Is Stripe or Braintree cheaper?

Stripe starts at 2.9% + $0.30 with a free tier. Braintree starts at 2.59% + $0.49.

Is there a free alternative to Braintree?

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

Stripe vs Braintree

Q: What is the difference between Stripe and Braintree?

Stripe is best for Developers wanting the best payment API, while Braintree is best for Businesses that need PayPal, Venmo, and credit card processing in one integration. Stripe starts at 2.9% + $0.30 and Braintree starts at 2.59% + $0.49.

Stripe is payment processing platform with powerful APIs for online payments, subscriptions, and marketplaces, while Braintree is payPal's payment gateway for online and mobile payments with support for multiple payment methods. Stripe is built for developers wanting the best payment api, whereas Braintree targets businesses that need paypal, venmo, and credit card processing in one integration.

At a glance

	Stripe	Braintree
Best for	Developers wanting the best payment API	Businesses that need PayPal, Venmo, and credit card processing in one integration
Starting price	2.9% + $0.30	2.59% + $0.49
Free tier	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Connect	✓	—
Drop-in UI	—	✓
Fraud protection	—	✓
Invoicing	✓	—
PayPal integration	—	✓
Payment processing	—	✓
Payments API	✓	—
Subscriptions	✓	—
Venmo	—	✓

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

Braintree

Strengths

PayPal, Venmo, and card payments in one integration
Drop-in UI makes implementation fast
Strong fraud protection powered by PayPal's data
No monthly fees — pay only per transaction

Weaknesses

Owned by PayPal — some businesses prefer independent providers
Developer experience not as polished as Stripe
Account holds and freezes can be frustrating
Documentation can be confusing to navigate

Try Braintree → Full review

The bottom line

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

Feature gaps: Stripe offers Connect, Invoicing and Payments API that Braintree lacks. Braintree brings Drop-in UI, Fraud protection and PayPal integration 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. Braintree's biggest strengths are: paypal, venmo, and card payments in one integration. drop-in ui makes implementation fast.

Watch out for: With Stripe, users commonly note that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade. With Braintree, the main complaint is that owned by paypal — some businesses prefer independent providers.

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 Braintree if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: businesses that need paypal, venmo, and credit card processing in one integration
You specifically need Drop-in UI and Fraud protection
You care about drop-in ui makes implementation fast