Comparison
The short answer
RevenueCat and Stripe do different jobs, and many apps use both. Stripe charges cards on your website. RevenueCat manages in-app purchases that Apple and Google charge, and can sell on the web through Stripe so a web purchase unlocks access in the app. Inside an iOS app, digital features must be sold with in-app purchase, though US storefront apps may link to a web checkout. RevenueDot is the open-source option for RevenueCat's job.
Choose RevenueCat if
Choose Stripe if
Choose RevenueDot if
Side by side
| Topic | RevenueCat | Stripe | RevenueDot | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A hosted backend for in-app purchases and subscriptions on the App Store, Google Play and the web | A payment processor and billing system for cards and other payment methods | An open-source backend for in-app purchases and subscriptions that works with the RevenueCat SDK | RevenueCat homepage Stripe pricing page |
| Who charges the customer | Apple or Google for store purchases. On the web, Stripe or Paddle; RevenueCat Billing uses Stripe as the payment gateway | Stripe charges the card and pays out to you | Apple, Google or Amazon for store purchases. On the web, your own Stripe account | RevenueCat web docs (Stripe, Paddle) Stripe pricing page |
| Digital features inside an iOS or Android app | Yes, through each store's in-app purchase system | Not as the in-app payment. Apple requires in-app purchase to unlock features; US storefront apps may link to a web checkout | Yes, through each store's in-app purchase system | Apple App Review Guidelines 3.1 Google Play Payments policy |
| Web checkout | Web Billing, Stripe Billing or Paddle, with web purchase links, web paywalls and funnels | Checkout, Billing, a customer portal and invoices | Hosted Stripe checkout, purchase links, funnels, web discounts and custom pay domains, on your own Stripe account | RevenueCat web docs (Stripe, Paddle) RevenueCat Stripe Billing docs Stripe Checkout docs |
| Unlocks access in the mobile app | Yes. Web purchases unlock entitlements in the app, with redemption links for buyers who are not signed in | No. Your own backend maps the Stripe customer to the app user and grants access | Yes. A Stripe purchase unlocks the same entitlement as App Store and Google Play, with redemption links | RevenueCat web docs (Stripe, Paddle) RevenueCat Stripe Billing docs Stripe Checkout docs |
| App Store and Google Play purchases | Validates them and handles the stores' server notifications | Does not process App Store or Google Play purchases | Validates them and handles the stores' server notifications | RevenueCat quickstart (Amazon configuration) Stripe pricing page |
| Fees | Free to $2,500 monthly tracked revenue, then 1% of all of it. RevenueCat Web adds no RevenueCat fee; Stripe's fees still apply | 2.9% + 30¢ per successful US card charge, 1.5% more for international cards, and 0.7% of volume for Stripe Billing | Cloud free to $10K a month; planned 0.5% above, capped at $999. Self-host $0. Stripe's fees still apply on web sales | RevenueCat pricing page RevenueCat web docs (Stripe, Paddle) Stripe pricing page Stripe Billing pricing |
| Subscription analytics | MRR, churn, trials and more across stores and the web | Billing analytics for Stripe subscriptions only | 43 charts with filters, segments, 14 display currencies and CSV export, across stores and Stripe | RevenueCat pricing page Stripe Billing analytics docs |
| Open source | Open-source SDKs (MIT); the service is hosted by RevenueCat | A hosted service | Server under AGPL-3.0, SDK forks under MIT; self-hostable | RevenueCat iOS SDK license (MIT) Stripe pricing page |
Facts about other companies come from their public pages, checked October 2026. Tell us about anything out of date at hello@revenuedot.app.
Price
Each column is a separate fee. Store purchases pay Apple or Google, web sales pay Stripe, and RevenueCat or RevenueDot charges on top of either. The store column uses 15%, the rate for Apple's Small Business Program and Google Play subscriptions. The Stripe column assumes $9.99 monthly plans sold on the web: 2.9% + 30¢ per US card charge plus 0.7% for Stripe Billing. RevenueDot Cloud is free up to $10,000 a month (live). Above that, the planned rate is 0.5% of the revenue above $10,000, capped at $999 a month (planned, not charged yet). Self-hosting has no revenue share, only your own server costs.
| Monthly revenue | Store fee (15%) | RevenueCat | Stripe (web, $9.99 plans) | RevenueDot Cloud (planned above $10K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | $750 | $50 | $330 | $0 |
| $10,000 | $1,500 | $100 | $660 | $0 |
| $50,000 | $7,500 | $500 | $3,302 | $200 |
| $250,000 | $37,500 | $2,500 | $16,508 | $999 |
| $1,000,000 | $150,000 | $10,000 | $66,030 | $999 |
Sources: Apple: auto-renewable subscriptions · Google Play service fees · RevenueCat pricing page · Stripe pricing page · Stripe Billing pricing. RevenueDot Cloud paid pricing is planned and not yet available.
Store rules
Apple's App Review Guideline 3.1.1 says that to unlock features or functionality within your app, such as subscriptions or premium content, you must use in-app purchase. Physical goods and services used outside the app must use another method, such as Apple Pay or a card (Apple). Google Play's Payments policy requires Google Play's billing system for digital goods, with exceptions for physical goods and alternative billing programs in some countries.
On the United States storefront, iOS apps may now link to a web checkout. Our guide to selling iOS subscriptions on the web with Stripe covers the court rulings and the fee math.
| What you sell | Inside an iOS app | Inside an Android app | On your website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscriptions or premium features | In-app purchase. US storefront apps may also link to web checkout | Google Play Billing, with alternative programs in some countries | Stripe |
| Credits, coins or AI usage | In-app purchase | Google Play Billing | Stripe |
| Physical goods or services used outside the app | Apple Pay or a card, not in-app purchase | Your own payment processor | Stripe |
Rules checked October 2026. They change by country and by court ruling, so read Apple's and Google's current policy before you ship.
Web to app
RevenueCat and RevenueDot both connect a Stripe purchase on your website to the app. The flow is the same in both.
A link in the app, an ad or an email opens a checkout page that creates a Stripe Checkout Session on your Stripe account.
Stripe's checkout.session.completed webhook reaches the backend, which records the purchase like any store purchase and sends your webhooks.
If the link carried the app user ID, the purchase lands on that user. If not, a redemption link opens the app and moves the purchase to the signed-in customer.
The SDK's customer info shows the same pro entitlement that an App Store or Google Play purchase would unlock.
Per sale
| Channel | Fee on $9.99 | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| App Store, 30% (first year) | $3.00 | $6.99 |
| App Store or Google Play, 15% | $1.50 | $8.49 |
| Stripe card, 2.9% + 30¢ | $0.59 | $9.40 |
| Stripe card plus Billing at 0.7% | $0.66 | $9.33 |
Before tax. On the web you also handle sales tax or VAT, refunds and chargebacks. Sources: Apple, Google Play, Stripe. Try other prices in the App Store and Google Play fee calculator.
RevenueDot does RevenueCat's job with an open-source server: App Store, Google Play, Amazon Appstore and Stripe purchases in one customer record, with the RevenueCat SDK in your app. Web checkout runs on your own Stripe account with a restricted key, and purchase links, funnels and redemption links come included. Stripe Connect sign-in is not built yet.
It is newer than RevenueCat and has no SOC 2 report. Start free on RevenueDot Cloud or read about web checkout.
FAQ
Not for features unlocked inside the app. Apple's guideline 3.1.1 requires in-app purchase for that. On the US storefront you may link from the app to a web checkout that uses Stripe. Physical goods and services must use a method other than in-app purchase, such as Stripe.
Yes. RevenueCat can use your Stripe account as its web billing engine, import Stripe Billing purchases and unlock entitlements in the app for them. Its own RevenueCat Billing also uses Stripe as the payment gateway. RevenueCat says its web features add no RevenueCat fee beyond its normal price.
They charge for different things. Stripe takes 2.9% + 30¢ per US card charge on web sales. RevenueCat charges 1% of all tracked revenue from $2,500 a month, on top of the store's or Stripe's fee. An app that sells on the web through RevenueCat pays both.
Only if you add an iOS or Android app that sells digital features. Those sales go through the stores' in-app purchase, and a backend such as RevenueCat or RevenueDot joins them with your Stripe customers so one account has one set of access.
Yes. RevenueDot connects to your own Stripe account with a restricted key and offers hosted checkout, purchase links, funnels, web discounts and redemption links. A Stripe purchase unlocks the same entitlement as an App Store or Google Play purchase.
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