Flexible access plans
Create lifetime, monthly or yearly prices on the connected Stripe account, with support for trials, free uses and team seats.
Toolaby
Toolaby helps Chrome extension developers sell licences and subscriptions through hosted checkout, accounts and paywalls connected to their own Stripe account. It also provides signed device licences, access checks, webhooks and reporting without requiring a separate licensing backend for the basic workflow.
Extension payments and licence management
Toolaby is a billing and access-control service for Chrome extensions. It provides hosted accounts, licences, checkout, subscriptions, webhooks and buyer account pages, while payments are made through the developer's Stripe account rather than held by Toolaby.
A developer can register an extension, configure what is free or paid, connect the extension with a dashboard action or command-line tool, and test a purchase before publishing. The extension can ask whether a user is allowed to use a feature, while signed device licences support checks without a network request for a limited period.
Features for selling and controlling extension access
Low-overhead integration
Add Toolaby's client and manifest configuration to an extension folder through the dashboard or a single command, with framework-specific support for WXT, CRXJS and Plasmo.
Device licences
Use a signed licence on each device so an extension can check access without a request; offline licence checks work for a day.
Hosted checkout and account management
Host the checkout, sign-in and buyer account pages while allowing buyers to manage devices, cancel subscriptions and change payment details through Stripe's billing portal.
Webhooks and API
Receive signed events for purchases, subscriptions, cancellations, refunds and disputes, alongside a REST API for customers and grants.
Sales and conversion reporting
View gross and net volume, refunds, purchases, subscriptions and the funnel from install to purchase using payment data tied to each tool.
Practical ways to use Toolaby
Monetize a new Chrome extension
Set a lifetime, monthly or yearly price for a utility, gate a feature with Toolaby's client, and publish after testing the purchase flow with Stripe test mode.
Convert free users to paid access
Offer a limited number of free uses or a free tier, then show a paywall when the device reaches its allowance instead of blocking the entire extension from first launch.
Sell recurring or team access
Use subscriptions, team seats and an account page so organizations or groups can manage who has access and which devices are attached to a licence.
Migrate an existing customer base
Move existing subscribers from ExtensionPay or another Stripe setup, or import prior buyers from a CSV so they can unlock by signing in with the address used for payment.
Connect billing to a custom backend
Use signed webhooks and the REST API to keep a separate customer or entitlement table on a developer-managed server while Toolaby handles the core checkout and licensing flow.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Payments are charged to the developer's own Stripe account, with the developer's name shown to buyers.
- The setup can add the client and manifest changes without requiring a separate backend, licence server or webhook handler for the basic workflow.
- The service supports multiple access models, including lifetime licences, subscriptions, trials, free uses and team seats.
- Signed offline-capable licences, device limits and a gate function provide a practical way to control paid features.
- Customers, licences, subscriptions, signing keys and related data can be exported, and installed extensions can continue working on a server managed by the developer.
Cons
- The integration is oriented toward Chrome extensions and documented frameworks; other bundlers or unusual manifest layouts may require additional framework-specific guidance.
- Tax obligations remain with the developer, and Stripe's processing, billing and dispute fees still apply.
- On the Hobby plan, Toolaby charges 0.5% of each sale, with a minimum of one cent; the fee is separate from Stripe's own fees.
FAQ
What do I need before setting up Toolaby?
Toolaby supports an existing Chrome extension with a manifest.json at the top of its folder, as well as WXT, CRXJS and Plasmo projects. Node.js 20 or later is required for the command-line workflow. A minimal extension can also be created with Toolaby's create command.
How is a Chrome extension connected to Toolaby?
Create a workspace and register a tool, then wire the extension by choosing its folder in the dashboard or running npx -y toolaby@latest wire <tool-id>. Load the extension in Chrome, create a plan, configure access, and make a test purchase with Stripe's test card. The paid code can then be gated with Toolaby's gate function.
Where do payments go?
Test workspaces use a Stripe test account created by Toolaby. On Live, the developer connects their own Stripe account through Stripe Connect. Charges, payouts, refunds and disputes remain on that Stripe account, and the buyer sees the developer's name on the statement.
What kinds of paid access can an extension offer?
Toolaby supports lifetime licences, monthly and yearly subscriptions, free trials, a number of free uses, and team seats. Plans are created as prices on the connected Stripe account, and access rules determine what is available before purchase.
What happens when a payment is refunded or disputed?
A whole-payment refund revokes the licence, while a partial refund leaves the licence and seats unchanged. A chargeback suspends the licence while it is open; if the dispute is lost, the licence is revoked. Stripe's own processing fee and, on Hobby, Toolaby's application fee are retained on refunds.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Developer tool
- Primary platform
- Chrome extensions
- Supported projects
- Manifest V3, WXT, CRXJS and Plasmo
- Payment provider
- Stripe, connected to the developer's account
- Hobby fee
- 0.5% of each sale, minimum one cent
- Pro pricing shown on site
- $25 per month per workspace, with no sale fee
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