Stripe vs. Braintree for Small Businesses and Solopreneurs
Today using ChargeStripe
Stripe and Braintree both let a business accept card payments online. Braintree is a PayPal service, so it also supports PayPal and Venmo at checkout. Stripe is a payment platform for online and in-person payments, and it works with apps such as ChargeStripe.
This guide compares their US online pricing, merchant accounts and in-person options. Fees depend on your country, payment method, card type and account, so check each provider’s pricing page before you decide.
Stripe vs. Braintree at a glance
| Braintree | Stripe | |
|---|---|---|
| Main use | Online card payments with PayPal and Venmo in one integration | Online and in-person payments, payment links, subscriptions and integrations |
| Merchant account | Braintree provides a merchant account as part of its Braintree Direct setup, after an application. You can also use your own merchant account. | You don’t need to open a separate merchant account. |
| In-person payments | Braintree In-Person, which uses Verifone terminals and extends an existing Braintree online setup | Stripe Terminal card readers and Tap to Pay. ChargeStripe lets Stripe users take payments on a phone. |
| Published monthly or setup fees | None listed on Braintree’s US fee page | None. Stripe says it doesn’t charge setup or monthly fees. |
Online payment fees in the US (USD)
These are standard list prices for US accounts. Braintree says custom pricing is available to established businesses.
| Online payment type (US account, USD) | Braintree | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic card or digital wallet payment | 2.89% + $0.29 | 2.9% + $0.30 for domestic cards |
| Card issued outside the US | Additional 1% | Additional 1.5% |
| Payment in a currency other than USD | Additional 1% | Additional 1% if currency conversion is required |
| ACH direct debit | 0.75%, capped at $5.00 (standard schedule) | 0.8%, capped at $5.00 |
| Chargeback or dispute | $15.00 | $15.00 per dispute received, plus $15.00 if you respond to a dispute manually |
For example, a $100 domestic online card payment costs $3.18 with Braintree (2.89% + $0.29) and $3.20 with Stripe (2.9% + $0.30). The gap changes with international cards, other currencies and ACH payments, so compare the payment types your customers use most.
Braintree also lists Venmo payments (US only) at 3.49% + $0.49. PayPal payments through Braintree are charged under your PayPal account terms.
Sources: Braintree US fees (last updated May 7, 2026) and Stripe US pricing. Prices were checked in October 2026.
What’s a merchant account?
A merchant account holds the money from card payments before it moves to your business bank account. It isn’t a bank account. Because card payments carry risk, merchant account providers review businesses before approving them.
Braintree provides a merchant account as part of its Braintree Direct setup, so you apply when you sign up. If you already have a merchant account, Braintree says you can keep using it with its gateway. Stripe provides merchant account functionality as part of its processing service, so you don’t need to open a separate one.
Taking payments in person
Online and in-person payments are priced differently, so look at them separately.
- Braintree: Braintree In-Person connects in-store payments to an existing Braintree online setup using Verifone payment terminals. Braintree doesn’t publish in-person pricing, so contact Braintree for a quote.
- PayPal Point of Sale: PayPal’s in-person app for small businesses is a separate product from Braintree. In the US, PayPal lists 2.29% + $0.09 for card-present payments and 3.49% + $0.09 for keyed-in payments (PayPal Point of Sale pricing). PayPal Here, PayPal’s earlier card reader app, was discontinued in the US in 2023.
- Stripe: Stripe Terminal supports card readers and Tap to Pay. In the US, Stripe lists 2.7% + $0.05 for domestic in-person card payments, plus $0.10 per authorization for Tap to Pay and an extra 0.5% for manually entered cards.
Where does ChargeStripe fit?
ChargeStripe is a mobile app that works with your Stripe account. You can use it to take payments on a supported phone with Tap to Pay, by scanning or typing card details, or with a compatible Stripe card reader. Card readers are optional and purchased separately.
ChargeStripe charges 1.3% per transaction, in addition to Stripe’s processing fees. There are no monthly fees or minimums. See ChargeStripe pricing.
Which should your business choose?
Braintree may suit your business if:
- Your customers want to pay with PayPal or Venmo online.
- You want a dedicated merchant account, or already have one.
- Your website or developer already works with Braintree.
Stripe may suit your business if:
- You want to start without opening a separate merchant account.
- You need payment links, invoices, subscriptions or integrations with other software.
- You want to take in-person payments through Stripe Terminal or a phone app such as ChargeStripe.
Compare the fees for your country and the payment types you accept most. Then check that the setup works where you take payments, whether that’s a website, a counter or a job site.
We’ve also compared PayPal vs. Stripe and Square vs. Stripe.
