Lemon Squeezy vs Recurly: Pricing Comparison (2026)
Lemon Squeezy starts at Free. Recurly starts at $249/mo. Lemon Squeezy is $249/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Recurly.
See price history: Lemon Squeezy · Recurly
Merchant of Record (MoR) payment platform for digital products, acquired by Stripe in July 2024 for undisclosed amount. Positioned as the alternative to running Stripe + Quaderno + affiliate tools separately. Distinctive for handling global sales tax/VAT compliance (they become the seller of record) — massively reduces admin for creators selling internationally. Priced 5% + 50¢ per transaction (higher than Stripe, but includes tax handling). Popular with course creators and indie SaaS.
Subscription billing platform positioned as the alternative to Chargebee for teams that want dunning + retention analytics as the core value prop, not just billing infrastructure. Distinctive for its focus on reducing involuntary churn (failed payment recovery) which historically claims 3-8% of MRR. Core $249/mo + Professional $1K+/mo + Elite custom. Popular with subscription businesses where churn recovery ROI is measurable and material.
All plans compared
| # | Plan | Lemon Squeezy monthly | Lemon Squeezy annual | Recurly monthly | Recurly annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Standard / Core | 5% + 50¢ per transaction | — | 249 | 249 |
| 2 | Professional | — | — | 1000 | 1000 |
| 3 | Elite | — | — | custom | custom |
What each is best for
Merchant of Record (MoR) payment platform for digital products, acquired by Stripe in July 2024 for undisclosed amount. Positioned as the alternative to running Stripe + Quaderno + affiliate tools separately. Distinctive for handling global sales tax/VAT compliance (they become the seller of record) — massively reduces admin for creators selling internationally. Priced 5% + 50¢ per transaction (higher than Stripe, but includes tax handling). Popular with course creators and indie SaaS.
Subscription billing platform positioned as the alternative to Chargebee for teams that want dunning + retention analytics as the core value prop, not just billing infrastructure. Distinctive for its focus on reducing involuntary churn (failed payment recovery) which historically claims 3-8% of MRR. Core $249/mo + Professional $1K+/mo + Elite custom. Popular with subscription businesses where churn recovery ROI is measurable and material.
At a glance
| Lemon Squeezy | Recurly | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Entry price | Free | $249/mo |
| Enterprise available | — | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Usage | — |
| Last verified | July 19, 2026 | July 25, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified July 25, 2026. Tracked daily.