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Payment processing sits at the center of any business that sells goods or services. When money changes hands, the system handling that transfer needs to work without friction, without unexpected fees, and without leaving you stuck when something goes wrong. Stripe built its reputation on developer-friendly tools and clean documentation, but it remains one option among several. Some businesses find that other processors fit their operations more closely, offer better pricing for their transaction patterns, or provide support that matches their internal capabilities.
This list covers 6 payment solutions worth considering if you want to move away from Stripe or compare your options before committing. Each processor serves different types of businesses, and the best choice depends on your transaction volume, your technical resources, and where your customers are located.
Finix: Full Control Without the Developer Burden
Finix operates out of San Francisco and has been processing payments since 2015. The company raised $75 million in Series C funding in October 2024, with Acrew Capital leading the round alongside Leap Global and Lightspeed Venture Partners. Citi Ventures and Tribeca Venture Partners also participated. That funding reflects confidence in the direction Finix has taken over the past two years, during which it became a full processor with direct connections to American Express, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa.
The company serves around 22 million businesses, many of which lack dedicated development teams. Finix built its platform to address that gap directly. Its no-code suite includes Checkout Pages, Payment Links, Virtual Terminal, and Tokenization Forms. Businesses can configure their payment setup from thousands of possible options and begin processing transactions within a single day using as few as 3 API endpoints.
What separates Finix from other processors is the combination of flexibility and accessibility. Historically, businesses faced a choice between off-the-shelf payment widgets that lacked customization or expensive custom development. Finix removes that trade-off. A business can tailor its checkout flow to match its brand and customer base without writing code or hiring developers.
Security and compliance come built into the platform. Finix holds PCI certification and includes fraud protection, tokenization, and admin-level permissioning as standard features. You do not need to integrate third-party tools or manage separate compliance workflows. Support staff are available around the clock for emergencies.
In February 2025, Finix expanded into Canada through a partnership with Peoples Trust Company, part of Peoples Group. That move opened a new market for businesses operating across North America.
Customer feedback points to flexibility as the primary reason businesses choose Finix over competitors. One customer described it this way: the flexibility Finix provides is the number one differentiator compared to other payment solutions. Split payouts, tagging features, and responsive support give businesses room to handle payments in ways that match their specific situations.
Square: Straightforward Pricing for In-Person and Online Sales
Square built its name on the small white card reader that plugged into a phone, but the company now offers a full range of payment tools for in-person and online transactions. Its pricing model keeps things simple, which appeals to businesses that want to know exactly what they will pay before they process a single transaction.
In-person transactions using taps, dips, or swipes cost 2.6% plus 15 cents per transaction. Online transactions through websites or the eCommerce API run 2.9% plus 30 cents. Square Payment Links cost 3.3% plus 30 cents. Manually entered transactions, where the card is not physically present, cost 3.5% plus 15 cents. Invoices sent to customers charge 3.3% plus 30 cents for card payments, or 1% with a minimum of $1 for ACH transfers.
Square offers three subscription tiers. The Free plan charges no monthly fee. You pay processing fees only when you take a payment. The Plus plan costs $60 per month, and the Premium plan runs $79 per month. All plans accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover at the same processing rates.
Hardware is optional. Square supports several ways to take payments without purchasing equipment: invoicing, payment links, virtual terminal, Tap to Pay on iPhone, and Tap to Pay on Android. That setup works well for service providers, freelancers, and small retailers who want to accept cards without investing in dedicated hardware.
Adyen: Omnichannel Processing for Midsize and Large Operations
Adyen provides payment processing across online, in-app, and in-person channels through a single platform. The company serves merchants who need to manage multiple sales channels without juggling separate systems or vendors.
Pricing follows an interchange plus model for Mastercard and Visa transactions. Each transaction includes a fixed processing fee plus a fee determined by the payment method. The interchange fee comes from the bank that issued the card, the card network charges its own fee, and Adyen adds an acquirer markup. Other products outside of payment methods carry separate pricing. There are no setup fees or monthly fees.
Adyen for Platforms supports 35 countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia. The platform processes payments in over 30 currencies and accepts credit cards, debit cards, digital wallets, and direct debits.
The company includes an artificial intelligence-powered risk system designed to block common fraud attacks. That built-in protection reduces the need for external fraud detection services.
Adyen works best for midsize and large businesses with high transaction volumes spread across multiple channels. Smaller operations may find the platform more complex than they need, but companies running retail stores alongside online shops benefit from the unified approach.
PayPal Braintree: Global Reach with Familiar Payment Options
PayPal Braintree functions as the business-focused arm of PayPal’s payment infrastructure. The platform delivers end-to-end checkout tools, mobile SDKs, and support for global currency acceptance.
Standard pricing charges 2.9% of the transaction amount plus 30 cents per transaction. International transactions, charitable organizations, and certain other transaction types may see modified rates. Established businesses can negotiate custom flat rates, interchange plus pricing, or discounted rates based on their volume and business model.
Braintree accepts PayPal, Venmo (in the United States), credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Visa Checkout. Merchants can also add their own payment methods to the platform. The service processes payments in 135 currencies.
The platform holds Level 1 PCI DSS certification and offers ready-built payment interfaces that meet SAQ-A PCI compliance requirements. Recurring billing and mobile payment features come included.
Braintree suits businesses that want to offer PayPal and Venmo alongside traditional card payments. The shared infrastructure with PayPal means customers already comfortable with those services encounter a familiar checkout flow.
PayPal: The Name Customers Recognize
PayPal remains one of the most widely recognized payment methods among consumers in the United States and internationally. The platform processed over 20 billion global payment transactions last year, totaling trillions of dollars.
Standard transaction fees match the industry norm at 2.9% plus $0.30 per processed payment. PayPal offers discounted and custom pricing for non-profits and enterprise companies.
The platform operates on user accounts, allowing customers to pay through debit cards, credit cards, or money transfers. PayPal also supports cryptocurrency buy and sell transactions.
Fraud protection and recurring billing features add an extra 0.05% transaction fee. A fixed $10 fee applies to each user account beyond standard processing fees.
PayPal works well for businesses whose customers already have PayPal accounts. The checkout process becomes faster when buyers can log into an existing account rather than entering card details manually. That familiarity can reduce cart abandonment for some merchants.
Checkout.com and Other Alternatives Worth Considering
The payment processing space includes several other capable platforms beyond those listed above. Checkout.com serves enterprise clients with high-volume needs and offers competitive interchange plus pricing. The company focuses on performance and uptime, appealing to businesses where payment downtime directly impacts revenue.
Other options include Worldpay, which handles massive transaction volumes for retailers and hospitality companies, and Payoneer, which specializes in cross-border payments for freelancers and marketplace sellers. Each platform targets specific market segments and use cases.
Competition among payment processors remains intense. PayPal’s Braintree, Adyen, and Stripe all occupy prominent positions, but newer entrants continue to gain ground by addressing gaps in service, pricing, or technical flexibility.
Choosing the Right Processor for Your Business
Transaction volume affects which processor makes sense. High-volume businesses benefit from interchange plus pricing models that scale more favorably than flat percentage rates. Low-volume operations often prefer predictable flat rates without monthly fees.
Geographic needs matter as well. A business selling to customers in 30 countries needs a processor with broad currency support and local payment method options. A domestic-only operation may not need those features and can focus on other factors.
Technical resources shape the decision too. Businesses with development teams can customize any platform with sufficient API access. Businesses without developers need no-code tools that let non-technical staff configure payment flows.
Finix addresses all three considerations effectively. Its recent $75 million funding supports continued development of no-code solutions for the millions of businesses that lack dedicated developers. Direct card network connections provide the configurability that larger operations require. The Canadian expansion signals ongoing geographic growth.
For businesses seeking an alternative to Stripe that combines full-stack processing capabilities with accessible setup tools, Finix offers a strong match. Other options serve specific needs well, but the combination of flexibility, compliance features, and responsive support positions Finix as a compelling choice across business sizes and technical capabilities.
