PayPal vs Stripe vs Square vs Authorize.net: which should you pick?
A side-by-side look at price, features, quality and value across the leading payment platforms options — so you can choose the right one in minutes.
Visit paypal.comConsumer-trusted
Lowest entry price among the options compared here.
Higher fees
- Consumer-trusted
- 200+ markets
- Universal cart support
- Higher fees
- UX dated for devs
PayPal is a payment platforms option built for smb + enterprise. Shoppers pick it for consumer-trusted, but it's worth comparing against Stripe, Square, Authorize.net if higher fees.
Consumer-trusted.
Best when you need devs + saas.
Best when you need in-person retail.
Best when you need legacy gateways.
PayPal is positioned for universal merchants. If your team or volume is materially larger or smaller, one of Stripe / Square / Authorize.net may be cheaper or more capable.
None of these have a true free tier. Ask for a trial or month-to-month billing first, and verify the must-have feature in your own workflow before annual commitment.
Look past the headline price: add seats, add-ons, integration fees and transaction fees. The cheapest option rarely stays cheapest at scale.
Known trade-off with PayPal: Higher fees. Confirm it isn't a deal-breaker for your specific use case before signing.
- Higher feesConfirm this isn't a deal-breaker for your team before signing — it's the most common reason shoppers switch from PayPal to Stripe.
- UX dated for devsConfirm this isn't a deal-breaker for your team before signing — it's the most common reason shoppers switch from PayPal to Stripe.
For universal merchants, yes — Consumer-trusted. For very different use cases, compare against Stripe, Square, Authorize.net.
PayPal pricing: 2.99% + $0.49 online. Always confirm current pricing on the provider's site.
Higher fees. Most teams work around it, but verify it isn't a deal-breaker for you first.
Pick PayPal if you want consumer-trusted. Pick Stripe if you need a broader / cheaper / more established alternative — see the comparison table above for the side-by-side.