Adyen vs. Stripe Comparison: Fees, Features, Benefits

Adyen and Stripe are both well-known payment processing companies that allow you to accept a variety of payment types and currencies without requiring a monthly subscription fee. Their biggest differences are their payment processing fee structures and application processes.

Adyen’s pricing and omnichannel approach is ideal for midsize and large businesses that utilize multiple sales channels (or even have multiple locations). Stripe’s quick application process and flat-rate pricing, on the other hand, make it a better fit for small businesses processing mostly online payments.

Adyen pros and cons at a glance

Stripe pros and cons at a glance

Adyen vs. Stripe comparison

Where Adyen stands out

Unified commerce approach

Adyen uses online and offline payment data to provide additional sales insight and create a consistent shopping experience for customers. For example, customers can buy an item from your online store but return it to your brick-and-mortar location. This makes Adyen more attractive for midsize and large businesses — often with multiple locations and multiple sales channels — that need to create a seamless shopping experience for customers.

Stripe focuses more specifically on facilitating online payments. While you can use one of its mobile card readers to accept in-person payments, integrating Stripe into a full POS system setup requires coding.

Variety of hardware options

Businesses processing in-person transactions can choose from more than 10 different card readers and handheld terminals on Adyen’s website. Its SF01 countertop terminal, in particular, stands out for its brandability. Lots of competitors, including Stripe, sell card readers with interactive screens attached to them, but Adyen’s terminal lets you incorporate your business’s colors and logo and advertise promotions. This can be a big value-add for brick-and-mortar businesses trying to build brand recognition.

Stripe offers a handful of card reader options, but since the company focuses mostly on online transactions, its selection is limited.

More transparent pricing

Unlike Stripe, which uses a flat-rate pricing model, Adyen uses interchange-plus-plus. This pricing structure is more transparent than flat rate because it breaks the payment processing fee down to the interchange fee, plus the acquirer’s fee and the card scheme (or card brand) fee. That clarity can potentially save you money, depending on the types of transactions you process.

For instance, debit card processing fees are typically lower than those for credit cards — but a flat-rate processor like Stripe might charge you the same for both. These extra costs can really add up, in particular, for higher-volume businesses with lots of transactions. The downside with interchange-plus-plus is that the various costs can be more difficult to predict your business’s monthly credit card processing fees.

» MORE: See our full Adyen review

Where Stripe stands out

Quick signup process

Stripe’s account approval process can be almost immediate, as long as you provide all of the required information. This is great news for small startups that need to begin accepting payments quickly to increase cash flow and pay their bills.

Adyen’s application process, on the other hand, usually takes somewhere around four business days. That’s not necessarily the end of the world, but it could be a dealbreaker for businesses that need to start generating revenue immediately.

Customization options

Stripe’s API-focused approach means greater flexibility and a variety of integration options, especially for tech businesses with owners who have experience coding. Ultimately, you may not be able to take full advantage of everything Stripe has to offer without a development resource; however, Stripe makes it simple to work with the basics.

Straightforward pricing

Stripe’s flat-rate pricing is easier to wrap your head around than Adyen’s interchange-plus-plus system. This may make it more appealing to small-business owners who want to be able to better predict processing costs and don’t sell at a high enough volume to benefit from interchange savings.

» MORE: See our full Stripe review

Is Adyen or Stripe right for your business?

The easiest way to decide between Stripe and Adyen is to consider two main factors:

1. Your business’s size. 

2. Your business’s sales channels. 

Ultimately, Adyen’s interchange plus-plus pricing, omnichannel support and specialized security tools make the product a more worthwhile investment for midsize and large businesses that sell in-person and online. Stripe’s flat-rate pricing and simple online checkout options cater more heavily to small businesses selling items online or accepting invoice payments online.