Best Stripe Alternatives in 2026: 9 Services Compared

PayPal converts well because buyers recognise it. Many shoppers already have an account, saved cards and addresses, so checkout takes fewer steps than typing card details into a new form. PayPal Checkout in the United States is listed at 3.49% plus 49 cents for standard online payments, with international payments adding a further fee, and there is no monthly fee for the standard product.

That convenience costs more per order than Stripe for many sellers, especially on low average order values where the fixed 49 cent fee matters. Dispute handling and account holds are also common complaints. PayPal fits best as an extra checkout option beside cards, or as the main processor for small stores where buyer trust matters more than shaving a few cents per order.

Square is the clearest alternative for businesses that sell in person and online. Its free plan covers point of sale, online store basics, invoices and payments, with in-person rates at 2.6% plus 15 cents and online rates at 2.9% plus 30 cents for standard online transactions in United States listings, and no monthly fee. Hardware, inventory and staff tools can grow with a shop without switching processors.

Square does not beat Stripe on online card fees alone, since the standard online rate is the same. Its advantage is the combined system and the lack of a chargeback fee in many listings, which helps sellers who face disputes. Choose Square when your business has a counter, a market stall or appointments as well as a website.

Adyen serves large, multi-country businesses that need one processor for online, mobile and in-store payments. Its pricing uses Interchange++, with United States Visa and Mastercard listings around 0.60% plus 13 cents on top of interchange and scheme fees, though other listings put the margin near 0.80%, so confirm the current rate in a quote. It supports many currencies and local payment methods, with unified reporting across channels.

Onboarding is sales-led, and minimum invoice terms mean small businesses may not qualify or may pay more than expected at low volume. Adyen fits companies with high volume, international customers and engineering capacity to use its data and routing tools. Smaller sellers should shortlist Helcim or Square first.

Braintree, owned by PayPal, gives developers a single integration for cards plus PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Standard United States card pricing is listed at 2.89% plus 29 cents, slightly below Stripe on paper, with no monthly fee for the standard plan. That mix suits apps and subscription businesses that want wallet payments without building separate integrations.

Because Braintree is part of PayPal, it does not fully diversify you away from PayPal policies and risk decisions. It also suits online and in-app payments better than in-person retail. Choose Braintree when wallet reach matters, when you already plan to offer PayPal, and when a developer-led checkout is part of the product.

Helcim publishes interchange-plus pricing with no monthly fee, which appeals to growing businesses tired of flat-rate markups. Published tiers start around interchange plus 0.50% plus 25 cents online, with lower margins as volume grows, and in-person tiers start lower. Statements show interchange, scheme fees and Helcim margin separately, so you can see what you actually pay.

Interchange-plus takes more work to compare than a flat rate, since your effective rate moves with card mix. Helcim also focuses on the United States and Canada, so global sellers may need Adyen or Checkout.com instead. Helcim fits growing sellers who process enough volume for interchange-plus to beat flat rates, and who want transparent pricing without a negotiated contract.

Checkout.com targets digital-native and global online businesses that care about authorisation rates and payment performance. It supports many currencies and local payment methods, with routing, fraud tools and reporting designed for high-volume checkout. That focus suits SaaS, marketplaces and e-commerce brands selling across borders.

Pricing is quoted per merchant, so small stores cannot judge cost from a public rate card alone. Onboarding and integration also assume more technical capacity than Square or PayPal. Checkout.com fits online businesses with meaningful international volume who will use performance data to improve approval rates, not sellers looking for a quick flat-rate signup.

Authorize.net is a classic payment gateway that many established businesses already use through their merchant account or website platform. Its all-in-one plan is listed at $25 per month plus 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction in United States listings, with a gateway-only option for businesses that already have a merchant account. Recurring billing, fraud tools and broad shopping cart support are included.

The monthly fee means very low-volume sellers pay more than with Square or PayPal, even if the per-transaction rate looks similar. The dashboard also feels older than Stripe or Square. Authorize.net fits businesses with steady volume, an existing merchant account, or a platform that integrates with it already, especially once monthly volume passes a few thousand dollars.

Paddle is a merchant of record, not just a card processor. It sells your software on your behalf, handles sales tax and VAT in many countries, and manages subscriptions, checkout and compliance, for a headline fee of 5% plus 50 cents in listings, with tax included in that structure. That single fee can replace separate tax, invoicing and payment tools for small SaaS teams.

The headline fee looks high next to Stripe, but the comparison is not like-for-like, since Paddle absorbs tax handling that Stripe leaves to you or to another tool. You also give up some control over the payment stack and customer relationship. Paddle fits small and mid-size SaaS sellers who want global tax handled without building it themselves.

Shopify Payments is the built-in processor for Shopify stores, and it removes the extra transaction fee Shopify charges when you use an outside processor. Card rates vary by Shopify plan, with Basic listings around 2.9% plus 30 cents online in the United States, and lower rates on higher plans. Setup is inside Shopify, payouts and refunds sit in the same dashboard, and multi-currency selling is included in supported plans.

It only works on Shopify, so it is not a general Stripe alternative for other platforms. If you leave Shopify, you leave Shopify Payments too. For stores already on Shopify, it is usually the simplest and cheapest integrated option, and it pairs well with PayPal as an extra wallet checkout.