pays out on the 1st and 15th with a $50 minimum. Creem's Trustpilot reviews are mixed, with some 2026 complaints about held funds; Creem disputes those characterizations. The structural point is identical for both: it was never your account. Sources: Polar docs - payouts · Creem docs - payouts · Trustpilot - Creem (experiences vary)

Tax handling

This is where both earn the fee. As Merchants of Record, both invoice your customers directly and remit VAT, GST and sales tax on your behalf. For a solo builder who does not want to register for tax anywhere or file returns across jurisdictions, that is real, valuable work - and Polar layers it under an open-source platform that developers can audit and extend, which is a genuine draw. paas.build does not do this: you stay the merchant, so you keep tax responsibility. That trade - lower, flat cost and account ownership in exchange for handling your own tax - is the decision. Sources: Polar docs - tax · docs.creem.io

Pick Polar, pick Creem, or pick paas.build

Pick Polar if open source matters to you, you like a developer-native platform you can self-host and extend, and you will grow into a paid plan where the per-transaction rate drops below Creem's - Stripe payout fees included.

Pick Creem if you want the lowest base rate with no monthly plan, no international-card fee, and its genuinely good agent-native docs, and a per-cycle payout fee is acceptable.

Pick paas.build if you are a UK/EU/US builder who wants to charge today and stay the merchant. Progressive KYB opens a real account (sandbox + production) the same session, individuals included. 3.9% flat - no fixed fee, no payout fee, no monthly plan tiers, no risk hold. Your name on the checkout, your customer, your funds on FCA-authorised safeguarded rails, US via MoR or J.P. Morgan. Agent-native too, and open where it counts: SKILL.md, llms.txt, and an MCP server on the official registry. The trade you accept: you stay responsible for your own tax.

FAQ

Is Polar cheaper than Creem?

Close, with a twist. Polar's base rate is 4% + 40c (its early-member and default rate; lower tiers exist on paid plans from $20 to $400/month). Creem is 3.9% + $0.40 - a hair lower on base. But Polar's payouts run through Stripe and carry Stripe's fees: about $2 per month of active payouts, 0.25% + $0.25 per payout, plus currency conversion. Creem's payout fee is 7 USD/EUR or 1%, whichever is higher. Both add international-card costs. Sources: polar.sh/docs/merchant-of-record/fees and creem.io/pricing.

Is Polar really open source, and does that change the MoR model?

Yes, Polar's platform is open source and it markets itself as a developer-native, open alternative to Lemon Squeezy - a genuine differentiator. But being open source does not change the Merchant-of-Record structure: like Creem, Polar becomes the legal seller, remits tax for you, and holds the funds until payout. Open code, same fund custody.

How do Polar and Creem handle payouts and holds?

Polar uses manual withdrawals once you clear a currency-dependent minimum, with a 7-day settlement delay for organizations created on or after May 12, 2026 (older orgs kept instant payouts). Creem pays out on the 1st and 15th after a 7-12 day risk hold, with a $50 minimum. Both hold funds because on an MoR the money is theirs until release. paas.build settles same-day into an account that is yours.

What is the alternative to Polar and Creem where I stay the merchant?

paas.build, powered by UniPaaS (FCA-authorised Payment Institution No. 929994). Flat 3.9%, no fixed fee, no payout fee, no monthly plan tiers, you stay the merchant of record, and funds settle same-day on safeguarded rails - UK, EU and US (US via MoR or J.P. Morgan). You keep tax responsibility, so if worldwide tax remitted for you is the priority, Polar or Creem may fit better.

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Polar vs Creem: fees, payouts, and the stay-the-merchant third option