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Personal Finance · head to head

PayPal vs Stripe

PayPal logo

PayPal

Personal Finance

The simpler, safer way to pay and get paid

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stripe logo

Stripe

E-Commerce

Financial infrastructure for the internet

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Stripe 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; Stripe requires developer setup and API integration for most use cases
  • They diverge on capability: PayPal covers PayPal Checkout, Stripe covers Subscription billing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PayPal and Stripe actually diverge.

Attributes where PayPal and Stripe differ
AttributePayPalStripe
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryPersonal FinanceE-Commerce
Founded19982010

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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

  • PayPal Checkout
  • Business debit card
  • Working capital loans
  • BigCommerce
  • PCI DSS
  • Buyer/Seller protection
  • Web support
  • Ios support

Only in Stripe

  • Subscription billing
  • Terminal (in-person payments)
  • Fraud prevention
  • 3D Secure
  • Global payouts
  • Financial reporting
  • Salesforce
  • NetSuite

Both cover

  • Payment processing
  • Invoicing
  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce

What people use each for

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

PayPal

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

Stripe

  • Online paymentsnot PayPal
  • Subscription managementnot PayPal
  • Marketplace paymentsnot PayPal
  • Global expansionnot PayPal
  • Platform monetizationnot 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

Stripe

  • Requires developer setup and API integration for most use cases
  • Dispute fee of $15 per chargeback is standard industry cost
  • Limited offline payment capabilities

Pricing, plan by plan

PayPal

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

Stripe

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Stripe review.

Which should you pick?

Choose PayPal if

  • You need paypal checkout.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want business debit card.
PayPal review

Choose Stripe if

  • You need subscription billing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want terminal (in-person payments).
Stripe review

Questions people ask

Is PayPal or Stripe better?
Neither clearly leads. PayPal starts at $29/month and Stripe at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PayPal or Stripe?
Stripe has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for PayPal and Free for Stripe.
Does PayPal or Stripe run on more platforms?
PayPal runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Stripe runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Stripe for free?
Yes. Stripe 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 Stripe is typically brought in for.
What can PayPal do that Stripe cannot?
PayPal covers PayPal Checkout, Business debit card, Working capital loans, BigCommerce. Stripe covers Subscription billing, Terminal (in-person payments), Fraud prevention, 3D Secure. Both handle Payment processing, Invoicing, Shopify, WooCommerce.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PayPal: Does PayPal charge fees and when do they apply?

PayPal states that fees apply when converting currency and sending money to accounts in another country. Specific fee amounts are not disclosed on the homepage but are referenced in their published fee schedule.

Source
Stripe: What are Stripe's transaction fees?

Standard US rates are 2.9% plus 30 cents for online card payments, 2.7% plus 5 cents for in-person, 3.4% plus 30 cents for keyed/phone transactions, and 0.8% capped at $5 for ACH payments.

Source
PayPal: Is there a subscription cost to use PayPal's basic services?

No subscription fees are mentioned on the homepage. PayPal operates on a transaction-based fee structure for money transfers and payments rather than recurring charges.

Source
Stripe: How many currencies and countries does it support?

Stripe accepts 135+ currencies and supports payment acceptance in 40+ countries through Stripe Connect, enabling sellers to onboard and receive payouts in minutes.

Source
PayPal: Are there restrictions on when I can use buyer protection?

PayPal offers buyer protection for eligible purchases, but coverage limitations exist. A user agreement sets the specific conditions for protection eligibility.

Source
Stripe: What payment methods are supported?

Stripe supports dozens of payment methods including credit/debit cards, ACH transfers, and local payment options, with additional support through partnerships with Meta and Google.

Source
PayPal: What payment methods can I link to PayPal?

PayPal's digital wallet allows storage of multiple payment methods and can be used for secure money transfers, payment requests, and checkout at major retailers.

Source
Stripe: Are there monthly fees or contracts?

No. Stripe charges no monthly fees or contracts, only per-transaction fees and dispute fees, making costs fully transparent and variable.

Source
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