PayPal Payments vs PayPal Braintree

PayPal Payments9.3Visit PayPal Braintree8.9Visit

Higher score PayPal Payments #2 in Payment Processing Software 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit PayPal

vs

PayPal Braintree #6 in Payment Processing Software 8.9/10 Paid ✓ 0 of 4 features Try PayPal Braintree

• PayPal Payments fits best

  Businesses prioritizing reach and a free entry point

• PayPal Braintree fits best

  Merchants needing PayPal and card coverage

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Side by side

Feature	PayPal Payments 9.3/10 Visit ↗	PayPal Braintree 8.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	8.9
Ranking	#2 in Payment Processing Software	#6 in Payment Processing Software
Best for	Businesses prioritizing reach and a free entry point	Merchants needing PayPal and card coverage
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	Free plan	$0.29/unit usage-based
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Features PayPal Payments 0/4 · PayPal Braintree 0/4
Recurring billing	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Payment links	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
In-person payments	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Multi-currency support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Payment methods	PayPal, Venmo, credit and debit cards, digital wallets, bank transfers, vouchers, buy now pay later, cryptocurrency	cards, PayPal, Venmo, ACH Direct Debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, local payment methods
Payout schedule	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Accepts PayPal, Venmo, cards, wallets, bank transfers, and more Supports recurring, marketplace, online, and in-person payments Available across 200+ markets with web, mobile, API, and SDK support	Accepts cards, PayPal, Venmo, wallets, ACH, and local methods Supports recurring billing, vaulting, fraud tools, and 3D Secure Includes marketplace payouts, reporting, webhooks, APIs, and SDKs
Cons	Transaction pricing varies by method, currency, geography, and integration Payment methods and availability vary by geography and integration method The broad feature set may exceed the needs of simple payment setups	Standard card and wallet pricing is 2.89% plus $0.29 per transaction Venmo acceptance is limited to the United States Availability varies by merchant account, region, method, and approval
Our verdict	PayPal Payments gives businesses tools to accept online and in-person payments through PayPal, Venmo in the United States, credit and debit cards, digital wallets, bank transfers, vouchers, buy-now-pay-later options, and cryptocurrency. It… Read the review →	PayPal Braintree is a payment-processing platform for online and mobile businesses. It supports web, iOS, Android, and API implementations, with hosted Drop-in and customizable checkout UI integrations. Merchants can accept cards, PayPal,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• PayPal Payments — where it wins

  • Accepts PayPal, Venmo, cards, wallets, bank transfers, and more
  • Supports recurring, marketplace, online, and in-person payments
  • Available across 200+ markets with web, mobile, API, and SDK support

  Where it doesn't

  • Transaction pricing varies by method, currency, geography, and integration
  • Payment methods and availability vary by geography and integration method
  • The broad feature set may exceed the needs of simple payment setups

• PayPal Braintree — where it wins

  • Accepts cards, PayPal, Venmo, wallets, ACH, and local methods
  • Supports recurring billing, vaulting, fraud tools, and 3D Secure
  • Includes marketplace payouts, reporting, webhooks, APIs, and SDKs

  Where it doesn't

  • Standard card and wallet pricing is 2.89% plus $0.29 per transaction
  • Venmo acceptance is limited to the United States
  • Availability varies by merchant account, region, method, and approval

• PayPal Payments9.3/10 · Free plan

  A broad payment stack with a free entry point and wide market coverage.

  Visit PayPalFull verdict →
• PayPal Braintree8.9/10 · Paid

  A broad payment stack for merchants that need PayPal, cards, wallets, and recurring billing.

  Try PayPal BraintreeFull verdict →