Home > eCommerce Platforms > PayPal > PayPal vs Braintree

PayPal vs Braintree

Last Updated:

Our analysts compared PayPal vs Braintree based on data from our 400+ point analysis of eCommerce Platforms, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Overview Pricing Benefits & Features User Ratings Analyst Summary Screenshots
PayPal Software Tool
SelectHub Award Winner
Braintree Software Tool
Get Free Demo Demo    Request Pricing Pricing
Get Free Demo Demo    Request Pricing Pricing

Product Basics

PayPal is a payment processing solution that serves as an electronic alternative to traditional methods like money orders and checks. It allows users to shop online, send and receive money securely, and receive payments. It is a two-sided network that connects merchants to consumers in various markets. As a merchant, add a one-touch payment point to the business website, provide customers with faster checkouts, offer credit lines and EMIs, receive recurring payments, accept credit and debit cards, and send multiple payments with a single click. It is a secure and fully PCI-compliant payment facilitator.
read more...
Braintree by PayPal is a web payment system that helps ecommerce businesses integrate and accept payments through credit and debit cards, Venmo (in the US), PayPal, Google Pay and other digital wallets. It allows users to track transactions, access real-time information, and manage in-store payments in multiple countries. Users can leverage other attributes including fraud protection, dispute management, payout management, reporting, level 1 PCI compliance and data encryption.
read more...
$0.30/Transaction, 5.4% Flat Rate
Free Trial is available →
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
$0.49/Transaction, 2.59% Flat Rate
Free Trial is unavailable →
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
Small 
i
Medium 
i
Large 
i
Small 
i
Medium 
i
Large 
i
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Enhanced Security: PayPal employs end-to-end encryption and fraud detection technologies to protect both buyers and sellers, reducing the risk of unauthorized transactions and data breaches.
  • Global Reach: With support for multiple currencies and a presence in over 200 markets, PayPal enables businesses to accept payments from customers worldwide, expanding their market reach.
  • Convenience: PayPal offers a seamless checkout process, allowing customers to pay quickly without entering their payment details for every transaction, leading to higher conversion rates for businesses.
  • Flexible Payment Options: PayPal supports a variety of payment methods, including credit cards, bank accounts, PayPal balance, and PayPal Credit, offering flexibility to customers and increasing the likelihood of successful transactions.
  • Buyer Protection: PayPal's Buyer Protection policy covers eligible purchases, providing refunds for transactions that don’t go as planned, thereby increasing consumer trust and confidence.
  • Seller Protection: Similarly, PayPal's Seller Protection program safeguards merchants against claims, chargebacks, and reversals for unauthorized transactions and items not received by buyers, minimizing potential losses.
  • Easy Integration: PayPal offers easy-to-use APIs and plugins for major eCommerce platforms and shopping carts, simplifying the integration process for businesses and enabling them to start accepting payments quickly.
  • Financial Management: With comprehensive reporting tools and the ability to send invoices directly through the platform, PayPal helps businesses manage their finances efficiently, saving time and resources.
  • Customer Insights: PayPal provides access to valuable data and analytics about purchasing trends and customer behavior, helping businesses tailor their offerings and marketing strategies for better engagement.
  • Mobile Optimization: PayPal's mobile-optimized payment solutions cater to the growing number of consumers who shop on their smartphones and tablets, ensuring a smooth and secure checkout experience on any device.
  • Nonprofit Support: PayPal offers discounted transaction rates for registered nonprofits, making it easier for them to accept donations and manage their fundraising efforts online.
  • Subscription Services: Businesses can easily set up and manage subscription-based services with PayPal, offering automatic billing and payment options that ensure continuous access to products or services for their customers.
read more...
  • Offer Customers Peace of Mind: Boost conversions and brand goodwill by creating a secure payment environment and enabling customers to pay via their preferred mode. 
  • Expand Audience: Accept multiple currencies and allow customers from remote locations to shop from the online store. 
  • Save Time: Efficiently perform time-consuming administrative tasks like invoice generation, data storage and visualization through automation. 
  • Mitigate Risks: Detect and eliminate fraudulent transactions, create a secure repository of transactional data and leverage unique data visualizations to minimize risks and drill down on opportunities. 
read more...
  • Accept Payments: Receive funds and streamline the checkout experience with the available tools: 
    • Invoices and Estimates: Generate free customizable invoices to simplify the payment process. Alternatively, create estimates with business logos and personalized details, and automatically convert them into invoices after customer acceptance. 
    • Checkout: Provide customers with a one-touch payment point to check out and make payments without leaving the business website. 
    • Recurring Payments: Improve customer retention by allowing repeat customers to skip the checkout process and set up subscription-based payments. 
    • Installment Payments: Get paid up-front while providing customers a pay-later option with “Pay in 4,” an interest-free installment solution, at no additional cost. 
    • Sell on Social: Quickly create product listings with photos and descriptions. Receive a shareable link to promote and push sales through social media, email, chat and more. Host listings on the vendor’s servers and let customers securely pay through a payment portal. 
    • Point of Sale: Accept in-person card payments with a selection of chip, tap and swipe readers and accessories compatible with mobile devices and desktops. 
    • QR Codes: Generate and print unique QR codes that customers can scan to make payments through mobile apps. 
  • Make Payments: Securely link bank accounts to transfer money to digital wallets and vice versa. 
    • Business Debit Mastercard: Withdraw or spend money as soon as it arrives in the digital wallet and earn rewards and cashback from participating retailers. Use at all locations accepting Mastercards. 
    • Send Money: Electronically pay vendors anywhere within the USA without incurring any additional costs and receive payment receipts instantly through the mobile app. Thorough monitoring helps prevent fraudulent transactions. 
    • Payouts: Send mass payouts to vendors and employees across the world, and auto-convert currencies. Supports more than 24 currencies and 180 markets across the globe. 
    • Crypto Payments: Make payments and checkout from participating online stores with cryptocurrency seamlessly. 
    • Payment Regulations: Leverage tools like transaction monitoring, recipient verification and compliance screening to manage compliance with regulations. Available with the enterprise solution. 
  • Risk Management: Uses intelligent two-sided networks, machine learning and analytics to protect businesses from existing and potential threats. Safeguard card details and transactional ledgers with a secure vault. Receive expert advice on maintaining compliance and security strategies. 
  • Growth Acceleration: Expedite business growth rate with critical funding, sales push and growth insights: 
    • PayPal Working Capital: A fixed-fee loan available without requiring a credit check, based on the account’s history. Repay it automatically with a percentage of each sale through the digital wallet. 
    • PayPal Business Loan: Finance operating expenses with a term loan based on the business’s history and growth since inception. Automate regular weekly payments from the bank. 
    • Cart Recovery: Reduce cart abandonment and drive return visits by sending notifications to shoppers who left midway. Offer incentives and discounts through a Store Cash campaign and boost customer loyalty. 
    • Insights: Get actionable insights and expert advice based on estimated audience size and potential ROI to optimize operations, improve marketing and push sales. 
  • Operation Management: Streamline daily operations and automate repetitive tasks with the following tools: 
    • Shipping Labels: Receive discounts on shipping through United Parcel Services (UPS) and United States Postal Service (USPS). Automatically receive tracking information. Select service type, package size and other details to auto-calculate costs. 
    • Dispute Management: Interact with buyers and customers through the “Resolution Center” to resolve disputes mutually. Clients can escalate claims for unresolved conflicts. Gain expert advice on building a case against a chargeback or a claim against the business. 
    • Funds Now: Receive money from completed sales instantly without any hold or delay at no extra cost to the business. 
read more...
  • Fraud Prevention Tools: Minimize fraudulent activities by making transactions SCA compliant and leveraging 3D Secure 2, an authentication verification service. Keep a check on chargebacks and reduce false positives with machine learning and customizable filters. 
  • Payment Methods: Accept payments through PayPal, Venmo, credit and debit cards, ACH transfers and many other popular digital wallets, including GPay, SamsungPay, ApplePay and more. Offer buyers a smooth checkout experience and consolidate operational flows for all payment types. 
  • In-Store Payments: Enable customers to purchase in-store with payment methods saved to an online profile and vice versa with the integrated POS system. Accept MasterCard, magstripe cards, chip cards and contactless cards, along with all major digital wallets. 
  • Payouts: Global merchants can send mass payments to recipients in more than 200 countries and regions. Allow recipients to choose how they receive payments, automate payouts with API calls or batch-file uploads and create disbursements in real time. 
  • Reporting: Track and store all transactional data. Filter by card type, date of creation, settlement date and payment mode to view specific information. Receive real-time updates of events occurring at the payment gateway. Generate custom reports for even more specific needs through the open API. 
  • Data Security: Securely store customer data with multiple encryption keys, split knowledge and dual control in the Level 1 PCI DSS compliant solution. Password, raw magnetic stripe, CVV or pin-block data is never stored. Requires authentication for every control panel login. 
read more...

Product Ranking

#1

among all
eCommerce Platforms

#13

among all
eCommerce Platforms

Find out who the leaders are

User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 23875 reviews
Good User Sentiment 130 reviews
94%
of users recommend this product

PayPal has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 94% when considering 23875 user reviews from 3 recognized software review sites.

76%
of users recommend this product

Braintree has a 'good' User Satisfaction Rating of 76% when considering 130 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

5.0 (23)
4.5 (18)
n/a
3.6 (74)
4.63 (404)
n/a
4.7 (23448)
4.0 (22)
n/a
3.6 (16)

Awards

PayPal stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award

we're gathering data

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Convenient and Widely Accepted: PayPal is a popular online payment method that is accepted by many online retailers, making it a convenient option for shoppers.
Enhanced Security: PayPal offers buyer and seller protection policies, which can help to protect users from fraud and scams. For instance, if a buyer does not receive an item they purchased, or if the item is significantly different from its description, they may be eligible for a refund under PayPal's Buyer Protection program.
Dispute Resolution: The platform provides a dispute resolution process to help resolve issues between buyers and sellers.
Show more
Ease of Use: It’s an intuitive platform with a user-friendly interface, according to 83% of users discussing this aspect.
Payment Processing: 79% of users reviewing payment processing said that the platform streamlines digital transactions.
Data Security: It secures transactional data against malware with fraud detection tools, according to 72% of reviews discussing security.
Show more
Limited Seller Protection: PayPal's seller protection policies can be difficult to navigate and may not cover all types of transactions or disputes, leaving sellers vulnerable to fraud or chargebacks.
Account Holds and Freezes: PayPal has been known to hold or freeze accounts without warning or clear explanation, which can disrupt business operations and cause frustration for users who rely on the platform for their livelihood.
Customer Service Challenges: Getting timely and effective support from PayPal's customer service can be difficult, with long wait times and inconsistent responses being common complaints among users.
Show more
Glitches: It’s a resource-intensive platform prone to glitches, according to 71% of users mentioning software performance.
Cost: According to 85% of reviews on the pricing structure, the platform is more expensive than its competitors.
Accounting: The lack of accounting features is a drawback, according to 100% of reviews on bookkeeping.
Show more

PayPal users generally give it a thumbs-up for its convenience and security. Setting up an account is a breeze, and the platform is widely accepted by online merchants, making it a go-to for quick and easy payments. The security features, like encryption and fraud protection, give users peace of mind when making transactions. However, some users find the fees, especially for international transactions and credit card payments, to be a bit of a bummer. Additionally, while PayPal is widely accepted, it's not universally accepted, so users may occasionally encounter situations where they need to whip out a different payment method. Compared to other digital payment platforms like Zelle, Venmo, and Cash App, PayPal stands out with its robust buyer and seller protection policies, making it a safer choice for larger transactions or purchases from unfamiliar sellers. But for splitting bills with friends or sending small amounts of money, the simplicity and social features of Venmo or Cash App might be more appealing. So, who's PayPal's ideal user? It's perfect for folks who frequently shop online and value security and convenience. If you're someone who makes international payments or deals with large transactions, PayPal's buyer and seller protection features are a major plus. However, if you're mainly looking for a way to split the bill at dinner or send a few bucks to a friend, you might find other platforms more user-friendly and cost-effective.

Show more

Braintree is a digital payment processor allowing online businesses to accept debit cards, credit cards, e-checks, Venmo, PayPal and other popular digital wallets. According to user reviews, the platform’s intuitive UI, quick payment processing and unique fraud detection tools are its main strengths. However, users have reported that the platform crashes frequently. It lacks accounting integrations, forcing users to record transactions and maintain ledgers manually. Additionally, the software charges a nominal fee for each transaction on top of a base monthly fee, which can become a costly affair for small businesses. In summary, Braintree is best for enterprises with large sales volume, powerful IT infrastructure and adequate technical expertise.

Show more

Screenshots

Top Alternatives in eCommerce Platforms

Adobe Commerce
BigCommerce
commercetools
Ecwid
Kibo
Optimizely
Oracle Commerce
Salesforce Commerce Cloud
SAP Commerce Cloud
Shopify
Sitecore
SquareSpace
TrueCommerce
Unilog
Wix

Related Categories

Catalog Management Software
Ecommerce Order Management Software
Enterprise Ecommerce Platforms
Headless Ecommerce Platforms
Multi-channel Ecommerce Software
PIM Software
Shopping Cart Software
Show more
Catalog Management Software
Ecommerce Order Management Software
Enterprise Ecommerce Platforms
Headless Ecommerce Platforms
Multi-channel Ecommerce Software
PIM Software
Show more

WE DISTILL IT INTO REAL REQUIREMENTS, COMPARISON REPORTS, PRICE GUIDES and more...

SelectHub Products Reporting and Analytics
Build Your Requirements
SelectHub Products Cost and Pricing Guide
Get Your Free Comparison Report
Compare products
Comparison Report
Just drag this link to the bookmark bar.
?
    Table settings