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Payhook/Paddle alternative
Comparison

Paddle alternative for indie builders selling digital products

Paddle is optimised for SaaS subscriptions, enterprise billing, and global tax compliance. If you're selling one-time digital products — templates, tools, prompts, code packs — Payhook is a faster, leaner, API-first fit.

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Where Paddle adds friction for indie sellers

  • Built primarily for SaaS and subscription billing — one-time digital sales are a secondary use case
  • Approval process and review period before you can start selling
  • 5% + $0.50 fee on transactions (Paddle Billing)
  • Merchant of record model adds complexity unless you specifically need global tax handling
  • Heavier integration — more setup than a solo builder typically needs

What Payhook gives you instead

No approval process
Sign up, get your API key, and start selling today. No review period, no manual approval gate.
0% platform fee
You pay Stripe's processing rate directly. No platform percentage on top, no monthly fee.
API-first architecture
Create products, generate checkout links, and receive payment webhooks — all programmable from day one.
Marketplace discovery
Every product gets an indexed page on the Payhook marketplace. Organic buyer discovery built in.

How it works

1
Create your Payhook account — connect your Stripe account
2
POST /products to create your listing with name, price, and category
3
Share your checkout URL — Payhook hosts the payment page
4
Buyer pays — signed webhook fires to your endpoint
5
File delivered automatically via signed download link

When Paddle is still the right choice

Paddle makes sense if you need global VAT/GST handling as a merchant of record, complex subscription billing, or enterprise-grade compliance infrastructure. If that's your situation, Paddle earns its complexity.

If you're a solo builder or indie team selling templates, tools, and digital downloads — Payhook is faster to ship and cheaper to run.

Common questions

Does Payhook handle tax like Paddle does?
Payhook doesn't act as merchant of record — you handle your own tax obligations. This is simpler for most indie sellers and developers, but if you need global MoR coverage, Paddle is the right tool.
Can I start selling immediately?
Yes. No approval process. Sign up, connect Stripe, create a product, and your checkout URL is live in minutes.
What types of products can I sell?
Digital products only: templates, code packs, AI prompts, tools, courses, PDFs, and any file-based deliverable. No physical goods.
Also comparing: LemonSqueezy alternative · Gumroad alternative · Sell with 0% fees

No approval process. No platform fee. Sell today.

For indie builders selling digital products, Payhook gets you to your first sale faster with less overhead.

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