Digital River vs Polar:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Polar had more branded searches than Digital River among merchant of record platforms worldwide. Polar had about 8,100 branded searches, while Digital River had 2,900. Polar made up 0.99% of all merchant of record platform searches we track, and Digital River accounted for 0.35%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about merchant of record platforms, Polar appeared in two of the five answers and Digital River in none.
Who do people search for more?
Polar, about 3 searches for every 1 for Digital River
Who does AI mention more?
Polar, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Digital River in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Polar, the only one of the two named
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Top merchant of record platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Polar was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Digital River did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Paddle1st
Lemon Squeezy2nd
FastSpring3rd- Polar4th
PayPro Global5th
Cleverbridge6th
Gumroad–- Digital River–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Lemon Squeezy5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- FastSpring5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Paddle5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Cleverbridge2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Polar2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- PayPro Global2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Gumroad0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Digital River0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about merchant of record platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which merchant of record platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best merchant of record platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best merchant of record platform for software sales?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“merchant of record platforms”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best merchant of record”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Digital River or Polar more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Digital River and Polar by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight merchant of record platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Polar, Digital River. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Gumroad | Lemon Squeezy | Cleverbridge | FastSpring | Polar | PayPro Global | Digital River | Paddle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 84.2% | 6.2% | 4.1% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 1% | 0.68% | 0.04% |
| Nov 2025 | 83.7% | 7.5% | 3.4% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 1% | 0.55% | 0.04% |
| Dec 2025 | 86.6% | 6.4% | 2.9% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 0.85% | 0.46% | 0.04% |
| Jan 2026 | 87% | 6.4% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 0.86% | 0.38% | 0.05% |
| Feb 2026 | 85.2% | 7.7% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 1.3% | 1% | 0.37% | 0.13% |
| Mar 2026 | 83.4% | 9.2% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1% | 0.45% | 0.19% |
| Apr 2026 | 84.1% | 9.3% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 1% | 0.83% | 0.37% | 0.13% |
| May 2026 | 84.6% | 9.3% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 1% | 0.83% | 0.3% | 0.16% |
| Jun 2026 | 84.6% | 9.3% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 1% | 0.83% | 0.3% | 0.16% |
| Jul 2026 | 84.8% | 9.3% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 0.83% | 0.83% | 0.3% | 0.13% |
| Aug 2026 | 84.6% | 9.3% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 1% | 0.83% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Sep 2026 | 82.2% | 11.1% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.99% | 0.81% | 0.35% | 0.11% |
How has the Digital River and Polar comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Polar was ahead of Digital River in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Digital River’s share of searches among merchant of record platforms worldwide moved from 0.68% to 0.35%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 5.4K to 2.9K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Polar’s share of searches among merchant of record platforms worldwide moved from 1.5% to 0.99%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 12.1K to 8.1K.
How did search popularity change for merchant of record platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
Estimated monthly branded searches for Digital River worldwide fell 46.3% over 12 measured months, from 5.4K to 2.9K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Polar worldwide fell 33.1% over 12 measured months, from 12.1K to 8.1K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Digital River’s and Polar’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Digital River
1 branded search term
- digital river
Polar
2 branded search terms
- polar sh
- polar.sh
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