Thinking of switching from PayPal to Stripe (or vice versa)? This comparison covers features, costs, and migration considerations to help mid-market Australian businesses make an informed decision.
Side-by-side feature ratings for PayPal and Stripe.
| Feature | PayPal | Stripe | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transaction fees | When it comes to transaction fees, PayPal pulls clearly ahead of Stripe — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team. | ||
| Payment methods supported | Both PayPal and Stripe offer comparable payment methods supported capabilities. | ||
| Recurring billing | PayPal significantly outperforms Stripe on recurring billing, making it the stronger choice for businesses that prioritise this area. | ||
| International payments | When it comes to international payments, PayPal pulls clearly ahead of Stripe — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team. | ||
| Fraud protection | When it comes to fraud protection, Stripe pulls clearly ahead of PayPal — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team. | ||
| Developer tools and API | Stripe has a notable advantage in developer tools and api. | ||
| Reporting and reconciliation | PayPal has a notable advantage in reporting and reconciliation. | ||
| Dispute management | When it comes to dispute management, PayPal pulls clearly ahead of Stripe — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team. | ||
| Payout speed | When it comes to payout speed, Stripe pulls clearly ahead of PayPal — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team. | ||
| Australian compliance | When it comes to australian compliance, PayPal pulls clearly ahead of Stripe — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team. | ||
| Ease of setup | Both PayPal and Stripe offer comparable ease of setup capabilities. | ||
| Value for money | Both PayPal and Stripe offer comparable value for money capabilities. |
Transaction fees
PayPal
Stripe
When it comes to transaction fees, PayPal pulls clearly ahead of Stripe — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team.
Payment methods supported
PayPal
Stripe
Both PayPal and Stripe offer comparable payment methods supported capabilities.
Recurring billing
PayPal
Stripe
PayPal significantly outperforms Stripe on recurring billing, making it the stronger choice for businesses that prioritise this area.
International payments
PayPal
Stripe
When it comes to international payments, PayPal pulls clearly ahead of Stripe — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team.
Fraud protection
PayPal
Stripe
When it comes to fraud protection, Stripe pulls clearly ahead of PayPal — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team.
Developer tools and API
PayPal
Stripe
Stripe has a notable advantage in developer tools and api.
Reporting and reconciliation
PayPal
Stripe
PayPal has a notable advantage in reporting and reconciliation.
Dispute management
PayPal
Stripe
When it comes to dispute management, PayPal pulls clearly ahead of Stripe — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team.
Payout speed
PayPal
Stripe
When it comes to payout speed, Stripe pulls clearly ahead of PayPal — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team.
Australian compliance
PayPal
Stripe
When it comes to australian compliance, PayPal pulls clearly ahead of Stripe — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team.
Ease of setup
PayPal
Stripe
Both PayPal and Stripe offer comparable ease of setup capabilities.
Value for money
PayPal
Stripe
Both PayPal and Stripe offer comparable value for money capabilities.
General pricing information for each platform.
Transaction-based; ~2.6% + 30c per transaction
Pricing is indicative only and subject to change. We recommend contacting the vendor for a tailored quote based on your Australian business needs.
Transaction-based; ~2.9% + 30c per transaction
These figures are estimates based on publicly available pricing. Actual costs depend on your usage, team size, and any negotiated rates.
An honest look at the strengths and limitations of each platform.
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Which tool suits which use case.
Our Harvard-educated consultants' take on this comparison.
Stripe offers a much wider integration ecosystem than PayPal, making it a strong choice for businesses with complex tech stacks. However, integration breadth is just one factor. Our Harvard-educated consultants weigh features, pricing, usability, and your specific workflows before making a recommendation.
What to know about switching between PayPal and Stripe.
Clever Ops takes a low-risk approach to migrating between PayPal and Stripe. We run both systems in parallel during the transition, transferring customers, invoices, disputes in stages and verifying data at each step. Your team continues working in the existing system until the new one is fully validated. The process typically takes 4-8 weeks, followed by 3 months of hands-on support.
Other popular comparisons involving PayPal or Stripe.
Already decided? See how to integrate PayPal and Stripe seamlessly.
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