Stripe is a webmaster and IT favorite for online payment processing because it offers highly versatile software for creating custom checkouts. However, it’s not the best online payment processor for everyone. Some businesses want something simpler and cheaper or a solution that provides POS or online payment processing without needing a development staff or programming assistance.
We evaluated dozens of credit card processors to find the best Stripe alternatives:
- Square: Best overall alternative to Stripe
- PayPal: Best for adding to your online store or website
- Stax: Best for high-volume sales
- PaymentCloud: Best for high-risk businesses
- Helcim: Best for growing storefronts
- Payanywhere: Best for small mobile sales
- Payment Depot: Best for cheapest rates
- iATS: Best for nonprofits
- Authorize.net: Best payment gateway
- Chase Merchant Services: Best for Chase customers or those wanting a traditional merchant account
Stripe Alternatives Compared
Online transaction fees | Monthly fees | Chargeback fees | Invoice / Subscription | POS | Integrations (without API) | Same-day Payouts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2.9% + 30¢ | $0 | $15 | ✔ | 3rd-party | 1,250+ | +1% | |
2.9% + 30¢ | $0 | $0 | ✔ | ✔ | 250 | +1.5% | |
3.49% + 49¢ | $0 | $20 | ✔ | ✔ | 1,000+ | To PayPal account | |
Interchange + 15¢ | $99+ | $25 | $ | Mobile app only | 100s | ✔ | |
Undisclosed | Unlisted | $25 | ✔ | 3rd-party | 100s | ✔ | |
Interchange plus 0.2% + 10¢ – 0.5% + 25¢ | $0 | $15 | ✔ | ✔ | Dozens | - | |
3.49% + 19¢ | $0 | $0 | ✔ | Mobile app only | 2 | ✔ | |
Interchange plus 7¢ to 15¢ | $79 | $15 | - | 3rd-party | Dozens | - | |
2.49% to 3.2% | Unlisted | $0 | ✔ | 3rd-party | 63 | - | |
2.9% + 30¢ | $25 | $0 | ✔ | Mobile app or 3rd-party | 145 | - | |
3.5% + 10¢ | $15 (for checking) | $5+ | - | Mobile app only | 140+ | To Chase account |
Stripe at a Glance
Stripe
What We Like
- Flexible
- Highly integratable
- 24/7 support
- International currencies
What's Missing
- No native POS
- Requires technical expertise
- Not for high-risk businesses
Stripe Pricing
- Monthly fee: $0
- In-person processing fee: 2.7% + 5¢ per transaction
- Online fee: 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction
- International cards processing fee: + 1% for cards, +1% for currency conversion
- ACH: 0.8% (max $5)
- Instant payouts: Add 1%, min 50¢
- Discounts for volume sales, multi-products, interchange plus
- Chargeback fee: $15
- Virtual Terminal: $0
- Card readers: $59
Stripe is on our list of:
When to Use an Alternative to Stripe
Stripe is highly customizable, secure, and scalable as your business grows. However, there are times when its complexity and specialization make other solutions a better choice.
- DIY business people with little programming experience: Stripe is a popular payment system for web developers and companies that have a dev or IT team that can program the integrations. If that’s not you, then a simpler option might work better. Recommended: Authorize.net or Helcim.
- You want point-of-sale included: Stripe integrates with POS systems but does not offer one itself. Recommended: Square, PayPal, or Helcim.
- High-volume sales: Given Stripe’s processing rates, you may benefit from a merchant service that offers interchange-plus pricing. Recommended: Stax or Payment Depot
- Mostly in-person transactions: If you do mostly in-person sales, a payment provider with mobile and counter POS systems will suit you better. Recommended: Square, Payanywhere, or Helcim.
- Ecommerce businesses that need a simple setup: If you are a small business that needs a quick payment button, then Stripe is beyond your needs. Recommended: PayPal
Square: Best Overall Alternative to Stripe
Square
What We Like
- Transparent, flat-rate pricing
- No monthly fees or minimums
- Free user-friendly POS and online store
- Reasonable ACH fees
What's Missing
- Not suited for high-risk businesses
- Account stability issues
- Limited support hours
Square Pricing
- Monthly fee: $0
- Card-present transaction fee: 2.6% + 10¢
- Ecommerce and invoice transaction fee: 2.9% + 30¢
- Card-not-present transaction fee: 3.5% + 15¢
- ACH Fee: 1% (minimum $1)
- Instant payout fee: 1.5%
- Chargeback fee: None, plus up to $250/month for chargeback protection
- Card reader: $49
Square is a highly popular and well-rated payment processor that usually tops our lists because of its free POS system and ability to grow with your business. Unlike Stripe, you can start selling immediately upon signing up for Square—no programming is needed.
The POS system is top-notch and works not only for stores but for restaurants, spas, salons, and service industries. It offers an integrated online store and a mobile app for selling on the go. Plus, as your business grows, it offers additional software for loyalty plans, marketing, and even payroll. Its banking services (something Stripe does not offer) include checking and savings accounts and loans.
Square tops our list of:
- PayPal Alternatives
- Best Merchant Services
- Best Free Merchant Services
- Best Mobile Credit Card Processors
- Best Virtual Terminals
- Best Credit Card Payment Apps
For all its versatility, however, Square is a closed system. It does not allow other payment processors and cannot match Stripe for integration into websites or complex payment processing needs. Learn more in our review of Square vs Stripe.
PayPal: Best for Value-Added Payment Options
PayPal
What We Like
- No monthly fees or minimums
- Accept payments in 200+ countries
- Highly integratable
- Free POS
What's Missing
- Virtual terminal costs extra
- Account stability issues
- Complex fee structure
PayPal Pricing (U.S.)
- POS fee: $0
- Card-present fee: 2.29% + 9¢
- Keyed-in fee: 3.49% + 9¢
- Online transaction fee: 3.49% + 49¢
- International Transaction fee: 4.99% + 30¢ for USD
- Cryptocurrency fees: 50¢ for purchases under $25, 2.3%–1.5%, depending on amount $25 and over
- Chargeback fee: $20
- Dispute fee: $15
- Card reader: $29 for the first; $79 for additional
PayPal rivals Stripe as one of the most popular online payment processors. And, where Stripe is more difficult to implement and maintain, PayPal has a reputation for being user-friendly for both customers and merchants.
See how Square, Stripe, and PayPal compare in our evaluation of three of the most popular online payment processors for small businesses.
It accepts all types of payments, including credit cards and bitcoin, works internationally, and offers a free POS system, Zettle. Zettle works on countertop systems and smartphones. Further, PayPal lets you easily add buttons to your website, social media, or online store.
However, PayPal really shines as an additional payment option. In fact, studies have shown that customers are 2.8x more likely to convert when PayPal is visible. PayPal makes it easy to offer its payment processing alongside other credit card processors.
Despite its versatility, Stripe is the better option for customization. Stripe also accepts more currency types (135 vs 26) and has more powerful API and SDK tools for programming special cases. Stripe also has fewer complaints of held funds than PayPal. Discover more in our Stripe vs PayPal article.
Stax by Fattmerchant: Best for High-Volume Sales
Stax by Fattmerchant
What We Like
- Easy to use
- Stable merchant account
- Excellent customer support
- Same-day funding
What's Missing
- High monthly fee
- Best only for established businesses processing over $10,000 monthly
Stax Pricing
- Monthly fee: $99+
- Card-present transaction fee: Interchange + 8¢
- Card-not-present transaction fee: Interchange + 15¢
- Optional software packages: $29–$129 monthly for features like reporting dashboard, ACH payments, invoicing, Text2Pay, web-hosted payments, recurring payments, chargeback manager, and dedicated support
- Chargeback fee: $25
- Custom plans available for businesses processing over $5 million annually
Stripe offers custom rates for high-volume sales, but Stax’s interchange-plus rates are cheaper. There is a monthly fee to consider, but if you do enough credit card transactions, the savings may cover the monthly fee and still save you money.
Stax stacks up to Stripe in terms of functionality and features. Stax says it integrates with over 90% of third-party POS systems (most through Zapier). Further, if you want it programmed directly into your software, Stax Connect has in-depth API and SDK support.
Of course, Stax is still ahead in the in-person sales category, with more choices of POS hardware and a native mobile app. Users rate it higher than Stripe and say the customer support team is quick to respond and helpful. Businesses also enjoy the ability to send custom payment links to customers.
Stripe, of course, blows away Stax—and all the others—by having over 1,250 integrations in addition to its powerful programming tools. Even Stax itself says Stripe is better known for online payments, while Stax takes a more holistic approach.
PaymentCloud: Best for High-Risk Merchants
PaymentCloud
What We Like
- Competitive rates
- Excellent customer support
- Good customer reviews
- Handles high-risk sales
What's Missing
- Fees not transparent
- Supports limited CBD products
- No mobile app
PaymentCloud Pricing
- PaymentCloud does not list pricing, which is common for high-risk merchant services as the rates will depend on your specific business.
- PaymentCloud offers multiple options for payment processing, software, and hardware.
- Contact sales for more information
- Chargeback fee: $25
If you run a business that sells high-risk items or is considered a high-risk business for other reasons, you may not be able to work with Stripe, which sometimes imposes restrictions, such as setting up a funds reserve, if it approves you at all. (Stripe also has definite prohibitions for businesses dealing with high-risk jurisdictions such as Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Crimea Region, and Syria.) If this is your business, look into PaymentCloud. It’s our top-recommended high-risk merchant account.
Although it does work with regular merchants, it specializes in high-risk businesses and products. It works with over 10 banks and walks you through the application process to get you approved. It customizes pricing depending on your situation, but user reviews say the terms are competitive. In addition, other merchant services will refer high-risk clients to PaymentCloud.
It offers the fastest payout of those on our list, saying it gets funds into your account in seconds rather than days. Stripe has same-day deposits—but at an additional fee. PaymentCloud will handle integration into your CRM, accounting software, POS solutions, and more. Stripe leaves this process to your team. Unlike others on our list, PaymentCloud also offers a wide range of POS systems and hardware, from Ingenico to Clover. Stripe’s offerings are far more limited.
Helcim: Best for Growing Storefronts
Helcim
What We Like
- No monthly fee
- Free POS and virtual terminal
- Excellent 24/7 customer support
- International payment processing
What's Missing
- No high-risk merchants
- Not good for processing <$5,000 monthly
- Limited integrations
Helcim Pricing
- Monthly fee: $0
- Card-present transaction fee: Interchange plus 0.1% + 5¢ – 0.3% + 8¢
- Card-not-present transaction fee: Interchange plus 0.2% + 10¢ – 0.5% + 25¢
- Chargeback fee: $15, but Helcim refunds the charge for disputes settled in your favor
- 2-business day deposit time
- Automatic volume discounts
Helcim is one of several on our list with interchange-plus pricing but has one advantage: no monthly fees. Plus, it automatically scales the rates to your level of sales, so you don’t need to change plans or apply for discounts. Compared to Stripe’s flat rates, it’s a much cheaper solution for businesses doing high-volume sales, especially if they expect to scale up.
It processes credit cards and ACH payments and has recurring billing (Stripe charges 0.5% for recurring billing). It also has a native point-of-sale app for countertop or mobile—something Stripe lacks—and native tools for taking food orders, managing inventory, and managing customer.
Like Stripe, it has a built-in checkout portal, although Stripe offers more templates and customizations. Helcim lets you embed payments into your website or app and process payments without handling the sensitive information associated with payments. Overall, these native features and very affordable interchange-plus pricing make Helcim a great fit for busy storefronts. In fact, Helcim is our top pick for retail credit card processing companies.
Payanywhere: Best for Small, Mobile Restaurants and Retailers
Payanywhere
What We Like
- Free chip card reader
- Good for low-ticket sales
- Free POS with employee scheduling
- Next-day funding
What's Missing
- Has complaints of hidden fees
- Has an inactivity fee
- Does not process international credit cards
Payanywhere Pricing
- Card-present processing fee: 2.69%
- Keyed-in processing fee: starting at 3.49% + 19¢ per transaction
- POS software: $0
- Inactivity fee: $3.99/month after 12 months of inactivity
- Card readers: From $29.95 (first is free)
- Terminals: From $9.95 per month
For businesses that do primarily in-person sales, Payanywhere is a great app. Its rates are competitive, especially since it is a simple percentage. This makes it especially cost-effective when doing low-ticket sales such as coffee, souvenirs, and snacks. (Online, however, Stripe has much better transaction fees.)
Payanywhere has a free POS that works for small restaurants and food trucks and integrates with delivery systems. Like Stripe, you can get recurring billing. In addition, it offers employee management tools through Homebase, including time clocks, scheduling, and hiring—and Stripe does not offer these. Payanywhere also offers next-day payout or same-day for an additional 1%.
You’ll find Payanywhere with Stripe on our list of PayPal alternatives. It’s also on our list of best credit card payment apps.
Stripe is better in that it does not have an inactivity fee; Payanywhere charges $3.99 per month after 12 months without processing transactions. Payanywhere also does not process international credit cards, making it better for domestic sales.
Payment Depot: Best for Cheapest Processing Rates
Payment Depot
What We Like
- 90-day money-back guarantee
- Integrations
- Free mobile app
- Free gateway and virtual terminal
What's Missing
- Monthly fee
- Best only for processing over $10,000 monthly
- US merchants only
Payment Depot Pricing
- Monthly fee: $79–$199
- Terminal fee: $0
- Transaction fee: 15¢ (Starter), 10¢ (Most Popular), 7¢ (Enterprise)
- Chargeback fee: $15
- No setup fees, cancellation fees, or long-term contracts
- Free virtual terminal and payment gateway
- Most plans include free hardware
- $19.99 fee for businesses that fail to be PCI compliant
Payment Depot offers interchange-plus pricing, with no distinction between online and in-person transactions. It’s better suited for smaller businesses than Stax because its monthly prices are cheaper while still giving great rates. For this reason, Payment Depot tops our list of the cheapest credit card processing companies.
Of course, the pricing is much cheaper than Stripe’s, even considering the monthly fees. It has fewer complaints than Stripe when it comes to held funds or canceled accounts, as well.
Like Stripe, Payment Depot has a third-party mobile POS, plus a choice of free third-party virtual terminals. It offers business funding to its members that qualify and has a very high user satisfaction rate and strong third-party integrations.
Payment Depot falls short of Stripe in that it is only for U.S. merchants. You also need to apply and be approved, whereas Stripe lets you sign up and go. It also lacks billing and invoicing, except through other payment gateways (Stripe has these tools).
iATS: Best for Nonprofits and Donations
iATS
What We Like
- No ACH fees
- Works with donation-specific software
- No chargeback fees
- Works with 14,000+ nonprofits
What's Missing
- Contract may be needed
- Does not list pricing
- 2+ day disbursement
iATS Pricing
- Pricing is not on its website
- Reports say 2.49% to 3.2%
- Monthly fee
- May have an annual contract
iATS and Stripe are both on our lists as best for:
You can use Stripe for nonprofits, but iATS is built especially for these unique businesses. It does not list pricing online, but we’ve seen flat rates listed anywhere from 2.49% to 3.2%, making it competitive to Stripe. Over 14,000 nonprofits work with iATS, and one of its specialties is working with customer relationship management software. For example, its Brickwork processing app for Salesforce makes it easy to accept donations, track donor information, and manage donors from the Salesforce app.
Like Stripe, this payment processor relies heavily on integrations. iATS does not have its own POS system, but it lets you create online forms for your website. However, it can also create a stand-alone solution, which includes hosted pages and forms, to which you can add a shopping cart using its Aura program. Stripe will embed into websites but not build one for you. iATS easily integrates into donation-specific software.
iATS takes longer to process payouts than Stripe. It may require a contract and works only with certified nonprofit organizations, where Stripe can be used for charity or for-profit businesses.
Authorize.net: Best Payment Gateway
Authorize.net
What We Like
- Reliable
- Highly popular
- Easy to integrate and use
- Discounts for nonprofits
What's Missing
- Monthly fee
- No POS hardware
Authorize.net Pricing
- Monthly fee: $25
- Card-present processing fee: 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction or 10¢ per transaction and 10¢ batch fee
- ACH/e-check processing fee: 0.75% per transaction
- Chargeback fee: $0
- POS system: $0
- Virtual Terminal: $0
- Card readers: $65
- Terminals: 3rd party
Authorize.net is a well-known payment gateway that integrates easily into other payment solutions. While it charges a monthly fee, it is reliable and does not charge chargeback fees. You can use it as a payment gateway alone (choosing your own merchant account) or as a payment processor. This flexibility earned Authorize.net the top spot in our evaluation of the best payment gateways.
It can handle high-risk businesses through its partners and even has partnerships for other business solutions for shipping, compliances, fraud prevention, and more. While it does not integrate as extensively as Stripe, it does have partnerships with developers who can design integrations for you.
Stripe reaches more countries, accepts a greater variety of payments, and integrates with more systems, whereas Authorize.net offers more of a plug-and-play solution.
Chase Merchant Services: Best Traditional Merchant Account
Chase Merchant Services
What We Like
- Negotiable rates in some cases
- Reputable bank with global reach
- Same-day funding to Chase business checking account
What's Missing
- Requires a Chase business account
- Has account stability issues
- May require a contract
Chase Merchant Services Pricing
- Monthly fee: $15 (for checking account)
- Card-present processing fee: 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction
- Keyed-in processing fee: 3.5% + 10¢ per transaction
- Rapid Pay fee: $0
- Chargeback fee: starting at $5
- POS system: $0
- Virtual Terminal: $0
- Card readers: $49.95
Chase is one of the biggest names in the banking industry and is a direct processor of credit card transactions. Thus, if you don’t need a lot of specialized integrations but are more interested in straight processing online and in person, then it may be able to supply your needs and offer a quicker payout, especially if you have a Chase Business checking account.
Chase offers a mobile POS, mobile app, and an online store, plus billing and invoicing. Like Stripe, Chase processes international payments, but it beats Stripe in its other business offerings—like checking and savings, loans, and credit cards. This makes it a good choice for businesses just starting out that need more than payment processing. It is on our list of the best checking accounts for small businesses.
Bottom Line
If you have specialized payment processing needs or a wide range of online payment venues, then Stripe may be your best choice. It’s extremely popular among developers for its extensive toolset and ease of use … for programmers. Those who are not tech-savvy or do more sales in person may fare better with a simpler payment processor. Additionally, those doing high-volume online sales may save more money with a payment processor that does interchange-plus processing.
All told, Square is the best Stripe alternative. It offers rates comparable to Stripe but has a powerful free POS system, online store, virtual terminal, and other tools that make it a better choice. Plus, it’s easy to use and highly rated by real-world users. Sign up for a free account and get started today.
