The Payment Processor Landscape Nobody Talks About

When we analyzed 708 monetized websites in our database, we expected Stripe to dominate. We were wrong.

Shopify appears on 63 sites—6× more than Stripe's 10. LemonSqueezy, despite the buzz, shows up on just 4. The gap between marketing noise and actual adoption is wider than we thought.

This isn't a theoretical comparison. We monitored real websites, detected actual payment integrations, and counted what's actually being used in production. Data as of 2026-03-09, 5,917 sites tracked, 708 monetized.

Shopify Rules E-commerce (Not Just for Big Stores)

63 sites. 8.9% of all monetized sites.

We assumed Shopify was for big e-commerce brands. The data says otherwise. Independent creators building niche products—digital downloads, physical merch, subscription boxes—are choosing Shopify over Stripe because it includes everything: checkout, inventory, shipping, taxes.

One pattern: 29 of 46 monetized e-commerce sites use Shopify. That's a 63% capture rate within its category. No other processor comes close to that kind of dominance in any vertical.

Why? For solo founders who don't want to stitch together Stripe + Shopify + tax handling separately, the all-in-one tradeoff is worth the higher fees.

Stripe's Surprisingly Small Footprint

10 sites. 1.4%.

This was the biggest surprise. Stripe is the default recommendation in every "how to accept payments" thread on IndieHackers, Reddit, and Twitter. Yet in our dataset, it powers just 1.4% of monetized sites.

Who's actually using it? Mostly AI tools—7 of the 10 Stripe sites fall into the AI category. Stripe's developer-friendly API and international support make it a natural fit for SaaS products with global users.

But here's the catch: most indie hackers aren't building API-first payment flows. They're setting up a quick checkout page. For that, Shopify, Gumroad, or Paddle's hosted solutions win on convenience.

The Paddle vs LemonSqueezy Battle (Early Days)

Paddle: 6 sites (0.8%) LemonSqueezy: 4 sites (0.6%)

Both are "Merchant of Record" solutions—handling VAT, taxes, and payouts automatically. Perfect for indie hackers who don't want to register a company in every country.

But adoption is still early. Our data shows the first Paddle site appeared in December 2025. LemonSqueezy's earliest appearance was October 2025. We expected faster growth given the 2024-2025 hype cycle.

Category split is interesting:

• Paddle: Strong in AI Tools (2) and Design Tools (3)
• LemonSqueezy: Education (1) and Design Tools (1)

Sample size is small, but the pattern suggests Paddle attracts developer-focused products while LemonSqueezy appeals to creator/education niches.

What We Expected vs What We Found

We expected: Stripe dominance, LemonSqueezy rapid growth, Shopify confined to traditional e-commerce.

What we found: Shopify leads overall. Stripe is niche. LemonSqueezy and Paddle are still in early adopter phase.

Why the gap? Marketing creates perception. Stripe's developer relations and content marketing are industry-leading. But when a solo founder actually ships, they often choose the path of least resistance: a hosted solution that works out of the box.

This is a reminder: what gets talked about ≠ what gets used.

Category Patterns (AI vs E-commerce vs SaaS)

Different verticals favor different processors:

E-commerce is Shopify's fortress. AI tools split between Shopify and Stripe. Education and design tools show more experimentation with newer processors.

The BuyMeACoffee/Ko-fi Micro-Payment Niche

BuyMeACoffee: 16 sites (2.3%) Ko-fi: 7 sites (1.0%)

These platforms don't compete with Stripe or Paddle—they solve a different problem: micro-payments and donations. Perfect for:

• Open-source maintainers
• Content creators
• Tools that are free but accept tips

They're not building businesses on these platforms. They're enabling small gestures of support. But the volume (23 combined sites) shows there's a real niche for frictionless, small-value transactions.

Data Limitations

We should be clear about what this data doesn't capture:

1. Detection method: We identify processors by scanning payment page HTML and scripts. Some sites use custom implementations we miss.

2. Geographic bias: Our platform focuses on English-language sites. Payment preferences in Asia, Europe, and Latin America may differ.

3. Survivorship bias: We only see sites that are still online. Failed experiments with certain processors are invisible.

4. Timing: A site using Stripe today may switch to Paddle next month. This is a snapshot, not a longitudinal study.

Take these numbers as directional signals, not absolute truth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use Stripe or Paddle for my SaaS? Use Stripe if you need maximum control and have resources for tax/VAT handling. Use Paddle if you want Merchant of Record convenience and are okay with higher fees.

Why is Shopify so popular if I'm not selling physical goods? Shopify's checkout, tax handling, and integrations work for digital products too. Many creators sell both digital and physical items (courses + merch).

Is LemonSqueezy worth trying in 2026? Yes, but expect growing pains. Our data shows only 4 sites using it. Early adopter territory.

What about Gumroad? Gumroad appears on 12 sites (1.7%). Strong for digital downloads and creator products. High fees but zero setup friction.

Do I need a payment processor if I'm pre-revenue? No. Don't over-engineer. Use Gumroad or BuyMeACoffee for early experiments. Switch to Stripe/Paddle when you hit $1K+ MRR.

Why doesn't everyone just use Stripe? Stripe requires more setup: tax handling, checkout UI, compliance. For many indie hackers, a hosted solution saves 10+ hours even with higher fees.

What's the fastest way to start accepting payments today? Gumroad (digital) or Shopify (physical/digital hybrid). Both work in under an hour.

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Explore 5,917 tracked sites and filter by monetization status at mrrscout.com/discover.

Data as of 2026-03-09. We'll update this analysis as our dataset grows.