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meter tokens, API calls, agent runs, and compute usage into flexible billing models

OSS scale score 244.2OSS health 96Update pace 767 commits/30d
About these scores

OSS scale score is an unbounded metric that log-compresses and weights Stars, Watchers, Forks, and Contributors. Discovery score is the current OSS scale score minus the score at discovery. Update pace is commits in the last 30 days, growth momentum is the OSS scale score difference within the recent observation window, and OSS health is a 0–100 rating based on available recency, Community Health, and release data.

Stars
10,301
Primary language
Python
License
Apache-2.0
Repository last updated
Oct 2, 2026
On this page

Overview

Polar is a billing platform for AI and SaaS products, combining usage billing, subscriptions, seats, credits, trials, and discounts with checkout and customer billing workflows. Its README emphasizes metering AI workloads such as tokens, API calls, agent runs, GPU time, and storage.

Features and best fit

Based on official documentation; not hands-on tested · Content checked:

Key features

Combine usage, subscriptions, seats, credits, trials, and discounts

Pricing models can mix metered usage with recurring plans, seats, credit balances, trials, and discounts instead of forcing one billing model.

Sources: [2]

Meter granular AI workload events

The README calls out tokens, API calls, agent executions, GPU or compute time, and storage as billing dimensions for intelligent software.

Sources: [2]

Run separate Python API/worker and Next.js frontend services locally

The development guide describes a REST API and workers backed by PostgreSQL, Redis, S3-compatible storage, plus a web client, with a dev tool that automates environment setup.

Sources: [3]

Best fit

Fits AI and SaaS teams shipping multiple pricing models quickly

It is relevant when detailed usage events need to coexist with subscriptions or credits without building a billing stack from scratch.

Sources: [2]

Before adoption

Treat Merchant of Record service terms separately from Apache-2.0 source licensing

The README says Polar's service handles receipts, customer accounts, dunning, and sales tax/VAT as Merchant of Record, while the repository itself is Apache-2.0. Evaluate hosted-service terms and source-code rights separately.

Sources: [2][5]

Never use a live Stripe account for the local development environment

The development guide requires a dedicated Stripe sandbox and explicitly rejects live accounts or shared team accounts for local setup.

Sources: [3]

Understand what dev up installs and configures

The development helper can install Docker, uv, pnpm, and Node.js, start PostgreSQL, Redis, and MinIO, configure GitHub and Stripe integrations, and run migrations, so review its impact and secret locations before running it.

Sources: [3]

Official sources

  1. [1]polarsource/polar repository(2026-10-01)
  2. [2]Polar README(2026-10-01)
  3. [3]Polar development guide(2026-10-01)
  4. [4]Polar SDK 1.0.1 release(2026-10-01)
  5. [5]Polar Apache-2.0 license(2026-10-01)
Supplemental curator note

Polar is designed to meter tokens, API calls, agent runs, GPU time, and other usage into billing models. The repository is Apache-2.0, while the Merchant of Record and tax-handling claims in the README describe Polar's hosted service, so evaluate source licensing and service terms separately.

Try it in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Clone Polar

    Fetch the official repository and enter the local development environment.

    git clone https://github.com/polarsource/polar.git && cd polar
  2. 2

    Install the dev command

    Run the one-time installer documented by Polar to add the dev alias. Restart the terminal or reload the shell configuration when prompted.

    ./dev/cli/install
  3. 3

    Build the local stack

    Prepare Docker, PostgreSQL, Redis, MinIO, Python/JavaScript dependencies, and migrations. Use only a dedicated Stripe sandbox, then start dev api, dev worker, and dev web in separate terminals.

    dev up
Check the official README

Growth

Growth trends · Last 30 days

10,301 Stars

Trend data is still being collected.

Development activity

Last 90 days · weekly

Commits (last 30 days)
767
Open PRs
42

Development activity is still being collected.

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GitHub data

GitHub dataView detailed GitHub data
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GitHub Topics

  • fastapi
  • nextjs
  • python
  • typescript
  • react
  • polar
  • subscriptions
  • turborepo
  • digital-products
  • payments
  • saas
  • merchant-of-record
Stars
10,301
Forks
798
Watchers
28
Open issues
59
Contributors
125
Owner type
Organization
Primary language
Python
License
Apache-2.0
Repository last updated
Oct 2, 2026
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