Stripe
SaaS companies and online platforms that need API-first payment processing, subscription billing, and marketplace payouts with developer-grade documentation
Pros
- REST API with client libraries in Python, Node.js, Ruby, Go, Java, PHP, and .NET; most developers complete a basic Checkout integration in under 2 hours
- Supports 135+ currencies and 40+ payment methods including cards, ACH, SEPA, iDEAL, Bancontact, Klarna, Afterpay, Apple Pay, and Google Pay
- Stripe Billing handles recurring subscriptions with metered usage, prorations, trial periods, coupon codes, and invoice PDF generation out of the box
- Radar machine-learning fraud detection blocks 99.5%+ of fraudulent transactions using signals from billions of payments processed across the Stripe network
- No monthly fees, setup fees, or minimum commitment; you pay 2.9% + $0.30 per successful charge (lower for ACH at 0.8%, capped at $5)
Cons
- Custom integrations require developer resources; non-technical teams building a store are better served by Shopify Payments or Square's plug-and-play checkout
- Account stability reviews can result in reserve holds or payout delays of 7-14 days for new accounts in high-risk categories without prior warning
- Email-only support for standard accounts; live chat and phone support require Premium Support at an additional fee or Enterprise-level volume
Key Features
- Payment processing for cards, wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay), bank debits (ACH, SEPA), and buy-now-pay-later (Klarna, Afterpay)
- Stripe Checkout for hosted, pre-built payment pages with conversion-optimized design and 40+ payment method support
- Stripe Billing for recurring subscriptions, metered billing, invoicing, revenue recognition, and dunning management
- Stripe Connect for marketplace and platform payments with split payouts, onboarding, and 1099 tax reporting
- Radar for machine-learning fraud prevention with customizable rules, 3D Secure, and risk scoring per transaction
- Financial reporting with Revenue Recognition, Sigma (SQL-based analytics), and Data Pipeline for warehouse exports
- Stripe Tax for automatic sales tax, VAT, and GST calculation across 50+ countries