PayPal Payments vs ThriveCart

PayPal Payments9.1Visit ThriveCart8.4Visit

Higher score PayPal Payments #2 in Frictionless Checkout Software 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 6 features Visit PayPal

vs

ThriveCart #7 in Frictionless Checkout Software 8.4/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 6 features Visit ThriveCart

• PayPal Payments fits best

  Merchants prioritizing broad payment acceptance

• ThriveCart fits best

  Creators optimizing checkout funnels and upsells

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Side by side

Feature	PayPal Payments 9.1/10 Visit ↗	ThriveCart 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.1	8.4
Ranking	#2 in Frictionless Checkout Software	#7 in Frictionless Checkout Software
Best for	Merchants prioritizing broad payment acceptance	Creators optimizing checkout funnels and upsells
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	Free plan	$37/mo
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	30 days
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web
Features PayPal Payments 0/6 · ThriveCart 0/6
Embedded checkout	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
One-click checkout	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Guest checkout	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Digital wallets	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Multi-currency checkout	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Subscription payments	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Accepts PayPal, Venmo, cards, wallets, bank transfers and more Supports hosted checkout, links, buttons, recurring and marketplace payments REST APIs and web, server-side, Android and iOS SDKs are available	Hosted and embedded checkout pages with A/B testing One-click upsells, downsells, and order bumps Integrates with Stripe, PayPal, email, and course tools
Cons	Transaction pricing varies by payment method, currency, geography and integration Payment methods and availability vary by geography and integration method Optional monthly services and product fees appear in the general fee schedule	Standard includes only one bump offer Paid plans start at $37 per month with annual billing Focused on checkout and funnels rather than broad payment infrastructure
Our verdict	PayPal Payments gives businesses tools for accepting online and in-person transactions through PayPal, Venmo in the United States, cards, digital wallets, bank transfers, vouchers, buy-now-pay-later options and cryptocurrency. It supports… Read the review →	ThriveCart is a web-based commerce and sales-funnel platform for creators, coaches, course businesses, and online sellers. It handles hosted and embedded checkout pages for digital and physical products, memberships, services, and… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• PayPal Payments — where it wins

  • Accepts PayPal, Venmo, cards, wallets, bank transfers and more
  • Supports hosted checkout, links, buttons, recurring and marketplace payments
  • REST APIs and web, server-side, Android and iOS SDKs are available

  Where it doesn't

  • Transaction pricing varies by payment method, currency, geography and integration
  • Payment methods and availability vary by geography and integration method
  • Optional monthly services and product fees appear in the general fee schedule

• ThriveCart — where it wins

  • Hosted and embedded checkout pages with A/B testing
  • One-click upsells, downsells, and order bumps
  • Integrates with Stripe, PayPal, email, and course tools

  Where it doesn't

  • Standard includes only one bump offer
  • Paid plans start at $37 per month with annual billing
  • Focused on checkout and funnels rather than broad payment infrastructure

• PayPal Payments9.1/10 · Free plan

  A broad checkout toolkit for merchants that need many payment methods and channels.

  Visit PayPalFull verdict →
• ThriveCart8.4/10 · 30-day trial

  A checkout platform built around funnel testing, upsells, and digital sales.

  Visit ThriveCartFull verdict →