Paid for Stripe vs Stripe Terminal

Paid for Stripe9.3Visit Stripe Terminal8.5Visit

Higher score Paid for Stripe #1 in Mobile Payment Processing Software 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Try Paid for Stripe

vs

Stripe Terminal #8 in Mobile Payment Processing Software 8.5/10 Paid ✓ 3 of 4 features Try Stripe Terminal

• Paid for Stripe fits best

  Businesses wanting flexible mobile payments

• Stripe Terminal fits best

  Developers building custom mobile payment flows

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Side by side

Feature	Paid for Stripe 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Stripe Terminal 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	8.5
Ranking	#1 in Mobile Payment Processing Software	#8 in Mobile Payment Processing Software
Best for	Businesses wanting flexible mobile payments	Developers building custom mobile payment flows
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	Free plan	Not checked yet
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Mobile	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Email, Docs	Docs
Integrations	4 integrations	6 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Paid for Stripe 3/4 · Stripe Terminal 3/4
Reader required	—	—
Tap to Pay	✓	✓
Offline payments	✓	✓
Recurring payments	✓	✓
Specs
Payout timing	Instant	Instant
Payment methods	contactless debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, digital wallets, payment links, QR codes	credit cards, debit cards, contactless cards, digital wallets
Our review
Pros	Tap to Pay works on iPhone and NFC-enabled Android phones Offline payments, recurring billing, payment links, and QR codes No monthly or setup fees, with optional Stripe card readers	Tap to Pay works on compatible iPhone and Android devices Offline collection, reader management, and encryption support custom deployments APIs and SDKs unify online and in-person payment data
Cons	Stripe processing fees apply separately from Paid's usage fee Payout timing varies by region and is controlled by Stripe Requires iOS or Android and Stripe for payment processing	No free plan; transaction fees and hardware costs apply Implementation is technical and requires API or SDK integration Tap to Pay and offline payments have eligibility and device limitations
Our verdict	Paid for Stripe is a mobile point-of-sale application for businesses accepting in-person payments through Stripe. It is suited to market stalls, food vans, salons, tradespeople, performers, and other mobile or service businesses.… Read the review →	Stripe Terminal provides in-person payment infrastructure for businesses and platforms building custom point-of-sale experiences. It supports certified mobile and smart card readers, Tap to Pay on compatible iPhone and Android devices,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Paid for Stripe — where it wins

  • Tap to Pay works on iPhone and NFC-enabled Android phones
  • Offline payments, recurring billing, payment links, and QR codes
  • No monthly or setup fees, with optional Stripe card readers

  Where it doesn't

  • Stripe processing fees apply separately from Paid's usage fee
  • Payout timing varies by region and is controlled by Stripe
  • Requires iOS or Android and Stripe for payment processing

• Stripe Terminal — where it wins

  • Tap to Pay works on compatible iPhone and Android devices
  • Offline collection, reader management, and encryption support custom deployments
  • APIs and SDKs unify online and in-person payment data

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan; transaction fees and hardware costs apply
  • Implementation is technical and requires API or SDK integration
  • Tap to Pay and offline payments have eligibility and device limitations

• Paid for Stripe9.3/10 · Free plan

  A flexible Stripe-based mobile POS for contactless payments, links, QR codes, and subscriptions.

  Try Paid for StripeFull verdict →
• Stripe Terminal8.5/10 · Paid

  A powerful, paid toolkit for developers building custom mobile payment flows.

  Try Stripe TerminalFull verdict →