Best Payment Providers for Subscription Businesses15 providers compared

Stripe

SaaS & Developers

A developer-first payment platform known for its exceptional API design and comprehensive documentation. Stripe offers a full suite of payment infrastructure tools supporting over 100 payment methods across 135+ currencies. Ideal for SaaS companies, startups, and any business that values a modern developer experience.

Finix

Platforms & Direct Acquirer

A payment infrastructure platform built specifically for software platforms and marketplaces in the United States. Finix enables platforms to become their own payment facilitators with direct acquiring capabilities, offering white-label payment processing with advanced features like split transactions and merchant onboarding tools.

Square

Retail & Restaurants

An all-in-one commerce platform that combines payment processing with point-of-sale hardware and business management tools. Square is particularly popular with retail stores, restaurants, and service businesses that need integrated solutions for payments, inventory, and staff management. Their hardware ecosystem and free baseline tier make it accessible for small businesses to get started quickly.

Trustly

Pay by Bank (A2A)

A leading pay-by-bank provider that enables direct bank transfers as an alternative to card payments. Trustly connects to over 12,000 banks across 30+ countries in Europe and North America, offering instant account-to-account payments with lower processing costs than traditional card networks. Particularly strong in gaming, subscription services, and financial services where bank-based payments reduce friction and churn.

Razorpay

Indian Startups

India's leading payment gateway, purpose-built for the Indian market and its unique payment landscape. Razorpay supports UPI, cards, wallets, netbanking, EMI options, and 100+ other payment methods with fast onboarding for startups. Known for its developer-friendly approach and strong presence among Indian startups and growing businesses.

Mollie

European Simplicity

A European-focused payment service provider known for its simplicity and quick setup. Mollie supports 35+ payment methods popular across Europe including iDEAL, Bancontact, SOFORT, and various cards, with transparent per-transaction pricing. Ideal for SMBs and startups in Europe who want to get started quickly without complex contracts.

2Checkout (Verifone)

Digital Goods

A global payment platform now owned by Verifone, with particular strength in digital goods and subscription billing. 2Checkout supports 45+ payment methods across 200+ countries with built-in tax management and localized checkout experiences. A solid choice for SaaS companies and digital product sellers needing global reach.

Authorize.Net

Advanced Fraud Detection

One of the longest-running US payment gateways, founded in 1996 and now owned by Visa. Authorize.Net offers reliable card processing with an Advanced Fraud Detection Suite and strong recurring billing capabilities. A trusted choice for established US businesses, especially those needing virtual terminal and phone order support.

Braintree

Mobile Apps

A PayPal-owned payment platform known for its developer-friendly SDKs and strong mobile integration. Braintree provides seamless access to PayPal, Venmo, and card payments through a single integration, making it popular among mobile apps and marketplaces. Offers a transparent Drop-in UI that simplifies checkout implementation.

BlueSnap

B2B Payments

A payment orchestration platform now part of Payroc, specializing in B2B payments and subscription billing. BlueSnap offers local acquiring in 50 countries with native integrations for popular ERP and e-commerce platforms like NetSuite, BigCommerce, and Zuora. A strong fit for SaaS and B2B companies with global invoicing and subscription needs.

Ping Payments

Nordic payment aggregator

A Nordic payment aggregator that brings together the region's most popular payment methods including Swish, Vipps, MobilePay, and open banking in one integration. Ping Payments makes it easy for merchants to accept payments across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland with local payment preferences supported.

Stax

High-volume businesses

A membership-based payment processor offering interchange-plus pricing with a flat monthly fee instead of percentage markups. Stax is designed for high-volume businesses that want to save on processing costs by paying wholesale rates. Includes card processing, ACH, invoicing, and business management tools.

Host Merchant Services

Online businesses

A US payment processor that works with both standard and high-risk merchant categories. Host Merchant Services provides card processing, POS systems, and e-commerce solutions for retail, restaurants, and online businesses with dedicated account support.

NMI

Gateway flexibility

A flexible payment gateway designed for ISVs, resellers, and payment facilitators who need white-label capabilities. NMI provides extensive customization options, recurring billing, and tokenization for businesses building payment experiences into their own platforms. A popular choice for software companies embedding payments.

AffiniPay (8am)

Professional services

A payment platform built for professional services including legal (LawPay), accounting (CPACharge), and associations. AffiniPay (now 8am) handles industry-specific compliance requirements like IOLTA trust accounting for law firms. Designed for professionals who need compliant payment acceptance with specialized billing features.