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Polar vs Railway

Polar (Payments) and Railway (Hosting/Deployment) take different approaches to development. Polar: Developer-first monetization with license keys GitHub funding and auto-entitlements Railway: Container-based PaaS with one-click databases private networking and usage pricing

Polar logo

Polar

Developer-first monetization with license keys GitHub funding and auto-entitlements

Category
Payments
Subcategory
Merchant of Record
Pricing
4% + $0.40/txn
Tier
paid
paymentsmerchant of record
Railway logo

Railway

Container-based PaaS with one-click databases private networking and usage pricing

Category
Hosting/Deployment
Subcategory
Full-Stack PaaS
Pricing
Trial $5 credit / Hobby $5/mo
Tier
paid
hosting/deploymentfull-stack paas

Key differences

DimensionPolarRailway
Pricing4% + $0.40/txnTrial $5 credit / Hobby $5/mo
PlatformMerchant of RecordFull-Stack PaaS
Capabilitiespayments, merchant of recordhosting/deployment, full-stack paas

Choose Polar if...

  • Polar fits your specific workflow and team preferences

Choose Railway if...

  • Railway fits your specific workflow and team preferences

Community pros and cons

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Frequently asked questions

Is Polar or Railway better for beginners?
Both tools are accessible. Polar and Railway are similar in approachability — try both and see which workflow clicks.
Which is cheaper, Polar or Railway?
Both have a paid pricing model. Polar: 4% + $0.40/txn. Railway: Trial $5 credit / Hobby $5/mo. Compare their specific plans to find the best value.
Can I use Polar and Railway together?
Yes — Polar (Payments) and Railway (Hosting/Deployment) serve different roles and can complement each other in a project.

Verdict

Polar and Railway solve different problems. Choose based on whether you need a payments or a hosting/deployment.

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