A detailed comparison of Stripe and PayPal to help you choose the right tool for your needs.
Developer-first payment infrastructure powering the internet's economy.
Global payment platform with 429M users accepting credit cards and transfers.
| Plan | Stripe | PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Lowest Paid | 2.9% + 30¢/transaction | 3.49% + fixed fee |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
| Feature | Stripe | PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Payment APIs | ✓ | — |
| Subscriptions | ✓ | — |
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stripe Radar fraud prevention | ✓ | — |
| Stripe Atlas incorporation | ✓ | — |
| Connect marketplace payments | ✓ | — |
| Buyer protection | — | ✓ |
| Global reach | — | ✓ |
| One-click checkout | — | ✓ |
| QR code payments | — | ✓ |
| Crypto buying | — | ✓ |
| Open Source | ✗ | ✗ |
| Rating | ⭐ 4.8 | ⭐ 4.2 |
Choose Stripe if: You need developers and startups building payment-powered products needing the most powerful payments api. Stripe excels with its best developer experience and most comprehensive payments api.
Choose PayPal if: You need freelancers and small businesses wanting the payment method most trusted by consumers globally. PayPal stands out with its most recognized brand and buyer trust.
It depends on your needs. Stripe is better for developers and startups building payment-powered products needing the most powerful payments api, while PayPal is better for freelancers and small businesses wanting the payment method most trusted by consumers globally. Both are excellent tools rated 4.8 and 4.2 respectively.
Stripe starts at 2.9% + 30¢/transaction while PayPal starts at 3.49% + fixed fee. Neither offers a free tier.
Most tools offer import/export features to help you migrate. We recommend trying PayPal's trial before fully committing to a switch.
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