What is the best alternative to Braintree?

Stripe is the top-rated alternative to Braintree. It offers Best developer experience and Excellent documentation, and is paid starting at 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction/month.

Is there a free alternative to Braintree?

Most alternatives to Braintree are paid or freemium. Check our full list above for current pricing.

Best Braintree Alternatives(2026)

Q: Why do developers switch from Braintree?

Common reasons to switch from Braintree: Owned by PayPal (limitations); Less modern DX vs Stripe; Complex setup; Customer support issues.

We compared 3 alternatives to Braintree — so you can find the best option for your needs and budget.

Affiliate disclosure: Some “Visit” links on this page are affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you sign up — at no extra cost to you. It does not affect our rankings or editorial coverage. Learn more.

You're replacing

Braintree

paid

A PayPal service for online payments

Starts at 2.59% + 49¢ per transaction

Visit site →

Common reasons to switch

Owned by PayPal (limitations)Less modern DX vs StripeComplex setupCustomer support issues

Stripe

paid

From 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction

Compare →Visit →

Stripe is a suite of payment APIs that powers commerce for online businesses of all sizes.

Pros

+Best developer experience

+Excellent documentation

+Webhooks and APIs

Cons

−Not available in all countries

−Requires business entity in many regions

−Chargeback fees

Card paymentsSubscriptionsInvoicingConnect (marketplaces)Radar (fraud)

Paddle

paid

From 5% + 50¢ per transaction

Compare →Visit →

Paddle acts as the Merchant of Record, handling global payments, taxes, and compliance so you don't have to.

Pros

+Handles all taxes globally

+Works for individuals

+No need for business entity

Cons

−Higher fees than Stripe

−Less developer-friendly than Stripe

−Fewer integrations

Merchant of RecordGlobal tax handlingSubscription managementRevenue recoveryAnalytics

Square

paid

From 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction

Compare →Visit →

Square is a payment platform for both in-person and online payments, popular with retail and food businesses.

Pros

+Best in-person payment hardware

+Free POS app

+Good for retail/food

Cons

−Not ideal for pure SaaS

−Account freezes reported

−Less developer-friendly than Stripe

In-person POSOnline paymentsInvoicingInventory managementPayroll

Compare Braintree Head to Head

Braintree vs Stripe Braintree vs Paddle Braintree vs Square