From 87f5d3a61470df819e339120717025ddc16eaa8f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Ben Stokes Date: Wed, 8 Apr 2026 13:45:27 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] docs: update README with more info --- README.md | 116 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---------- 1 file changed, 95 insertions(+), 21 deletions(-) diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index 11b044a..cfc3cd6 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -1,24 +1,89 @@ -# Zoneless +

+ + Zoneless — The open-source Stripe Connect alternative + +

-[![CI](https://github.com/zonelessdev/zoneless/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/zonelessdev/zoneless/actions/workflows/ci.yml) -[![License: Apache 2.0](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-Apache%202.0-blue.svg)](./LICENSE) -[![Node.js](https://img.shields.io/badge/node-%3E%3D18-brightgreen)](https://nodejs.org) -[![Angular](https://img.shields.io/badge/Angular-20-dd0031)](https://angular.dev) +

Zoneless

-> **The Open-source Stripe Connect Alternative. Pay your marketplace sellers globally with USDC. Near-zero fees. Instant payouts. No vendor lock-in. Self-host your entire payout stack.** +

+ The open-source Stripe Connect alternative.
Pay marketplace sellers globally with USDC. ~$0.002 fees. Instant payouts. Self-hosted. +

-Zoneless is a free, open-source drop-in replacement for the payout part of Stripe Connect. It lets you pay marketplace sellers globally with stablecoins (USDC) using an identical API to Stripe — at near-zero fees. +

+ Docs · + Live Demo · + Website · + Discord +

- Zoneless Express Dashboard + CI + License: Apache 2.0

-**[See the Live Demo →](https://zoneless.com/#live-demo)** +--- + +Zoneless is a free, open-source drop-in replacement for the **payout part of Stripe Connect**. It lets you pay marketplace sellers globally with stablecoins (USDC) using an API identical to Stripe — at near-zero cost. + +If you know Stripe, you already know how to use Zoneless. Same webhooks, same object shapes, same SDK patterns. Just swap `stripe` for `@zoneless/node` and you're live. + +## Battle-tested in production + +Zoneless powers payouts on [PromptBase](https://promptbase.com), an AI marketplace with **450,000+ users**. At the peak, PromptBase was burning **$9,400/month** in opaque Stripe Connect fees for seller payouts. After switching to Zoneless: + + + + + + + + +
~$0.002
avg. payout cost		1,400+
payouts completed		73%
of sellers chose Zoneless over Stripe		2,200+
sellers onboarded
+ +Based on 2,500 fully-onboarded sellers given the choice of Stripe or Zoneless payouts, Dec 2025 – Apr 2026. + +> _"Our payout costs dropped significantly, sellers get paid faster, and we can onboard more countries — which has helped grow the buyer side too. A big worry was that sellers would be confused and hate USDC, but they actually love it."_ +> +> — **Ben Stokes**, Founder of [PromptBase](https://promptbase.com) + +## Why Zoneless? + +- **Near-zero fees** — Payouts cost ~$0.002 in SOL gas. No $2/month per account, no 0.25% + $0.25 per payout. +- **Stripe-compatible API** — Same webhooks, events, object shapes, and SDK patterns. Migrate with minimal code changes. +- **Truly global** — Pay anyone in 220+ countries & regions. No banking restrictions. +- **Instant payouts** — USDC settles on Solana in seconds, 24/7/365. Not 2–7 business days. +- **Open source** — Apache 2.0 licensed. Audit, fork, self-host. No vendor lock-in or surprise shutdowns. +- **Self-custodial** — You hold your keys. Funds never touch a third party. + +## Zoneless vs Stripe Connect + +| | Zoneless | Stripe Connect | +| --------------------- | ------------------------ | ----------------- | +| Monthly account fee | Free | $2/active account | +| Payout fee (domestic) | ~$0.002 (SOL gas) | 0.25% + $0.25 | +| Payout fee (intl) | ~$0.002 (SOL gas) | $1.50 per payout | +| Cross-border fee | None | +0.25–1.25% | +| Currency conversion | None (USDC) | +0.50–1% FX fee | +| Payout speed | Seconds | 2–7 business days | +| Global coverage | 220+ countries & regions | ~47 countries | +| Source code | Open source (Apache 2.0) | Proprietary | +| Self-hostable | Yes | No | + +## Built for + +- **Microtransaction marketplaces** — When payouts cost fractions of a cent, small transactions finally make sense. Digital goods, templates, prompts, and more. +- **Global creator platforms** — Pay creators worldwide without banking restrictions. No more "sorry, we don't support your country." +- **AI agent economies** — Programmatic payouts for AI agents and autonomous systems. Machine-to-machine commerce at scale. + +## Migrate in minutes ```typescript +// Before — Stripe Connect // import Stripe from 'stripe'; // const client = new Stripe('sk_live_...'); +// After — Zoneless import { Zoneless } from '@zoneless/node'; const client = new Zoneless('sk_z_...', 'api.example.com'); @@ -36,19 +101,23 @@ await client.payouts.create({ }); ``` -## Zoneless vs Stripe Connect +## Express Dashboard -| | Zoneless | Stripe Connect | -| --------------------- | ------------------------ | ----------------- | -| Monthly account fee | Free | $2/active account | -| Payout fee (domestic) | ~$0.002 (SOL gas) | 0.25% + $0.25 | -| Payout fee (intl) | ~$0.002 (SOL gas) | $1.50 per payout | -| Cross-border fee | None | +0.25–1.25% | -| Currency conversion | None (USDC) | +0.50–1% FX fee | -| Payout speed | Seconds | 2–7 business days | -| Global coverage | 220+ countries & regions | ~47 countries | -| Source code | Open source (Apache 2.0) | Proprietary | -| Self-hostable | Yes | No | +Sellers get a familiar Express-style dashboard to view payouts, track earnings, and manage their account — plus guided wallet onboarding. + +

+ Zoneless Express Dashboard +

+ +**[Try the Live Demo →](https://zoneless.com/#live-demo)** + +## How sellers get paid + +1. **Seller connects a wallet** — During onboarding, sellers connect a Solana wallet (e.g. Phantom). Takes 30 seconds with guided instructions. +2. **You send USDC** — Trigger payouts via the API. Funds arrive in the seller's wallet in seconds, not days. +3. **Seller spends or off-ramps** — Sellers spend USDC directly, or convert to local currency via an exchange like Coinbase. + +You create and manage your own platform wallet — top it up with USDC via any exchange and you're ready to send payouts. ## Quick Start @@ -69,6 +138,7 @@ All guides and API reference docs live at **[zoneless.com/docs](https://zoneless - [Quickstart](https://zoneless.com/docs/quickstart) — end-to-end setup in under 5 minutes - [Deployment](https://zoneless.com/docs/deployment) — deploy to a VPS with Docker - [API Reference](https://zoneless.com/docs/account-links) — Accounts, Transfers, Payouts, Webhooks, and more +- [Migrate from Stripe](https://zoneless.com/docs/migrate-from-stripe) — step-by-step migration guide ## Local Development @@ -116,3 +186,7 @@ See [SECURITY.md](./SECURITY.md) to report vulnerabilities. ## License [Apache License 2.0](./LICENSE) + +--- + +If Zoneless is useful to you, consider giving it a star — it helps others find the project.