Top 8 Stripe alternatives for payments & billing in 2025

Stripe has become one of the most recognizable names in payment processing, especially among startups and tech companies. Its developer-friendly tools, extensive APIs, and global reach make it a good choice for businesses building custom payment flows or scaling internationally.

But the thing about Stripe (just like every other platform) is that it’s not always the right fit for every business. Maybe your team doesn't have the developer resources to handle Stripe's implementation requirements. Perhaps its pricing structure doesn't align with your business model, or you need better support for specific regions or compliance requirements that Stripe doesn't handle well.

For HR and finance managers, especially, payment processing needs often extend beyond just collecting customer payments. You might need to pay employees globally, handle vendor invoices, make contractor payments, or integrate payments with your existing HR and finance systems. While Stripe excels at customer payment processing, it wasn't designed to handle the broader financial operations that growing businesses need.

Fortunately, there are plenty of alternatives that offer different strengths, pricing models, and feature sets that might better match your specific needs. Whether you're looking for simpler implementation, more comprehensive business management features, or just better pricing, there's likely a Stripe alternative that makes more sense for your situation.

What is Stripe?

Stripe is a payment processing platform that helps businesses accept and manage online payments. As a payment gateway, it provides the infrastructure that allows companies to accept credit, debit cards, and other payment methods from customers through websites, mobile apps, and other digital channels.

What makes Stripe distinctive is its focus on developers and customization. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solution, Stripe provides APIs and tools that let businesses build tailored payment experiences. This flexibility has made it popular with tech companies that want to create unique checkout flows or integrate payments deeply into their applications.

Stripe's top features

• Payment processing across channels: Stripe handles online payments, in-person transactions, mobile payments, and subscription billing all through one platform. This approach means you don't need separate processors for different sales channels.
• Built-in fraud prevention (Radar): Stripe's machine learning system analyzes transactions in real-time to identify and block fraudulent payments while minimizing false positives that could hurt legitimate sales.
• Developer-friendly APIs: Stripe provides APIs, libraries, and documentation that let businesses build custom payment experiences and integrate payments deeply into their applications and workflows.
• Revenue recognition and reporting: Stripe provides financial reporting tools to help businesses track revenue, generate reports for accounting purposes, and maintain compliance with accounting standards like ASC 606 and IFRS 15.

Why you might need an alternative to Stripe

Even with Stripe's popularity, several common scenarios push businesses toward alternatives:

Limited native support for certain countries

While Stripe operates in many countries, it doesn't support every market where you might want to do business. Currently, Stripe operates in 46 countries. If you're expanding into regions where Stripe isn't available, or if you need local payment methods that Stripe doesn't offer, you'll need a different solution.

Developer-heavy implementation requirements

Stripe's flexibility comes with some complexity. Because advanced customizations may require significant developer time and technical expertise. That’s something to watch out for especially if your team doesn't have strong technical resources.

No payroll services

Stripe focuses exclusively on payment processing and doesn't offer payroll services. If you need to manage both customer payments and employee payroll in one integrated platform, you'll need a solution that combines these capabilities. This is particularly important for businesses looking to streamline their financial operations and reduce the complexity of managing multiple vendors.

Compliance and tax reporting challenges

Depending on your industry and geographic reach, you might face compliance requirements that Stripe doesn't handle well, such as payroll taxation. Some alternatives offer stronger built-in compliance features, automated tax calculations, or better integration with accounting systems.

The "best" alternative really depends on your company's size, business model, technical capabilities, and geographic needs. What works for a SaaS startup might not work for a services company with global contractors.

8 best alternatives to Stripe

Here are the top Stripe alternatives worth considering:

1. Rippling

Rippling takes a different approach than traditional payment processors by focusing on comprehensive business operations rather than just payment processing. While Stripe excels at customer payments, Rippling is designed for businesses that need to pay people (employees, contractors, and vendors) globally. Rippling's bill pay software allows you to pay, track, and manage all your company's bills from around the world in one place.

Ideal for: Companies with international teams, businesses managing complex payroll and contractor payments, organizations looking to consolidate HR, finance, and payment operations.

Standout features: Global payroll processing, contractor payments in local currencies, integrated HR and finance systems, automated compliance across multiple countries, and unified platform for all business operations.

2. PayPal

PayPal is one of the most widely recognized payment platforms, offering both customer payment processing and business payment solutions. 

Ideal for: Small to medium businesses, international sales, and companies needing quick setup without technical complexity.

Standout features: Invoice management, payment processor, and accounting integration options.

3. Square

Square started as an in-person payment solution but now offers comprehensive online payment processing. It's great for businesses that sell both online and offline, providing unified reporting and inventory management across channels.

Ideal for: Retail businesses, restaurants, service providers, businesses with both online and physical locations, and companies wanting integrated point-of-sale systems.

Standout features: Online/offline integration, built-in POS hardware, and inventory management.

4. Paddle

Paddle operates as a merchant of record for digital products, providing payments infrastructure that handles billing, tax compliance, subscription management, and customer support. 

Ideal for: SaaS companies, AI businesses, mobile app developers, gaming companies, digital product sellers, and businesses wanting to sell outside app stores.

Standout features: Automatic sales tax compliance, support for 20+ currencies and multiple payment methods, built-in subscription management.

5. Braintree

Owned by PayPal, Braintree is a global payment processing platform that provides end-to-end checkout experiences across multiple markets worldwide. It handles fraud management and orchestration capabilities for businesses requiring comprehensive payment solutions.

Ideal for: Enterprise businesses, mobile-focused companies, businesses requiring custom payment experiences, and organizations needing fraud protection.

Standout features: Global payout capabilities, PayPal integration benefits, and support for local payment methods alongside PayPal and Pay Later options.

6. Adyen

Adyen provides a platform for end-to-end payments, data, and financial management, serving businesses that need comprehensive payment infrastructure across online, in-person, and unified commerce channels.

Ideal for: Large enterprises, high-volume merchants, platforms and marketplaces, and omnichannel retailers.

Standout features: Unified commerce connecting online and in-store data, ML-powered fraud detection, and banking infrastructure for optimized fund management and automated payouts.

7. GoCardless

GoCardless specializes in bank-to-bank payments, particularly direct debits and ACH transfers. It's ideal for businesses with recurring revenue models.

Ideal for: Subscription businesses, companies with recurring billing, and businesses wanting to reduce processing fees.

Standout features: Payment builder tool for customizing payment settings, 350+ integrations, and international payment collection from 30+ countries.

8. Tipalti

Tipalti focuses specifically on accounts payable and global business payments, making it a good choice for companies that need to pay suppliers, contractors, and partners worldwide. It's designed for B2B payments rather than customer transactions.

Ideal for: Companies with many international suppliers or contractors, businesses struggling with complex AP processes, organizations needing compliance and tax handling for business payments.

Standout features: Payment automation, global payment capabilities, compliance features, and tax handling for international payments.

7 features to look for in Stripe competitors

When evaluating alternatives, focus on these key criteria:

1. Transparent pricing and transaction fees

Look beyond the headline transaction rates. Consider monthly fees, international transaction costs, currency conversion fees, and any additional charges for features you'll actually use. Some processors offer lower base rates but add fees that can make them more expensive overall.

2. Global payment support

If you operate internationally, verify that your chosen processor supports the countries where you do business. Check whether they offer local payment methods, handle currency conversion, and can manage regional compliance requirements.

3. Built-in billing and invoicing

For businesses managing recurring payments, vendor relationships, or complex billing scenarios, built-in invoicing and billing management can save significant time and reduce errors compared to managing these processes separately.

4. Unified payroll and business payments

If you're managing both customer transactions and workforce expenses, look for platforms that can handle payroll alongside B2B payments. This consolidation enables better financial oversight by providing a single view of your total spending across employees, contractors, and vendors.

5. Developer vs. no-code implementation

Consider your technical resources honestly. If you don't have dedicated developers, prioritize platforms that offer simple setup and management. If you need extensive customization, ensure the platform provides the APIs and flexibility you require.

6. Tax compliance and financial reporting

Depending on your business model and geographic reach, automatic tax calculations, compliance reporting, and integration with accounting systems can be valuable. This is especially important for international operations.

7. Customer support and onboarding experience

Payment processing issues can directly impact revenue, so responsive support matters. Look for providers that offer the level of support your team needs, whether that's comprehensive onboarding, technical support, or dedicated account management.

How to choose the right alternative to Stripe for your business

Follow this framework to identify the best payment solution for your specific needs.

Step 1: Define your payment needs

Are you primarily collecting payments from customers, paying employees and contractors, or managing vendor relationships? Different platforms excel in different areas, so start by clarifying your main use case.

Step 2: Evaluate international needs

List the countries where you need to send or receive payments. Check whether potential alternatives support these markets and offer the payment methods your recipients prefer.

Step 3: Compare total cost of ownership

Calculate the full cost including transaction fees, monthly charges, setup costs, and any additional features you'll need. Don't forget to factor in the cost of implementation and ongoing management.

Step 4: Assess your technical capabilities

Be realistic about your team's ability to implement and maintain the payment system. Complex solutions might save money, but cost more in development time and ongoing maintenance.

Step 5: Look for built-in compliance features

Identify the compliance requirements you face, whether that's tax calculations, employment law compliance, or industry-specific regulations. Platforms that handle these automatically can save significant time and reduce risk.

Step 6: Test with demos and user reviews

Most payment processors offer demos or trial periods. Take advantage of these to see how the platform works in practice. Also read recent user reviews to understand common issues and strengths.

How Rippling supports global business operations

While most Stripe payment alternatives focus primarily on payment processing, Rippling's all-in-one workforce management platform takes a broader approach to global business operations. Instead of just handling payments, Rippling provides a unified platform for hiring, paying, and managing people worldwide, plus comprehensive bill pay for vendor payments.

For companies expanding internationally, this comprehensive approach offers significant advantages. Rather than stitching together separate systems for payroll, contractor payments, HR management, and compliance, Rippling handles everything in one integrated platform.

Rippling's global payroll and hiring platform automatically calculates taxes and compliance requirements for different countries, processes payments in local currencies, and maintains all the documentation needed for international operations. This is particularly valuable for businesses hiring global talent, managing international contractors, or expanding into new markets.

What makes Rippling especially powerful is its ability to handle the entire employee lifecycle globally—from initial hiring and onboarding through ongoing payroll and benefits management. This integrated approach eliminates many of the data inconsistencies and manual processes that create problems when managing international teams across multiple systems.

Additionally, Rippling provides consolidated financial reporting across all payment types—B2B payments through bill pay, payroll, contractor payments, and bi-directional ERP integrations. Customers can analyze virtually any financial data within Rippling without switching between systems or managing complex spreadsheet exports, giving them complete visibility into their global spending and cash flow.

Stripe alternatives FAQs

What is the best Stripe alternative for international payments?

The best choice depends on your specific needs. For paying employees, contractors, and vendors globally, Rippling excels due to its comprehensive global capabilities and compliance infrastructure. While platforms like GoCardless works well for recurring international bank transfers at lower costs.

Which Stripe competitor is best for SaaS businesses?

Paddle is designed for SaaS and digital product companies. Braintree also works well for SaaS businesses that need more customization. Rippling provides an integrated approach for SaaS companies that want to combine payroll, HR, and payment processing in a single platform. The choice depends on whether you prioritize compliance automation (Paddle), customization flexibility (Braintree), or comprehensive business operations integration (Rippling).

Can I use multiple payment processors at the same time?

Yes, many businesses use multiple processors to optimize for different use cases. You might use Stripe for customer payments, Rippling for employee & contractor payroll, and Tipalti for vendor payments. This approach can optimize costs and capabilities, though it requires more management overhead. Ensure your accounting system can handle multiple payment sources effectively.

This blog is based on information available to Rippling as of June 12, 2025.

Disclaimer: Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.