Braintree vs Stripe: Pricing Comparison 2026
Side-by-side pricing comparison of Braintree and Stripe. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.
Bottom line: Braintree starts at $10/mo, making it $3/mo cheaper than Stripe ($13/mo). Braintree offers a free plan.
Last updated: May 26, 2026
Stripe - Stripe offers a broader financial platform with superior developer experience. Braintree wins specifically when native PayPal/Venmo integration is a priority.
Braintree vs Stripe: Quick Pricing Facts
| Feature | Braintree | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $10/mo | $13/mo |
| Number of Plans | 5 | 9 |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing Model | usage-based | usage-based |
| Annual Discount | N/A | N/A |
Braintree is the more affordable option, starting at $10/mo compared to Stripe's $13/mo. Both are Payment & Billing tools with 14 combined pricing plans and 40 features compared.
Both tools offer free plans, making them accessible for teams on a budget.
Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your Payment & Billing needs.
| Pricing Plans |  Braintree Try free |  Stripe Try free |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | ||
| Tier 2 | Starter $10/monthCheapest $120 / year Includes
| Standard Pricing Custom pricing Includes
|
| Tier 3 | Pro $30/monthCheapest $360 / year Includes
| Managed Payments Custom pricing Includes
|
| Tier 4 | BusinessPopular $100/monthCheapest $1200 / year Includes
| Billing $500/month $42 / year Includes
|
| Tier 5 | Enterprise Custom pricing Includes
| Tax Complete $80/monthCheapest $7 / year Includes
|
| Tier 6 | - | Stripe Sigma $13/monthCheapest $1 / year Includes
|
| Tier 7 | - | Data Pipeline $57/monthCheapest $5 / year Includes
|
| Tier 8 | - | Revenue Recognition $20/monthCheapest $2 / year Includes
|
| Tier 9 | - | Custom Pricing Custom pricing Includes
|
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Stripe
Stripe offers a broader financial platform with superior developer experience. Braintree wins specifically when native PayPal/Venmo integration is a priority.
Based on pricing data only. Review the full comparison below for your specific needs.
Try Stripe freeFree plan availableWhich Should You Choose?
Choose Braintree if:
- •PayPal and Venmo are important payment methods for your customers - Braintree offers native integration
- •Braintree's Drop-in UI provides a pre-built payment form that handles cards, PayPal, and digital wallets
- •Per-transaction pricing at 2.59% + $0.49 with no monthly fees suits businesses with moderate volume
- •You want the backing of PayPal's payment infrastructure and fraud protection
Choose Stripe if:
- •You need the most comprehensive payment platform: subscriptions, marketplace payments, invoicing, and financial reporting
- •Stripe's developer experience - documentation, SDKs, and testing tools - is the industry standard
- •Stripe Connect enables marketplace and platform payments with flexible payout scheduling
- •Stripe's product suite (Billing, Atlas, Radar, Terminal, Tax) creates a financial operating system
Braintree and Stripe are both developer-friendly online payment platforms, but Stripe has evolved into a broader financial platform while Braintree remains focused on payment processing. Braintree charges 2.59% + $0.49 per transaction. Cards, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Vault for tokenized recurring payments. Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Cards and 100+ payment methods. Plus Billing (subscriptions), Connect (marketplace), Atlas (incorporation), Radar (fraud), Tax (sales tax), Terminal (in-person), and Identity (verification). Braintree's advantage: native PayPal. As a PayPal company, Braintree provides the deepest PayPal and Venmo integration available. If PayPal represents a significant percentage of your transactions, Braintree's seamless checkout flow converts better. The per-transaction rate (2.59% + $0.49) is also lower than Stripe's (2.9% + $0.30) for average transactions over $5. Stripe's advantage: platform breadth. Beyond payments, Stripe handles subscriptions with dunning management, marketplace payout splits, sales tax calculation, fraud detection, and even company incorporation. The developer experience - documentation, testing, and debugging tools - remains the benchmark for payment APIs. For businesses where PayPal is a primary payment method and simple payment processing is the need, Braintree's native integration and lower rates win. For businesses building complex payment flows (subscriptions, marketplaces, multi-party) that want a financial platform, Stripe's breadth is worth the premium.
Frequently Asked Questions: Braintree vs Stripe
Which is cheaper, Braintree or Stripe?
How many pricing plans does Braintree have vs Stripe?
Does Braintree or Stripe offer a free plan?
Can I save money by paying annually for Braintree or Stripe?
What is the most popular Braintree plan?
Does Braintree or Stripe offer custom enterprise pricing?
How do Braintree and Stripe compare for Payment & Billing?
Sources
- Braintree Official Pricing- Vendor pricing page
- Stripe Official Pricing- Vendor pricing page
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