Headless Checkout vs Hosted Checkout

Developers should learn headless checkout when building e-commerce applications that require custom, high-performance user interfaces or need to integrate checkout into non-traditional platforms like mobile apps, IoT devices, or social media meets developers should use hosted checkout when building e-commerce applications that require quick, secure payment integration without the complexity of handling sensitive payment data directly. Here's our take.

Headless Checkout

Nice Pick

Developers should learn headless checkout when building e-commerce applications that require custom, high-performance user interfaces or need to integrate checkout into non-traditional platforms like mobile apps, IoT devices, or social media

Pros

• It is ideal for businesses aiming to enhance user experience with tailored designs, improve conversion rates through optimized flows, and scale efficiently across multiple touchpoints without being constrained by monolithic e-commerce systems
• Related to: e-commerce-api, payment-gateways

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Hosted Checkout

Developers should use Hosted Checkout when building e-commerce applications that require quick, secure payment integration without the complexity of handling sensitive payment data directly

Pros

• It's ideal for small to medium-sized businesses, startups, or projects with limited resources, as it reduces development time, minimizes security risks, and ensures compliance with payment industry standards
• Related to: payment-gateway-integration, e-commerce-development

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Headless Checkout is a concept while Hosted Checkout is a platform. We picked Headless Checkout based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Headless Checkout wins

Based on overall popularity. Headless Checkout is more widely used, but Hosted Checkout excels in its own space.