Our Verdict
Based on ratings, features, pricing, and capabilities, Stripe edges ahead in this comparison. Stripe scores higher on user ratings and overall feature set.
Feature
Stripe
PayPal
Rating
⭐ 4.9/5
⭐ 4.4/5
Free Plan
Starting Price
Free
Free
Monthly Visits
95.0M
450.0M
API Support
Open Source
AI Capabilities
Mobile App
Desktop App
Browser Extension
Integrations
7 apps
5 apps
Team Size
ENTERPRISE
ENTERPRISE
Stripe Pros & Cons
Pros
- Industry gold standard developer APIs and documentation
- Supports 135+ currencies and dozens of payment methods
- Scales seamlessly from startup to trillion-dollar enterprises
Cons
- Standard merchant model requires handling your own sales tax filing (unless using Stripe Tax)
- Dispute fees apply for chargebacks
PayPal Pros & Cons
Pros
- Extremely high brand recognition and buyer trust
- Simple integration into almost any platform
- Supports cross-border transactions across 200+ markets
Cons
- Account holds and reserves can occur unexpectedly
- Higher fees on cross-border currency conversions
Stripe Key Features
- Stripe Checkout & Elements
- Stripe Billing & Invoicing
- Stripe Radar ML Fraud Defense
- Stripe Issuing & Treasury
- Global Payouts & Connect
PayPal Key Features
- One-Touch Checkout
- PayPal Credit & Pay in 4
- QR Code Payments
- PayPal Braintree Gateway
- Global Payouts