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Software · head to head

PayPal vs Robinhood

PayPal logo

PayPal

Software

The simpler, safer way to pay and get paid

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Robinhood logo

Robinhood

Software

Investing for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Robinhood has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: PayPal currency conversion on international purchases and sends carries a 4.00 percent fee, and 3.00 percent in other conversion scenarios; Robinhood robinhood Gold costs 5 USD a month after a 30 day free trial
  • They diverge on capability: PayPal covers Payment processing, Robinhood covers Commission-free trading.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PayPal and Robinhood actually diverge.

Attributes where PayPal and Robinhood differ
AttributePayPalRobinhood
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelusage-basedfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, IOS, Android
Founded19982013

Identical on both: 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 PayPal

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

Only in Robinhood

  • Commission-free trading
  • Options trading
  • Crypto trading
  • Fractional shares
  • Bank accounts
  • Crypto wallets
  • IOS support

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

PayPal

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

Robinhood

  • Commission free trading of US stocks and ETFs from a phonenot PayPal
  • Options and futures trading for retail investorsnot PayPal
  • Holding an IRA with a contribution matchnot PayPal

Where each one falls short

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

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

Robinhood

  • Robinhood Gold costs 5 USD a month after a 30 day free trial
  • The 3.35 percent APY on brokerage cash is available only to Gold subscribers
  • The 3 percent IRA contribution match requires keeping the Gold subscription for one year and leaving the assets in the IRA for five years, and is capped at 225 USD against 2026 contribution maximums
  • Reduced contract fees of 0.50 USD per futures contract and 0.35 USD per index option apply only to Gold subscribers
  • Management fees are waived only above 100K USD in expert managed portfolios

Pricing, plan by plan

PayPal

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

Robinhood

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Commission-free trading
    • Real-time data
    • Mobile app
  • Gold$4.99/month
    • All Free features
    • Extended hours trading
    • Premium research

Which should you pick?

Choose PayPal if

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

Choose Robinhood if

  • You need commission-free trading.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want options trading.
Robinhood review

Questions people ask

Is PayPal or Robinhood better?
Neither clearly leads. PayPal starts at $29/month and Robinhood at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PayPal or Robinhood?
Robinhood has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for PayPal and Free for Robinhood.
Does PayPal or Robinhood run on more platforms?
PayPal runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Robinhood runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Robinhood for free?
Yes. Robinhood has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PayPal starts at $29/month.
What is PayPal best used for?
PayPal is most often used for paying online merchants without sharing card details, sending money to friends and family domestically and internationally, holding balances in multiple currencies for cross border purchases. Of those, paying online merchants without sharing card details and sending money to friends and family domestically and internationally are not what Robinhood is typically brought in for.
What can PayPal do that Robinhood cannot?
PayPal covers Payment processing, PayPal Checkout, Invoicing, Business debit card. Robinhood covers Commission-free trading, Options trading, Crypto trading, Fractional shares. Both handle Web support, Android support.
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