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E-Commerce · head to head

Authorize.net vs Swell Commerce

Authorize.net logo

Authorize.net

E-Commerce

We help make it easy to get paid

From
$25/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Swell Commerce logo

Swell Commerce

E-Commerce

Headless ecommerce for modern brands

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Authorize.net all-in-One plan charges 2.9% + 30¢ per card transaction, higher than Gateway-only rate of 10¢ + batch fee; Swell Commerce each plan carries an annual revenue ceiling, and exceeding it is charged as a percentage of the excess: 2 percent on Starter down to 0.4 percent on Unlimited
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Authorize.net and Swell Commerce actually diverge.

Attributes where Authorize.net and Swell Commerce differ
AttributeAuthorize.netSwell Commerce
Starting price$25/month$29/month
FoundedUnknown2019

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce).

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 Authorize.net

Nothing recorded that Swell Commerce does not also cover.

Only in Swell Commerce

  • Headless architecture
  • GraphQL & REST APIs
  • Subscription commerce
  • Multi-currency support
  • Inventory management
  • Custom checkout
  • Webhook integrations
  • Developer-friendly SDK

What people use each for

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

Authorize.net

  • E-commerce payment processingnot Swell Commerce
  • Recurring billing and subscription managementnot Swell Commerce
  • Multi-channel payment acceptancenot Swell Commerce

Swell Commerce

  • Running a headless commerce backend with APIs for a custom storefrontnot Authorize.net
  • Selling subscription products alongside one off purchasesnot Authorize.net
  • Operating multi currency stores from one commerce backendnot Authorize.net

Where each one falls short

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

Authorize.net

  • All-in-One plan charges 2.9% + 30¢ per card transaction, higher than Gateway-only rate of 10¢ + batch fee
  • Gateway + eCheck plan limited to U.S.-based businesses only
  • eCheck processing includes $10 minimum monthly fee on Gateway + eCheck plan
  • Chargeback fees apply: $0 for standard processing but $25 for eCheck chargebacks

Swell Commerce

  • Each plan carries an annual revenue ceiling, and exceeding it is charged as a percentage of the excess: 2 percent on Starter down to 0.4 percent on Unlimited
  • Starter at $29 a month allows 2 admin users and includes only 100,000 API requests and 1GB of storage per month
  • Additional API requests cost $5 per 100,000 and extra storage $5 per GB
  • Role based permissions and developer support are restricted to the Unlimited plan at $2,250 a month
  • Advanced reports and priced currencies require the Standard plan or higher
  • Published prices are the billed yearly rates, so monthly billing costs more

Pricing, plan by plan

Authorize.net

$25/month
  • All-in-One$25/month
    • Merchant account and payment gateway
    • Transaction rate 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction
    • Multiple payment types (cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay)
  • Gateway Only$25/month
    • Payment gateway only
    • For existing merchant account holders
    • Transaction rate 10¢ per transaction + 10¢ daily batch fee
  • Gateway + eCheck$25/month
    • Payment gateway with eCheck support
    • eCheck rate 0.75% per transaction
    • Credit card rate 10¢ per transaction + 10¢ daily batch fee

Swell Commerce

$29/month
  • Starter$29/month
    • Up to $50K annual revenue
    • Basic reports
    • Up to 5 admin users
  • Basic$79/month
    • Up to $250K annual revenue
    • Most popular plan
    • Basic reports
  • Standard$299/month
    • Up to $1M annual revenue
    • Advanced reports
    • Up to 15 admin users
  • Unlimited$2250/month
    • Up to $5M annual revenue
    • Unlimited scalability and granular control
    • Unlimited admin users

Which should you pick?

Choose Authorize.net if

Nothing in the data separates Authorize.net from Swell Commerce on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Authorize.net review

Choose Swell Commerce if

  • You need headless architecture.
  • You also want graphql & rest apis.
Swell Commerce review

Questions people ask

Is Authorize.net or Swell Commerce better?
Neither clearly leads. Authorize.net starts at $25/month and Swell Commerce at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Authorize.net or Swell Commerce?
Authorize.net starts at $25/month and Swell Commerce at $29/month.
Does Authorize.net or Swell Commerce run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Authorize.net best used for?
Authorize.net is most often used for e-commerce payment processing, recurring billing and subscription management, multi-channel payment acceptance. Of those, e-commerce payment processing and recurring billing and subscription management are not what Swell Commerce is typically brought in for.
What can Authorize.net do that Swell Commerce cannot?
Swell Commerce covers Headless architecture, GraphQL & REST APIs, Subscription commerce, Multi-currency support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Authorize.net: How much does Authorize.net cost?

Authorize.net charges a $25/month gateway fee across all plans. Transaction rates vary: All-in-One plan charges 2.9% + 30¢ per card transaction, Gateway-only plan charges 10¢ per transaction + 10¢ daily batch fee, and Gateway + eCheck charges 0.75% for eCheck or 10¢ + 10¢ batch for credit cards.

Source
Swell Commerce: How much does Swell Commerce cost?

Swell offers four tiers starting at $29 per month for Starter and going up to $2,250 per month for Unlimited. Annual billing provides a 25% discount compared to monthly billing. All prices are in USD.

Source
Authorize.net: Are there any setup or termination fees?

No setup fee or early termination fee applies to any Authorize.net plan. You can cancel your account without penalty once service usage stops.

Source
Swell Commerce: What are Swell's revenue tier overages?

Each plan includes a revenue ceiling based on 12-month trailing sales. Starter allows up to $50K with 2% overage, Basic allows $250K with 1.5% overage, Standard allows $1M with 1% overage, and Unlimited allows $5M with 0.4% overage. Custom plans are available for merchants exceeding $10M annually.

Source
Authorize.net: What are the additional fees beyond the monthly gateway charge?

Beyond the $25/month fee, additional charges include Account Updater service at $0.25 per update, standard chargeback fees at $0 (but $25 for eCheck chargebacks), and returned item fee of $3 for eCheck payments. eCheck processing includes a $10 minimum monthly fee.

Source
Authorize.net: What payment types does Authorize.net accept?

Authorize.net accepts credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and eCheck payments (Gateway + eCheck plan and higher). All plans include automated recurring billing, customer information manager, digital invoicing, and advanced fraud detection.

Source
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