Payments and billing · Comparison
Braintree vs FastSpring vs Paddle
3 products compared side by side: what you pay for with each one first, then the five access facts, entry prices, recorded plan limits and the bottom line of each review. The evidence note under the table says how each product was checked.
Side by side
| Metric | Braintree | FastSpring | Paddle |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you're paying for | Worth the priceCards, PayPal and Venmo through one gateway, with the lowest card fees in our scenario: $368 on $10,000 a month, subscriptions included. | Compliance includedFastSpring becomes the seller of record: it collects and remits sales tax and VAT, runs subscriptions and handles fraud and chargebacks for one quoted rate. | Compliance includedPaddle becomes the seller of record: it files and remits sales tax and VAT and answers buyer billing questions, all inside 5% + 50¢. |
| Overall score | 7.5Best | 5.3 | 6.9 |
| Free option | –Not measured | Free trial | –Not measured |
| Card to start | –Not measured | –Not measured | –Not measured |
| Getting access | Approval wait | Self-serve | Approval wait |
| Starter priceCheapest paid plan | 2.89% + 29¢/card transaction | Quote/transaction | 5% + 50¢/transaction |
| Pricing model | Usage-based | Custom quote | Usage-based |
| Pricing page | Public prices | Prices hidden | Public prices |
| Model | Payment processor; you are the seller | Merchant of record | Merchant of record |
| Base fee | 2.89% + 29¢ per US card | Quoted revenue share; no published rate | 5% + 50¢ per transaction |
| $10,000/mo scenario | $368 (3.7%), computed | Not computable; priced by sales | $600 (6.0%), computed |
| Sales tax and VAT filing | Yours; no tax product offered | FastSpring collects and remits | Paddle files and remits |
| Dispute fee | $15, not refunded if won | $20 per chargeback or prevention alert | $20, not refunded if won |
| Payouts | Every weekday (US accounts) | Twice a month by default; weekly or monthly; $100 minimum | Monthly, $100 minimum |
| Charge currencies | 130+, one merchant account per currency | 36 | 33 |
| Team access | Custom roles, SAML SSO, SCIM, 2FA required | Ten predefined roles, 2FA, Okta (OIDC) or Google SSO | Five roles, 2FA |
| Card export if you leave | Documented, free, to a PCI-compliant gateway | Not documented; data returned in a standard form | Not documented; data portability stated |
| Security reports | PCI DSS Level 1 service provider; no SOC 2 stated | PCI DSS, SOC 2 Type 2, SOC 3 | PCI DSS attestation, SOC 2 Type II |
| Bottom line | From its public pages, Braintree has the lowest fees in our scenario and strong access controls and exit terms. It leaves tax entirely to you and takes an application before you go live. | From its public pages, FastSpring is a full merchant of record with strong B2B tools and security reports, but its rate is quoted by sales, so its cost cannot be compared here before a call. | From its public pages, Paddle is the most complete merchant of record here for a SaaS business: tax filing, buyer support and security reports in one 5% + 50¢ fee. Plan around monthly payouts and the $20 chargeback fee. |
Evidence: Braintree: facts checked 2026-10-15 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; FastSpring: facts checked 2026-10-15 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Paddle: facts checked 2026-10-15 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run. Prices in USD as listed, excluding tax. "–" means not recorded.
When to pick each
In the words of each review, with the date its facts were checked.
From our Braintree review
Checked Oct 15, 2026- Pick Braintree when
- You can handle sales tax yourself and want lower fees, payouts every weekday, SAML SSO and a documented card export.
- Pick Paddle when
- You want a merchant of record to file sales tax and VAT and answer buyer billing questions inside one fee.
From our FastSpring review
Checked Oct 15, 2026- Pick FastSpring when
- You sell B2B and want invoicing and quotes, 36 checkout currencies and ten predefined roles from your merchant of record.
- Pick Paddle when
- You want a published 5% + 50¢ rate you can model before a call, and no one-year term.
Entry price
Baseline: each product's cheapest paid plan, per month. Included usage differs, so read the line under each price.
- BraintreeCards and digital wallets2.89% + 29¢/transactionUS standard rate; custom flat or interchange-plus pricing for established businesses
- +1% for cards issued outside the US
- +1% when presented in a currency other than USD
- $15 per chargeback
- Recurring Billing, no separate fee listed
- FastSpringRevenue shareContact salesFlat rate set by transaction type and volume; no minimum volume; fees withheld from payouts
- FastSpring as merchant of record
- Sales tax and VAT collected and remitted
- Subscriptions, checkout, B2B invoicing and quotes
- Fraud prevention and chargeback handling
- PaddlePay-as-you-go5% + 50¢/transactionNo monthly or migration fees
- Paddle as merchant of record
- Sales tax and VAT collection and filing
- Fraud protection and chargeback handling
- Buyer billing support
Prices as listed on each pricing page, in USD per month, excluding tax. Observed: Braintree 2026-10-15, FastSpring 2026-10-15, Paddle 2026-10-15.
Which one fits
- If you need to start today without a sales call
- FastSpringSelf-serve sign-up; the only one here you can use right after signing up.
- Highest overall score
- Braintree7.5/10 (Good). The review shows the score breakdown and the run behind it.
Picked by fixed rules from the table above, not by hand. How we score
Full reviews
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