Is Stripe or Adyen cheaper?

Stripe starts at 2.9% + $0.30 with a free tier. Adyen starts at Custom pricing.

Is there a free alternative to Adyen?

Yes, Stripe offers a free tier (No monthly fees).

Stripe vs Adyen

Q: What is the difference between Stripe and Adyen?

Stripe is best for Developers wanting the best payment API, while Adyen is best for Enterprise and large businesses that process high volumes internationally. Stripe starts at 2.9% + $0.30 and Adyen starts at Custom pricing.

Stripe is payment processing platform with powerful APIs for online payments, subscriptions, and marketplaces, while Adyen is enterprise payment platform processing for global businesses with unified commerce. Stripe is built for developers wanting the best payment api, whereas Adyen targets enterprise and large businesses that process high volumes internationally.

At a glance

	Stripe	Adyen
Best for	Developers wanting the best payment API	Enterprise and large businesses that process high volumes internationally
Starting price	2.9% + $0.30	Custom pricing
Free tier	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Connect	✓	—
Fraud prevention	—	✓
Global payments	—	✓
In-store payments	—	✓
Invoicing	✓	—
Payment processing	—	✓
Payments API	✓	—
Subscriptions	✓	—
Unified commerce	—	✓

Stripe

Strengths

Includes Payments API as a core feature, purpose-built for payment processing workflows
Includes Subscriptions as a core feature, purpose-built for payment processing workflows
No monthly fees — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Established product with 16+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Developer-oriented tooling may not suit non-technical team members
Ecosystem of third-party integrations is smaller than the market leaders in payment processing
Mobile experience lags behind the desktop version in features and polish

Try Stripe → Full review

Adyen

Strengths

Single platform for online, in-app, and in-store payments
Supports 250+ payment methods across 200+ countries
Enterprise-grade fraud prevention with machine learning
Direct acquiring in major markets eliminates third-party processors

Weaknesses

Not suitable for small businesses — enterprise focus
Complex setup requiring significant developer resources
Non-transparent pricing — must contact sales
Minimum processing volumes may apply

Try Adyen → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Both Stripe and Adyen are free. You can try both without spending a dollar.

Feature gaps: Stripe offers Connect, Invoicing and Payments API that Adyen lacks. Adyen brings Fraud prevention, Global payments and In-store payments that Stripe does not have.

Where each tool shines: Stripe's biggest strengths are: includes payments api as a core feature, purpose-built for payment processing workflows. includes subscriptions as a core feature, purpose-built for payment processing workflows. Adyen's biggest strengths are: single platform for online, in-app, and in-store payments. supports 250+ payment methods across 200+ countries.

Watch out for: With Stripe, users commonly note that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade. With Adyen, the main complaint is that not suitable for small businesses — enterprise focus.

Choose Stripe if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: developers wanting the best payment api
You specifically need Connect and Invoicing
You care about includes subscriptions as a core feature, purpose-built for payment processing workflows
The free tier works for you: no monthly fees

Choose Adyen if...

You need a tool built for enterprise and large businesses that process high volumes internationally
You specifically need Fraud prevention and Global payments
You care about supports 250+ payment methods across 200+ countries