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Best Stripe Alternatives Of 2025

Audited & Verified: Sep 8, 2025, 1:46pm

Tyler WebbFormer Staff Writer

With three years spent researching, comparing, and testing software products, Tyler Webb is an expert on all things telecommunications. With work featured on GetVoIP.com, he's written over 150 articles on topics including VoIP, contact centers, unifi...

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Tyler Webb

Tyler WebbFormer Staff Writer

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Former Staff Writer

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Rachel WilliamsStaff Editor

Rachel Williams has been an editor for nearly two decades. She has spent the last five years working on small business content to help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. She’s well-versed in the intricacies of LLC formation, business taxe...

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Rachel Williams

Reviewed by

Rachel WilliamsStaff Editor

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Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

Stripe is a powerhouse in the payment processing world, but it’s not always the best fit for every business. Maybe you need a solution that’s easier to use, offers more robust customer support or provides better value for high transaction volumes. Whatever your reason, there are plenty of alternatives to consider.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through some of the best Stripe alternatives for small businesses, highlighting what makes each one stand out.

Table of Contents

Our Top Picks

Table of Contents

Best Of

Featured Partners

Clover

$14.95 per month (plus hardware)

90 days

Versatile POS, invoicing, employee management

Clover

On Clover’s Website

Toast

POS built specifically for restaurants, payroll, online ordering, team and inventory management

Toast

On Toast’s Website

KORONA POS

$59/mo

Unlimited

Inventory management, custom reporting, advanced cashier functionality, accounting integrations

KORONA POS

On Korona POS’s Website

Compare the Best Stripe Alternatives

Stripe

3.7

Better For

Best for Developers

Starting Monthly Price

Learn More

Square

3.6

Learn More

On Square’s Website

Better For

Better for Retailers

Starting Monthly Price

Stax

4.6

Learn More

On Stax Payments’ Website

Better For

Better for Flexible Payment Options

Starting Monthly Price

$99

Helcim

4.4

Learn More

On Helcim's Website

Better For

Better for Cost-Effective Payment Processing

Starting Monthly Price

Finix

4.9

Learn More

On Finix's Website

Better For

Better for Sales Data

Starting Monthly Price

$250

Payment Depot

4.5

Learn More

On Payment Depot's Website

Better For

Better for Invoicing

Starting Monthly Price

Custom quote

Company	Forbes Advisor Rating	Better For	Starting Monthly Price	Learn More
Stripe	3.7	Best for Developers	$0	-
Square	3.6	Better for Retailers	$0	Learn More On Square’s Website
Stax	4.6	Better for Flexible Payment Options	$99	Learn More On Stax Payments’ Website
Helcim	4.4	Better for Cost-Effective Payment Processing	$0	Learn More On Helcim's Website
Finix	4.9	Better for Sales Data	$250	Learn More On Finix's Website
Payment Depot	4.5	Better for Invoicing	Custom quote	Learn More On Payment Depot's Website

Best Stripe Alternatives Of 2025

Better for Retailers

Square

Starting Monthly Price

per location

In-Person Transaction Fee

2.6% + 15 cents per transaction

Online Transaction Fee

3.3% + 30 cents per transaction

On Square's Website

per location

2.6% + 15 cents per transaction

3.3% + 30 cents per transaction

Expert Take

Square is ideal for small retailers needing a straightforward, all-in-one solution. It’s incredibly easy to use, even for beginners, and the included free magstripe reader means you can start processing payments immediately. As your business grows, Square grows with you, offering optional tools for inventory management, marketing and even payroll.

I also love how seamlessly Square integrates with its point-of-sale (POS) system. It’s perfect for brick-and-mortar stores, pop-up shops or businesses that need mobility. While the transaction fees aren’t the lowest, the cost is well worth it for businesses that value ease of use and scalability.

Learn more: Read our full Square vs. Stripe comparison or full Square review.

Better for Flexible Payment Options

Stax Payments

Starting Monthly Price

$99

In-Person Transaction Fee

Variable

(interchange-plus pricing)

Online Transaction Fee

Variable

(interchange-plus pricing)

On Stax Payments’ Website

$99

Variable

(interchange-plus pricing)

Variable

(interchange-plus pricing)

Expert Take

Stax is a standout Stripe alternative and top choice for businesses that process high transaction volumes and want a combination of low credit card processing feesand the ability to accept payments in a wide variety of ways. While it charges a flat $99 monthly fee, Stax’s interchange pricing (you only pay the card network’s base fee) adds 0% markup to transactions and guarantees some of the lowest transaction fees you’ll find.

What I love even more about Stax is its well-rounded features. You can collect payments from customers through QR codes, payment links and buttons on your website or app. If you host pop-ups at farmers markets or somewhere without Wi-Fi, Stax supports mobile payments using your cellular network. It’s a great combination of low cost and the option to collect payments in different ways.

Learn more: Read our full Stax review.

Better for Budget-Friendly Processing

Helcim

Starting Monthly Price

In-Person Transaction Fee

1.83% + 8 cents per transaction

Online Transaction Fee

2.27% + 25 centers per transaction

On Helcim's Website

1.83% + 8 cents per transaction

2.27% + 25 centers per transaction

Expert Take

Helcim is a budget-focused company’s dream: $0 monthly fees, plus ridiculously low transaction fees averaging 1.83% + 8 cents per transaction, which is the lowest I’ve seen on any provider’s website. When your sales volume exceeds $50K monthly, these processing rates become even lower.

Helcim bundles payment processing with its POS software, which has great features for setting up an online store. You can design webpages with tools to customize colors, layouts and buttons. Helcim lets you build an online catalog or menu, featuring “Buy Now” buttons or checkout pages with custom fields. Whether you’re a restaurant or retail company, if you want something budget-friendly, you can’t go wrong with Helcim for payment processing and POS.

Learn more: Read our full Helcim review.

Better for Sales Data

Finix

Starting Monthly Price

$250

In-Person Transaction Fee

0% interchange markup + 8 cents per transaction

Online Transaction Fee

0% markup + 15 cents per transaction

On Finix's Website

$250

0% interchange markup + 8 cents per transaction

0% markup + 15 cents per transaction

Expert Take

Finix’s credit card processing software is a more cost-effective and analytics-rich alternative to Stripe. With a 0% markup on interchange rates with just an 8-cent fee per transaction, Finix allows you to reduce fees more than you could with Stripe. And while Stripe’s dashboard is user-friendly, Finix’s analytics dashboards are more thorough and informative. I was blown away by the amount of data you can find in the “Transaction Insights” tab, including trends in which card brands and methods customers are using most frequently. Finix also has some awesome online checkout page templates, which only require a little bit of coding and work great if you sell products online through your website.

Note that Finix’s main drawback compared to Stripe is that it doesn’t include a native Shopify integration, which Stripe offers.

Better for Invoicing

Payment Depot

Starting Monthly Price

Custom quote

In-Person Transaction Fee

Variable, as low as 1.95% to 0.2%

Online Transaction Fee

Variable, ranging from 1.95% to 0.2%

On Payment Depot's Website

Custom quote

Variable, as low as 1.95% to 0.2%

Variable, ranging from 1.95% to 0.2%

Expert Take

Payment Depot offers low transaction fees with interchange-plus pricing fees, plus built-in surcharging features that allow you to pass along credit card processing fees to your customers. If you’re aiming to keep POS and processing fees at 0% net cost, these tools allow you to do it.

I’m a big fan of Payment Depot’s utilization of the SwipeSimple POS system, which includes great features for mobile payment collection and invoicing. You can collect customer payments through text, payment links or tap to pay, which are great options if you’re setting up shop away from your business counter. The system provides invoicing templates to input your clients’ information and payment details and set up recurring schedules with automated email or SMS delivery.

If you rely on invoicing to communicate with clients, Payment Depot is more cost-effective than Stripe.

Most Popular is calculated from the number of times each affiliate product was selected by Forbes Advisor users over a six month time period.

What Stripe Does Well

Stripe’s POS system has some of the most user-friendly hardware and software I’ve tried, and it integrates with tons of popular third-party apps. Here’s what I like about it:

Integrations. Stripe’s payment processing and POS system integrates with a wide variety of marketing and e-commerce software, including Shopify and WooCommerce.
Simple interface. The POS system makes it easy to review your payment and sales history, give refunds and manage your inventory.
User-friendly POS hardware. I’m a big fan of Stripe’s POS tools, including various terminals and handheld card readers that are easy to use for payment processing.

Featured Partners

Clover

$14.95 per month (plus hardware)

90 days

Versatile POS, invoicing, employee management

Clover

On Clover's Website

Toast

POS built specifically for restaurants, payroll, online ordering, team and inventory management

Toast

On Toast's Website

KORONA POS

$59/mo

Unlimited

Inventory management, custom reporting, advanced cashier functionality, accounting integrations

KORONA POS

On Korona POS's Website

Where Stripe Falls Short

For all its positives, Stripe isn’t the most cost-effective credit card processing platform, due to its high transaction fees. It also lacks a free hardware offering, and some competitors’ tools that are especially helpful for restaurants.

Transaction fees. While Stripe’s transaction fees aren’t ridiculously high, they’re pricier than alternatives like Helcim, Payment Depot and Finix, which offer interchange-plus pricing.
No free hardware. Alternatives like Square and Helcim throw in a free card reader when you sign up for their POS platform, but Stripe offers no such deal.
Not ideal for restaurants. Some processing platforms, such as Square, include restaurant-focused features like real-time table management. Stripe doesn’t include these features, making it a poorer fit for full-service restaurants.

Leslie Snipes, founder and CEO of Greenroom Marketing, uses Stripe to process payments from her clients. However, she’s been burned by the relatively high fees, noting, “The fees are killing me. Stripe takes a significant cut from every transaction with my client, whether my client pays with a credit card, debit or direct deposit. For a small agency, those fees and costs really add up.”

Which Stripe Alternative Is Right for My Business?

While Stripe is a good option if you’re looking for user-friendly credit card processing software for online sales and e-commerce, the alternatives listed above are a better fit for other use cases. Square’s simple software and hardware work great for in-store retailers and restaurants seeking an intuitive, well-designed POS system. Stax is a good choice if you want to collect payment in various ways, especially when on the go or away from the counter.

If you’re focused on getting your transaction fees as low as possible, Helcim, Finix or Payment Depot all make good choices. Of those three, Helcim is the simplest because it has a built-in POS system. However, Finix includes an intelligent dashboard with tons of sales data, and Payment Depot’s invoicing tools work well for service-based businesses that deal with clients.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Does Stripe have low transaction fees?

Stripe’s transaction fees are pretty high, at 2.7% + 5 cents per transaction. Many credit card processing alternatives, like Helcim and Finix, offer substantially lower transaction fees that can save your business thousands of dollars per month.

Is Stripe a credit card processing platform?

Yes, Stripe is a credit card processing platform and a point of sale (POS) system. The provider’s software combines both functionalities, with a variety of POS hardware devices for you to accept payment online or in-person.

Which types of businesses should use Stripe?

Stripe offers a lot of great online-selling features, so it’s a good choice for businesses that primarily sell products online. Also, if your company uses e-commerce tools like Shopify or WooCommerce, Stripe integrates with these platforms and may be a good option.

Next Up In POS and Payment Processing

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Tyler Webb

Former Staff Writer

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