Braintree vs Stripe: Full Comparison (2026)
Pricing, features, scores, and a clear verdict on which one is right for you.
The bottom line
Braintree positions itself as "payments built for scale" while Stripe goes after "payment infrastructure for the internet" — so the right pick depends on which problem you're actually solving. They take different commercial approaches — Braintree uses a usage-based-based model and Stripe a usage-based model, which affects how costs scale as your team grows. Stripe lets you start for free, which means you can validate the fit before committing budget. Braintree requires a paid commitment upfront, so make sure it matches your workflow before signing.
At a glance
| Braintree | Stripe | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 75/100 | 91/100 |
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Best for | Payments built for scale | Payment infrastructure for the internet |
Pricing comparison
Calculate your cost
Feature comparison
core
| Feature | Braintree | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Card processing | Yes | No |
| PayPal | Yes | No |
| Venmo | Yes | No |
| Apple/Google Pay | Yes | No |
| ACH | Yes | No |
| Online card payments | No | Yes |
| Saved card/wallets | No | Yes |
| Subscriptions & billing | No | Yes |
| Invoicing | No | Yes |
| Payment links | No | Yes |
| Checkout hosted pages | No | Yes |
advanced
| Feature | Braintree | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Vault tokenization | Yes | No |
| Recurring billing | Yes | No |
| 3D Secure | Yes | No |
| Fraud tools | Yes | No |
| GraphQL API | Yes | No |
| Stripe Tax | No | Add-on |
| Stripe Identity | No | Add-on |
| Stripe Connect (marketplaces) | No | Yes |
| Stripe Terminal (POS) | No | Yes |
| Stripe Issuing (cards) | No | Yes |
| Stripe Capital | No | Yes |
integrations
| Feature | Braintree | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| PayPal | Yes | No |
| Venmo | Yes | No |
| Kount | Yes | No |
| Braintree SDK | Yes | No |
| Hosted fields | Yes | No |
| Shopify | No | Yes |
| WooCommerce | No | Yes |
| Salesforce | No | Yes |
| QuickBooks | No | Yes |
| Zapier | No | Yes |
| Xero | No | Yes |
Ratings breakdown
What the data tells us
Key capabilities you'd miss
Choosing Braintree means going without Online card payments, Saved card/wallets, Subscriptions & billing (which Stripe offers). Choosing Stripe means losing Card processing, PayPal, Venmo. These are the features that typically drive the final decision — check whether your workflow depends on any of them before committing.
What company size tells you
Stripe (8,000+ employees) has the engineering bench to ship features across many fronts but may iterate slower on individual requests. Braintree (1001-5000 employees) typically ships faster on its core product but may lag on peripheral features. Consider which matters more for your roadmap.
Choose Braintree if...
- You're ready to invest from $null/mo
- You value powerful features over simplicity
- You need enterprise-grade capabilities
Choose Stripe if...
- You want a free tier to get started
- You value powerful features over simplicity
- Getting strong value for money is a priority
Frequently asked questions
Is Braintree or Stripe better?
Stripe scores 91/100 compared to Braintree's 75/100 on VendorVS. However, the best choice depends on your needs — Braintree excels at ease of use (7/10) while Stripe scores 7/10.
How much does Braintree cost compared to Stripe?
Braintree starts at free. Stripe starts at free (free tier available). Braintree is the more affordable option.
Does Braintree or Stripe have a free plan?
Stripe offers a free tier. Braintree does not — its cheapest plan starts at $null/mo.
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