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Software · head to head

Adyen vs Plaid

Adyen logo

Adyen

Software

The payments platform built for growth

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Plaid logo

Plaid

Software

The safer way to connect financial accounts

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Adyen there is a minimum monthly invoice, set by industry and business model and only disclosed through the sales team, so small volumes are not economic; Plaid no dollar amount is published for any product, and the pricing page states no per request rate or minimum commitment
  • They diverge on capability: Adyen covers Payment processing, Plaid covers Bank account linking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adyen and Plaid actually diverge.

Attributes where Adyen and Plaid differ
AttributeAdyenPlaid
PlatformsWeb, Api, PosApi, Web, Ios, Android
Founded20062013

Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Adyen

  • Payment processing
  • Risk management
  • Unified commerce
  • Issuing
  • Platform payments
  • SAP
  • Salesforce
  • Oracle

Only in Plaid

  • Bank account linking
  • Transaction data
  • Identity verification
  • Income verification
  • Asset reports
  • Venmo
  • Robinhood
  • Coinbase

Both cover

  • SOC 2
  • Web support
  • Api support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Adyen

  • Card acquiring with interchange plus pricing for larger merchantsnot Plaid
  • Accepting local payment methods across multiple countriesnot Plaid
  • Settling in several currencies through linked bank accountsnot Plaid
  • Unified online and in-person paymentsnot Plaid

Plaid

  • Connecting bank accounts to an application for balances and transactionsnot Adyen
  • Verifying account ownership and income for payments or lendingnot Adyen

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Adyen

  • There is a minimum monthly invoice, set by industry and business model and only disclosed through the sales team, so small volumes are not economic
  • Published fees are indicative rather than a rate card, with real pricing negotiated
  • Interchange++ means the card cost varies per transaction rather than being a single predictable percentage
  • Alternative payment methods carry their own rates on top, such as 3.3 percent plus $0.10 for American Express in North America

Plaid

  • No dollar amount is published for any product, and the pricing page states no per request rate or minimum commitment
  • Three different billing models apply depending on the product, being one time per connected account, monthly per connected account, and per successful API call
  • That mix means total cost depends on which products are combined rather than on a single unit
  • Discounted rates require the Growth plan, which is a 12 month commitment

Pricing, plan by plan

Adyen

$29/month
  • CustomFree
    • Payment processing
    • Risk management
    • Unified commerce

Plaid

$29/month
  • Pay-as-you-goFree
    • Bank connections
    • Transaction data
    • Account verification

Which should you pick?

Choose Adyen if

  • You need payment processing.
  • You work on Web, Api, Pos.
  • You also want risk management.
Adyen review

Choose Plaid if

  • You need bank account linking.
  • You work on Api, Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want transaction data.
Plaid review

Questions people ask

Is Adyen or Plaid better?
Neither clearly leads. Adyen starts at $29/month and Plaid at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adyen or Plaid?
Adyen starts at $29/month and Plaid at $29/month.
Does Adyen or Plaid run on more platforms?
Adyen runs on Web, Api, Pos. Plaid runs on Api, Web, Ios, Android.
What is Adyen best used for?
Adyen is most often used for card acquiring with interchange plus pricing for larger merchants, accepting local payment methods across multiple countries, settling in several currencies through linked bank accounts, unified online and in-person payments. Of those, card acquiring with interchange plus pricing for larger merchants and accepting local payment methods across multiple countries are not what Plaid is typically brought in for.
What can Adyen do that Plaid cannot?
Adyen covers Payment processing, Risk management, Unified commerce, Issuing. Plaid covers Bank account linking, Transaction data, Identity verification, Income verification. Both handle SOC 2, Web support, Api support.
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