FastSpring vs Stripe: What are the differences?

Introduction

FastSpring and Stripe are both payment platforms that enable businesses to accept online payments. While they share some similarities, there are several key differences between the two platforms.

1. Pricing Model: FastSpring offers a full-service pricing model, where they charge a percentage of each transaction, along with a fixed monthly fee. Stripe, on the other hand, uses a pay-as-you-go model, with transaction fees varying based on the specific payment method used.

2. Integration and Customization: FastSpring provides a fully integrated platform with extensive customization capabilities, allowing businesses to tailor their checkout process and payment flows. Stripe, on the other hand, offers a more developer-centric approach and provides robust APIs and documentation for seamless integration into custom applications.

3. Supported Payment Methods: FastSpring supports a wide range of payment methods, including credit/debit cards, PayPal, and bank transfers. Stripe, while also supporting credit/debit cards and bank transfers, has a more limited range of supported payment methods, often requiring additional integrations for specific regional payment options.

4. Global Reach: FastSpring has a global presence and supports multiple languages, currencies, and localized checkout experiences to cater to international markets. Stripe, while also operating globally, may require additional configuration and integration to fully support local requirements in specific countries.

5. Built-in Subscription Management: FastSpring offers built-in subscription management features, allowing businesses to set up and manage recurring payments easily. Stripe, although it supports subscriptions as well, may require additional development effort to implement advanced subscription management functionalities.

6. Additional E-commerce Features: FastSpring provides additional e-commerce features such as digital product delivery, order management capabilities, and built-in tax handling. Stripe focuses primarily on the payment processing aspect and may require integrations with other platforms or services to provide similar e-commerce functionalities.

In summary, FastSpring offers a full-service pricing model with extensive customization and global capabilities, along with built-in subscription management and additional e-commerce features. Stripe, on the other hand, has a more flexible pay-as-you-go pricing model, a developer-centric approach with robust APIs, and a strong focus on payment processing, requiring integrations for additional e-commerce functionalities.