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Stripe vs PayPal
Of the 170 countries we track, Stripe onboards businesses in 42 (and 1 more with limits) and PayPal in 59 (and 3 more with limits). Both serve businesses in 43.
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Onboards businesses in United States
Stripe
AvailablePayPal
AvailableAccept payments
Stripe
Cards, wallets and 100+ local payment methods. You can sell to customers in almost every country.PayPal
PayPal wallet, cards and (in the US) Venmo at checkout, with buyer and seller protection.Pay people abroad
Stripe
Connect pays out to sellers and contractors, and Global Payouts sends money to recipients in many countries.PayPal
Mass payouts to PayPal and Venmo accounts worldwide. Bank payouts go through Hyperwallet.Multi-currency account
Stripe
Hold and settle balances in multiple currencies. Financial accounts with routing numbers are offered to US businesses.PayPal
Hold balances in 20+ currencies inside a PayPal business account.Business cards
Stripe
Issue physical and virtual cards for your business or your users.PayPal
PayPal Business Debit Mastercard.Stablecoins
Stripe
US businesses can accept stablecoin payments that settle as dollars. Stablecoin financial accounts (via Bridge) are offered in 100+ countries.PayPal
US businesses can accept crypto through Pay with Crypto and hold PayPal USD (PYUSD).Yield on idle cash
Stripe
Stripe Treasury gives US businesses 1% a year in credits on balances above $2,000, applied to Stripe fees. Stripe says it pays no cash interest on balances.PayPal
US businesses holding PayPal USD (PYUSD) in their PayPal balance can opt in to rewards of around 3.7–4% a year, funded from the stablecoin’s reserve interest. Not available in New York.Yield on idle cash
A return on money you are not using. How safe it is depends on where the return comes from, not on how high the rate is.
Where the return comes from
Stripe
Low risk, not insuredCredits against feesPayPal
Moderate riskStablecoin rewardsIs the money protected?
Stripe
Your balance is not invested. The return is paid as credits toward the provider’s own fees, not as cash.PayPal
Stablecoins are not bank deposits and are not insured. The reward is a promotion funded by the issuer’s reserve interest; it can be changed or stopped, and US law bars issuers from paying interest directly.Does the rate change?
Stripe
Set by the provider, and only worth as much as the fees you pay.Last seen: 1% a year, as fee creditsPayPal
Set by the provider; tends to follow US Treasury rates.Last seen: Around 3.7–4% a year (2026)Platform & marketplace
Run payments for other businesses: sign them up, take a cut, pay them out.
Sub-accounts for your users
Stripe
YesConnect creates and verifies accounts through hosted onboarding, embedded components or the API. Accounts v2 lets one account be a merchant, customer and payout recipient at once.PayPal
YesPayPal Complete Payments onboards sellers into their own PayPal business accounts. Braintree Marketplace creates sub-merchants, but only for US businesses.Split payments and platform fees
Stripe
YesDestination charges, separate charges and transfers, and application fees.PayPal
YesPlatform fees on seller payments; Braintree Marketplace splits each transaction and can hold funds in escrow.Embeddable UI
Stripe
YesConnect embedded components for onboarding, payments, payouts and account management.PayPal
PartlySeller onboarding is a PayPal-hosted flow.Pay out to your users
Stripe
YesPayouts to connected accounts, including instant payouts in some markets. Global Payouts sends fiat to 100+ markets and stablecoins to 160.Announced, not yet live: EU marketplaces paying sellers in 100+ countries with stablecoinsPayPal
YesPayouts API to PayPal and Venmo accounts; Hyperwallet for bank, card and cash payouts.Embedded finance for your users
Give your users financial products under your brand.
Accounts that hold money
Stripe
PartlyFinancial accounts for platforms (formerly Treasury) give US business users routing numbers and FDIC pass-through eligibility. US only.Announced, not yet live: Financial accounts for platforms’ users in the eurozonePayPal
NoSellers hold their own PayPal accounts; platforms cannot create accounts that hold money for users.Cards for your users
Stripe
YesIssuing for connected accounts: virtual and physical cards via the API. Cardholders can be individuals or companies.Announced, not yet live: Stablecoin-backed cards in 100 countriesPayPal
NoNo card issuing for platform users.Financing for your users
Stripe
YesCapital for platforms offers financing to connected accounts in selected markets.PayPal
NoPayPal’s business loans are offered directly by PayPal, not through platforms.Consumer apps
Build for individuals, not just businesses, the way Bridge allows.
End users can be individuals
Stripe
PartlyStripe’s own account products are built for businesses. Consumer apps (wallets, stablecoin cards) go through its subsidiary Bridge.PayPal
PartlyYou can pay individuals’ PayPal and Venmo accounts, but not build wallets or accounts for your own users.Consumer wallets or accounts
Stripe
PartlyThrough Bridge custodial wallets, not Stripe accounts.PayPal
NoConsumers use PayPal’s own wallet.Consumer cards
Stripe
PartlyStablecoin-linked consumer cards through Bridge and Stripe Issuing, rolling out by country (65+ countries, targeting 100 by end of 2026).Announced, not yet live: Stablecoin-backed cards in 100 countriesPayPal
NoNot offered to platforms.Stablecoins
Dollar-backed tokens as a payment and treasury rail.
Accept stablecoins
Stripe
YesStablecoin payments at checkout, settled to the business in fiat.PayPal
PartlyPay with Crypto lets US merchants accept crypto, settled in dollars.Hold stablecoin balances
Stripe
YesStablecoin financial accounts in 101 countries: USDC balances with USD (ACH, wire) and EUR (SEPA) rails.Announced, not yet live: Stablecoin financial accounts in 50 more countriesAnnounced, not yet live: Move stablecoin balances to and from local bank accountsPayPal
PartlyUS accounts can hold PayPal USD (PYUSD).Pay out in stablecoins
Stripe
YesInstant stablecoin payouts to recipients in 160 markets through Global Payouts.Announced, not yet live: EU marketplaces paying sellers in 100+ countries with stablecoinsPayPal
Not confirmedNot confirmed for platform payouts.Issue your own stablecoin
Stripe
YesThrough Bridge Open Issuance.PayPal
NoPYUSD is PayPal’s own coin; you cannot issue one.Regulatory risk in United States
Stripe
Low riskPayPal
Low riskAI agents
Build with AI tools, and let AI agents shop and pay.
Official MCP server
Stripe
YesHosted MCP server at mcp.stripe.com with OAuth, plus an agent toolkit for the major agent frameworks.PayPal
YesAgent tooling for its APIs, and backing WebMCP so agents can use merchants’ existing storefronts.Checkout for AI agents
Stripe
YesCo-developed the Agentic Commerce Protocol with OpenAI, which powers Instant Checkout in ChatGPT. Shared payment tokens let an agent pay a seller without seeing card numbers.PayPal
YesAdopted the Agentic Commerce Protocol for Instant Checkout in ChatGPT, rolling out in 2026, so PayPal merchants can sell in ChatGPT without their own integration.Cards for AI agents
Stripe
YesIssuing can create single-use virtual cards for agents buying online.PayPal
Not confirmedNot found in public materials.Working with them
How easy it is to get started.
Self-serve signup
Stripe
YesSign up online and go live without sales in supported countries.PayPal
YesSign up online.Published pricing
Stripe
YesStandard rates are on the pricing page; volume discounts are negotiated.PayPal
YesMerchant fees are published by country.Public API and sandbox
Stripe
YesPublic API, test mode and sandboxes.PayPal
YesPublic REST API and sandbox.Coming soon
Announced but not launched. These are plans, not products you can sign up for today: timing often slips, and some never ship.
Announced, not yet live
Stripe
Preview or betaStablecoin-backed cards in 100 countriesExpected by the end of 2026
AnnouncedStablecoin financial accounts in 50 more countriesExpected Q4 2026
Preview or betaMove stablecoin balances to and from local bank accountsExpected Q4 2026
3 more and details →PayPal
Awaiting approvalPayPal Bank in the USNo date given · Includes United States
Details and sources →In short
Countries onboarded
Stripe
42 of 170PayPal
59 of 170Designed for
Stripe
Online businesses that want one integration for checkout, subscriptions and marketplaces.PayPal
Selling to customers who already pay with PayPal, including cross-border buyers.Limitations
Stripe
Your business must be registered in a country on Stripe’s supported list. Most of Africa and South Asia are not on it.PayPal
PayPal’s terms allow it to hold payments or set reserves, for example on new accounts or after a sudden rise in sales.| Stripe Payment processor | PayPal Payment processor | |
|---|---|---|
| Onboards businesses in United States | Available | Available |
| Accept payments | Cards, wallets and 100+ local payment methods. You can sell to customers in almost every country. | PayPal wallet, cards and (in the US) Venmo at checkout, with buyer and seller protection. |
| Pay people abroad | Connect pays out to sellers and contractors, and Global Payouts sends money to recipients in many countries. | Mass payouts to PayPal and Venmo accounts worldwide. Bank payouts go through Hyperwallet. |
| Multi-currency account | Hold and settle balances in multiple currencies. Financial accounts with routing numbers are offered to US businesses. | Hold balances in 20+ currencies inside a PayPal business account. |
| Business cards | Issue physical and virtual cards for your business or your users. | PayPal Business Debit Mastercard. |
| Stablecoins | US businesses can accept stablecoin payments that settle as dollars. Stablecoin financial accounts (via Bridge) are offered in 100+ countries. | US businesses can accept crypto through Pay with Crypto and hold PayPal USD (PYUSD). |
| Yield on idle cash | Stripe Treasury gives US businesses 1% a year in credits on balances above $2,000, applied to Stripe fees. Stripe says it pays no cash interest on balances. | US businesses holding PayPal USD (PYUSD) in their PayPal balance can opt in to rewards of around 3.7–4% a year, funded from the stablecoin’s reserve interest. Not available in New York. |
| Yield on idle cashA return on money you are not using. How safe it is depends on where the return comes from, not on how high the rate is. | ||
| Where the return comes from | Low risk, not insuredCredits against fees | Moderate riskStablecoin rewards |
| Is the money protected? | Your balance is not invested. The return is paid as credits toward the provider’s own fees, not as cash. | Stablecoins are not bank deposits and are not insured. The reward is a promotion funded by the issuer’s reserve interest; it can be changed or stopped, and US law bars issuers from paying interest directly. |
| Does the rate change? | Set by the provider, and only worth as much as the fees you pay.Last seen: 1% a year, as fee credits | Set by the provider; tends to follow US Treasury rates.Last seen: Around 3.7–4% a year (2026) |
| Platform & marketplaceRun payments for other businesses: sign them up, take a cut, pay them out. | ||
| Sub-accounts for your users | YesConnect creates and verifies accounts through hosted onboarding, embedded components or the API. Accounts v2 lets one account be a merchant, customer and payout recipient at once. | YesPayPal Complete Payments onboards sellers into their own PayPal business accounts. Braintree Marketplace creates sub-merchants, but only for US businesses. |
| Split payments and platform fees | YesDestination charges, separate charges and transfers, and application fees. | YesPlatform fees on seller payments; Braintree Marketplace splits each transaction and can hold funds in escrow. |
| Embeddable UI | YesConnect embedded components for onboarding, payments, payouts and account management. | PartlySeller onboarding is a PayPal-hosted flow. |
| Pay out to your users | YesPayouts to connected accounts, including instant payouts in some markets. Global Payouts sends fiat to 100+ markets and stablecoins to 160.Announced, not yet live: EU marketplaces paying sellers in 100+ countries with stablecoins | YesPayouts API to PayPal and Venmo accounts; Hyperwallet for bank, card and cash payouts. |
| Embedded finance for your usersGive your users financial products under your brand. | ||
| Accounts that hold money | PartlyFinancial accounts for platforms (formerly Treasury) give US business users routing numbers and FDIC pass-through eligibility. US only.Announced, not yet live: Financial accounts for platforms’ users in the eurozone | NoSellers hold their own PayPal accounts; platforms cannot create accounts that hold money for users. |
| Cards for your users | YesIssuing for connected accounts: virtual and physical cards via the API. Cardholders can be individuals or companies.Announced, not yet live: Stablecoin-backed cards in 100 countries | NoNo card issuing for platform users. |
| Financing for your users | YesCapital for platforms offers financing to connected accounts in selected markets. | NoPayPal’s business loans are offered directly by PayPal, not through platforms. |
| Consumer appsBuild for individuals, not just businesses, the way Bridge allows. | ||
| End users can be individuals | PartlyStripe’s own account products are built for businesses. Consumer apps (wallets, stablecoin cards) go through its subsidiary Bridge. | PartlyYou can pay individuals’ PayPal and Venmo accounts, but not build wallets or accounts for your own users. |
| Consumer wallets or accounts | PartlyThrough Bridge custodial wallets, not Stripe accounts. | NoConsumers use PayPal’s own wallet. |
| Consumer cards | PartlyStablecoin-linked consumer cards through Bridge and Stripe Issuing, rolling out by country (65+ countries, targeting 100 by end of 2026).Announced, not yet live: Stablecoin-backed cards in 100 countries | NoNot offered to platforms. |
| StablecoinsDollar-backed tokens as a payment and treasury rail. | ||
| Accept stablecoins | YesStablecoin payments at checkout, settled to the business in fiat. | PartlyPay with Crypto lets US merchants accept crypto, settled in dollars. |
| Hold stablecoin balances | YesStablecoin financial accounts in 101 countries: USDC balances with USD (ACH, wire) and EUR (SEPA) rails.Announced, not yet live: Stablecoin financial accounts in 50 more countriesAnnounced, not yet live: Move stablecoin balances to and from local bank accounts | PartlyUS accounts can hold PayPal USD (PYUSD). |
| Pay out in stablecoins | YesInstant stablecoin payouts to recipients in 160 markets through Global Payouts.Announced, not yet live: EU marketplaces paying sellers in 100+ countries with stablecoins | Not confirmedNot confirmed for platform payouts. |
| Issue your own stablecoin | YesThrough Bridge Open Issuance. | NoPYUSD is PayPal’s own coin; you cannot issue one. |
| Regulatory risk in United States | Low risk | Low risk |
| AI agentsBuild with AI tools, and let AI agents shop and pay. | ||
| Official MCP server | YesHosted MCP server at mcp.stripe.com with OAuth, plus an agent toolkit for the major agent frameworks. | YesAgent tooling for its APIs, and backing WebMCP so agents can use merchants’ existing storefronts. |
| Checkout for AI agents | YesCo-developed the Agentic Commerce Protocol with OpenAI, which powers Instant Checkout in ChatGPT. Shared payment tokens let an agent pay a seller without seeing card numbers. | YesAdopted the Agentic Commerce Protocol for Instant Checkout in ChatGPT, rolling out in 2026, so PayPal merchants can sell in ChatGPT without their own integration. |
| Cards for AI agents | YesIssuing can create single-use virtual cards for agents buying online. | Not confirmedNot found in public materials. |
| Working with themHow easy it is to get started. | ||
| Self-serve signup | YesSign up online and go live without sales in supported countries. | YesSign up online. |
| Published pricing | YesStandard rates are on the pricing page; volume discounts are negotiated. | YesMerchant fees are published by country. |
| Public API and sandbox | YesPublic API, test mode and sandboxes. | YesPublic REST API and sandbox. |
| Coming soonAnnounced but not launched. These are plans, not products you can sign up for today: timing often slips, and some never ship. | ||
| Announced, not yet live | Preview or betaStablecoin-backed cards in 100 countriesExpected by the end of 2026 AnnouncedStablecoin financial accounts in 50 more countriesExpected Q4 2026 Preview or betaMove stablecoin balances to and from local bank accountsExpected Q4 2026 3 more and details → | Awaiting approvalPayPal Bank in the USNo date given · Includes United States Details and sources → |
| In short | ||
| Countries onboarded | 42 of 170 | 59 of 170 |
| Designed for | Online businesses that want one integration for checkout, subscriptions and marketplaces. | Selling to customers who already pay with PayPal, including cross-border buyers. |
| Limitations | Your business must be registered in a country on Stripe’s supported list. Most of Africa and South Asia are not on it. | PayPal’s terms allow it to hold payments or set reserves, for example on new accounts or after a sudden rise in sales. |
Common questions
Is Stripe or PayPal available in more countries?
PayPal. Of the 170 countries we track, Stripe onboards businesses in 42 (and 1 more with limits) and PayPal in 59 (and 3 more with limits). Both serve businesses in 43. Only PayPal: Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Iceland, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana and 7 more.
What do Stripe and PayPal offer?
Accept payments: Stripe yes, PayPal yes. Pay people abroad: Stripe yes, PayPal yes. Multi-currency account: Stripe yes, PayPal yes. Business cards: Stripe yes, PayPal yes. Stablecoins: Stripe yes, PayPal yes. Yield on idle cash: Stripe yes, PayPal yes.
How do Stripe and PayPal differ for platforms and embedded finance?
Embeddable UI: Stripe yes, PayPal partly. Accounts that hold money: Stripe partly, PayPal no. Cards for your users: Stripe yes, PayPal no. Financing for your users: Stripe yes, PayPal no. Consumer wallets or accounts: Stripe partly, PayPal no. Consumer cards: Stripe partly, PayPal no. Accept stablecoins: Stripe yes, PayPal partly. Hold stablecoin balances: Stripe yes, PayPal partly. Pay out in stablecoins: Stripe yes, PayPal not confirmed. Issue your own stablecoin: Stripe yes, PayPal no. Cards for AI agents: Stripe yes, PayPal not confirmed.
Who is Stripe designed for?
Online businesses that want one integration for checkout, subscriptions and marketplaces. Limitations: Your business must be registered in a country on Stripe’s supported list. Most of Africa and South Asia are not on it.
Who is PayPal designed for?
Selling to customers who already pay with PayPal, including cross-border buyers. Limitations: PayPal’s terms allow it to hold payments or set reserves, for example on new accounts or after a sudden rise in sales.
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