Stripe
Payments infrastructure for the internet
About
Payments platform for online business: card payments, subscriptions and billing, hosted Checkout, invoicing, tax and a full API. The default processor for most SaaS.
Pros
- - No setup fees or monthly fees, simple pay-as-you-go pricing
- - Developer-friendly API with extensive, well-structured documentation
- - Supports 100+ payment methods including SEPA, Klarna, Apple Pay, and local European methods
- - Built-in tools for billing, invoicing, and global tax compliance
- - Scales from solo founders to large global companies without switching providers
Cons
- - Fees stack up for international cards and currency conversion, and add up at higher transaction volume
- - Automated risk detection can trigger account reviews or payout freezes with little warning
- - Large product surface (Payments, Billing, Connect, Checkout, Elements, Tax, Radar) can be confusing for a simple use case, and support response times vary by account tier
What it solves
Founders need a reliable way to accept online payments, run subscriptions, and handle billing and tax without building payment infrastructure, merchant accounts, and fraud tooling from scratch.
When not to use it
If you need a fully managed, hands-off payment setup with no developer resources, or run a business selling regulated products likely to face frequent chargebacks, a Stripe alternative may fit better.
