Stripe vs RevenueCat: Apple Will Reject You If You Pick Wrong
It's not a preference — it's an App Store rule. I got rejected before learning when you must use each.
Short answer
Not a choice. Stripe for physical goods and real-world services. RevenueCat for digital subscriptions and in-app unlocks. Use both in the same app if your product needs both.
People keep framing this as a versus. It is not. The App Store rules decide.
What Apple actually requires
- Digital goods or subscriptions consumed inside the app: Must go through Apple IAP. Apple takes 15–30%. RevenueCat sits on top of IAP to make it bearable to use.
- Physical goods, real-world services, event tickets, hardware: Stripe is fine. Apple does not take a cut.
- Digital goods consumed outside the app (e.g., a subscription to a newsletter that reaches you by email): Gray zone. Apple has allowed this for "reader apps" if you do not promote the external purchase inside the app.
Confusing these two categories is the top reason ecommerce and fitness apps get rejected in my experience.
Stripe strengths
- Lower fees (~2.9% + 30¢, not 15–30%).
- Tax handled via
automatic_tax. - Refunds in two clicks from the dashboard.
- Webhooks are solid and well-documented.
- Great for anything the App Store does not claim.
RevenueCat strengths
- Handles Apple IAP and Google Play Billing with one SDK.
- Built-in paywall components if you want them.
- Entitlements layer — you do not store "is user pro?" yourself. RevenueCat does.
- Solid analytics on LTV, churn, trial conversion.
- Free for apps under $2,500/month in tracked MRR.
Where I use each
- Fitness app with an AI coach subscription: RevenueCat. Digital unlock. Apple wants IAP.
- Service booking app that charges for booking fees: Stripe. Real-world service.
- Ecommerce app selling physical hardware: Stripe. Physical goods.
- Chat app with a paid daily message limit: RevenueCat. Digital unlock.
What fails Apple review
- Stripe checkout for a digital unlock inside the app.
- A "contact us" button that opens a browser to pay for a digital subscription (they rejected this specific pattern for me once).
- A RevenueCat paywall that sells a physical good. Not broken, but pointless — you lose margin for no reason.
What Shippen ships
Both wired in by default. Stripe for physical-goods checkout. RevenueCat for subscriptions. You pick which flow your app uses per feature, or use both in different places.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Stripe directly in a mobile app?+
Only for purchases that do NOT unlock digital content inside the app. Apple rejects apps that sell digital goods outside Apple's in-app purchase system. Physical goods, ride-sharing, and marketplace payments are fine with Stripe. Anything that unlocks features or content must use RevenueCat (on top of Apple IAP / Google Play Billing).
Why RevenueCat instead of raw Apple IAP / Google Play Billing?+
RevenueCat abstracts both stores, handles receipt validation server-side, manages subscription state across iOS / Android / web, and gives you revenue analytics out of the box. Writing this from scratch is 3-4 weeks of work and a constant source of edge-case bugs.
Is RevenueCat free?+
Yes up to $2.5K MTR (monthly tracked revenue). Above that it is 1% of MTR. Stripe is 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction. For a subscription app growing past $2.5K/mo, RevenueCat usually still wins on total cost because it reduces integration and support overhead.
What if I use both in the same app?+
Common pattern. RevenueCat handles in-app subscriptions (auto-renew, trials, grace periods). Stripe handles web-based billing for the same user (customer portal, invoices, team plans). You link them by customer ID so entitlements sync across platforms.
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