# PayPal vs Adyen

Source: https://nachonacho.com/compare/paypal-vs-adyen

Choose PayPal if you want a hosted checkout with published US transaction rates; choose Adyen if you need to bring online and in-person payments together with marketplace payment-splitting tools. Both support cards, subscriptions and platform payments. The deciding questions are how much control you need over the payment flow and whether Adyen’s minimum invoice works for your business.

## At a glance

| | PayPal | Adyen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| US card pricing | PayPal Checkout: 2.99% + $0.49; Expanded Checkout: 2.89% + $0.29. | Fixed processing fee plus payment-method fee; card costs can include variable interchange. |
| Minimum invoice | Not published for PayPal Checkout. | Applies; amount depends on industry or business model. |
| Setup and monthly fees | None for PayPal Checkout. | No setup or monthly fees; minimum invoice applies. |
| US PayPal payment rate | 3.49% + $0.49 per PayPal Checkout transaction. | $0.13 plus direct PayPal contract and management service fee. |
| Checkout deployment | Hosted PayPal Checkout or API-based Expanded Checkout. | Online payment integrations and commerce-platform plugins. |
| Marketplace payments | Seller onboarding, partner fees and payouts. | Seller verification, split payments and payouts. |
| Subscriptions | Recurring payments built into Checkout. | Token-based subscription payments through the payments API. |
| In-person payments | PayPal Point of Sale and Tap to Pay. | In-person payments within Unified Commerce. |
| Commerce integrations | Ecommerce-platform connections, REST APIs and JavaScript SDK. | Plugins for Adobe Commerce, Shopify, Salesforce and others. |
| Business support | Online support and call center; enterprise account-manager support. | Support tickets through the Customer Area. |

## Which to choose

### Choose PayPal if

- Businesses that want a PayPal-hosted checkout with little coding.
- US sellers that want to offer PayPal, Venmo and Pay Later.
- Teams that want published US checkout rates before contacting sales.

### Choose Adyen if

- Businesses combining online, in-app and in-person payment data.
- Marketplaces that need seller verification, split payments and payouts.
- Teams integrating local payment methods through one payments platform.

## Verdict

PayPal is the better fit for a business that wants to start with hosted checkout, PayPal and Venmo, and straightforward published US rates. Adyen is the better fit for a business building a unified payment operation across channels or splitting marketplace payments among sellers. Compare a quote before deciding on cost: Adyen’s card pricing includes variable interchange costs, and its minimum invoice amount depends on the business.

## Questions

### Which is easier to launch without custom development?

PayPal offers a hosted Checkout flow that it describes as requiring little coding. Adyen also offers prebuilt commerce-platform plugins, so the easier launch depends on your existing storefront and payment requirements.

### How do PayPal and Adyen charge for US card payments?

PayPal publishes domestic card rates of 2.99% + $0.49 for PayPal Checkout and 2.89% + $0.29 for Expanded Checkout. Adyen charges a fixed processing fee plus a payment-method fee; card pricing can include variable interchange costs. These are not directly comparable as single flat rates.

### Does Adyen have a monthly minimum?

Adyen says it has no monthly fee but does have a minimum invoice that depends on the industry or business model. It directs businesses to sales for the applicable amount.

### Can I accept PayPal through Adyen?

Yes. Adyen lists PayPal as a payment method and publishes pricing based on a direct PayPal contract, plus Adyen’s processing and management service fees.

### Can both handle marketplace sellers and payouts?

Yes. PayPal publishes seller onboarding, partner-fee and payout capabilities for platforms. Adyen publishes seller verification, payment splitting and payout capabilities for marketplaces.

### Do both support subscription payments?

Yes. PayPal includes recurring payments in its Checkout offerings. Adyen supports subscription charges using stored payment-method tokens and its payments API.

### Do customers need a PayPal account to use PayPal Checkout?

No. PayPal says customers can pay by credit or debit card as guests without creating or signing in to a PayPal account.

## Product pages

- PayPal: https://nachonacho.com/product/PayPal
- Adyen: https://nachonacho.com/product/adyen