Wise
Multi-currency accounts and international money transfers.
Alternatives · 2026
Alternatives to Braintree
PayPal-owned payment gateway for online and mobile apps.
8 hand-curated alternatives from MintedSaaS's directory. See the Braintree listing →
Braintree is a PayPal-owned payment gateway designed for e-commerce businesses, SaaS platforms, and marketplaces that need to accept credit cards and digital wallets at scale. It's positioned as an enterprise-grade option, competing directly with Stripe, Adyen, and PayPal's own gateway, and it handles everything from recurring billing to fraud detection. Braintree works for companies that already trust the PayPal ecosystem or need tight integration with PayPal's tools.
In practice, Braintree gets deployed by merchants handling high transaction volumes who want PCI compliance handled for them and don't mind the enterprise sales model. Teams use it for standard card processing, subscription billing, and marketplace payments where the gateway needs to handle complex payouts. It suits businesses that prefer working through a sales team over self-service onboarding, and companies comfortable with PayPal's ownership and feature roadmap.
What we offer that competes
Adyen
Unified commerce payments platform for global enterprises.
PayPal
Global online payments for businesses and consumers.
Paddle
Merchant-of-record billing platform for SaaS companies.
Lemon Squeezy
Merchant of Record for selling digital products and SaaS.
What to look for
- Whether the gateway charges per-transaction fees or includes a monthly flat rate, and what volume discount threshold triggers lower percentage rates.
- Whether the gateway natively supports recurring billing and subscription renewals, or requires custom code to manage billing cycles.
- Whether the gateway provides a pre-built tax calculation and compliance engine, or if tax calculation and remittance is your responsibility.
- Whether the gateway offers webhooks and a documented API with published rate limits, so you can build custom integrations without sales involvement.
- Whether the gateway supports your target sales channels (Shopify, WooCommerce, custom app, marketplace), with official plugins or tested SDKs.
- Whether the gateway handles payouts to your bank account automatically, or requires manual settlement and how frequently payouts occur.
FAQ
What's the difference between a payment gateway and a payment processor?
A payment gateway like Braintree encrypts and transmits card data to a processor, which contacts the customer's bank. Many gateways (including Braintree) bundle in processing, so you don't see the distinction. Separate processors like Square or Adyen handle the backend bank communication while the gateway sits in front. For most merchants, this distinction doesn't matter—you pick a gateway and processing comes with it.
Are there free alternatives to Braintree?
Not truly free, but Stripe and Lemon Squeezy both have no monthly fees and charge only per transaction (2.2–2.9% + fixed fees), making them free to set up. Braintree also has no monthly minimum, so cost comes down to per-transaction rates and volume discounts. If you're processing under $5k monthly, Stripe or Lemon Squeezy will feel free; Braintree's pricing advantage kicks in at higher volumes.
Which payment gateway works best for subscription billing?
Braintree, Stripe, Paddle, and Lemon Squeezy all handle subscriptions natively. Stripe has the most flexible API and cheapest setup for custom renewal logic. Paddle and Lemon Squeezy are built first for SaaS subscriptions and handle tax compliance automatically. Braintree's subscription tools work well but feel more dated than Stripe's. Choose based on tax/compliance needs, not just billing frequency.
What are the best alternatives to Braintree?
Stripe is the most common swap—same enterprise features, faster API, lower fees at scale. Adyen is ideal if you're processing internationally and need support for 250+ payment methods. Paddle or Lemon Squeezy are stronger if you're SaaS-focused and want tax compliance built in. Mercury and Wise suit businesses that also need banking features alongside payments.
Does Braintree work with my shopping platform?
Braintree has official plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and BigCommerce, plus SDKs for custom builds. Most Braintree alternatives listed here—Stripe, Square, Adyen, PayPal—have similar platform support. If you're using a niche platform, check the gateway's integration directory before committing; Stripe usually has the broadest coverage.
Can I use multiple payment gateways on the same store?
Yes. Running Stripe and PayPal together on Shopify is common for redundancy and to capture more payment methods. Most platforms support multiple gateways out of the box, though your accounting will get messier. Braintree doesn't prevent this, but at high volumes a single gateway usually has better fees than splitting traffic.
How much do payment gateways charge, and what affects the rate?
Braintree, Stripe, and Square all charge 2.2–2.9% plus $0.30 per card transaction at standard rates. Volume discounts (at $10k+ monthly) can drop this to 1.8–2.2%. International cards, PayPal, or ACH transfers cost more. Lemon Squeezy and Paddle charge 5–8.8% but bundle in tax compliance and payouts, so effective cost can be lower for SaaS.
What payment methods should my gateway support?
Credit cards and PayPal are table stakes. Add Apple Pay and Google Pay for mobile. If you sell internationally, add local methods: iDEAL (Europe), Alipay (Asia), Boleto (Brazil). Adyen supports 250+ methods out of the box. Stripe supports 135+. Braintree covers the major bases but lags on emerging markets. Decide by where your customers are, not by picking the 'most complete' option.