Best 10 Stripe Alternatives in 2026: Compare Fees, Features and Fit

Introduction

Braintree is the best overall pick among Stripe alternatives, especially for developer teams that want a close replacement. This list covers 10 payment platforms, from plain gateways to merchants of record, for different business sizes and regions.

Why people look for alternatives to Stripe

Stripe works well for many sellers, but some needs point elsewhere:

• Pricing model: some businesses prefer interchange-plus pricing over a flat rate, or want customizable rates at enterprise volume.
• Local payment methods: selling in the Netherlands, Belgium or India often means supporting iDEAL, Bancontact or UPI.
• Sales tax: some sellers want a merchant of record to handle global sales tax so they don't have to.
• In-person sales: retail and POS needs call for hardware and a store-ready ecosystem.
• Wallets: some sellers want a wallet their customers already use.

Quick comparison table

Merchant-of-record tools are marked (MoR). Braintree is owned by PayPal, and Lemon Squeezy is now owned by Stripe. Check each vendor's site for current fees.

1. PayPal

Best for: sellers who want a familiar checkout with a large consumer wallet base.

PayPal covers online checkout, invoicing and subscriptions. It is less developer-centric than Stripe, but its wallet base is larger. That is the draw: many buyers already have an account and trust the button.

2. Adyen

Best for: large global merchants.

Adyen brings online, in-store and mobile payments together, with acquiring built in. It uses interchange-plus pricing, unlike Stripe's flat-rate model. The standout is one platform across channels, which keeps reporting in one place for big retailers.

3. Square

Best for: small businesses with in-person retail.

Square pairs a point-of-sale ecosystem with online checkout and APIs. It beats Stripe for in-person sales, particularly for small shops. The till and the web store work together, and that integration is its main strength.

4. Braintree

Best for: developer teams wanting a close Stripe-style gateway.

Braintree supports cards, PayPal and Venmo, and offers developer SDKs. PayPal owns it. The standout is PayPal and Venmo alongside cards in one integration, which makes it the closest like-for-like swap here.

5. Authorize.Net

Best for: card-not-present and recurring billing merchants.

Authorize.Net is a long-established gateway with a lengthy track record. Where Stripe charges a flat rate, it charges a monthly gateway fee plus per-transaction fees. Recurring billing support is the highlight, handy for memberships and subscriptions.

6. Checkout.com

Best for: high-volume global merchants.

Checkout.com offers a single API and customizable pricing. It targets enterprise, so small sellers may find it a poor fit. The standout is negotiated pricing, which can matter once your volume gives you room to bargain.

7. Mollie

Best for: European merchants.

Mollie is a European provider with strong support for local methods such as iDEAL and Bancontact. Setup is simpler than with many rivals, and there are no monthly fees. Its range of European payment methods is the reason to pick it.

8. Paddle

Best for: SaaS companies selling globally.

Paddle is a merchant of record. It handles global sales tax, billing and compliance. Unlike with Stripe, Paddle is the legal seller, so that burden moves off your desk. Tax and compliance handled for you is the whole point.

9. Razorpay

Best for: businesses selling in India.

Razorpay is focused on India, with collections, payouts and banking tools. It supports local methods such as UPI, which matter for Indian buyers. The standout is UPI plus banking tools in one account.

10. Lemon Squeezy

Best for: indie developers and small software sellers.

Lemon Squeezy is a merchant of record with tax handling included for digital products and subscriptions. Stripe now owns it, which matters if you want to leave Stripe entirely. The standout is a simple, tax-inclusive setup.

How we picked these tools

We chose tools by use case, region, business size and pricing model. The list mixes gateways, enterprise processors, regional providers and merchants of record.

Picks come from published vendor information, not hands-on testing. No tool is sponsored, so check fees on vendor sites.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest Stripe alternative?

It depends on your volume and pricing model. Flat-rate pricing is predictable for smaller sellers, while interchange-plus can cost less at higher volume.

What is a merchant of record and who offers it here?

A merchant of record is the legal seller of your product, so it handles tax and compliance. Paddle and Lemon Squeezy offer it here.

Which alternative suits in-person sales?

Square is the strongest choice here for in-person sales, thanks to its POS ecosystem.

Which is best outside the US?

Mollie suits Europe and Razorpay suits India, both thanks to local payment methods.

Can I use more than one provider?

Yes. Many merchants run a backup provider or add a wallet like PayPal next to their main gateway.

The verdict

Braintree is the strongest overall pick for developer teams wanting a close Stripe replacement. Adyen fits enterprise scale, and Paddle suits SaaS companies that need tax handled.

For regional and retail needs, look at Mollie, Razorpay and Square.