9+ Best Alternatives to Stripe in 2023

Stripe is a serious contender in the credit card payment processing business. In addition to being one of the best payment gateways for e-commerce, its client list also includes giant companies in all sorts of industries. However, the customized solutions it offers require a bit more knowledge in development. Something that many small businesses can't do. So, if you are looking for alternatives to Stripe, you have come to the right place. Below are some of the best alternatives and how they work. Let's get started!

Reminder: what is Stripe?

Stripe is best known as a payment platform, but it does much more than that now. In other words, a tool that allows Internet businesses of all sizes and product types to accept and manage online payments. Let's take a look at the pros and cons of this online payment solution. 

Advantages:
 

Stripe's main selling points include:

  • Customization

Stripe's API is a big part of why it's so prevalent. If you're comfortable writing code or have someone in-house who does, you'll have a great playground with excellent documentation. There are tons of store pages, configurations, and predefined integrations to choose from.

  • Global reach

One of the main advantages of e-commerce is the ability to sell anywhere in the world. In practice, there are many complications to doing business outside your borders. Stripe makes it much easier by supporting over 135 currencies in 47 countries. Plus, it helps you get familiar with local policies, such as VAT and sales taxes.

  • Competitive prices

It's not the cheapest service, but Stripe's flat rates are predictable and transparent, and you get what you pay for. 

  • Billing and subscription management

Stripe supports recurring payments, making it easy to offer services or products on a subscription basis.

  • No monthly fee for basic services

Stripe's transaction fees allow businesses to pay as they go. If you don't actively use Stripe, it doesn't cost you anything.

Disadvantages 

Here are some reasons why Stripe may not be the preferred payment method for businesses or e-merchants:

  • Account stability issues

Stripe users are more prone to account freezes and blocks than those who use a traditional merchant account. Plus, resolving these issues when they occur can also be difficult.

  • Scalability

Stripe's a la carte approach can be ideal for new businesses. But the costs can add up quickly, at least until you're big enough to negotiate your own deal with Stripe.

  • Limited support for in-person transactions

Stripe Terminal has come a long way. However, it's primarily a tool for e-commerce-focused businesses that occasionally make in-person sales.

  • Developer-Centric

Stripe's developer-friendly approach is ideal for businesses with the resources to implement it. But non-programmers who want to use Stripe will typically need to integrate it with e-commerce sites like Shopify.

  • No stand-alone payment gateway

The Stripe Payment Gateway can only be used with Stripe's payment processing services. You cannot combine it with your own merchant account.

List of the best alternatives to Stripe

Do you have concerns about Stripe? Are you an existing customer who is curious about other payment methods? You may want to consider these alternatives for Stripe:

  1. PayPal/Braintree
  2. Square
  3. Adyen
  4. Helcim
  5. 2Checkout
  6. Host Merchant Services
  7. Amazon Pay
  8. Payline Data
  9. Authorize.Net

Alternative to Stripe Payment: PayPal/Braintree

Braintree is a PayPal-owned company, although it operates separately in many ways. So you can combine these two payment services, as they share much of the same architecture for online payments. You can also i

Advantages:

  • Predictable flat rate pricing
  • Excellent development tools
  • Excellent integrations
  • Full support for international payments

Disadvantages

  • Not suitable for high risk accounts
  • Account instability problems (PayPal)
  • Long setup times (Braintree)
  • It can be more expensive than competitors

Braintree features 

  • Credit and debit card processing
  • ACH Payment Processing
  • Currency conversion
  • PCI Compliance
  • Recurring billing and subscriptions
  • Native e-commerce integrations
  • Predefined online verification forms
  • Financing
  • Support for crypto-currencies
  • Support for foreign payment methods

Alternative to Stripe Payment: PayPal/Braintree VS Stripe

Braintree looks like Stripe at first glance, right down to its developer-centric approach to payment processing. Not to mention the support for foreign markets. The biggest difference between the two is that Braintree offers merchant accounts, while Stripe is a third-party processor.

PayPal offers a suite of developer tools for businesses interested in a custom setup. In addition to providing access to Checkout with contextual commerce tools, PayPal offers billing, bulk payments and marketplace tools.

However, despite being Braintree's parent company, it appears that PayPal and its infrastructure have not fully kept pace. For starters, PayPal's marketplace tools are relatively new. They are also only available after going through an application and verification process. And while developer tools exist, most conversations say they don't reach the quality of Stripe.

Square

Square is one of the best alternatives to Stripe. It is ideal for small businesses that need a combination of in-person support and e-commerce. Square started as a mobile point-of-sale app. But today, it has grown into a full-featured commerce ecosystem with support for remote sales.

Advantages:

  • Predictable flat rate pricing
  • Large feature set
  • Affordable smart card readers

Disadvantages

  • Account stability issues
  • Limited international scope

Square's features

  • Credit and debit card processing
  • Billing
  • ACH Payment Processing
  • Location management software
  • Inventory management software
  • Free online store
  • Order and delivery to the restaurant
  • Buy now, pay later
  • Banking type services
  • Financing

Alternative methods for Stripe: Square VS Stripe

Square offers online transactions at a similar price to Stripe and is much easier to set up for the average person. This comes at the expense of scope, international support, and some e-commerce-focused features. That said, Square's documentation and APIs allow you to create a system that can easily support the following: 

  • Online and in-person sales, 
  • Reports, 
  • Inventory, etc.

And that's with Square's already robust tools. The APIs are not limited to payments, but also include inventory and catalog management. Not to mention employee and customer database management. This adds tremendous value because you don't have to pay for third-party add-ons to manage inventory and other tasks.

Square does not match Stripe in terms of the number of integrations available. However, it does offer many options covering a wide range of merchant needs. For example, from e-commerce and accounting integrations to healthcare management, recurring billing, marketing and more.

Adyen

Adyen is a better alternative to Stripe Payment and is ideal for large companies. Despite its relatively small customer base, Adyen processes massive amounts of payments. That's because Adyen has built its business by chasing the big fish. 

For example, Adyen's first major customer was Groupon. It currently handles payments for the artisan marketplace Etsy and has even hijacked eBay from PayPal. However, now that Adyen has established itself, the company is starting to court small businesses.

Advantages:

  • Ideal for international traders
  • No installation or application fees
  • No monthly fees

Disadvantages

  • Minimum monthly requirement
  • Mixed reviews from customers

Adyen features

  • Credit and debit card processing
  • Omnichannel payments
  • International treatment
  • Dynamic reports

Alternatives to Stripe: Adyen VS Stripe

You'll find that Adyen comes closest to Stripe in its global reach and support for localized payment methods in Europe. Especially in the Asia-Pacific region, North and South America. Adyen even supports PayPal transactions, which is rarely the case with non-PayPal companies.

There is a decent list of supported partners and integrations. However, you'll find, not surprisingly, that many of them are enterprise-friendly.

Helcim

Helcim is one of the ideal payment solutions for businesses that need a scalable processor. Companies like Stripe, Square and PayPal offer a very convenient platform that many high-volume processors struggle to match. 

However, many processors are leaving low-volume merchants to the big brands. That's why Helcim Merchant Services is fighting them on their own turf while offering significant savings to its largest customers.

Advantages:

  • Evolving fee structure
  • No long-term contracts or monthly fees
  • Processing costs decrease as the company grows
  • Accepts international payments

Disadvantages

  • Not suitable for high risk industries

Helcim features

  • Credit and debit card processing
  • International payments
  • Billing
  • Product/Service Catalog
  • Inventory management
  • Automatic tax deductions
  • Online store
  • Hosted payment page
  • Online food ordering

Alternative to Stripe Payment: Helcim VS Stripe

Helcim's feature set may not look as polished as Stripe's, but it's certainly competitive with it. In fact, you'll get full international support, an online store, and solid development tools. 

If you make offline sales, you can use Helcim's point of sale features. These can be run on a computer or mobile device. In addition, Helcim avoids Stripe's scaling problem by offering interchange-plus pricing from the start.

Alternatives to Stripe: 2Checkout

2Checkout is ideal for international sales with minimal coding. Businesses looking for global reach will want to consider 2Checkout, a third-party payment processor focused on e-commerce. In fact, 2Checkout only processes card-not-present transactions, so physical businesses will probably want to look elsewhere.

Advantages:

  • Predictable flat rate pricing
  • Monthly billing
  • Strong support for international sales

Disadvantages

  • No support for transactions in the presence of the card
  • Account stability issues

Payment features

  • Credit and debit card processing
  • International payments
  • Billing
  • Product/Service Catalog
  • Inventory management
  • Automatic tax deductions
  • Online store
  • Hosted payment page
  • Online food ordering

Alternative to Stripe Payment: 2Checkout VS Stripe

2Checkout offers incredibly robust support for CNP transactions and optimization of your e-commerce pages. Add to that A/B testing, global tax support, subscription management, conversion rate optimization and fraud protection. 

In addition, it is easier to set up than some other processor/gateway combinations, including Stripe. Because it processes high-risk payments (in the international sense), pricing starts at a relatively high flat rate of 3.5% +$0.35. High volume retailers may be able to negotiate a lower price. However, there is no contract or termination fee.

Host Merchant Services

If you are looking for a secure online payment system, Host Merchant Services is an excellent choice. Companies looking for a more stable alternative to Stripe may want to consider Host Merchant Services.

Advantages:

  • No long-term contracts
  • Transparent interchange-plus pricing
  • Some high risk companies accepted
  • Good customer support

Disadvantages 

  • Expensive for low volume merchants
  • Monthly fee

Host Merchant Services Features

  • Credit and debit card processing
  • Mobile treatment
  • Basket integration
  • Web hosting
  • Cash advances to merchants

Alternatives to Stripe: Host Merchant Services VS Stripe

Host Merchant Services provides full merchant accounts to its customers. This means you won't have to worry as much about freezes and holds. This service costs $14.99 per month, but businesses that process more than $10,000 should be able to offset this cost with the savings on transactions. 

In addition, Host Merchant Services offers excellent support for physical businesses, including restaurants. And finally, Host Merchant Services is willing to work with high-risk businesses that Stripe won't touch. Just be aware that you'll be dealing with less favorable terms than the competition.

Alternative methods for Stripe: Amazon Pay

Amazon Pay is ideal for low-volume businesses that use Amazon's infrastructure. Sellers will find Amazon Pay to be an extremely convenient way to manage online transactions. Nevertheless, Amazon Pay still has a lot to offer merchants outside of the Amazon ecosystem.

Advantages:

  • No long-term contracts
  • No monthly account fees
  • Predictable flat rate pricing
  • Easy to integrate

Disadvantages

  • Expensive for high volume merchants
  • Poor customer service
  • Account stability issues

Amazon Pay Features

  • Credit and debit card processing
  • Online payment
  • Support for recurring billing
  • Button widgets
  • Amazon Seller Central

Alternatives to Stripe: Amazon Pay VS Stripe

Amazon Pay is easy to set up and integrate into your website. Of note is Amazon Pay's above-average fraud protection, which won't cost you anything extra. In addition, Amazon Pay's pricing is similar to Stripe's. 

Like Stripe, it uses a flat fee system that starts at 2.9% +$0.30 for domestic transactions. The service has no monthly or annual fees. This is handy if your business is largely seasonal. Keep in mind that this is not the cheapest option, especially for high volume businesses.

Payline Data

Payline Data is an ideal payment service for CBD merchants. That's because it offers merchant accounts to both high and low risk businesses, all without charging excessive fees.

Advantages:

  • Transparent interchange-plus pricing
  • Monthly billing
  • ACH treatment available
  • Accepts certain high-risk industries

Disadvantages

  • Monthly fee
  • Monthly minimums

The characteristics of the payment line data

  • Credit and debit card processing
  • High risk accounts
  • Choice of payment gateways
  • POS and mobile support
  • Basket integration
  • ACH Treatment
  • QuickBooks Integration

Alternatives to Stripe: Payline Data VS Stripe

Payline Data can accommodate a wider variety of businesses than Stripe, including high-risk businesses. Payline's omnichannel sales support is also suitable for businesses with healthy offline sales volumes. However, its support for international payments is not as robust as Stripe's. Thus, you can improve your reach by choosing a payment gateway such as Authorize.Net.

Authorize.Net

Authorize.Net is a better alternative to Stripe Payment. Unlike the other entries on this list, Authorize.Net is not a payment processor, but rather a payment gateway. As a standalone payment gateway, Authorize.Net can be combined with various merchant services to extend its functionality to e-commerce and international payments. Keep in mind that you will always need a payment processor in addition to Authorize.Net.

Advantages:

  • Multiple currency support
  • Excellent security features
  • Predictable flat rate pricing
  • Excellent customer service

Disadvantages

  • All-in-one option may confuse some customers
  • Tends to be cheaper when combined with a payment processor

Authorize.Net Features

  • Credit and debit card processing (with merchant account)
  • Stand-alone payment gateway
  • Simple payment
  • Regular payment
  • Customer information management
  • Synchronization with QuickBooks
  • ACH and echeck processing
  • Account updater

Alternatives to Stripe: Authorize.Net VS Stripe

Authorize.Net can grant businesses satisfied with their merchant account some of the platform features associated with Stripe. Especially in international sales and online security.

Unlike Stripe, Authorize.Net is not a standalone payment processor. As such, merchants who wish to use Authorize.Net can obtain it through their payment processor. Rather than as a standalone option, as it is generally much more cost effective this way.

Conclusion 

Have you gone through our detailed list of alternative payment options to Stripe? If so, we hope you will find the best alternative to Stripe Payment. So make the right choice taking into account the different characteristics of your business. 

On the other hand, if you have a business in the e-commerce sector, we offer you the best product research tool. It is an all-in-one tool that allows you to find the best selling products in the market and the best marketing strategy to adopt. Moreover, you can stay ahead of your competitors by analyzing all their strategies. 

Do you want to join the thousands of people using this tool to grow their business? If so, you can start a free trial right now to see for yourself the potential of Minea

Frequently asked questions

Is there a better payment method than Stripe?

Adyen is potentially a cheaper alternative to Stripe, as there are no fixed pricing plans. Instead, you pay per transaction. Like others on this list, it's a gateway that allows for both in-store and online card payments. Adyen also facilitates mobile payments with a full range of anti-fraud features.

Is there a free version of Stripe?

Stripe is free to set up and the company does not charge monthly or annual fees for its services. Instead, all Stripe fees are per transaction with transparent pricing. 

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