How is this SDK different from Polar's?
how is this SDK different from Polar's?
I don't have enough context to answer your question. Let me explore the repository to understand what this SDK is.
Now let me check the README to understand what this SDK is about:
Now I understand - Autumn is a billing infrastructure platform. Let me search for information about Polar to compare them:
Great! Now I have a good understanding of both. Let me provide you with a comprehensive comparison:
##Key Differences Between Autumn and Polar
1. Role in the Payment Stack
- Autumn: Acts as an abstraction layer on top of Stripe. It sits between Stripe and your application, managing billing logic, metering, and entitlements without touching payment processing.
- Polar: A complete, standalone billing platform that acts as a Merchant of Record (MoR), handling both payments and tax compliance globally.
2. Tax Handling
- Autumn: You still need to handle tax compliance separately (e.g., through Stripe Tax) since Autumn doesn't process payments directly.
- Polar: Handles global tax compliance for you as part of the MoR service - a major advantage for international selling.
3. Webhook Management
- Autumn: "No webhooks required" - you query the API for the data you need. This simplifies your backend significantly.
- Polar: More traditional webhook-based approach, though it's still developer-friendly.
4. Use Cases
- Autumn: Best for teams already using Stripe who need sophisticated billing logic like usage-based pricing, credits, seat-based billing, and per-feature usage limits. Great for AI/usage-heavy startups.
- Polar: Best for creators, indie hackers, and OSS projects wanting a complete alternative to Stripe with built-in perks, sponsorships, and repo-gating features.
5. Pricing Model
- Autumn: Free up to $3,000 MRR, then scales to $375/month. No additional transaction fees beyond standard Stripe rates.
- Polar: 4% + $0.40 per transaction (20% lower fees than traditional payment processors).
6. Open Source Both are open-source, but Autumn is positioned for self-hosting on top of Stripe infrastructure, while Polar is a standalone, fully-featured billing platform.
In short: Choose Autumn if you're already committed to Stripe and want to simplify complex billing logic. Choose Polar if you want a complete, tax-aware payment platform that's developer-friendly and creator-focused.
END OF POST
Claude Haiku 4.5