Lowest-fee Stripe alternatives
Lowest fee on this page means the lowest published standard rate at a stated volume and ticket, using the formula on the methodology page. It does not mean the lowest price after a sales call. The tables below use a $50 average ticket and domestic US pricing.
Shopify's row is processing only. The Basic plan is another $39 a month, or $29 if you pay yearly. Authorize.net's row includes its $25 monthly fee. Frame is absent on purpose. Its card price is a floor ("from 2.0% + $0.39"), which is not a rate you will be charged.
International cards, PayPal's checkout button versus its card rate, and Lemon Squeezy's subscription add-on are all capable of reordering this list. The labels under each row say which product the number is.
When is a three-dollar fee gap not worth a migration?
At $10,000 a month, Braintree's published rate beats Stripe's by $3. That is not a migration. The gaps that are large enough to survive a migration are PayPal Checkout versus a card rate, Square's free-plan online rate versus its API rate, a merchant-of-record 5% versus a processor's 2.9%, and interchange-plus versus flat rate once volume is real. Whop at 2.7% + $0.30 is on the table as a domestic card rate. Turning on its tax remittance adds 2%, which that row does not include. Dodo Payments at 4% + $0.40 is a merchant-of-record price, not a card-processing price.
How should interchange-plus be compared?
Helcim's base online margin is interchange + 0.50% + $0.25. Adding this site's planning assumption of 1.80% + $0.10 interchange produces 2.30% + $0.35, or $300 at $10,000 and a $50 ticket, against Stripe's $350. At $250,000 the Helcim margin in the disclosure steps down to 0.35% + $0.20, and the same assumption produces a wider gap. Your card mix can erase it. Debit-heavy books do better on interchange-plus. Corporate-card-heavy books do worse. Ask Helcim for a sample effective rate on a mix you describe. Do not treat $300 as a quote.
The calculator recomputes this with your volume and lets you change the interchange assumption.
What does $10,000.00 a month cost at a $50.00 ticket?
These rows use published standard rates at $10,000.00 and a $50.00 ticket, checked on November 9, 2026. Stripe's US domestic rate in the arithmetic is 2.9% + $0.30.
| Provider | Estimate | Arithmetic |
|---|---|---|
| Whop, domestic cards | $330.00 | 200 × $0.30 + 2.7% of $10,000.00 |
| Braintree, US cards and wallets | $347.00 | 200 × $0.29 + 2.89% of $10,000.00 |
| Stripe, US domestic cards | $350.00 | 200 × $0.30 + 2.9% of $10,000.00 |
| Square Free, online API | $350.00 | 200 × $0.30 + 2.9% of $10,000.00 |
| Shopify Payments, Basic, online standard cards | $350.00 | 200 × $0.30 + 2.9% of $10,000.00 |
| Authorize.net all-in-one | $375.00 | 200 × $0.30 + 2.9% of $10,000.00 + $25.00 monthly |
| Square Free, online or invoices | $390.00 | 200 × $0.30 + 3.3% of $10,000.00 |
| PayPal standard credit and debit cards | $397.00 | 200 × $0.49 + 2.99% of $10,000.00 |
| PayPal Checkout, Guest Checkout, Venmo | $447.00 | 200 × $0.49 + 3.49% of $10,000.00 |
| Dodo Payments, US cards and wallets | $480.00 | 200 × $0.40 + 4% of $10,000.00 |
| Paddle pay as you go | $600.00 | 200 × $0.50 + 5% of $10,000.00 |
| Lemon Squeezy, US one-time card | $600.00 | 200 × $0.50 + 5% of $10,000.00 |
Helcim illustration, not a quote: interchange assumption 1.8% + $0.10 plus Helcim's published online margin 0.5% + $0.25 = $300.00.
What does $50,000.00 a month cost at a $50.00 ticket?
These rows use published standard rates at $50,000.00 and a $50.00 ticket, checked on November 9, 2026. Stripe's US domestic rate in the arithmetic is 2.9% + $0.30.
| Provider | Estimate | Arithmetic |
|---|---|---|
| Whop, domestic cards | $1,650.00 | 1000 × $0.30 + 2.7% of $50,000.00 |
| Braintree, US cards and wallets | $1,735.00 | 1000 × $0.29 + 2.89% of $50,000.00 |
| Stripe, US domestic cards | $1,750.00 | 1000 × $0.30 + 2.9% of $50,000.00 |
| Square Free, online API | $1,750.00 | 1000 × $0.30 + 2.9% of $50,000.00 |
| Shopify Payments, Basic, online standard cards | $1,750.00 | 1000 × $0.30 + 2.9% of $50,000.00 |
| Authorize.net all-in-one | $1,775.00 | 1000 × $0.30 + 2.9% of $50,000.00 + $25.00 monthly |
| Square Free, online or invoices | $1,950.00 | 1000 × $0.30 + 3.3% of $50,000.00 |
| PayPal standard credit and debit cards | $1,985.00 | 1000 × $0.49 + 2.99% of $50,000.00 |
| PayPal Checkout, Guest Checkout, Venmo | $2,235.00 | 1000 × $0.49 + 3.49% of $50,000.00 |
| Dodo Payments, US cards and wallets | $2,400.00 | 1000 × $0.40 + 4% of $50,000.00 |
| Paddle pay as you go | $3,000.00 | 1000 × $0.50 + 5% of $50,000.00 |
| Lemon Squeezy, US one-time card | $3,000.00 | 1000 × $0.50 + 5% of $50,000.00 |
Helcim illustration, not a quote: interchange assumption 1.8% + $0.10 plus Helcim's published online margin 0.5% + $0.25 = $1,500.00.
What does $250,000.00 a month cost at a $50.00 ticket?
These rows use published standard rates at $250,000.00 and a $50.00 ticket, checked on November 9, 2026. Stripe's US domestic rate in the arithmetic is 2.9% + $0.30.
| Provider | Estimate | Arithmetic |
|---|---|---|
| Whop, domestic cards | $8,250.00 | 5000 × $0.30 + 2.7% of $250,000.00 |
| Braintree, US cards and wallets | $8,675.00 | 5000 × $0.29 + 2.89% of $250,000.00 |
| Stripe, US domestic cards | $8,750.00 | 5000 × $0.30 + 2.9% of $250,000.00 |
| Square Free, online API | $8,750.00 | 5000 × $0.30 + 2.9% of $250,000.00 |
| Shopify Payments, Basic, online standard cards | $8,750.00 | 5000 × $0.30 + 2.9% of $250,000.00 |
| Authorize.net all-in-one | $8,775.00 | 5000 × $0.30 + 2.9% of $250,000.00 + $25.00 monthly |
| Square Free, online or invoices | $9,750.00 | 5000 × $0.30 + 3.3% of $250,000.00 |
| PayPal standard credit and debit cards | $9,925.00 | 5000 × $0.49 + 2.99% of $250,000.00 |
| PayPal Checkout, Guest Checkout, Venmo | $11,175.00 | 5000 × $0.49 + 3.49% of $250,000.00 |
| Dodo Payments, US cards and wallets | $12,000.00 | 5000 × $0.40 + 4% of $250,000.00 |
| Paddle pay as you go | $15,000.00 | 5000 × $0.50 + 5% of $250,000.00 |
| Lemon Squeezy, US one-time card | $15,000.00 | 5000 × $0.50 + 5% of $250,000.00 |
Helcim illustration, not a quote: interchange assumption 1.8% + $0.10 plus Helcim's published online margin 0.35% + $0.20 = $6,875.00.
What does $10,000.00 a month cost at a $15.00 ticket?
These rows use published standard rates at $10,000.00 and a $15.00 ticket, checked on November 9, 2026. Stripe's US domestic rate in the arithmetic is 2.9% + $0.30.
| Provider | Estimate | Arithmetic |
|---|---|---|
| Whop, domestic cards | $470.00 | 666.67 × $0.30 + 2.7% of $10,000.00 |
| Braintree, US cards and wallets | $482.33 | 666.67 × $0.29 + 2.89% of $10,000.00 |
| Stripe, US domestic cards | $490.00 | 666.67 × $0.30 + 2.9% of $10,000.00 |
| Square Free, online API | $490.00 | 666.67 × $0.30 + 2.9% of $10,000.00 |
| Shopify Payments, Basic, online standard cards | $490.00 | 666.67 × $0.30 + 2.9% of $10,000.00 |
| Authorize.net all-in-one | $515.00 | 666.67 × $0.30 + 2.9% of $10,000.00 + $25.00 monthly |
| Square Free, online or invoices | $530.00 | 666.67 × $0.30 + 3.3% of $10,000.00 |
| PayPal standard credit and debit cards | $625.67 | 666.67 × $0.49 + 2.99% of $10,000.00 |
| Dodo Payments, US cards and wallets | $666.67 | 666.67 × $0.40 + 4% of $10,000.00 |
| PayPal Checkout, Guest Checkout, Venmo | $675.67 | 666.67 × $0.49 + 3.49% of $10,000.00 |
| Paddle pay as you go | $833.33 | 666.67 × $0.50 + 5% of $10,000.00 |
| Lemon Squeezy, US one-time card | $833.33 | 666.67 × $0.50 + 5% of $10,000.00 |
Helcim illustration, not a quote: interchange assumption 1.8% + $0.10 plus Helcim's published online margin 0.5% + $0.25 = $463.33.
01When is a three-dollar fee gap not worth a migration?
At $10,000 a month, Braintree's published rate beats Stripe's by $3. That is not a migration. The gaps that are large enough to survive a migration are PayPal Checkout versus a card rate, Square's free-plan online rate versus its API rate, a merchant-of-record 5% versus a processor's 2.9%, and interchange-plus versus flat rate once volume is real. Whop at 2.7% + $0.30 is on the table as a domestic card rate. Turning on its tax remittance adds 2%, which that row does not include. Dodo Payments at 4% + $0.40 is a merchant-of-record price, not a card-processing price.
02How should interchange-plus be compared?
Helcim's base online margin is interchange + 0.50% + $0.25. Adding this site's planning assumption of 1.80% + $0.10 interchange produces 2.30% + $0.35, or $300 at $10,000 and a $50 ticket, against Stripe's $350. At $250,000 the Helcim margin in the disclosure steps down to 0.35% + $0.20, and the same assumption produces a wider gap. Your card mix can erase it. Debit-heavy books do better on interchange-plus. Corporate-card-heavy books do worse. Ask Helcim for a sample effective rate on a mix you describe. Do not treat $300 as a quote.
03Where were the figures on this page read?
The sources list names the pages. This edition was read on November 9, 2026. Stripe's US domestic card rate in that reading is 2.9% + $0.30, and a dispute received is $15.
04When should you stay on Stripe?
Stay when the Stripe account is healthy and you still need Billing, Tax, Connect, or Terminal. Moving subscriptions costs more than a gap of a few dollars on a $10,000 month.
05Which rate should you not rely on?
Do not invent a rate the provider did not publish, and do not treat Frame's from 2.0% + $0.39 as a price you will be charged. A floor is labeled and left out of the calculator.
Which sources were checked?
Lowest-fee Stripe alternatives cites 1 source link. Fee figures are from the edition dated November 9, 2026. A later reading is dated where it is cited.
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