{"subject":{"id":"polar","slug":"polar","name":"Polar","tagline":"Depot pick for ai-merchant-of-record. Prefer Stripe when you already have tax/ops staff; OpenMeter/Kong when…","website":"https://polar.sh","status":"active","overall":8.05,"scoreKind":"curated_estimate","confidence":"high","scoreAsOf":"2026-09-14","lastReviewed":"2026-09-14","categoryIds":["cat-auth-payments"],"regions":["global","us","eu"],"pricing":{"normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens":null,"normalizationStatus":"unavailable","normalizationReason":"no_sourced_price","shape":"prose_notes_only","filterable":false,"priceSortEligible":false,"priceSortKeyUsdPerMillionInputTokens":null,"rows":[],"notesExcerpt":"As of 2026-09-14 (polar.sh/resources/pricing): Merchant of Record. Starter free at 5%+$0.50/txn; Pro $20/mo + 3.8%+$0.40; Growth $100 + 3.6%+$0.35; Scale $400 + 3.4%+$0.30. Orgs before 2026-05-27 keep Early Member 4%+$0.40 (+0.5% subscriptions). +1.5% international cards. Usage m…","notesCheck":{"status":"no_known_contradiction","pairs":[],"review":null,"note":null},"lastReviewed":"2026-09-14","scoreAsOf":"2026-09-14","website":"https://polar.sh","doNotParse":"Do not parse pricingNotes. Use rows only. normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens is a single number only when this provider has exactly one sourced token row. Input/output, context tiers, and non-token units stay null at this level.","gap":"No sourced price row for this provider. pricingNotes stay prose. See research/gaps.md."}},"relatedJtbdSlugs":["payments","billing","usage-metering","ai-merchant-of-record"],"alternatives":[{"id":"stripe","slug":"stripe","name":"Stripe","tagline":"Non-negotiable for most commercial agent products. Use Billing meters for token pass-through pricing.","website":"https://stripe.com","status":"active","overall":8.76,"scoreKind":"curated_estimate","confidence":"high","scoreAsOf":"2026-09-14","deltaOverallVsSubject":0.71,"roles":["same_jtbd_pick","same_jtbd_runner"],"sharedJtbdSlugs":["payments","billing","usage-metering","ai-merchant-of-record"],"pricing":{"normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens":null,"normalizationStatus":"unavailable","normalizationReason":"no_sourced_price","shape":"prose_notes_only","filterable":false,"priceSortEligible":false,"priceSortKeyUsdPerMillionInputTokens":null,"rows":[],"notesExcerpt":"Pay-as-you-go payment processing + Billing subscriptions; Connect for marketplaces; Atlas etc.","notesCheck":{"status":"no_known_contradiction","pairs":[],"review":null,"note":null},"lastReviewed":"2026-09-14","scoreAsOf":"2026-09-14","website":"https://stripe.com","doNotParse":"Do not parse pricingNotes. Use rows only. normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens is a single number only when this provider has exactly one sourced token row. Input/output, context tiers, and non-token units stay null at this level.","gap":"No sourced price row for this provider. pricingNotes stay prose. See research/gaps.md."},"decideHint":"/api/decide?jtbd=payments","human":"/providers/stripe","compare":"/compare/polar-vs-stripe"},{"id":"openmeter","slug":"openmeter","name":"OpenMeter (Kong Konnect Metering)","tagline":"Best when your agent product is an API gateway problem (entitlements + token meters). Orb for pricing…","website":"https://openmeter.io","status":"active","overall":7.93,"scoreKind":"curated_estimate","confidence":"high","scoreAsOf":"2026-09-14","deltaOverallVsSubject":-0.12,"roles":["same_jtbd_runner","same_jtbd_pick"],"sharedJtbdSlugs":["billing","usage-metering","ai-merchant-of-record"],"pricing":{"normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens":null,"normalizationStatus":"unavailable","normalizationReason":"no_sourced_price","shape":"prose_notes_only","filterable":false,"priceSortEligible":false,"priceSortKeyUsdPerMillionInputTokens":null,"rows":[],"notesExcerpt":"As of 2026-09-14: OpenMeter Cloud repositioned as Kong Konnect Metering & Billing — real-time AI/API usage meters, entitlements, rate cards, invoicing. Strong fit for token metering via Kong plugin (meter_ai_token_usage). Pricing via Kong/Konnect packaging.","notesCheck":{"status":"no_known_contradiction","pairs":[],"review":null,"note":null},"lastReviewed":"2026-09-14","scoreAsOf":"2026-09-14","website":"https://openmeter.io","doNotParse":"Do not parse pricingNotes. Use rows only. normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens is a single number only when this provider has exactly one sourced token row. Input/output, context tiers, and non-token units stay null at this level.","gap":"No sourced price row for this provider. pricingNotes stay prose. See research/gaps.md."},"decideHint":"/api/decide?jtbd=billing","human":"/providers/openmeter","compare":"/compare/polar-vs-openmeter"},{"id":"metronome","slug":"metronome","name":"Metronome","tagline":"Strong usage-billing peer when Orb is too sales-opaque and you need SQL metrics + commits. OpenMeter/Kong for…","website":"https://metronome.com","status":"active","overall":8,"scoreKind":"curated_estimate","confidence":"high","scoreAsOf":"2026-09-14","deltaOverallVsSubject":-0.05,"roles":["same_jtbd_runner"],"sharedJtbdSlugs":["billing","usage-metering","ai-merchant-of-record"],"pricing":{"normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens":null,"normalizationStatus":"unavailable","normalizationReason":"no_sourced_price","shape":"prose_notes_only","filterable":false,"priceSortEligible":false,"priceSortKeyUsdPerMillionInputTokens":null,"rows":[],"notesExcerpt":"As of 2026-09-14 (metronome.com/pricing): Startup — billing volume at 0.8% + events at $0.04/1k ingest; SQL billable metrics, commits/credits, Stripe-native. Custom — Salesforce/NetSuite/cloud marketplace invoicing, warehouse exports, dedicated AM/SLA. Marketing also cites Starte…","notesCheck":{"status":"no_known_contradiction","pairs":[],"review":null,"note":null},"lastReviewed":"2026-09-14","scoreAsOf":"2026-09-14","website":"https://metronome.com","doNotParse":"Do not parse pricingNotes. Use rows only. normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens is a single number only when this provider has exactly one sourced token row. Input/output, context tiers, and non-token units stay null at this level.","gap":"No sourced price row for this provider. pricingNotes stay prose. See research/gaps.md."},"decideHint":"/api/decide?jtbd=billing","human":"/providers/metronome","compare":"/compare/polar-vs-metronome"},{"id":"autumn","slug":"autumn","name":"Autumn","tagline":"Best DX when you already run Stripe and need synchronous feature gates for AI usage. Metronome/Orb for…","website":"https://useautumn.com","status":"active","overall":7.95,"scoreKind":"curated_estimate","confidence":"medium","scoreAsOf":"2026-09-14","deltaOverallVsSubject":-0.1,"roles":["same_jtbd_runner"],"sharedJtbdSlugs":["billing","usage-metering","ai-merchant-of-record"],"pricing":{"normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens":null,"normalizationStatus":"unavailable","normalizationReason":"no_sourced_price","shape":"prose_notes_only","filterable":false,"priceSortEligible":false,"priceSortKeyUsdPerMillionInputTokens":null,"rows":[],"notesExcerpt":"As of 2026-09-14: Open-source billing infrastructure on top of Stripe — attach/check/track API for subscriptions, usage, credits, entitlements. Stripe still processes payments. Self-host OSS; hosted packaging is productized for AI startups — confirm current hosted $ on docs/dashb…","notesCheck":{"status":"no_known_contradiction","pairs":[],"review":null,"note":null},"lastReviewed":"2026-09-14","scoreAsOf":"2026-09-14","website":"https://useautumn.com","doNotParse":"Do not parse pricingNotes. Use rows only. normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens is a single number only when this provider has exactly one sourced token row. Input/output, context tiers, and non-token units stay null at this level.","gap":"No sourced price row for this provider. pricingNotes stay prose. See research/gaps.md."},"decideHint":"/api/decide?jtbd=billing","human":"/providers/autumn","compare":"/compare/polar-vs-autumn"},{"id":"lago","slug":"lago","name":"Lago","tagline":"Depot OSS pick for AI usage metering when you refuse to marry Stripe's meter model. Still collect cash with…","website":"https://getlago.com","status":"active","overall":8.3,"scoreKind":"curated_estimate","confidence":"medium","scoreAsOf":"2026-09-14","deltaOverallVsSubject":0.25,"roles":["same_jtbd_runner"],"sharedJtbdSlugs":["billing","usage-metering"],"pricing":{"normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens":null,"normalizationStatus":"unavailable","normalizationReason":"no_sourced_price","shape":"prose_notes_only","filterable":false,"priceSortEligible":false,"priceSortKeyUsdPerMillionInputTokens":null,"rows":[],"notesExcerpt":"As of 2026-09-14: AGPLv3 OSS metering/billing — self-host free (infra+eng). Lago Cloud remains package/sales-led; docs FAQ does not publish a Cloud seat/event table. Third parties historically cite low-hundreds $/mo starters — unverified. Event-based usage + prepaid credits patte…","notesCheck":{"status":"no_known_contradiction","pairs":[],"review":null,"note":null},"lastReviewed":"2026-09-14","scoreAsOf":"2026-09-14","website":"https://getlago.com","doNotParse":"Do not parse pricingNotes. Use rows only. normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens is a single number only when this provider has exactly one sourced token row. Input/output, context tiers, and non-token units stay null at this level.","gap":"No sourced price row for this provider. pricingNotes stay prose. See research/gaps.md."},"decideHint":"/api/decide?jtbd=billing","human":"/providers/lago","compare":"/compare/polar-vs-lago"},{"id":"orb","slug":"orb","name":"Orb","tagline":"Pick Orb when pricing complexity is the product (credits, tiers, simulations). Stripe meters first; Lago if…","website":"https://www.withorb.com","status":"active","overall":8.03,"scoreKind":"curated_estimate","confidence":"medium","scoreAsOf":"2026-09-14","deltaOverallVsSubject":-0.02,"roles":["same_jtbd_runner"],"sharedJtbdSlugs":["billing","usage-metering"],"pricing":{"normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens":null,"normalizationStatus":"unavailable","normalizationReason":"no_sourced_price","shape":"prose_notes_only","filterable":false,"priceSortEligible":false,"priceSortKeyUsdPerMillionInputTokens":null,"rows":[],"notesExcerpt":"As of 2026-09-14: withorb.com/pricing remains sales-led — no published starter SKU or per-event list price. Quotes scale with billings/event volume. Strength is pricing simulation, backtesting, and multidimensional AI rate cards. Often paired with Stripe for collection. Round 4: …","notesCheck":{"status":"no_known_contradiction","pairs":[],"review":null,"note":null},"lastReviewed":"2026-09-14","scoreAsOf":"2026-09-14","website":"https://www.withorb.com","doNotParse":"Do not parse pricingNotes. Use rows only. normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens is a single number only when this provider has exactly one sourced token row. Input/output, context tiers, and non-token units stay null at this level.","gap":"No sourced price row for this provider. pricingNotes stay prose. See research/gaps.md."},"decideHint":"/api/decide?jtbd=billing","human":"/providers/orb","compare":"/compare/polar-vs-orb"},{"id":"paddle","slug":"paddle","name":"Paddle","tagline":"Enterprise-leaning MoR peer. Prefer Polar for AI usage products; Paddle when you want mature SaaS MoR + buyer…","website":"https://www.paddle.com","status":"active","overall":8.05,"scoreKind":"curated_estimate","confidence":"high","scoreAsOf":"2026-09-14","deltaOverallVsSubject":0,"roles":["same_jtbd_runner"],"sharedJtbdSlugs":["ai-merchant-of-record"],"pricing":{"normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens":null,"normalizationStatus":"unavailable","normalizationReason":"no_sourced_price","shape":"prose_notes_only","filterable":false,"priceSortEligible":false,"priceSortKeyUsdPerMillionInputTokens":null,"rows":[],"notesExcerpt":"As of 2026-09-14 (paddle.com/pricing): All-in MoR **5% + $0.50** per Checkout txn; no monthly fee. Custom pricing for scale / sub-$10 products / invoicing. Includes tax remittance, fraud, billing support.","notesCheck":{"status":"no_known_contradiction","pairs":[],"review":null,"note":null},"lastReviewed":"2026-09-14","scoreAsOf":"2026-09-14","website":"https://www.paddle.com","doNotParse":"Do not parse pricingNotes. Use rows only. normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens is a single number only when this provider has exactly one sourced token row. Input/output, context tiers, and non-token units stay null at this level.","gap":"No sourced price row for this provider. pricingNotes stay prose. See research/gaps.md."},"decideHint":"/api/decide?jtbd=ai-merchant-of-record","human":"/providers/paddle","compare":"/compare/polar-vs-paddle"},{"id":"lemon-squeezy","slug":"lemon-squeezy","name":"Lemon Squeezy","tagline":"MoR peer to Polar/Paddle for digital products. Depot ai-merchant-of-record pick stays Polar for AI…","website":"https://www.lemonsqueezy.com","status":"active","overall":7.9,"scoreKind":"curated_estimate","confidence":"high","scoreAsOf":"2026-09-14","deltaOverallVsSubject":-0.15,"roles":["same_jtbd_runner"],"sharedJtbdSlugs":["ai-merchant-of-record"],"pricing":{"normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens":null,"normalizationStatus":"unavailable","normalizationReason":"no_sourced_price","shape":"prose_notes_only","filterable":false,"priceSortEligible":false,"priceSortKeyUsdPerMillionInputTokens":null,"rows":[],"notesExcerpt":"As of 2026-09-14 (lemonsqueezy.com/pricing): Merchant of Record at **5% + $0.50**/txn; $0/mo platform fee for ecommerce features. Edge-case adders (intl/PayPal/subscriptions) documented. Email marketing separate by subscriber count (free ≤500).","notesCheck":{"status":"no_known_contradiction","pairs":[],"review":null,"note":null},"lastReviewed":"2026-09-14","scoreAsOf":"2026-09-14","website":"https://www.lemonsqueezy.com","doNotParse":"Do not parse pricingNotes. Use rows only. normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens is a single number only when this provider has exactly one sourced token row. Input/output, context tiers, and non-token units stay null at this level.","gap":"No sourced price row for this provider. pricingNotes stay prose. See research/gaps.md."},"decideHint":"/api/decide?jtbd=ai-merchant-of-record","human":"/providers/lemon-squeezy","compare":"/compare/polar-vs-lemon-squeezy"},{"id":"amberflo","slug":"amberflo","name":"Amberflo","tagline":"Metering peer when you care about per-customer AI margin, not just invoices. Vantage/CloudZero for cloud…","website":"https://www.amberflo.io","status":"active","overall":7.38,"scoreKind":"curated_estimate","confidence":"medium","scoreAsOf":"2026-09-14","deltaOverallVsSubject":-0.67,"roles":["same_jtbd_runner"],"sharedJtbdSlugs":["usage-metering"],"pricing":{"normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens":null,"normalizationStatus":"unavailable","normalizationReason":"no_sourced_price","shape":"prose_notes_only","filterable":false,"priceSortEligible":false,"priceSortKeyUsdPerMillionInputTokens":null,"rows":[],"notesExcerpt":"As of 2026-09-14: Usage metering + customer margin/cost attribution for AI/infra. Marketing shows ~$99 and ~$599/mo plan bands + usage overages — treat as directional; confirm console. As of 2026-10-25 https://www.amberflo.io/pricing could not be re-checked: two plain-curl fetche…","notesCheck":{"status":"no_known_contradiction","pairs":[],"review":null,"note":null},"lastReviewed":"2026-09-14","scoreAsOf":"2026-09-14","website":"https://www.amberflo.io","doNotParse":"Do not parse pricingNotes. Use rows only. normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens is a single number only when this provider has exactly one sourced token row. Input/output, context tiers, and non-token units stay null at this level.","gap":"No sourced price row for this provider. pricingNotes stay prose. See research/gaps.md."},"decideHint":"/api/decide?jtbd=usage-metering","human":"/providers/amberflo","compare":"/compare/polar-vs-amberflo"}],"rankContract":{"style":"editorial_weighted","notAnElo":true,"note":"deltaOverallVsSubject is Depot overall (0–10) minus the subject. It is not Arena Elo and not an Artificial Analysis index."},"freshness":{"scoreAsOfMin":"2026-09-14","scoreAsOfMax":"2026-09-14","contractAsOf":"2026-10-03"},"honesty":["Alternatives are other catalog providers that share a JTBD as pick or runner-up. If fewer than three exist, same-category active providers fill the list and are labeled same_category.","Overall deltas are catalog scores. kind=curated_estimate is not a lab measurement.","Pricing rows are sourced or explicitly null. Do not parse pricingNotes. A single normalized USD figure is set only for a provider with exactly one token row."],"links":{"human":"/alternatives/polar","machine":"/api/alternatives?provider=polar","provider":"/api/providers/polar","canonical":"/api/canonical"}}