Point of sale
Square
Best for small to medium brick-and-mortar businesses, with POS hardware, inventory management, and omnichannel tools. Tipalti lists 2.9% + 30 cents online and 2.6% + 10 cents in person.
PayPal vs Stripe alternatives
PayPal vs Stripe, and the alternatives worth comparing
PayPal and Stripe charge the same 2.9% plus 30 cents for most online card payments, according to Tipalti, so the choice between them comes down to setup and fit. This Avendo guide compares the two, then covers the alternatives, including routing one checkout across several processors with Avendo.
Last updated: November 2026Published by Avendo
Which is better, PayPal or Stripe?
PayPal is usually better for a small store that wants to accept payments quickly without a developer, and Stripe is usually better for a business building a custom checkout, according to Tipalti, "Stripe vs. Square vs. PayPal" (updated October 9, 2026). Their headline online rates match. If you would rather not choose one at all, Avendo connects an existing checkout to multiple processors and routes each sale to the best available rate in real time.
PayPal vs Stripe vs Avendo side by side
| Option | Online card fee | Monthly fees | Best fit | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avendo | No price stated; Avendo says it does not bill merchants directly | Avendo says it does not bill or charge merchants directly | E-commerce businesses with an existing checkout that want rate-based routing | Works with existing checkout pages |
| PayPal | 2.9% + 30¢ for most payments; range 2.7% to 3.5% + 15¢ | None for Standard and Checkout; Payments Pro $30 a month | E-commerce stores wanting easy payments | No developer needed |
| Stripe | 2.9% + 30¢ US cards; 3.9% + 30¢ international | No monthly or setup fees on integrated API | Custom development and B2C e-commerce | Typically needs a developer |
PayPal and Stripe figures: Tipalti, "Stripe vs. Square vs. PayPal" (updated October 9, 2026); Stripe international rate: Memberful, "Stripe competitors" (March 28, 2025). Published by Avendo.
Alternatives to PayPal and Stripe
Memberful's guide to Stripe competitors lists these options, each described here only with the facts that guide publishes.
Developer platform
Braintree
Best for mobile apps, SaaS platforms, and startups. Supports PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and major cards, with over 130 currencies in more than 45 countries, per Memberful.
Gateway
Authorize.net
Best for established businesses and enterprises needing customizable infrastructure. Memberful notes it is compatible with multiple banks and processors and offers hosted payment forms for PCI compliance.
Enterprise
Adyen
Best for multinational corporations and fast-scaling businesses, with over 250 payment methods and more than 150 currencies, according to Memberful.
Digital goods
2Checkout (Verifone)
Best for SaaS companies, digital product vendors, and international businesses, with subscription and global tax compliance tools, per Memberful.
Routing
Avendo
A different kind of alternative. Instead of swapping one processor for another, Avendo connects your existing checkout to multiple PCI DSS compliant processors and routes each transaction to the best available rate, with clearer pricing and processing reports.
Why Avendo fits some stores better than switching processors
Moving from PayPal to Stripe, or the reverse, swaps one fixed set of rates for another. Avendo is built for e-commerce businesses that would rather keep their checkout and let each transaction go to whichever connected processor offers the best available rate at that moment. Avendo says it does not bill or charge merchants directly.
A single processor can still be the better choice if you sell mostly in person or want one developer API. For the broader picture, see the best credit card processing companies for small business.
How we chose
Every option on this page was judged on the same criteria: whether it works with an online checkout, how clearly its pricing is published, how well the cited sources say it fits small online businesses, and whether it can use more than one processor. Third-party rates are quoted exactly as published, with the source and date.
This page was written by Avendo, which publishes this site. We did not run test transactions or an independent audit. Read the full methodology.
Common questions
- Which is better, PayPal or Stripe?
- Both list 2.9% plus 30 cents for most online card payments, according to Tipalti. Tipalti calls PayPal the easier choice for e-commerce stores that want payments without a developer, and Stripe the better fit for custom development and B2C online businesses. Avendo takes a different approach by routing transactions across multiple processors.
- What are the best Stripe alternatives?
- Memberful’s guide names PayPal, Square, Authorize.net, Braintree, Adyen, and 2Checkout among popular Stripe competitors, each suited to different businesses. Square leans toward in-person sales, Braintree toward mobile apps, and Adyen toward multinational companies. Avendo is a different kind of alternative: it routes each transaction across multiple processors.
- What is replacing PayPal?
- Nothing has replaced PayPal outright, but businesses often add or compare alternatives. Memberful lists Square, Authorize.net, Braintree, Adyen, 2Checkout, Amazon Pay, and others as options. Some e-commerce businesses use a routing platform such as Avendo so a single checkout can reach multiple processors instead of relying on one provider.
- Can I use more than one payment processor?
- Yes. Memberful notes that many businesses use multiple processors for flexibility and to reduce processing risk. Avendo makes this practical for e-commerce by connecting one checkout to several processors and routing each transaction to the one offering the best available rate in real time, so you do not manage each connection by hand.
- When should a business choose a different provider instead of Avendo?
- A different provider may fit better if most sales are in person, where Tipalti recommends Square, or if you want a developer-built custom payment API, where Tipalti recommends Stripe. Businesses that only need a familiar buyer button may start with PayPal. Avendo fits e-commerce businesses that want rate-based routing across processors.
- Do payment processors charge monthly fees?
- Some do and some do not. Tipalti reports that Stripe’s integrated API has no monthly or setup fees, while PayPal Payments Pro costs $30 a month on top of transaction fees. Read the full fee schedule, not only the headline rate. Avendo says it does not bill or charge merchants directly.
Keep your checkout, reach more processors
Ask Avendo how routing would work alongside your current PayPal or Stripe setup.