Best Payments Tools for Startups in 2026

Top Payments Tools

• Stripe

  Stripe's marketplace infrastructure handles split payouts to subcontractors and freelancers. Ideal for agencies doing white-label work with transparent revenue sharing.

  paid

  Best for: Teams wanting developer-first payments platform

• PayPal

  PayPal's bulk payment feature and foreign currency support appeal to agencies managing retainer clients across continents. Low overhead per transaction.

  paid

  Best for: Teams wanting online payments and checkout

• Paddle

  Paddle's merchant-of-record model handles taxes and compliance. Agencies selling recurring services escape sales tax complexity; ideal for SaaS agencies.

  paid

  Best for: Teams wanting merchant-of-record billing for saas

• Lemon Squeezy

  Lemon Squeezy simplifies digital product bundling and affiliate payouts. Creative agencies selling templates, courses or design assets benefit from native payout splits.

  paid

  Best for: Teams wanting payments and tax for digital products

• Square

  Square's Register integration with invoicing streamlines invoicing and payment collection. Agencies managing in-person retainer meetings appreciate seamless POS integration.

  paid

  Best for: Teams wanting payments for in-person and online

• Braintree

  Braintree's fallback payment method and fraud tools protect repeat billing. Agencies with subscription clients appreciate transparent chargeback handling and PCI compliance.

  paid

  Best for: Teams wanting paypal-owned payment platform