Top PayPal Alternatives for Businesses and Consumers (2025)

PayPal is one of the most recognized names in digital payments, holding about 45% of the global online payment processing market in 2025, per Clearly Payments. The platform allows you to send and receive money transfers, check out securely on ecommerce sites, and even accept in-person transactions. 

Used by more than 430 million users across 200 markets, PayPal is known for its ease of use, buyer and seller protection, and global reach. But its pricing model can be difficult to predict, with fees that vary by payment type, country, and currency conversion. It also offers less flexibility for customizing your checkout experience and managing payments directly within your ecommerce platform.

Although PayPal remains a leader, it’s not always the most cost-effective or flexible option. Whether you run an online store, a retail business, or both, the right payment provider can shape how quickly you get paid, what fees you incur, and how customers experience checkout. Other payment providers offer low transaction fees, simple pricing, fast setup, and more control over your checkout experience. 

Here’s how the leading PayPal alternatives stack up, so you can find the right one for your business.

Top PayPal alternatives 

The options below include both full payment processors (like Shopify Payments) and consumer-facing digital wallet services (like Apple Pay and Google Pay) that integrate with those systems to simplify checkout.

Shopify Payments 

Shopify Payments is the built-in payment processor for Shopify stores, designed to help merchants accept payments without relying on third-party providers. It integrates directly with your online store and POS system, creating a seamless setup for managing sales both online and in person. PayPal is still available as a connected payment option, but Shopify Payments acts as its native alternative, handling card processing and payouts directly within Shopify’s platform.

Shopify Payments is available in 40 countries and supports multiple currencies, making it easy to sell globally through Shopify Markets. Because it’s fully integrated, there are no setup or monthly costs on top of your Shopify plan rate and processing fees. The result is a simpler, more unified way for Shopify stores to manage their entire payment flow.

Pricing: Shopify Payments’ processing fees depend on your plan and transaction type.

• Basic: $29 monthly (paid annually); 2.6% plus 10¢ per in-person transaction, 2.9% plus 30¢ per online transaction.

• Grow: $79 monthly (paid annually); 2.5% plus 10¢ per in-person transaction, 2.7% plus 30¢ per online transaction.

• Advanced: $299 monthly (paid annually); 2.4% plus 10¢ per in-person transaction, 2.5% plus 30¢ per online transaction.

Other key features include:

• Accepts major credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. 

• Strong security through built-in PCI compliance, payment data encryption, and 3D Secure checkouts (extra cardholder verification for fraud prevention).

• Works with Shop Pay Installments for buy now, pay later (BNPL) transactions.

• Unified dashboard for online and in-person orders.

Stripe

PayPal may offer an easy-to-set-up checkout experience, but Stripe provides a more customizable payment processing platform that lets you tailor your checkout to match your brand’s look and feel. To make the most of Stripe’s customization capabilities, you may need a developer to configure APIs, integrations, and more. The payment processor also allows shoppers to stay on your website throughout the entire payment process, avoiding the redirect to a third-party payment site that some basic and legacy PayPal integrations require.

Stripe matches PayPal in global support, accepting payments in 195 countries, but stands out in the number of accepted currencies (135 versus PayPal’s 25).

Pricing: Stripe’s standard pricing is simpler than PayPal’s fee structure, which varies by transaction type and location. Stripe charges 2.9% plus 30¢ for domestic card and digital wallet transactions and 2.6% plus 30¢ for instant bank payments.

Other key features include:

• Accepts debit and credit card payments, ACH transfers (electronic payments between banks), digital wallets, BNPL, and crypto

• Integrates with payment gateways, accounting software, CRMs, and ecommerce platforms such as Shopify and WooCommerce

• Security with multifactor authentication, tokenization, encryption, and PCI compliance to help prevent fraudulent transactions

Apple Pay 

Apple Pay is Apple’s digital wallet and mobile payment platform, which securely stores customers’ payment details and lets them check out quickly on Apple devices like Macs, iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches. Because it’s limited to Apple users, it works best for customers already in the Apple ecosystem. Unlike Apple Pay, a PayPal account offers broader compatibility across platforms and ecommerce sites.

Security is one of Apple Pay’s biggest strengths. Every transaction is verified with a passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID, and payment data is protected using tokenization and the device’s Secure Enclave chip. Apple also doesn’t store or share customers’ actual card numbers with merchants, adding another layer of privacy.

Pricing: Apple Pay is free for businesses, though you’ll still pay the standard card-network or processor fees that apply to each transaction.

Other key features include:

• Available in nearly 100 countries or regions

• Accepts major credit and debit cards 

• Works online, in apps, and for contactless payments

Google Pay 

Google Pay is Google’s digital wallet and payment platform, which securely stores payment details, letting customers make both online and contactless in-person payments. Similar to Apple Pay, it’s designed for speed and convenience at checkout, but unlike Apple Pay, it’s available across operating systems and devices.

Compared with PayPal’s more complex pricing structure, Google Pay offers a simple setup and transaction process, with fees handled through your existing payment provider. While PayPal has a broader global reach, Google Pay operates in 57 countries and continues to expand.

Pricing: Google Pay itself doesn’t charge setup or subscription fees, but you’ll still pay standard processing fees from your card network or payment gateway. 

Other key features include:

• Works with major ecommerce platforms and online payment platforms (Shopify, WooCommerce, Stripe, and more) 

• Security through tokenization, built-in authentication, fraud protection, and transaction encryption

• Accepts major credit and debit cards, linked bank accounts, and supported regional payment systems

Square 

Square’s focus is serving brick-and-mortar and mobile small businesses that want an integrated point-of-sale (POS) system. Like PayPal and Shopify Payments, Square’s ecosystem includes software, payment processing, and POS hardware. Unlike PayPal, Square doesn’t charge an additional processing fee for international transactions—PayPal adds 1.5%.

Beyond payments, Square includes tools for marketing, email campaigns, and customer loyalty programs, helping small businesses manage more of their operations. PayPal also offers marketing features, but they’re primarily geared toward ecommerce conversions rather than in-person sales.

Pricing: Square’s processing fees depend on your plan and transaction type. If you’re a merchant that has high transaction volume, you might qualify for lower rates.

• Free plan: 2.6% plus 15¢ per in-person transaction, 3.3% plus 30¢ per online transaction. 

• Plus: $49 monthly (per location); 2.5% plus 15¢ per in-person transaction, 2.9% plus 30¢ per online transaction.

• Premium: $149 monthly (per location); 2.4% plus 15¢ per in-person transaction,2.9% plus 30¢ per online transaction. 

Other key features include:

• Accepts credit and debit cards, ACH bank transfers, BNPL, and gift cards 

• Integrations across ecommerce, accounting, and marketing 

• Security through encryption, PCI compliance, real-time fraud monitoring, and other industry-standard security best practices

Zelle 

Zelle works differently from PayPal and other payment platforms in this guide. It’s designed for direct bank-to-bank transfers—ideal for quick money transfers between trusted parties—but it isn’t necessarily built for ecommerce transactions. That said, to date, Zelle has partnered with more than 2,300 financial institutions in the US, making it easy for new businesses to set up a simple, low-cost payment method.

Zelle payments typically settle within minutes and can’t be reversed once sent, meaning there’s no built-in purchase protection or dispute resolution. As such, it might be best used for local or trusted clients and not for more widespread ecommerce transactions that could require refunds or reversals.

Pricing: Zelle doesn’t charge fees for sending or receiving money, though some banks or credit unions may apply transaction fees. Overall, it’s the lowest-cost option for accepting payments among the providers in this guide.

Other key features include:

• Available through most major US banks’ apps—no separate setup required

• Business profiles let small merchants accept payments under a business name

• Instant payment notifications once funds are received