{"data":{"slug":"polar","name":"Polar","tagline":"Apache-2.0 merchant-of-record billing for indie and AI products","category":"payments","categoryName":"Payments","url":"https://polar.sh","github":"https://github.com/polarsource/polar","pricing":"freemium","hook":"Polar is payments for people who do not want to become a tax department.","whatsGood":"Apache-2.0 (JS SDK is separately MIT). Merchant-of-record for usage, seats, subscriptions, and AI meters. Typed TS/Python SDKs, Next.js and Better Auth adapters, MCP server. Starter is free with no monthly fee: 5 percent plus 50 cents per transaction. polar.sh/pricing 404s; the fees page is the public price list.","theCatch":"No first-party CLI in the docs index — SDKs, MCP, and API only. Starter take-rate sits on top of card-brand costs. Polar is MoR, so you do not keep the Stripe account relationship. International cards add extra. Payouts have their own cut.","verdict":"Apache-2.0 MoR for indie and AI products. Free Starter, honest take-rate, real SDKs.","addedAt":"2026-09-03","featured":false,"domain":"Payments","subSpecialty":"Billing","capabilities":["mor","billing"],"surfaces":["Hosted"],"ecosystem":["Multi-platform"],"licenseModel":"Freemium","githubStars":10232},"related":[{"slug":"stripe-cli","name":"Stripe CLI","tagline":"Official Stripe terminal for webhooks, events, and API objects"},{"slug":"hyperswitch","name":"Hyperswitch","tagline":"Apache-2.0 payment orchestrator you can self-host"},{"slug":"killbill","name":"Kill Bill","tagline":"Apache-2.0 in-house subscriptions and payments, no % take-rate"},{"slug":"lago","name":"Lago","tagline":"AGPLv3 usage and entitlements metering you self-host"},{"slug":"btcpay-server","name":"BTCPay Server","tagline":"MIT self-hosted Bitcoin/LN, 0% fees to your wallet"}],"links":{"self":"/api/gems/polar","html":"/gems/polar","markdown":"/gems/polar.md","category":"/api/gems?category=payments","categoryPage":"/stacks/payments"}}