Braintree vs PayPal

PayPal's developer-friendly sidekick meets the og of online payments: everyone uses it, but nobody loves the fees. Here's our take.

Braintree

Nice Pick

PayPal's developer-friendly sidekick. It makes payments easy until you need to talk to a human.

Pros

• Seamless integration with PayPal and digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay
• Robust APIs and SDKs that simplify complex payment workflows
• Strong fraud protection and PCI compliance built-in

Cons

• Customer support can be slow and impersonal, typical of big corporate platforms
• Pricing isn't the cheapest, especially for high-volume transactions

PayPal

The OG of online payments: everyone uses it, but nobody loves the fees.

Pros

• Near-universal acceptance for online transactions
• Built-in fraud protection and buyer/seller safeguards
• Easy integration with most e-commerce platforms

Cons

• Transaction fees can eat into profits, especially for small businesses
• Account freezes and disputes can be a nightmare to resolve

The Verdict

Use Braintree if: You want seamless integration with paypal and digital wallets like apple pay and google pay and can live with customer support can be slow and impersonal, typical of big corporate platforms.

Use PayPal if: You prioritize near-universal acceptance for online transactions over what Braintree offers.

The Bottom Line

Braintree wins

PayPal's developer-friendly sidekick. It makes payments easy until you need to talk to a human.