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Software · head to head

Banktivity vs PayPal

Banktivity logo

Banktivity

Software

Personal finance for Mac and iOS

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PayPal logo

PayPal

Software

The simpler, safer way to pay and get paid

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Banktivity runs on macOS, iPhone and iPad only, with no Windows, Android or web version; PayPal currency conversion on international purchases and sends carries a 4.00 percent fee, and 3.00 percent in other conversion scenarios
  • They diverge on capability: Banktivity covers Account tracking, PayPal covers Payment processing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Banktivity and PayPal actually diverge.

Attributes where Banktivity and PayPal differ
AttributeBanktivityPayPal
Starting priceOn request$29/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
PlatformsMac, IOSWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20071998

Identical on both: 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 Banktivity

  • Account tracking
  • Bill management
  • Investment tracking
  • Budget forecasting
  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • Mac support
  • IOS support

Only in PayPal

  • Payment processing
  • PayPal Checkout
  • Invoicing
  • Business debit card
  • Working capital loans
  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce
  • BigCommerce

What people use each for

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

Banktivity

  • Personal budgeting and money management on a Macnot PayPal
  • Investment and net worth trackingnot PayPal
  • Retirement planning projectionsnot PayPal
  • Connecting to over 14,000 financial institutionsnot PayPal

PayPal

  • Paying online merchants without sharing card detailsnot Banktivity
  • Sending money to friends and family domestically and internationallynot Banktivity
  • Holding balances in multiple currencies for cross border purchasesnot Banktivity

Where each one falls short

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

Banktivity

  • Runs on macOS, iPhone and iPad only, with no Windows, Android or web version
  • Pricing is not shown on the product page and sits behind a separate plans page

PayPal

  • Currency conversion on international purchases and sends carries a 4.00 percent fee, and 3.00 percent in other conversion scenarios
  • Instant transfer to a bank or debit card costs 1.75 percent of the amount, with a minimum of 0.25 USD and a maximum of 25.00 USD
  • International personal transactions carry a 5.00 percent fee regardless of payment method, with a minimum of 0.99 USD and a maximum of 4.99 USD
  • Sending domestic personal payments funded by a credit card costs 2.90 percent plus a fixed fee of 0.49 USD
  • Instant transfers are capped at 25,000.00 USD per transaction

Pricing, plan by plan

Banktivity

On request
  • Monthly$4.99/month
    • Full feature access
    • Cloud sync
  • Annual$39.99/month
    • All monthly features
    • Discounted rate

PayPal

$29/month
  • Standard$2.99/transaction
    • Card payments
    • PayPal checkout
    • Invoice payments

Which should you pick?

Choose Banktivity if

  • You need account tracking.
  • You work on Mac, IOS.
  • You also want bill management.
Banktivity review

Choose PayPal if

  • You need payment processing.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want paypal checkout.
PayPal review

Questions people ask

Is Banktivity or PayPal better?
Neither clearly leads. Banktivity starts at On request and PayPal at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Banktivity or PayPal?
Banktivity starts at On request and PayPal at $29/month.
Does Banktivity or PayPal run on more platforms?
Banktivity runs on Mac, IOS. PayPal runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
What is Banktivity best used for?
Banktivity is most often used for personal budgeting and money management on a mac, investment and net worth tracking, retirement planning projections, connecting to over 14,000 financial institutions. Of those, personal budgeting and money management on a mac and investment and net worth tracking are not what PayPal is typically brought in for.
What can Banktivity do that PayPal cannot?
Banktivity covers Account tracking, Bill management, Investment tracking, Budget forecasting. PayPal covers Payment processing, PayPal Checkout, Invoicing, Business debit card.
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