Compare
Stripe alternatives
Stripe is excellent at a lot of things. Here's when another provider fits better, which ones to look at with their published rates, and how to switch without losing your customers' saved cards.
In short
- Stuck with a hold or a reserve? Ask any new provider for its reserve and hold terms in writing first.
- Paying a flat 2.9% + 30¢? Interchange-plus pricing often costs less, especially when many customers pay by debit card.
- Need PayPal and Venmo, in-person readers, or enterprise pricing? Braintree, Square and Adyen cover those.
- Stripe will move your customers' saved cards to a new processor that has PCI DSS Level 1 certification.
Why businesses look for a Stripe alternative
A hold or a reserve. Stripe can hold back part of your payouts as a reserve, and its own reserves FAQ says that in some rare cases a reserve may be required indefinitely. Reserves are a normal risk tool across the industry. What differs is how clearly the terms are set out before you need them.
A business type Stripe restricts. Stripe publishes a list of prohibited and restricted businesses. If yours is on it, look for a provider that accepts your category in writing.
Pricing at higher volume. Stripe's standard US rate is 2.9% + 30¢ for an online card payment, plus 1.5% for international cards. Businesses with many debit-card customers, or steady volume, often pay less on interchange-plus pricing.
Dispute costs. Stripe charges $15 for each dispute, which it doesn't refund, and another $15 if you counter it, which it refunds if you win. A dispute you fight and lose costs $30 in fees on top of the sale.
When Stripe is still the right choice
If you're building software, a platform or a marketplace, Stripe's developer tools, documentation and platform features are among the best available. It also covers many countries, currencies and payment methods. If those matter more to you than the reasons above, staying makes sense.
Stripe alternatives, by what you need
A note on Candor. Candor's merchants process their payments through Stripe. So if Stripe has closed your account, is holding your funds or doesn't support your type of business, Candor can't get around that, because Stripe's decisions and rules apply to Candor accounts too. What Candor adds is published prices and rules, written custom pricing for higher-risk businesses, and a team that answers. It costs more than Stripe's standard price: Simple is Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢ plus our 1%, though Candor charges no dispute fees and nothing extra for cards from abroad.
| If you need | Look at | Published online card rate |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe's processing, with every fee and rule published and a team that answers | Candor Payments (new in 2026, processed by Stripe) | 3.9% + 30¢, or card costs + 1% + 30¢ (not open yet) |
| Interchange-plus with published volume tiers | Helcim | Interchange + 0.50% + 25¢ under $50K a month, lower above |
| A monthly subscription with interchange at cost | Stax | Interchange + 15¢, from $99 a month |
| Enterprise volume and global coverage | Adyen | Interchange + 0.60% + 13¢, with a minimum monthly invoice |
| PayPal and Venmo buttons with cards | Braintree | 2.89% + 29¢; Venmo 3.49% + 49¢ |
| Card readers as well as online payments | Square | 3.3% + 30¢ on the Free plan; 2.9% + 30¢ on paid plans |
| A gateway for a merchant account you already have | Authorize.net | $25 a month + 10¢ per payment + 10¢ daily batch fee |
| A high-risk specialist | PaymentCloud, Durango | Not published |
Rates read from each company's own website on October 26, 2026. See the full comparison for monthly fees, dispute fees and payouts.
How to switch from Stripe without losing customers' cards
- Open and test the new account first. Keep Stripe running until real payments go through on the new one.
- Ask Stripe to export your saved cards. Stripe transfers card data to a new processor with PCI DSS Level 1 certification. Cards saved through Stripe's Link aren't included.
- Rebuild subscriptions. Stripe's export covers cards and customer details, not subscriptions or payment history. Recreate each subscription on the new platform, timed to its existing renewal date.
- Keep Stripe open for a while. Refunds and disputes on old payments still go through Stripe, and for most reasons customers can dispute a payment for up to 120 days.
- Keep your billing name. Use the same name on card statements so customers recognize the new charges.
Sources
- Stripe pricing, reserves FAQ, prohibited and restricted businesses and payment data export
- Stripe: how disputes work
- Each alternative's pricing page, or its home page if it doesn't publish prices, linked in the table above
Read our rules before you move.
Reserves, holds and dispute limits are on one page, in plain English.