Braintree
Braintree, a PayPal company rebranded as PayPal Enterprise Payments, offers a unified platform for secure online/mobile payments, supporting cards, digital wallets, local methods, and global payouts across 200+ markets.
Best for
- E-commerce platforms needing PayPal/Venmo integration
- Mobile apps with in-store and online payments
- Marketplaces handling recurring billing and payouts
- Global businesses requiring multi-currency support
- High-volume enterprises
Not ideal for
- Limited availability in some regions
- Pricing not fully transparent; requires direct inquiry for custom rates
- Frequent mandatory SDK upgrades
- Policy updates frequent
- Relies on PayPal infrastructure, potentially limiting standalone flexibility
Get Started with Braintree
From Free/mo · 2 plans available
Visit Braintree →Braintree Overview
Braintree vs Top Alternatives
Braintree Features
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Seamless integration with PayPal ecosystem for broader payment options
- Strong fraud protection with adaptive tools
- Global reach in 200+ markets and 50+ currencies
- Developer-friendly APIs, SDKs, and sandbox testing
- No monthly fees, only transaction-based pricing
- Supports wallets like Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay
- High volume processing capability
Cons
- Limited availability in some regions
- Pricing not fully transparent; requires direct inquiry for custom rates
- Frequent mandatory SDK upgrades
- Policy updates frequent
- Relies on PayPal infrastructure, potentially limiting standalone flexibility
Pricing Plans
Standard
- PayPal integration
- Credit card processing
- Basic fraud protection
- API access
- Multi-currency support
Enterprise
- Custom pricing
- Advanced fraud tools
- Dedicated support
- Volume discounts
- Custom integrations
Braintree Integrations
Braintree connects with 7 services to extend your workflow.
Who Should Use Braintree?
Developers and Mid-Market to Enterprise Businesses
Braintree is designed primarily for developers, mid-market to enterprise businesses, and platforms needing advanced, scalable payment processing with PayPal integration. It targets businesses seeking developer-friendly tools like clean APIs, extensive integrations, multicurrency support (130+ currencies), and payment methods including cards, digital wallets, and fraud prevention.
RecommendedE-commerce and Online Retailers
Handles comprehensive online payments and is used by businesses in high e-commerce markets like the US (7,408 companies), UK (1,481), and Australia (586). Appeals to low-to-high volume merchants via flat-rate pricing and no setup fees.
RecommendedMarketplaces and Platforms
Supports buyer-seller transactions and embedded finance with examples including Hotel Tonight, Poshmark, and Braintree Marketplace. Real users include Uber, Spotify, and Adobe for handling high-volume payments.
RecommendedSubscription and SaaS Businesses
Manages recurring billing and is ideal for mid-market firms. Offers faster payouts (2-day payout) making it better for businesses transacting large amounts of money compared to competitors that take over a week.
RecommendedSmall Businesses Without Technical Resources
Requires programming skills or a developer for setup and API use, making it prohibitive for small businesses without technical resources. API documentation is often called obtuse compared to rivals like Stripe.
Not idealWhen to Consider Alternatives
Need simple invoicing or billing tools
Braintree lacks built-in invoicing, a core need for many card-not-present transactions, forcing reliance on external integrations like PayPal.
Consider PayPal instead →Need in-person (POS) transactions
Unlike competitors expanding into physical payments, Braintree is online-only, requiring add-ons for hybrid needs.
Consider Square instead →Non-technical setup requirements
Requires programming skills or a developer for setup and API use, making it prohibitive for small businesses without technical resources.
Consider PayPal instead →Gateway-only usage on budget
Gateway-only pricing is overpriced at $49/month plus $0.10 per transaction for gateway use alone, far costlier than full processing options.
Top Braintree Alternatives
Stripe
Online payment processing platform for internet businesses with powerful APIs and developer tools.
Square
Square provides an all-in-one payments platform for accepting cards, ACH, and BNPL anywhere—online, in-store, or remotely—with free tools like POS apps, invoicing, and banking, plus APIs for custom builds.
PayPal
Global payment platform for online and in-person payments with buyer protection.
Adyen
Adyen is a fintech platform providing end-to-end payments, data insights, and financial products in a single solution for global enterprises. It combines gateway, processor, and acquirer capabilities with 99.999% uptime, supporting 200+ payment methods across 150+ currencies.
FastSpring
Full-stack digital commerce platform and merchant of record for software, SaaS, and digital products with global payment processing and subscription management.
Paddle
Merchant of Record platform that provides unified payment processing, subscription billing, tax compliance, and revenue analytics for SaaS and software companies. Handles payments, invoicing, global tax compliance, fraud protection, and customer support in a single integrated solution.