{
  "version": "2",
  "generatedAt": "2026-11-03T22:49:39.280Z",
  "listing": {
    "slug": "polarsource--polar",
    "name": "Polar",
    "tagline": "Merchant-of-record billing and checkout for digital products, with an official hosted MCP and SDKs.",
    "shortTagline": "Merchant-of-record billing",
    "description": "Hosted platform for selling digital products, subscriptions, usage-based billing, and license keys, acting as merchant of record for tax. The Builder publishes a REST API, JS and Python SDKs, and an MCP server at mcp.polar.sh (production and sandbox). Source is Apache-2.0 on GitHub but the Builder does not document self-hosting.",
    "capabilities": [
      "operable"
    ],
    "vertical": "ecommerce",
    "alternativeTo": [
      "Gumroad",
      "Lemon Squeezy",
      "Paddle"
    ],
    "shape": "product",
    "formFactor": "api",
    "executionModel": "deterministic",
    "provenance": "human-written",
    "codeStack": {
      "languages": [
        "Python",
        "TypeScript"
      ],
      "frameworks": [
        "FastAPI",
        "Next.js"
      ],
      "packageManager": null,
      "database": [
        "PostgreSQL"
      ],
      "hostingTarget": [
        "polar.sh"
      ]
    },
    "modelStack": null,
    "repos": [
      {
        "url": "https://github.com/polarsource/polar",
        "owner": "polarsource",
        "name": "polar",
        "license": "Apache-2.0",
        "stars": 10229,
        "lastCommit": "2026-09-02"
      }
    ],
    "interface": {
      "kind": "api",
      "url": "https://polar.sh/docs/api-reference",
      "official": true,
      "hosted": "remote"
    },
    "operability": "official",
    "recommendedWrapper": null,
    "reach": [
      {
        "job": "Create and manage products and prices",
        "reachable": true,
        "evidence": "API reference: Products"
      },
      {
        "job": "Create checkout sessions and links",
        "reachable": true,
        "evidence": "API reference: Checkouts"
      },
      {
        "job": "List and manage orders and refunds",
        "reachable": true,
        "evidence": "API reference: Orders, Refunds"
      },
      {
        "job": "Manage subscriptions",
        "reachable": true,
        "evidence": "API reference: Subscriptions"
      },
      {
        "job": "Manage customers",
        "reachable": true,
        "evidence": "API reference: Customers"
      },
      {
        "job": "Benefits and license keys",
        "reachable": true,
        "evidence": "API reference: Benefits, License Keys"
      },
      {
        "job": "Discounts",
        "reachable": true,
        "evidence": "API reference: Discounts"
      },
      {
        "job": "Usage meters and events",
        "reachable": true,
        "evidence": "API reference: Meters"
      },
      {
        "job": "Webhooks",
        "reachable": true,
        "evidence": "API reference: Webhooks"
      },
      {
        "job": "Payout and tax filing",
        "reachable": false,
        "evidence": "handled by Polar as merchant of record; dashboard only"
      }
    ],
    "editions": [
      {
        "name": "Starter",
        "price": null,
        "open": false,
        "distributions": [
          {
            "kind": "hosted",
            "url": "https://polar.sh",
            "command": ""
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "name": "Pro",
        "price": null,
        "open": false,
        "distributions": [
          {
            "kind": "hosted",
            "url": "https://polar.sh/docs/documentation/polar-as-merchant-of-record/fees",
            "command": ""
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "name": "Growth",
        "price": null,
        "open": false,
        "distributions": []
      },
      {
        "name": "Scale",
        "price": null,
        "open": false,
        "distributions": []
      }
    ],
    "skills": {
      "kind": "contributor",
      "paths": [
        ".agents/skills/*/SKILL.md"
      ],
      "install": null,
      "note": "Repo tooling for Polar contributors: billing review, API surface review, local environment, ADR checks."
    },
    "customization": null,
    "useWhen": [
      "I sell software, courses, or API credits and want someone else to handle VAT and sales tax",
      "my agent should create products, checkout links, and discounts and read orders through an official API or MCP"
    ],
    "accounts": [
      "Polar"
    ],
    "active": true,
    "lastActivity": "2026-09-02",
    "gotchas": [
      "Fees are per transaction: Starter 5% + 50c, Pro 3.8% + 40c, Growth 3.6% + 35c, Scale 3.4% + 30c; no flat monthly price",
      "MCP docs give endpoints and client setup but no tool list; treat MCP coverage as the API's until verified",
      "Self-hosting is not documented; the repo is for contribution"
    ],
    "fit": {
      "adaptable": 1,
      "operable": 3
    },
    "evidence": {
      "formFactor": "hosted service with REST API, SDKs, and MCP",
      "executionModel": "no model at runtime",
      "operability": "polar.sh/docs/integrate/mcp lists mcp.polar.sh endpoints; API reference and SDKs under polarsource",
      "effort": "no supported self-host; customization null",
      "editions": "README Pricing section lists Starter free plus fees and paid tiers",
      "active": "pushedAt 2026-09-02"
    },
    "confidence": {
      "formFactor": 0.9,
      "executionModel": 0.95,
      "operability": 0.9,
      "effort": 0,
      "reach": 0.8,
      "editions": 0.85
    },
    "openQuestions": [
      "Tool names exposed by mcp.polar.sh and its auth flow",
      "Whether self-hosting is supported at all (DEVELOPMENT.md is for contributors)"
    ],
    "sources": [
      {
        "url": "https://github.com/polarsource/polar",
        "foundBy": "sourcing:ecommerce:vendor"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://polar.sh/docs/integrate/mcp",
        "foundBy": "sourcing:ecommerce:vendor"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://polar.sh/docs/llms.txt",
        "foundBy": "analysis"
      }
    ],
    "research": {
      "stage": "verified",
      "verdict": "unverified",
      "reason": "Operable only: official API, SDKs, and hosted MCP; source is open but not adaptable in practice.",
      "disputed": []
    },
    "url": "apps/polarsource--polar.html",
    "coverage": "partial",
    "paid": false,
    "source": "research/verified/polarsource--polar.json"
  }
}