Home / Compare / Paddle Retain
Valkyrie vs Paddle Retain: an important distinction up front
This isn't really a tool-vs-tool comparison. Paddle Retain only works if Paddle is your payment processor and merchant of record. It is not something you can bolt onto an existing Stripe setup.
What each product is
Valkyrie connects to your existing Stripe account via read-only OAuth and adds recovery on top of what you already have running. No changes to how you process payments.
Paddle Retain (formerly ProfitWell Retain) is described by Paddle as "Paddle Billing's built-in retention toolkit... at no extra cost." The key word is built-in: it's bundled into Paddle Billing itself, and Paddle's pricing page describes Paddle as "the only complete Merchant of Record solution," charging a flat 5% + 50¢ per checkout transaction across everything you process through them, not a fee specific to recovery.
Why this matters before comparing price
Adopting Paddle Retain means routing your payment processing through Paddle as merchant of record, which is a materially bigger decision than adding a recovery tool: Paddle becomes the entity handling your checkout, tax compliance, and customer billing relationship, not Stripe. We couldn't find anything in Paddle's public documentation confirming Retain works as a standalone feature for merchants who keep Stripe as their processor, so we're not going to claim it does.
| Valkyrie | Paddle Retain | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | 25% of recovered revenue only | Bundled free into Paddle Billing (5% + 50¢ per transaction, on all processing) |
| Requires switching processors | No, works with your existing Stripe account | Yes, requires Paddle as merchant of record |
| Processor | Stripe | Paddle only |
| Setup | Stripe OAuth, ~60 seconds, no migration | Full billing migration to Paddle |
| Contract | None, cancel any time | Standard Paddle Billing terms apply |
On cost
Paddle's fee isn't tied to recovery at all. It's 5% + 50¢ on every transaction you process through them, recovered or not, so "free" retention really means paying Paddle a cut of all your revenue. Valkyrie only ever takes 25% of money we actually bring back, and nothing on payments Stripe would have recovered on its own.
The catch with Paddle Retain
"Free" comes with a price: you have to move your entire billing operation off Stripe and make Paddle your merchant of record, paying 5% + 50¢ on every transaction you process, not just recovered ones. That's a migration project, not a recovery tool.
Why Valkyrie wins
Keep Stripe exactly as it is. Connect in about 60 seconds with no migration and no new processing fees, then pay 25% only on what we actually recover.
Related decline codes
Stay on Stripe, just recover more of it
Connect Stripe for a free 90-day scan, no migration required. Or try the calculator for a quick estimate.
Connect Stripe freePrices and claims checked October 2026. Sources: Paddle Retain page, Paddle Billing pricing.