RadarTrek Intel — monthly score updates
We track 40+ tools so you don't have to. Score changes, new tools, and new guides — once a month, no spam.
Payments · 2026
6 tools · 6 dimensions · Ranked by weighted score
Click any column to sort
| Weighted average | Overall | API design, checkout components, and integration speed. | Transaction fees and how they scale with volume. | Supported countries, currencies, and local payment methods. | Subscriptions, invoicing, tax handling, and dunning. | Overall cost relative to capability at typical SaaS volume. | Dispute handling, documentation, and account support quality. | Monthly |
| ★Stripe The default choice for developers worl… | 88 | 98 | 75 | 92 | 95 | 80 | 80 | Free usage |
| Braintree A PayPal company with strong enterpris… | 79 | 75 | 75 | 88 | 85 | 78 | 78 | Free usage |
| Lemon Squeezy Merchant of record built specifically … | 79 | 88 | 65 | 88 | 80 | 80 | 78 | Free usage |
| Paddle Merchant of record — Paddle handles yo… | 78 | 82 | 60 | 95 | 88 | 75 | 82 | Free usage |
| Polar Open-source, developer-first payments … | 78 | 90 | 70 | 78 | 70 | 82 | 70 | Free usage |
| PayPal The most recognised checkout brand for… | 74 | 65 | 68 | 96 | 75 | 72 | 70 | Free usage |
Click tool names to see the full radar breakdown · Open screener for advanced filtering
Developer UX
API design, checkout components, and integration speed.
Fees
Transaction fees and how they scale with volume.
Global Reach
Supported countries, currencies, and local payment methods.
Feature Set
Subscriptions, invoicing, tax handling, and dunning.
Price / Value
Overall cost relative to capability at typical SaaS volume.
| Tool | Score | Developer UX | Fees | Global Reach | Feature Set | Price / Value | Support | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe★ | 88 | 98 | 75 | 92 | 95 | 80 | 80 | Free |
| Braintree | 79 | 75 | 75 | 88 | 85 | 78 | 78 | Free |
| Lemon Squeezy | 79 | 88 | 65 | 88 | 80 | 80 | 78 | Free |
| Paddle | 78 | 82 | 60 | 95 | 88 | 75 | 82 | Free |
| Polar | 78 | 90 | 70 | 78 | 70 | 82 | 70 | Free |
| PayPal | 74 | 65 | 68 | 96 | 75 | 72 | 70 | Free |
Top Pick
Stripe
88/100
Best: Developer UX (98)
Runner Up
Braintree
79/100
Best: Global Reach (88)
Third Place
Lemon Squeezy
79/100
Best: Developer UX (88)
Every active payments tool we track (6 as of this page), scored across all 6 dimensions, on one printable page — designed to be a quick reference you can keep open or print out rather than clicking through individual review pages.
Yes — use the download/print action above. The print layout strips the interactive table and replaces it with a static version formatted for A4, so scores stay legible on paper rather than being cut off.
The cheat sheet always reflects the same live scores as the rest of RadarTrek — there's no separate, potentially stale dataset for the printable version. If a tool's score changes, the cheat sheet updates the next time the page is generated.