For many businesses, processing fees are quietly eating into their profits, starting small but adding up quickly—especially as they grow. If what looked like a simple, affordable solution at the start suddenly feels expensive, and you’re left wondering if there’s a better option, we’ve got you covered!
While Stripe is popular as a payment gateway, it is sometimes too expensive for smaller businesses. Many firms stick with it because it’s familiar, but as transaction volumes increase, so do the fees. That’s when it makes sense to step back and ask: Is this still working for us? In this guide, we’ll walk you through the top Stripe alternatives that can give you great bang for your buck while providing all essential services.
What is Stripe?
Stripe is a payment processing platform that helps businesses accept online payment through credit cards, debit cards, and various local and international transfers. Stripe is widely used for e-commerce, SaaS, and subscription-based services due to its easy integration and developer-friendly tools. Some of its top features include:
- Multiple Payment Methods: Supports credit/debit cards, wallets, bank transfers, and buy now, pay later options
- Global Reach: Accept payments in over 135 currencies
- Subscription Billing: Recurring billing with invoice automation
- Customisable Checkout: Hosted checkout pages and APIs
- Fraud Prevention: Built-in tools like Stripe Radar to detect and prevent fraudulent transactions
- Developer-Friendly API: Well-documented APIs for integration with websites and apps
- Reporting and Analytics: Real-time reporting tools to track payments, revenue, and customer data
- Third-Party Integrations: Works with platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Xero
6 Best Stripe Alternatives
While Stripe is a popular payment processing platform, some users report high transaction fees, slow payouts, sudden account freezes, and limited customer support. If you are looking for Stripe alternatives, here are six of the best ones to consider:
PayPal
PayPal is an online payment platform that is one of the most widely used digital payment systems globally, supporting millions of users and merchants.
Best Features
- Simplified Checkout: Once linked, you don’t need to enter payment details whenever you shop
- Buyer Protection: Eligible purchases are covered if an item doesn’t arrive or differs from what was promised
- Secure Payments: Send money to anyone using their email address or mobile number
- PayPal.me: Create a personalized link to request and receive payments easily
- Integration for Businesses: Tools for invoicing, subscriptions, and checkout that work with e-commerce platforms
Pricing
- $0.30 fixed fee for commercial transactions
Also Read: 9 Best Invoicing Software for Freelancers In 2025
Square
Square is a financial technology company that provides tools and services to help businesses accept payments, manage operations, and grow.
Best Features
- Point of Sale (POS): Accept payments in person with Square’s easy-to-use POS system
- Online Payments: Sell products or services online with built-in payment processing
- Invoices and Billing: Create professional invoices with simple payment tracking
- Payroll Services: Automate employee payments, tax filings, and benefits management
- Customer Directory: Store customer information to improve service and marketing
Pricing
- Free: $0 + processing fees
- Plus: $29/month + processing fees
- Premium: Custom pricing + processing fees
Relevant Read: 6 Best Billing And Invoicing Software
SwipeSum
Swipesum is a payment processing consulting firm that helps businesses find the best merchant services and credit card processing solutions.
Best Features
- Free Payment Consultation: Free consultation to review current merchant services
- Merchant Statement Audits: Reviews your existing processing statements to identify unnecessary fees
- Payments Optimization: Negotiate better rates and terms
- Custom Payment Solutions: Tailors services based on industry needs
- No Direct Fees: Their compensation comes through partnerships or cost-saving arrangements
Pricing
- Payment Processing Evaluation to Solution Implementation: Free
- Enterprise Merchant Services Consulting Services: $50/hour
- Merchant Statement Analysis: $75 per analysis
Authorize.net
Authorize.net is a payment gateway service provider that enables businesses to accept payments online, in person, and over the phone.
Best Features
- Online Payments: Accept payments online with support for credit cards, debit cards and digital wallets
- Virtual Terminal: Accept payments over the phone by manually entering card information
- eCheck Payments: Offer electronic check processing for recurring transactions
- Recurring Billing: Automated billing payments for services and memberships
- Customer Information Manager: Securely store customer payment details for repeat transactions
Pricing
- All-in-One Plan: $25, processing rates 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction
- Payment gateway and eCheck: $25, eCheck 0.75% and processing rates10¢ + daily batch fee 10¢
- Payment Gateway: $25 per month and processing rates 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction
Adyen
Adyen is a worldwide financial technology platform providing end-to-end payment solutions for all business sizes.
Best Features
- Various Payment: Web and mobile apps with support for international payment methods
- In-Person Payment: Provide an enhanced point-of-sale experience with terminals
- Unified Commerce: Connect online and offline payments in a single system
- Risk Management: Protect the revenue with real-time fraud detection
- Data Insights: Analyze global payment data for growth opportunities and improve operations
Pricing
Processing Fee: $0.13 per transaction. Pricing varies for high-volume merchants.
Also Read: How to Price Your Accounting Services
GoCardless
GoCardless is a payment platform that helps businesses collect payments directly from their customers' bank accounts. It offers both instant, one-off payments and automated recurring payments.
Best Features
- Automated, Recurring Payments: Collect recurring payments automatically on due dates
- No Card Fees: Process direct bank payments and avoid card transaction fees
- Failed Payment Recovery: Intelligently retries failed payments, recovering up to 70% of them
- International Payments: Collect payments from 30+ countries
- Easy Integration: Connect with over 350 systems, including Xero, QuickBooks, and CRMs
Pricing
Standard Plan:
- Domestic Fees: 0.5% + $0.05 per transaction
- International Fees: 1.5% + $0.05 per transaction
Advanced Plan
- Domestic Fees: 0.75% + $0.05 per transaction
- International Fees: 1.75% + $0.05 per transaction
Pro Plan
- Domestic Fees: 0.9% + $0.05 per transaction
- International Fees: 1.9% + $0.05 per transaction
Simplify Payments, Maximize Profits
Making changes to your tech stack can feel like a task you’d rather avoid. But sticking with higher fees and limited options can hold your business back. If your current system no longer meets your needs, now is the time to look at better Stripe alternatives.
Cone supports both Stripe and GoCardless to send proposals, contracts and automate billing, payments. Once set up, Cone keeps your payments organized, automatically updating invoice statuses and sending reminders when needed.
Try Cone for free now!