Stripe Vs. Braintree (2024 Comparison) (2024)

Both Stripe and Braintree are powerful tech-driven payment processing platforms used to reach customers all over the world. Both platforms can be integrated into online stores to accept payments, check for fraud, make payments and handle recurring transactions and subscription services.

The two services are closely matched in credit and debit card processing, mobile wallet support, reporting tools, payouts and antitheft tools. Stripe offers business tools such as invoicing, financing and coupon collection, while Braintree offers access to PayPal’s infrastructure, a ton of integrations to add third-party features and can be used as a gateway independently of other payment services.

Stripe and Braintree’s pricing is fairly similar. Neither platform charges a monthly fee for its service. Stripe charges 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction while Braintree charges 2.59% plus 49 cents per transaction. Both charge 1% for international cards and 1% if currency conversion is required. Both platforms accept large payments or recurring charges securely with automated clearing house (ACH) debit, ACH credit or wire transfers. Stripe charges 0.8% per transaction for ACH direct debit while Braintree charges 0.75%. Both companies have a maximum per-transaction cap of $5.

Both Stripe and Braintree accept every major credit and debit card including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club, JCB and Discover as well as digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. Braintree accepts PayPal and Venmo while Stripe does not.

Stripe’s standard payout in the United States is two days while Braintree offers a two- to three-day standard payout. Qualified merchants using Stripe can request an Instant Payout and receive payment within 30 minutes of the transaction. The platform charges 1% of the payout amount with a minimum fee of 50 cents per transaction.

Stripe Connect and Braintree Marketplace both offer a set of features for users who want more than just payment processing. Stripe Connect allows users to conduct worldwide transactions by supporting more than 135 currencies, split funds between multiple users and instantly route payments across borders. It also includes comprehensive reporting tools, 1099 tax reporting, gross earnings tracking, Instant Payouts, crypto payouts and more. The basic version of Stripe Connect is free, however, users who want advanced, customizable options can upgrade to Stripe Connect Express for $2 per active account per month, plus 0.25% and 25 cents per payout.

Braintree Marketplace allows businesses to run customizable fraud checks, automate the management of chargebacks, support 130 currencies and tap into PayPal’s 135 million customer base with a single integration. Braintree Marketplace is included with the user’s account.

Stripe offers more features that make it a more robust platform. For example, Stripe Capital offers business financing to qualified users, allowing them to borrow money against upcoming revenue. Stripe Invoicing is a global invoicing platform that allows users to create and send invoices as well as reconcile payments. While Braintree is lean in its business tool offerings, as a PayPal service, Braintree users get access to PayPal’s extensive platform of online payment tools.

When accepting payments online, advanced security options are of the utmost importance. Both platforms are certified to PCI Service Provider Level 1, the most stringent level of certification available in the payments industry. All Stripe accounts come with its machine learning fraud detection infrastructure, called Radar, free of charge. Radar helps detect and block fraud using machine learning that trains on data across millions of global companies. Braintree offers 3D Secure 2 (3DS2) to authenticate all customer transactions. This new industry standard for customer authentication uses device and browser data for more accurate risk assessments rather than requiring cardholder involvement.

If a dispute does happen, whether it is because of fraud or clerical error, a credit card customer can request a refund or chargeback to immediately reverse the payment. If this happens, both Stripe and Braintree charge the industry standard of a $15 chargeback fee. Stripe, however, will refund the fee if the customer is found to be at fault.