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E-Commerce · head to head

Mollie vs Swell Commerce

Mollie logo

Mollie

E-Commerce

European payment service provider with published per-transaction rates and no monthly fee on the online plan

From
£0.3/transaction
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: Mollie non-European cards cost 3.25% plus 20p against 1.20% plus 20p for UK domestic consumer cards, so a merchant with significant traffic from the US or Asia pays close to triple the domestic rate on that revenue.; 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
  • They diverge on capability: Mollie covers Local payment methods, Swell Commerce covers Headless architecture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mollie and Swell Commerce actually diverge.

Attributes where Mollie and Swell Commerce differ
AttributeMollieSwell Commerce
Starting price£0.3/transaction$29/month
Pricing modelPer transaction by payment methodsubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, APIWeb
FoundedUnknown2019

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Mollie

  • Local payment methods
  • Published rate card
  • Hosted checkout and payment links
  • Subscriptions API
  • Point of sale terminals
  • Plugin ecosystem
  • Multicurrency settlement

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.

Mollie

  • A Dutch or Belgian shop where most customers pay by iDEAL or Bancontact and the flat 30p beats a percentage rate on high-value basketsnot Swell Commerce
  • A small merchant that wants published pricing rather than a sales call before it can model card costsnot Swell Commerce
  • A subscription business in the EEA collecting by SEPA Direct Debit mandate instead of cardnot Swell Commerce
  • A marketplace or platform that needs one integration covering the main European local methodsnot Swell Commerce

Swell Commerce

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

Where each one falls short

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

Mollie

  • Non-European cards cost 3.25% plus 20p against 1.20% plus 20p for UK domestic consumer cards, so a merchant with significant traffic from the US or Asia pays close to triple the domestic rate on that revenue.
  • Coverage is built around European methods, so if you expand into Latin America or Southeast Asia you will need a second processor and a second reconciliation process rather than extending Mollie.
  • The in-person Pro plan requires a one-year contract and charges 20 pounds a month per additional terminal, so a shop with four tills pays 80 pounds a month in terminal fees before any transaction cost.
  • Mollie offers no interchange-plus option publicly, so large merchants cannot see or benefit from falling interchange the way they could on a cost-plus contract with an acquirer.
  • The developer tooling and reporting are lighter than the largest processors, so finance teams that want detailed fee breakdowns or granular reconciliation exports often end up building that layer themselves.

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

Mollie

£0.3/transaction
  • Online paymentsFree
    • No monthly fee
    • UK domestic consumer cards 1.20% + 20p
    • European and commercial cards 2.90% + 20p
  • In person, pay as you goFree
    • No monthly commitment
    • Per-transaction terminal rates
    • One terminal
  • In person, Pro$20/month
    • Lower per-transaction terminal rates
    • One-year contract required
    • Each additional terminal 20 pounds per month

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 Mollie if

  • You need local payment methods.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
  • You also want published rate card.
Mollie review

Choose Swell Commerce if

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

Questions people ask

Is Mollie or Swell Commerce better?
Neither clearly leads. Mollie starts at £0.3/transaction and Swell Commerce at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mollie or Swell Commerce?
Mollie starts at £0.3/transaction and Swell Commerce at $29/month.
Does Mollie or Swell Commerce run on more platforms?
Mollie runs on Web, iOS, Android, API. Swell Commerce runs on Web.
What is Mollie best used for?
Mollie is most often used for a dutch or belgian shop where most customers pay by ideal or bancontact and the flat 30p beats a percentage rate on high-value baskets, a small merchant that wants published pricing rather than a sales call before it can model card costs, a subscription business in the eea collecting by sepa direct debit mandate instead of card, a marketplace or platform that needs one integration covering the main european local methods. Of those, a dutch or belgian shop where most customers pay by ideal or bancontact and the flat 30p beats a percentage rate on high-value baskets and a small merchant that wants published pricing rather than a sales call before it can model card costs are not what Swell Commerce is typically brought in for.
What can Mollie do that Swell Commerce cannot?
Mollie covers Local payment methods, Published rate card, Hosted checkout and payment links, Subscriptions API. Swell Commerce covers Headless architecture, GraphQL & REST APIs, Subscription commerce, Multi-currency support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mollie: Does Mollie charge a monthly fee?

Not on the online payments plan. You pay only per successful transaction. In-person Pro is 20 pounds a month.

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
Mollie: Is iDEAL really a flat fee?

Yes, 30p per transaction regardless of the amount, which is why it is cheaper than cards on high-value baskets.

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
Mollie: Can I use Mollie outside Europe?

You can accept non-European cards but at 3.25% plus 20p, and merchant accounts are aimed at European businesses. It is not a global processor.

Mollie: Does Mollie do interchange plus?

Not publicly. The published rates are blended, so falling interchange does not flow through to you automatically.

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