PayPal vs Stripe Fee Calculator
Run the same monthly sales through PayPal and Stripe and see the dollar difference over a month and a year.
Your numbers
Your result · updates as you type
Stripe is cheaper at your order mix
$201
That's $2,416 a year across 300 orders a month at $65.00 average order value.
- PayPal fee per order
- $2.99
- Stripe fee per order
- $2.31
- Difference per order
- $0.67
Fees aren't the whole story: PayPal's brand recognition can lift checkout conversion for some stores, which may be worth more than the fee gap. Test both if you can run them side by side.
Breakdown
- PayPal, PayPal Checkout (PayPal or Venmo button) (3.84% + $0.49)
- $2.99 / order · $896 / mo
- Stripe, online card (3.1% + $0.30)
- $2.31 / order · $694 / mo
- Monthly difference
- $201
- Yearly difference
- $2,416
Comparing the two on your real order mix
A single-sale comparison misses two things: your international and currency-conversion share, and how a small per-order gap compounds across a month of orders. This calculator applies both processors' rates to your actual volume.
Example: the default numbers ($65 AOV, 300 orders, 10% international, 5% needing conversion)
- PayPal Checkout rate
- 3.49% + 10%×1.5% + 5%×4.0% = 3.84% + $0.49
- Stripe online rate
- 2.9% + 10%×1.5% + 5%×1.0% = 3.10% + $0.30
- PayPal fee per order
- $2.99
- Stripe fee per order
- $2.31
Stripe is cheaper here by $0.67 an order, or $201 a month, which is $2,416 a year at this volume.
Switch PayPal payment method to card fields (2.99% + $0.49) if most of your PayPal traffic skips the PayPal login button.
What the fee gap doesn't tell you
- Checkout conversion. PayPal's brand recognition can lift conversion for some stores, especially with buyers who don't trust entering a card number. That's worth testing, not assuming.
- Chargebacks and holds. Fee rate isn't the only cost: compare each provider's dispute fee with the chargeback cost calculator.
- Running both. Many stores offer PayPal as one option alongside Stripe or Shopify Payments rather than picking a single processor.
Questions people ask
Is PayPal or Stripe cheaper?
For most US online card sales, Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 undercuts both PayPal Checkout (3.49% + $0.49) and PayPal's card fields (2.99% + $0.49). The gap narrows if a lot of your orders are international or need currency conversion.
Why does the yearly gap look so much bigger than the monthly one?
Small per-order differences compound. A $0.67 gap on 300 orders a month is $201 a month, and twelve months of that is $2,416.
Does this include PayPal's currency conversion fee?
Yes, if you set a share of orders as needing conversion, both processors' conversion fees are blended into the average rate.
Can I run both PayPal and Stripe?
Yes, most Shopify and WooCommerce stores can offer more than one payment option at checkout. This calculator compares the cost if all your volume went through one or the other.
Related tools
Want this builtinto your store?
I'm Emmanuel, a Shopify and WooCommerce developer. If this tool pointed at something you'd rather have fixed for you (a faster store, cleaner product data, a migration, a custom feature), send me a note.
Emmanuel Asika
Shopify & WooCommerce developer, Dublin
I build and fix online stores: new builds, migrations, speed, SEO and the custom bits apps can't do.
Last reviewed 30 September 2026.
Sources: PayPal: Merchant fees · Stripe: Pricing