Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Apple Pay
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Apple Pay is a payment gateway the vendor states gives customers an easy, secure, and private way to pay in stores, within apps, on the web, and in Business Chat.N/A
PayPal Payments Pro
Score 8.1 out of 10
N/A
PayPal Payments Pro is an enterprise-class ecommerce payment solution, that provides payment processing security to build a professional-grade ecommerce site. It can be configured to meet business needs and works across devices. Users can tap into over 390 million active customer accounts around the globe.
$0.02
per transaction
Stripe Payments
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
Stripe is a payment gateway software solution which supports a range of payment related needs such as subscription management and recurrent billing via Stripe Billing, integration with third party payment services via the Stripe Connect API, assistance starting an Internet business which accepts payements via Stripe Atlas, fraud prevention via Stripe Radar, and payment analytics via Stripe Sigma. Additional features and modules include Stripe Issuing, which allows users to create,…
$0.02
per charge
Pricing
Apple PayPayPal Payments ProStripe Payments
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
QR code Transactions
1.90% + fixed fee
per transaction
Charity Transactions
2.20% + fixed fee
per transaction
Commercial Transactions - In-Store
2.70% + fixed fee
per transaction
Commercial Transactions - Online
2.90% + fixed fee
per transaction
PayPal's pay later offers
2.90% + fixed fee
per transaction
Venmo
2.90% + fixed fee
per transaction
Sigma
$0.02
per charge
Radar
$0.05
per screened transaction
Issuing
$0.10
per virtual card
Terminal
2.7% + 0.05
per successful charge
Integrated
2.9% + 0.30
per successful charge
Atlass
$500
one-time fee
Premium Support
1,800
per month
Customized
Contact sales team
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Apple PayPayPal Payments ProStripe Payments
Free Trial
NoNoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Apple PayPayPal Payments ProStripe Payments
Considered Multiple Products
Apple Pay
Chose Apple Pay
Google Pay covers all google users, but Apple Pay works better with iphone users.
Chose Apple Pay
Newer, less old framework to worry about. It has the Apple name with it and basically comes ready to use on their devices which is nice for the audience who will be using it.
Chose Apple Pay
Apple is still superior to other things there. I am not too familiar with android payment systems, so I can't compare that. But I also know our customers prefer PayPal Payments, which does make payments easy, but it isn't as seamless as Apple Pay. Apple Pay is still the best …
PayPal Payments Pro
Chose PayPal Payments Pro
I don't think there's really any competition here. There's Venmo (also owned by PayPal) who is now offering business accounts, but it still isn't quite the same.

The closest thing in terms of ease of use would be Apple Pay or Google Pay (and there are a handful of others out …
Chose PayPal Payments Pro
Stripe is not as robust as PayPal. PayPal offers way more services and features compared to Stripe. Stripe is a good platform that integrates well with other software. But Stripe doesn't have all the benefits that a giant like PayPal has. Stripe is a bit more difficult to set …
Chose PayPal Payments Pro
Stripe has lower fees which I like better, but money takes longer to reach my bank.

I haven't heard of Stripe freezing people's funds either, which is a major concern of mine in continuing to use PayPal.
Chose PayPal Payments Pro
PayPal Payments, at the end of the day, was an easy sell to management and an auto integration with our eCommerce software. We already informally accepted PayPal for international customers to reduce risk, and taking it a step further was an easy next step. It was a one or …
Chose PayPal Payments Pro
PayPal Payments is probably my favorite payment app because it is the most intuitive, it is easy to use, and it is also one of the longest standing apps which has given ample time to become familiar with it and ensure that it works well. It allows employees to designate one …
Chose PayPal Payments Pro
We chose PayPal Payments about 10 years ago because it was easy to get up and running. We had not considered using another provider until recently when we had a less-than-positive experience with PayPal customer service. Stripe is an up-and-coming competitor with PayPal …
Chose PayPal Payments Pro
I advise my customers to pay via Stripe rather than PayPal. Stripe fees are cheaper - 3% for international transfer (PayPay 4,4%), 2% for currency exchange (PayPal 4%) - currency exchange happens more seldom as I can make payouts in PLN and EUR (PayPal PLN only). Stripe has a …
Chose PayPal Payments Pro
Stripe certainly has it's place in accepting payments online. However, it's more difficult to setup and to my knowledge isn't geared towards accepting invoice payments.
Chose PayPal Payments Pro
It's the most basic way of receiving payments that also allows you to be recognized since it's a household name. The fees all stack up relatively alike so you are not getting a deal by either one. Having the option of a more basic system helps.
Stripe Payments
Chose Stripe Payments
Apple Pay is like a black box for us. We have not been able to accomplish anything that we have accomplished so easily with Stripe. I cannot give my full opinion about how they compare, but I would also add that talking to Apple in my opinion is like preparing for at least 1 …
Chose Stripe Payments
QuickBooks & PayPal have done a good job actually getting me the cards & bank transfers I run through them!
Chose Stripe Payments
We found that Stripe was much easier to have integrated with our site, as well as easier on the users when it comes to inputting payments. On our end, the dashboard and reporting are very easy to utilize and make it very easy to understand how our business is doing.
Chose Stripe Payments
Heartland is not even a comparison. I used Heartland for about five years. Customer service was non-existent, the technology was terrible. Stripe is in a league of its own when it comes to credit card processing and its abilities to assist you in just about anything you need …
Chose Stripe Payments
The Stripe API provides a great deal more functionality, is better documented, and is usually perceived by our clients as a more ‘professional’ solution. It also provides a more extensive feature set in the account dashboard.
Chose Stripe Payments
We selected Stripe largely because it was already integrated into Planning Center Online Giving - we had the option of choosing other payment processors, but it would have added work and complicated the information flow. Stripe made their services easy to adapt to, and the …
Chose Stripe Payments
Stripe provides far better tools for reporting and tracking of revenue. It also enabled the feature to checkout on our website without requiring a redirect or having to complete a site audit as is required with some card processors. The website installation was completed within …
Chose Stripe Payments
When you compare it to PayPal, Stripe is a no brainer. Better fees, better support.
Chose Stripe Payments
We initially wanted integrated PayPal as a payment method, but as more customers were asking for different payment providers we eventually switched to Stripe to accommodate their requests.
Chose Stripe Payments
Paypal is much better due mainly to the server hardly ever having outages, just as easy if not easier to install and customers are used to the brand and trust it more than others. Square is very similar to Stripe but obviously integrates with its own system so has very few …
Chose Stripe Payments
Stripe is already integrated with Shopify so is easier to set up for your eCommerce site without the need for programming.
Chose Stripe Payments
They are very similar. PayPal charges you monthly to have the ability to set up monthly payments. I had a problem with PayPal earlier this year where it would let me set up a recurring payment but then would not let me charge my customer the following month. It's actually a …
Chose Stripe Payments
PayPal's support during issues has been abysmal in our experience to say the least. Our software team has reported bugs to PayPal's team, and these bugs were either ignored after years of multiple reports and in some cases simply deleted without response.

If PayPal were not …
Chose Stripe Payments
As mentioned, if you are selling on Shopify, I would go with Shopify Payments instead of Stripe. The main difference between the two are the fees. Stripe currently charges a 2.9% + $0.30 while Shopify Payments can drop to 2.4% + $.30 per order. Another difference is that Shopif…
Chose Stripe Payments
Stripe was basically the easiest to install, configure, and use with my set up of WordPress with WooCommerce. Additionally, I was able to expand functionality with paid plugins to get me the setup I needed to sell to my customers. Other processors have the same fee structure, …
Chose Stripe Payments
Paypal has a high number of policy changes that are frequent, things are always changing in the back end. I've heard various reports of Paypal holding funds from business owners, pulling out money from business bank accounts and more. They believe fraudulent buyers over trusted …
Chose Stripe Payments
Stripe and Paypal are both excellent options for accepting payments. Paypal is a little more widely accepted for international payments, but domestically within the US we see that most of our customers use the Stripe module for payment processing over Paypal. Both are equally …
Chose Stripe Payments
Stipe vs PayPal: Stripe has a lower rate and a more modern interface. It integrated with the Memberpress membership plugin we use for client sites. Stripe vs Worldpay: Stripe has a much better interface and the user experience for the customer is much better. With Worldpay, …
Chose Stripe Payments
Stripe is heads above Authorize just by its fees and reporting. It is also very inline with PayPal but we like it more for the simplicity and the reporting capabilities.
Chose Stripe Payments
Stripe does subscriptions pretty well, and the API makes it really easy to work with compared with PayPal. And Shopify seemed to have a lot more limitations as to where it could be implemented, when we researched it several years ago.
Chose Stripe Payments
I use both options pretty interchangeably, to be honest. Both Paypal and Stripe connect to the scheduling software I use and prefer (Acuity Scheduling), so I don't have any problem switching between the two. I've also used Venmo for these same purposes, but much prefer Stripe …
Chose Stripe Payments
Stripe is significantly easier to integrate with than all other payment processors. We have integrations with Authorize.Net & CyberSource, but their support is extremely poor when compared with Stripe. We have an integration with PayPal as well, but have effectively deprecated …
Chose Stripe Payments
As I wrote previously in the review, Stripe has a very clear and pretty intuitive user interface which helps to attract new users. Also Stripe integration process with new software products is quite simple. I would also note that Stripe is more popular that WePay and Amazon Pay,…
Features
Apple PayPayPal Payments ProStripe Payments
Payment Gateways
Comparison of Payment Gateways features of Product A and Product B
Apple Pay
8.3
6 Ratings
14% above category average
PayPal Payments Pro
-
Ratings
Stripe Payments
7.7
8 Ratings
7% above category average
Fraud Detection9.36 Ratings00 Ratings7.58 Ratings
API or SDK9.64 Ratings00 Ratings8.38 Ratings
Recurring Payment Support7.96 Ratings00 Ratings7.08 Ratings
Billing and Invoicing Support8.16 Ratings00 Ratings8.38 Ratings
Global Support6.86 Ratings00 Ratings8.07 Ratings
Payment Form Acceptance7.96 Ratings00 Ratings7.27 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Apple PayPayPal Payments ProStripe Payments
Small Businesses
Thryv
Thryv
Score 8.7 out of 10
Apple Pay
Apple Pay
Score 8.9 out of 10
Apple Pay
Apple Pay
Score 8.9 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Adyen
Adyen
Score 8.7 out of 10
Apple Pay
Apple Pay
Score 8.9 out of 10
Apple Pay
Apple Pay
Score 8.9 out of 10
Enterprises
Adyen
Adyen
Score 8.7 out of 10
Adyen
Adyen
Score 8.7 out of 10
Adyen
Adyen
Score 8.7 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Apple PayPayPal Payments ProStripe Payments
Likelihood to Recommend
8.5
(23 ratings)
8.2
(72 ratings)
8.9
(85 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
7.3
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(3 ratings)
Usability
9.7
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
7.9
(7 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
2.3
(9 ratings)
10.0
(16 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Apple PayPayPal Payments ProStripe Payments
Likelihood to Recommend
Apple
If you accept payments while selling goods and services, Apple Pay can help you speed up the payment process while securely accepting payments. Since there is no need to stick a card into a machine, users won't have to fumble looking for a card when they can put their whole wallet on Apple Pay and check out easily.
Read full review
PayPal
Paypal is great for personal payments as well as business payments for ecommerce of for paying monthly memberships. It is a user friendly software that needs little expertise to get used to. For larger payments, the fees become high therefore it is more suitable for payments of upto few hundred dollars.
Read full review
Stripe
We had a client who wanted a QR to use in their marketing, which enabled their clients to donate to us. It was so useful to be able to set it up, and we can track the views and donations received using this code. Another client with issues with our website wanted to set up a monthly subscription, so I sent her a payment link, which worked brilliantly. For clients that want to make one-time donations, it also lets the client choose the amount. The only scenario where we haven't been able to help is when clients want to change the card associated with the payment - whilst we understand it is for security/gdpr, it means they have to cancel and set up something new, which poses the danger that we may lose them as a customer.
Read full review
Pros
Apple
  • The double click which launches it couldn't be easier; you don't even have to open your phone and find the app.
  • It's pretty much fool proof from there, as just holding your phone near the reader is sufficient for success.
  • Haptic feedback ensures that I know the payment registered.
  • I have full faith and confidence that the transaction was executed securely.
Read full review
PayPal
  • PayPal offers me the option of converting my currency deposited in my account to another currency, so I can complete all kinds of payments and send money to employees who are in another country for business reasons.
  • The mobile phone application is too fast, I can make payments to my employees in a matter of seconds without having to wait for the web version to load.
  • Scheduled payments are great. PayPal allows me to add a list of contacts to my PayPal Business account, and after adding the contacts, I can schedule payments for a specific day and time. It's easier to make automated payroll payments with PayPal.
Read full review
Stripe
  • They are reliable. I can count on everything going smoothly with transactions.
  • They are accurate. I don’t run into problems with collecting the proper amounts or being overcharged for fees.
  • They have good customer service. If I have a question about the customer portal or a problem with a customer, they help me resolve these issues.
Read full review
Cons
Apple
  • At times, my Apple Pay will pop up unintentionally. Perhaps there can be more safeguards around that.
  • Apple Pay is not super great if I need to make a return. For any return, I've found that paper receipts are superior.
  • Apple Pay sometimes requires very specific positioning when scanning the phone, which is frustrating.
Read full review
PayPal
  • Sometimes the UX flow would not deliver the customer back to our site, leaving orders in limbo "Pre-approved" status. The customer would call days later asking why we hadn't shipped it.
  • The PayPal logo on the checkout page can be kind of large and obtrusive.
  • They mention new features and programs on their login page, but it's hard to find any details on them deeper in the software.
Read full review
Stripe
  • It would be nice to be able to see my Shopify payments from my main payment gateway. I currently have to go to Shopify for that.
  • The ability to be able to offer discounted rates at a smaller threshold would be nice.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Apple
It's now a standard.
Read full review
PayPal
No answers on this topic
Stripe
Stripe is the leader in the industry when it comes to any type of industry. All that is needed is a plan and then implementing that plan either with a developer, or through the help of Stripe's customer service team to assist in getting you setup. The ease of use time it takes to get up and running is second to none
Read full review
Usability
Apple
Love the simplicity, i think it's a good way of getting apple-lovers to purchase things from the palm of their hand
Read full review
PayPal
No answers on this topic
Stripe
Stripe offers a very easy-to-navigate platform with many different functions. From linking it to our website and accounting platform to tracking our payments, being able to issue a refund quickly if required, and setting up QR codes and payment links for subscriptions or one-time donations, it really covers so many aspects that we need and use on a weekly and monthly basis.
Read full review
Support Rating
Apple
No answers on this topic
PayPal
Customer service representatives were unable to explain why customer in Australia were unable to make payments using our link. It turned out that customers in Australia must create an account. PayPal's user interface did not reveal this to our customers in Australia. There was plenty about this issue appearing in online forums and PayPal customer service couldn't explain this. This change in PayPal's usability happened between April and May of 2021 and was done without notice to vendors (like us).
Read full review
Stripe
Stripe's support is nearly perfect – great attention to detail, fast response times, and a willingness to really dig into issues and get to the bottom of them. In the five years we've been using Stripe, the only negative thing I can say about their customer support is that it seems like there has been a slight shift to less technical front-line support agents, which means it's more likely your issue will have to be escalated before you get more information. This, however, has happened as Stripe rolled out more real-time support features like call and chat, and that really isn't workable if you're escalating everything right off the bat. It's absolutely an acceptable trade-off.
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Implementation Rating
Apple
No answers on this topic
PayPal
No answers on this topic
Stripe
It took less than an hour to have everything setup and running
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
Apple
When I had my Android/Samsung phone, I tried Samsung's version of Apple Pay and it was terrible. It was very glitchy, and sometimes I would get a notification that I paid for something when I wasn't even in a checkout screen, like I was just browsing the internet or something and I'd get a notification! It was alarming and I quickly uninstalled the app and never used it again.
Read full review
PayPal
I don't think there's really any competition here. There's Venmo (also owned by PayPal) who is now offering business accounts, but it still isn't quite the same. The closest thing in terms of ease of use would be Apple Pay or Google Pay (and there are a handful of others out there, but we offer Apple and Google Pay). As a business, I prefer Apple or Google Pay to PayPal Payments, but we offer either Google or Apple Pay, PayPal, and credit card options and PayPal is always right up there with credit cards. I don't foresee us ever getting rid of PayPal Payments as an option, but we do try to only offer it on request for higher ticket items or high dollar installment purchases.
Read full review
Stripe
Stripe is easier to use and offers better support and rates. My favorite part with Stripe is probably their ready-to-use plug-in that's offered for me. We have multiple eCommerce stores and we rely on our payment process going smoothly. The plug-in from Stripe is free, constantly updated, secure, and very easy to implement.
Read full review
Return on Investment
Apple
  • Able to provide employees with digital company cards.
  • Convenient tracking of money spent.
  • Caring for others in our workplace and community through gifts and purchases.
Read full review
PayPal
  • Our daily revenue has been increased when started PayPal Payments as the payment gateway.
  • Refund rate and recurring revenue is stable and disputes are handled properly.
  • Forex Fluctuations is controlled and solved the buying experience for few users.
  • Solved problem for different currencies and retained our users.
Read full review
Stripe
  • It makes getting money from your clients really easy
  • It gives your clients the guarantee that their payment information is totally secure and confidentially used and kept
  • It is very easy to integrate with online assets of the company
  • In a couple of occasions, some companies have wanted me to use Stripe for them to pay me, and I have had a couple of hiccups. This was more related to the way that these companies set up the Stripe integration of my account to their platform. In both cases, the integration has not been possible and to this date, I still do not know why with exactitude.
  • As I said before, the commissions kept by Stripe could be lower, and shared with the CC companies, rather than having us clients pay for all of o it.
Read full review
ScreenShots