Stripe vs PayPal
Stripe is a developer-first processor with a published card rate, no monthly fee and separately priced products for billing, tax and fraud screening. PayPal is a wallet that also processes cards, and its fee depends on whether the buyer pays from a PayPal account. Stripe is cheaper on cards in the Dutch rate tables we read, PayPal costs less per dispute.
Sebastiaan SmitsFounderVendors can pay for visibility on this site; it never changes what we say about a product. How that works.
Choose Stripe ifyou take mostly card payments, want to build your own checkout through an API, and can price the add-on modules you need.
Choose PayPal ifyour customers expect to pay with a PayPal account, you sell low volumes without developer time, and you accept a higher rate on wallet payments.
Stripe and PayPal side by side
| Stripe | PayPal | |
|---|---|---|
| Our payment processing software rank | #5 of 12 | #10 of 12 |
| Established in | United States | United States |
| Pricing | Published pay-as-you-go card rates with no setup or monthly fee; interchange-plus on request | Published commercial transaction fees; tiered rate plan on request |
| List price, 20 October 2026 | No setup or monthly fee; standard EEA cards 1.5% + €0.25, premium EEA cards 2.8% + €0.25, international cards 3.15% + €0.25 | Standard commercial 3.40% + €0.35; card without PayPal account 1.80% + €0.35; Klarna 2.99% + €0.35 |
| Free tier | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Self-hostable | — | — |
| Built for | Software teams who want an API-first processor with public rates and global reach. | Sellers whose buyers expect a wallet checkout beside card payments at checkout. |
| Not for | Shops wanting one flat all-in price including tax handling. | Low-margin sellers whose average basket is quite small. |
Both are reviewed in full in our payment processing software ranking: Stripe and PayPal.
Where they differ
Stripe 2 · PayPal 1 · open 2- 01
Card payment rate
On the Netherlands pages in euros, Stripe charges 1.5% + €0.25 for standard EEA cards and 2.8% + €0.25 for premium EEA cards, with UK cards at 2.5% and international cards at 3.15%. PayPal charges 1.80% + €0.35 for a card payment from a customer without a PayPal account. Stripe is cheaper on a typical €50 EEA card sale.
Edge: Stripe
- 02
Disputes
A received chargeback costs €20.00 on Stripe, and it is refunded only on a contested chargeback you win. Stripe also offers Smart Disputes at 30% of the disputed amount for each one you win. PayPal's Dutch page lists a standard dispute fee of €14.00 and €28.00 for a high number of disputes. PayPal is cheaper per standard dispute.
Edge: PayPal
- 03
Buy now pay later
Klarna runs at 2.99% + €0.35 on PayPal's Dutch page and from 2.99% + €0.35 on Stripe's. PayPal lists other instalment options at 5.49% and 6.5% plus €0.35. Stripe's page we read names Klarna and iDEAL (€0.29 per payment) but we did not compare the full list of methods.
Depends on the buyer
- 04
Currency conversion
Stripe adds 2% when a payment needs converting. PayPal lists 3.00% above the base exchange rate for converting a business balance, and its US page lists 4.00% when a buyer pays in a currency other than the listed one. The mechanisms differ, so compare on your own currency mix, but Stripe's published figure is lower.
Edge: Stripe
- 05
Getting paid out
Stripe lets you choose continuous, weekly or monthly transfers, and instant payouts cost 1% with a €0.50 minimum. PayPal's US page lists standard bank transfers as free without conversion and instant transfers at 1.50%. Those are two different country pages, and we did not read a Dutch payout table for PayPal.
Depends on the buyer
When neither fits
If you want a payment provider with no wallet or developer-first stack, Mollie and Adyen in the same category take different routes, and Paddle suits sellers who want a merchant of record.
Stripe or PayPal: questions
4 answersWhich is cheaper, Stripe or PayPal?
For card payments in the Dutch euro tables we read, Stripe: 1.5% + €0.25 for standard EEA cards against PayPal's 1.80% + €0.35 for cards without an account. PayPal's standard commercial rate is 3.40% + €0.35.
Does Stripe charge a monthly fee?
Standard pricing has no setup or monthly fee. Stripe Billing, Tax and Radar are priced separately, for example Radar from €10.00 a month.
What does a chargeback cost?
€20.00 on Stripe, and €14.00 standard on PayPal's Dutch page (€28.00 for a high number of disputes).
Can I get custom rates?
Stripe's page does not list interchange-plus rates, which are quoted on request. PayPal's Dutch page shows no tiers and refers custom pricing to PayPal; its US page lists an Interchange Plus Plus option.
Sources
Checked 20 October 2026- Stripe pricing (Netherlands): card rates, conversion, disputes, Billing, Tax, Radar, payouts, no monthly fee.
- Stripe Services Agreement: Stripe Payments Europe, Limited as Dutch contracting entity, reserves, termination.
- Stripe privacy policy: Stripe, LLC address in South San Francisco, California.
- PayPal business fees (Netherlands): euro commercial rate, card without account, Klarna, other BNPL, conversion, dispute fees.
- PayPal business fees (United States): withdrawal fees, 4.00% conversion case, Interchange Plus Plus, monthly fees on some products.
- PayPal privacy statement: PayPal Inc., San Jose, California address.