# Stripe vs Braintree: Which Is Actually Cheaper?

URL: https://www.paydude.io/resources/tools/stripe-vs-braintree-fees
Type: Free interactive calculator
Summary: Stripe publishes 2.9% + 30¢; Braintree publishes 2.59% + 49¢. Which costs less depends on your average transaction — see where the answer flips.

A genuinely close comparison with a clean crossover point: Braintree has the lower percentage and the higher fixed fee, so which one wins depends entirely on your average transaction.

## Summary

Stripe publishes 2.9% + 30¢. Braintree publishes 2.59% + 49¢. The answer flips at a $61.29 average transaction. Compare at your own average transaction — the headline rate alone does not decide it.

## Published rates

**Standard published rates for domestic online cards, September 2026**

|  | Stripe | Braintree |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Card rate | 2.9% | 2.59% |
| Fixed fee | 30¢ | 49¢ |
| Monthly fee | $0 | $0 |
| Pricing model | Flat rate | Flat rate |

## Which one is cheaper

Braintree's 2.59% is lower than Stripe's 2.9%, but its 49¢ fixed fee is well above Stripe's 30¢. Below a $61.29 ticket the fixed fee dominates and Stripe is cheaper; above it the percentage dominates and Braintree wins.

> **The clearest example of why headline rates mislead:** Braintree advertises a lower percentage and is the more expensive option for any business with a small average transaction. Ranking providers by advertised rate would pick the wrong one for most low-ticket merchants.

## What actually decides it

Your average transaction, and nothing else. Work it out from a statement — total volume divided by transaction count — then compare against $61.29.

## For reference

The calculator above also shows Paydude, which publishes 2.6% + 25¢ improving with volume. It is there as a third data point rather than as the answer to a question about Stripe and Braintree — for every provider side by side see the [full processor fee table](https://www.paydude.io/resources/payment-processor-fee-comparison).

**Compare every provider at once** Published rates for 18 processors, with the effective rate at three ticket sizes. — [See the table](https://www.paydude.io/resources/payment-processor-fee-comparison)

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Stripe cheaper than Braintree?

It depends on your ticket size. Braintree's 2.59% beats Stripe's 2.9%, but its 49¢ fixed fee is higher than Stripe's 30¢. The crossover is $61.29: below that Stripe is cheaper, above it Braintree is.

### At what transaction size does the answer change?

At a $61.29 average transaction the two cost exactly the same. Below it Stripe wins because the fixed fee dominates; above it Braintree wins because the percentage does.

### What is the difference between Stripe and Braintree?

Braintree is PayPal's developer-facing platform and Stripe is an independent one. Feature sets overlap heavily; the meaningful differences are the rate structure above and Braintree's native PayPal wallet integration.

### Where do these rates come from?

Both are publicly published standard rates for domestic card payments as of September 2026. Neither is a negotiated or promotional rate, and either provider may quote you something different from its list price.