SaaS & B2B Tools · Mid-range

Stripe

Financial infrastructure for the internet

Visit Stripe Compare with another brandFounded 2010 · San Francisco, CA, USA / Dublin, Ireland

89/ 100

BrandCompare score

4.7/5 across 55,000 reviews analysed

Who is Stripe for?

Stripe is a strong fit for online businesses and e-commerce, SaaS companies with recurring billing and marketplaces and platforms. In our scoring it is strongest on scalability (98/100) and weakest on customer support (75/100). Look elsewhere if you need high-risk businesses (adult, gambling) and businesses prioritizing lowest transaction fees.

Derived from our 7-dimension scoring and the use cases we tested. How we score

About Stripe

Stripe is the leading payment infrastructure platform for the internet, processing hundreds of billions of dollars annually for millions of businesses. Founded in 2010 by Irish brothers Patrick and John Collison, Stripe revolutionized online payments with its developer-first approach and elegant API. The company has expanded far beyond payments to offer billing, invoicing, tax, fraud prevention, and even business incorporation (Stripe Atlas). At its peak valuation of $95 billion in 2021, it was the most valuable private fintech company ever.

Scores by dimension

Editorial assessments on a 0–100 scale, weighted by how much each dimension matters in this category.

Features & Functionality

Breadth and depth of features, customization options

Ease of Use

User interface, learning curve, onboarding experience

Integrations

Third-party app connections, API quality, ecosystem

Pricing & Value

Cost effectiveness, pricing transparency, ROI

Customer Support

Response time, documentation, community resources

Scalability

Growth capacity, enterprise features, performance at scale

Security & Compliance

Data protection, certifications (SOC2, GDPR), uptime

Scores are BrandCompare editorial ratings, not third-party user ratings. Weights per dimension are listed on the methodology page.

Pros and cons

Where it wins

Industry-best API and developer experience
Exceptional documentation (the gold standard)
Comprehensive product suite (payments, billing, tax, fraud)
Global payments in 135+ currencies
Constant product innovation
Powers companies like Shopify, Amazon, Google

Where it falls short

Higher fees than some alternatives (2.9% + $0.30)
Customer support can be slow for smaller accounts
Account holds/freezes reported by some users
Requires technical knowledge for full utilization
Dashboard can be complex for simple use cases

Best for, and not for

Good fit

Online businesses and e-commerceSaaS companies with recurring billingMarketplaces and platformsDeveloper-led teamsSubscription-based businessesStartups needing Stripe Atlas incorporation

Poor fit

High-risk businesses (adult, gambling)Businesses prioritizing lowest transaction feesNon-technical users needing hand-holding

Pricing

Paid plans from 2.9% + $0.30.

Official pricing page

Standard

2.9% + $0.30

Online payments
Basic fraud protection
Dashboard

Custom

Volume pricing

Lower rates at scale
Dedicated support
Custom features

Plan names and prices are as published by Stripe when we last reviewed this profile. Vendors change pricing without notice; the official page is the source of truth.

Key facts and timeline

Processes hundreds of billions of dollars annually
Peaked at $95B valuation in March 2021
Powers payments for Shopify, Amazon, Instacart, Lyft
Founded by Irish brothers Patrick (CEO) and John Collison
John Collison became youngest self-made billionaire at 26
Stripe Atlas has helped incorporate 50,000+ companies

2010
Founded by Patrick and John Collison
2011
Launched publicly, early Y Combinator backing
2012
Raised $18M Series A from Sequoia
2014
Launched Bitcoin payments (later discontinued)
2016
Launched Stripe Atlas for incorporations
2018
Reached $20B valuation
2019
CNBC Disruptor 50 #1
2020
Launched Stripe Treasury
2021
Peaked at $95B valuation (highest private fintech ever)
2024
Valuation marked down to ~$50B
2024
Expanded to 46 countries

Partnerships and positioning

Partnerships

Shopify
Amazon
Google
Ford
Zoom

Certifications

PCI DSS Level 1
SOC 1 Type II
SOC 2 Type II
ISO 27001
GDPR

Check the latest numbers on Stripe

Ratings, prices and share prices change weekly. We link to the source rather than quoting a snapshot.

Pricing & plans: Official pricing page
User reviews: G2 Capterra
Company: LinkedIn

Links open the third-party site in a new tab. Figures shown there are theirs, not ours.

Stripe: common questions

What is Stripe best for?

Stripe is best for online businesses and e-commerce, SaaS companies with recurring billing, marketplaces and platforms and developer-led teams. It is a weaker choice for high-risk businesses (adult, gambling) and businesses prioritizing lowest transaction fees.

What are the main drawbacks of Stripe?

The most common criticisms are: Higher fees than some alternatives (2.9% + $0.30); Customer support can be slow for smaller accounts; Account holds/freezes reported by some users.

How much does Stripe cost?

paid plans start at 2.9% + $0.30. Prices change often, so confirm the current figure on the official pricing page before deciding.

How does Stripe score on BrandCompare?

Stripe scores 89/100 overall. Its highest dimension is scalability at 98/100 and its lowest is customer support at 75/100. Scores are editorial assessments weighted by the category methodology, not user ratings.

Where is Stripe based and when was it founded?

Stripe was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, USA / Dublin, Ireland.