PayU India vs Stripe
Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial
PayU India
Online payment gateway for Indian businesses, covering cards, UPI, netbanking, EMI, pay-later and wallets.
Stripe
Developer-focused online payments platform for accepting cards, wallets and local payment methods worldwide.
The short answer
PayU India suits businesses registered in India that want a flat 2% rate on most domestic methods and strong EMI and pay-later options. Stripe suits SaaS companies and marketplaces selling internationally that want well-documented APIs and add-ons like billing, tax and marketplace payouts. The biggest difference is focus: PayU is built around Indian payment methods, while Stripe is built for global, developer-led integrations.
PayU India or Stripe: our take
PayU India is one of the older Indian gateways, part of the Prosus-owned PayU group. Its standard plan charges 2% on cards, netbanking, wallets and BNPL, and 3% for EMI, Amex, Diners and international cards, with no setup or annual maintenance fee. It lists 150+ payment methods, including UPI and a wide range of card EMI and pay-later options, which matter for higher-priced purchases in travel, education and ecommerce. Merchants get payment links, invoices, subscriptions, ecommerce plugins and APIs from a web dashboard. It is meant for businesses registered in India and has fewer adjacent banking products than some local rivals.
Stripe is a developer-focused platform used by startups and large internet companies. It supports 135+ currencies and 100+ payment methods from one integration, with a full test mode and clear documentation. Around the gateway sit Billing, Tax (calculations in 100+ countries), fraud screening, Connect for marketplace payouts, card issuing and in-person terminals. Standard pricing is pay as you go with no setup or monthly fees, but rates vary by country and payment method, add-ons carry their own fees, and availability depends on where your business is registered.
For an Indian business selling mainly to Indian customers, PayU is the more natural fit: simple domestic pricing, local methods and EMI built in. For a company selling subscriptions or running a marketplace across many countries, Stripe's international coverage and tooling are the stronger reason to choose it, provided it supports your country of registration. Teams with both domestic and global customers sometimes run a local gateway alongside Stripe.
Which should you pick?
Choose PayU India if…
- Indian merchants who want a long-established gateway with strong EMI and pay-later options
- Simple flat rate across most domestic payment methods
- Wide range of EMI and buy-now-pay-later options
Choose Stripe if…
- SaaS companies and marketplaces that sell internationally and want strong developer tooling
- You need iOS and Android, which PayU India doesn't list
- Well-documented APIs with a full test mode
- Large set of payment methods and currencies from one integration
About each app
What is PayU India?
PayU India is the Indian arm of PayU, a payments group owned by Prosus, and one of the older online payment gateways in the country. Merchants use it to accept cards, UPI, netbanking, wallets, EMI and buy-now-pay-later options on websites and apps, with payment links, invoices, subscriptions and plugins for common ecommerce platforms. Its standard plan is pay-as-you-use with a flat percentage on most domestic methods, a higher rate for Amex, Diners, EMI and international cards, and no setup or annual maintenance fee; larger merchants can ask for enterprise pricing with a dedicated account manager. PayU is used by a mix of small sellers and big brands, especially in travel, education and ecommerce, and offers affordability options like card EMIs that matter for higher-priced purchases. It is meant for businesses registered in India and is managed from a web dashboard with developer APIs.
What is Stripe?
Stripe is a payments platform used by startups and large internet companies to accept money online and in person. Developers integrate its APIs or use prebuilt pieces such as Checkout, payment links and embeddable UI elements; non-developers can send invoices and payment links from the dashboard. It supports cards, digital wallets, bank debits and many local payment methods across a large number of currencies. Around the core gateway sit products for subscription billing, tax calculation, fraud screening, marketplace payouts (Connect), card issuing and in-person terminals. Standard pricing is pay-as-you-go per successful transaction with no setup or monthly fee; rates differ by country and payment method, and large businesses can get custom pricing. Stripe is known for clear documentation and test tooling, which is why it is a default choice for SaaS and marketplaces. Availability depends on the country where your business is registered, so check that your country is supported before building on it.
Side by side
| Attribute | PayU India | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Platforms | Web | Web, iOS, Android |
| Best for | Indian merchants who want a long-established gateway with strong EMI and pay-later options | SaaS companies and marketplaces that sell internationally and want strong developer tooling |
| Status | Active | Active |
Verified facts, compared
Facts both apps publish, checked on each vendor's own site.
PayU India vs Stripe pricing
PayU India: paid
- Starting price: 2% per domestic transaction (Standard plan) source
Platforms
| Platform | PayU India | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android |
PayU India facts
6 of 6 verified- Domestic fee
- 2% on cards, netbanking, wallets and BNPL
- Checked Nov 8, 2026payu.in(opens source in a new tab)
- “PayU follows a transparent Pay-as-you-use model, 2% for domestic cards, net banking, wallets, BNPL and 3% for EMI, Amex, Diners & international transactions.”
- International/EMI fee
- 3%
- Checked Nov 8, 2026payu.in(opens source in a new tab)
- “3% for EMI, Amex, Diners & international transactions.”
- Payment methods
- 150+
- Checked Nov 8, 2026payu.in(opens source in a new tab)
- “A Smarter Choice for All Your Payment Needs Start Now Multiple Payment Modes 150+ Payment Methods, Including Cards, UPI, EMI, BNPL, And Wallets.”
- Starting price
- 2% per domestic transaction (Standard plan)
- Checked Nov 8, 2026payu.in(opens source in a new tab)
- “Standard Plan 2% Zero Hidden Charges”
- International and EMI fee
- 3% per transaction
- Checked Nov 8, 2026payu.in(opens source in a new tab)
- “3% for EMI, Amex, Diners & international transactions.”
- Setup fee
- None, and no annual maintenance fee
- Checked Nov 8, 2026payu.in(opens source in a new tab)
- “Zero Setup Fees Zero Annual Maintenance Fee”
Stripe facts
7 of 7 verified- Setup and monthly fees
- None on standard pricing
- Checked Nov 8, 2026stripe.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Stripe does not charge setup fees, monthly fees, or any other hidden fees like closure fees.”
- Payment methods
- 100+
- Checked Nov 8, 2026stripe.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “100+ payment methods From Alipay to iDEAL, seamlessly support popular payment methods.”
- Tax automation
- Calculations in 100+ countries
- Checked Nov 8, 2026stripe.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Scale with confidence by automating tax calculations and collections in 100+ countries.”
- Pricing
- Pay as you go, no setup or monthly fees
- Checked Nov 8, 2026stripe.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “pay-as-you-go pricing. No setup fees, monthly fees, or hidden fees.”
- Custom domain price
- $10 per month
- Checked Nov 8, 2026stripe.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Custom domain Use your own domain while hosting your payments page or customer portal on Stripe. US$10.00 per month”
- Card pricing
- 2.9% + a fixed fee per successful domestic card charge
- Checked Nov 8, 2026stripe.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “2.9% + CA$0.30 per successful transaction for domestic cards”
Pros and cons of PayU India
- Simple flat rate across most domestic payment methods
- Wide range of EMI and buy-now-pay-later options
- No setup or annual maintenance fee on the standard plan
- EMI, Amex, Diners and international payments cost 3%
- Mainly for businesses registered in India
- Fewer adjacent banking products than Razorpay
Pros and cons of Stripe
- Well-documented APIs with a full test mode
- Large set of payment methods and currencies from one integration
- Billing, tax, fraud and marketplace payouts available as add-ons
- Not available to businesses in every country
- Add-on products like Billing and Tax carry their own fees
- Rates vary by country and payment method, so costs need checking per market
Other apps to consider
RazorpayInstead of PayU India
Same headline rate with more business banking and payout tools in one account.
- CcCCAvenue
Instead of PayU India
Long-running Indian gateway with a wide spread of bank, wallet and multi-currency options, often chosen by exporters.
PaddleInstead of Stripe
Acts as merchant of record, so it handles global sales tax and VAT for software sellers.
Lemon SqueezyInstead of Stripe
Merchant-of-record checkout aimed at indie software and digital product sellers.
PayPalInstead of Stripe
Buyers already know and trust the PayPal button, and it works in many markets without building a custom checkout.
PayU India vs Stripe: common questions
Is PayU India better than Stripe?
PayU India suits businesses registered in India that want a flat 2% rate on most domestic methods and strong EMI and pay-later options. Stripe suits SaaS companies and marketplaces selling internationally that want well-documented APIs and add-ons like billing, tax and marketplace payouts. The biggest difference is focus: PayU is built around Indian payment methods, while Stripe is built for global, developer-led integrations.
Is PayU India free?
No. PayU India is paid, though it may offer a trial.
Is Stripe free?
No. Stripe is paid, though it may offer a trial.
Is PayU India or Stripe open source?
Neither is open source.
Which platforms do PayU India and Stripe support?
PayU India: Web. Stripe: Web, iOS and Android.