Stripe vs Adyen
Stripe leads with a public card rate and a broad catalogue of add-on products. Adyen charges a fixed fee per transaction plus a fee for each payment method, and many cards sit on interchange++ with a stated markup. Stripe is American, Adyen is Dutch, and both bill extra products separately.
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Choose Stripe ifyou want a card rate you can read on the pricing page today, an API-first setup, and optional modules like tax or fraud screening later.
Choose Adyen ifyou sell across many countries and channels at volume, expect to negotiate interchange++, and prefer a Netherlands-based processor.
Stripe and Adyen side by side
| Stripe | Adyen | |
|---|---|---|
| Our payment processing software rank | #5 of 13 | #7 of 13 |
| Established in | United States | Netherlands |
| List price, 3 November 2026 | Standard EEA cards 1.5% + EUR 0.25, UK cards 2.5% + EUR 0.25, nothing to pay for setup or monthly use | No setup or monthly fee; fixed fee plus payment-method fee per transaction, amounts per method on its pricing page |
| Free tier | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Self-hostable | — | — |
| Built for | Software teams who want an API-first processor with public rates and global reach. | Larger merchants selling across many countries and channels with one integration. |
| Not for | Shops wanting one flat all-in price including tax handling. | Small shops with low-value baskets and few payment methods. |
Both are reviewed in full in our payment processing software ranking: Stripe and Adyen.
Where they differ
Stripe 2 · Adyen 1 · open 1- 01
What the headline rate tells you
Stripe's Dutch pricing page shows standard EEA cards at 1.5% + EUR 0.25 and UK cards at 2.5% + EUR 0.25, with no setup or monthly fee. Adyen describes a fixed fee plus a payment-method fee and, on the pages we read, gives no single card number to quote. Stripe is easier to estimate.
Edge: Stripe
- 02
Interchange-plus at scale
Stripe says custom and interchange-plus plans exist, with volume discounts. Adyen lists many card methods as interchange++ with a stated markup, so that structure is its default talking point rather than a negotiated exception. For large cost-sensitive volume, Adyen's model is built for that conversation.
Edge: Adyen
- 03
Small baskets and extra products
Adyen's fixed fee applies to each transaction, which weighs on low-value sales, and its other products are priced apart from processing. Stripe also prices Billing, Tax, Radar and Terminal separately. Both need a full quote for the whole stack, so neither wins on simplicity here.
Depends on the buyer
- 04
Reach and merchant of record
Stripe lists support for cardholders in 195 countries and more than 135 currencies, and offers Managed Payments as a merchant-of-record product. Adyen lists 28 offices and was founded in Amsterdam in 2006. We found no merchant-of-record product on the Adyen pages we read.
Edge: Stripe
When neither fits
If you want one flat price that includes tax handling, neither fits well. Paddle takes the merchant-of-record role, and Mollie is a European option with simple published pricing.
Stripe or Adyen: questions
3 answersDoes Adyen charge a monthly fee?
No. Adyen's pricing page states no setup fee and no monthly fees, but each transaction carries a fixed fee plus a payment-method fee.
Which one publishes a card rate?
Stripe does, at 1.5% + EUR 0.25 for standard EEA cards on its Dutch page. Adyen lists the fee structure and interchange++ markups per method.
Which contracting entity applies in Europe?
For most EEA countries Stripe's services agreement names Stripe Payments Europe, Limited. Adyen is a Netherlands company founded in Amsterdam.
Sources
Checked 3 November 2026- Stripe pricing: EEA and UK card rates, 195 countries, 135 currencies, Managed Payments, interchange-plus availability.
- Stripe legal terms: Stripe Payments Europe, Limited for most EEA countries.
- Adyen pricing: Fixed fee plus method fee, no setup or monthly fee, interchange++ markup, separate product pricing.
- Adyen about: Founded 2006 in Amsterdam, 28 offices.