GoCardless vs Paddle Pricing (2026)
How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.
| GoCardless | Paddle | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | Custom | Custom |
| Number of plans | 4 | 2 |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Pricing model | usage-based | usage-based |
Standard
- Collect payments
- Easy payment management
- International payments
- Flexible Direct Debit setup
- 350+ integrations
- Customisable checkout
- Security and compliance
- 24/7 customer support
Advanced
- Collect payments
- Easy payment management
- International payments
- Flexible Direct Debit setup
- 350+ integrations
- Customisable checkout
- Security and compliance
- 24/7 customer support
- Reduce failed payments
- Enhanced identity checks
Pro
- Collect payments
- Easy payment management
- International payments
- Flexible Direct Debit setup
- 350+ integrations
- Customisable checkout
- Security and compliance
- 24/7 customer support
- Reduce failed payments
- Enhanced identity checks
- Enhanced fraud protection
- Challenge chargebacks
Custom
- Fully customised package
- Volume-based discounts
- Dedicated customer support
Pay-as-you-go
- Cross-border sales tax compliance
- Protection against fraud and chargebacks
- No migration fees, monthly fees, or hidden extras
Custom pricing
- Custom pricing to fit your business model and products
- Get access to optional premium services and success management
- Custom migration services and implementation support
GoCardless vs Paddle FAQ
- Which one is cheaper?
- One or both use custom pricing, so it depends on your specific needs.
- Can I use either one for free?
- Neither has a free plan.
- How do they charge?
- Both use a usage-based model, so the comparison is straightforward — it comes down to features and limits at each price point.
- Which one is a better deal?
- Depends on what you need. GoCardless: GoCardless is positioning as a specialist bank debit alternative to card networks like Stripe, undercutting card processing fees significantly for recurring billing use cases. They're not the cheapest payment processor outright, but they're the premium option within the ACH/BACS/SEPA pull-payment niche — targeting subscription businesses tired of card interchange fees. Paddle: Paddle sits in the mid-to-premium range for merchant-of-record solutions — they're not the cheapest option (Stripe's standard rate is 2.9% + $0.30), but they're selling tax compliance and MoR liability coverage as part of the deal, which justifies the premium for international SaaS sellers. They're going after founders who want to offload global VAT/sales tax headaches, not price-sensitive teams just looking for a payment gateway.
Still deciding? See the best GoCardless alternatives or the best Paddle alternatives, ranked with verified pricing.
Keep tabs on both.
We'll monitor pricing changes for GoCardless and Paddle and let you know when something moves.