Stripe Alternatives: Top Payment Solutions for Your Business

Note that the information about the payment providers found in this article was taken from their respective websites on 27 December 2024. This information is subject to change.

Feeling overwhelmed by the cost and complexity of Stripe? While Stripe is a powerful payment processor, it’s not always the best fit for medium or small businesses. High fees and a feature-heavy setup can make it feel like overkill for simpler needs.

In this article, we review Stripe alternatives that deliver lower fees and cater to businesses prioritising specific payment methods. Let’s help you find a payment platform like Stripe that works for you – not the other way around.

What Does Stripe Offer?

Stripe is a well-known payment giant that offers a wide range of online payment tools, but its comprehensive feature set can feel overwhelming for businesses looking for simplicity. Stripe offers:

• Payment gateway: Stripe Checkout offers a ready-made gateway for easy integration via APIs or as a hosted page. Stripe Elements allows customised payment flows but requires more development.
• No-code payments: Payment links let businesses sell without a website by creating sharable payment pages.
• Payment methods: Supports 100+ methods like cards, open banking, and BNPL. 
• Terminals: Offers terminals, card readers, and mobile PoS for in-person payments.
• Embedded finance: Stripe Connect integrates with e-commerce platforms like Shopify, while Stripe Issuing lets businesses create branded payment cards.
• Automation: Includes tools for billing, tax management, invoicing, and revenue reporting for businesses with advanced needs.

Best Stripe Alternatives 2025

Noda

Noda is a smart e-commerce alternative to Stripe for merchants looking to reduce fees and eliminate chargebacks. Noda offers more than just an online card payment gateway like Stripe. We specialise in pay-by-bank payments, cutting out costly card network fees and chargebacks. Partnering with over 2,000 banks in 30 countries, Noda supports multiple currencies for global reach.

Our Open Banking API ensures seamless integration, and we offer plugins for top e-commerce platforms like OpenCart, WooCommerce, Magento, and PrestaShop. 

Beyond payments, Noda delivers a streamlined checkout experience with AI-powered routing to boost conversions. For businesses with limited tech resources, no-code payment links and QR codes make setup effortless.

Noda also includes advanced data tools, such as secure bank login and Know Your Whales insights, helping you predict customer behavior and make data-driven decisions. With transaction-based pricing, Noda simplifies payments and accelerates your business growth.

Square

Square is another major provider offering tools for both in-person and online payments, along with a suite of additional business services. It’s the closest Stripe competitor.

Best known for in-person payments, Square’s PoS App allows businesses to accept contactless, mobile, or chip and PIN payments. They also provide a virtual terminal for phone orders and custom solutions for industries like restaurants, retail, and kiosks.

For online payments, Square lets merchants set up a free online store, sell via social media, or integrate payments into their existing website. Similar to Stripe, developers can use Square’s pre-built Checkout APIs or customise with their Web Payment SDKs. Merchants can also send digital invoices, manage recurring payments, or use payment links sent via text or email.

Square supports a range of payment methods, including debit and credit cards, digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, and more. Beyond payments, Square offers tools like marketing programs, loyalty systems, team communications, loans, instant transfers, and an app marketplace.

While it’s a versatile platform, Square’s complexity – like Stripe’s – may be more suited to businesses with advanced or specialised needs. For merchants seeking simplicity, it could feel overwhelming.

Adyen

Adyen is yet another company like Stripe known for its in-store solutions and a full suite of online payment tools.

For online payments, Adyen offers flexible options for website, mobile or tablets. They offer an in-app payment gateway as well as payment links, which let customers pay through secure links. Merchants can also embed payments directly into their website or marketplace.

For in-person transactions, Adyen provides a PoS system that connects online and offline payments, offering cross-channel insights. They also offer extras like risk management, revenue optimisation, customer insights, business capital, branded card issuing, and Adyen Impact, which allows customers to support good causes.

Adyen operates in over 30 countries, including the US, UK, and Germany, and supports payouts in more than 15 currencies like USD, GBP, and EUR. It’s a powerful solution for businesses with complex, multi-channel payment needs.

Braintree (PayPal)

Braintree, a US-based payment processor like Stripe. Braintree has been part of PayPal since 2013, which makes it a trusted choice for mobile and web payments in e-commerce.

It combines payment gateway and merchant account services in one. Braintree Direct processes transactions on websites and mobile apps, with checkout options like drop-in or hosted UIs for quick setup. Payment methods vary by region and include PayPal, cards, and 10+ global options.

Operating in over 45 countries, including the US, Canada, and Europe, Braintree supports cross-border payments in 130+ currencies. It also provides tools like Payouts for automating outbound payments and Payment Orchestration for sharing data with third-party solutions.

Integration with shopping carts, e-commerce platforms, and analytics tools makes it flexible for different business models.

What Provider Suits Best for Your Business?

Choosing the right Stripe payment alternative depends on your goals and operational needs.

If you're an online merchant focused on keeping things simple, cutting costs, and reaching a global clientele, Noda is a perfect choice. Its open banking solutions eliminate card network fees and chargebacks, making it a cheaper alternative to Stripe for businesses looking to optimise expenses without sacrificing quality.

For more complex, multi-channel businesses, providers like Square offer services similar to Stripe, including robust tools, but their feature-heavy platforms can overwhelm smaller or mid-sized merchants.

Adyen shines when it comes to cross-channel insights, connecting online and offline payments seamlessly. On the other hand, Braintree is a great pick for e-commerce businesses that value PayPal compatibility and straightforward payment integration.

Ultimately, the best provider is the one that aligns with your business's needs and growth plans.