Braintree vs Adyen

A feature-by-feature comparison for ISVs integrating payments.

By Marcus Reed·Updated October 13, 2026

Braintree Review →Adyen Review →Braintree Pricing →Adyen Pricing →

Braintree's parent is PayPal, which bought it in 2013, and its transactions settle inside PayPal's acquiring network. Developers know it for its prebuilt checkout components. Adyen is independent and runs gateway, processing and acquiring as one company in 30+ markets, with its own in-store terminals. For sub-merchants, Braintree leans on PayPal Commerce Platform with PayPal as merchant of record, while Adyen offers Adyen for Platforms.

Feature Comparison

Braintree5.5

vs13 criteria

Adyen6.5Winner

Feature	Braintree	Adyen	Notes
Integration Architecture	7	8	Adyen scores slightly higher (8 vs 7). Single-platform architecture connecting acquiring, processing, and risk management under one contract. Braintree: PayPal-owned gateway with Drop-in UI and hosted fields for streamlined integration
API & Developer Experience	7	7	Both score 7/10. Braintree: Clean SDKs with GraphQL API option; benefits from PayPal's developer resources. Adyen: Solid API documentation though less developer-community focus than Stripe; integration requires more upfront effort.
White-Label Capabilities	4	4	Both score 4/10. Braintree: Limited white-label — PayPal branding influence evident in checkout flows. Adyen: Co-branded checkout experience with Adyen branding present in most merchant-facing flows.
Processor Flexibility	2	2	Both score 2/10. Braintree: Locked to PayPal/Braintree acquiring network with no external processor routing. Adyen: Adyen acts as both gateway and acquirer — no option to route to third-party processors.
Pricing & Fee Structure	6	7	Adyen scores slightly higher (7 vs 6). Interchange-plus pricing with acquiring markups; favorable economics at high volumes. Braintree: Competitive interchange-plus pricing with PayPal wallet payments bundled
Omnichannel & In-Person Payments	3	9	Adyen leads significantly (9 vs 3). Purpose-built terminal fleet with unified online and in-store transaction data. Braintree: Minimal in-person capabilities — primarily an online payment gateway
Fraud & Security	7	9	Adyen has an edge (9 vs 7). RevenueProtect ML engine with custom risk rules, network tokenization, and 3DS2 optimization. Braintree: Basic fraud protection with PayPal's network data for risk assessment
Revenue Sharing	5	6	Adyen scores slightly higher (6 vs 5). Adyen for Platforms includes rev-share but economics favor high-volume ISVs. Braintree: Marketplace splits available through PayPal Commerce Platform but limited ISV-specific economics
Merchant Onboarding	7	5	Braintree has an edge (7 vs 5). Straightforward merchant setup with PayPal account integration as onboarding accelerator. Adyen: Longer onboarding cycles with higher minimum volume expectations; not suited for SMB activation
Global Reach	7	10	Adyen has an edge (10 vs 7). Local acquiring licenses in 30+ markets reducing decline rates and cross-border fees. Braintree: Available in 45+ countries leveraging PayPal's global payment network
Recurring Billing	7	6	Braintree scores slightly higher (7 vs 6). Vault and subscription billing capabilities built into the gateway. Adyen: Subscription management available but not the platform's primary focus; better at one-time payments
Customer Support	5	5	Both score 5/10. Braintree: PayPal support infrastructure with technical integration assistance for partners. Adyen: Dedicated account management for enterprise clients; limited self-service options for smaller partners.
PayFac Options	5	6	Adyen scores slightly higher (6 vs 5). Adyen for Platforms provides embedded payments with managed compliance, but requires revenue commitment. Braintree: PayPal Commerce Platform handles sub-merchant management with PayPal acting as MoR

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Best for

Braintree

ISVs building mid-market platforms where native PayPal/Venmo integration and easy onboarding accelerate time to market.

Visit braintreepayments.com ↗

Best for

Adyen

ISVs serving enterprise merchants globally who need unified acquiring, local payment methods, and interchange-plus economics.

Visit adyen.com ↗

Braintree vs Adyen: What ISVs Need to Know

Choosing between Braintree and Adyen for embedded payments is a decision that directly impacts your ISV’s revenue model, merchant experience, and technical architecture. This comparison breaks down where each platform excels from an ISV integration perspective.

Key Differences for ISVs

The most important distinction between Braintree and Adyen comes down to how each platform approaches ISV payment facilitation. Braintree and Adyen take fundamentally different approaches to merchant onboarding, revenue sharing, and platform integration — and those differences matter when you’re building payments into your software.

Integration architecture varies significantly between the two. ISVs evaluating Braintree vs Adyen should consider how each platform handles sub-merchant onboarding, payment splitting, and settlement timing. The right choice depends on your specific vertical, transaction volumes, and how much control you need over the merchant payment experience.

Pricing and revenue economics also differ. ISVs earn money from embedded payments through the spread between what they charge merchants and what the processor charges them. The pricing model each platform uses — flat-rate, interchange-plus, or custom — directly affects your payment revenue per transaction.

Which Platform Fits Your ISV?

The best choice between Braintree and Adyen depends on your ISV’s specific requirements:

Transaction volume: Higher-volume ISVs may benefit from interchange-plus pricing, while lower-volume platforms often prefer flat-rate simplicity
Merchant type: B2B merchants have different payment needs than consumer-facing businesses
Geographic scope: International payment support varies significantly between providers
Integration depth: Some ISVs need white-label checkout while others are fine with co-branded experiences
Revenue model: How much of the payment margin you want to capture determines which platform’s economics work better

The ISV Payment Integration Perspective

For ISVs evaluating Braintree vs Adyen, the comparison shouldn’t stop at processing fees. Consider the total cost of integration, ongoing maintenance, and the revenue opportunity from embedded payments. The platform that generates the most payment revenue for your ISV while providing the best merchant experience is the right choice — and that calculation is different for every software company.

Evaluate both platforms against your specific use case. Request ISV-specific pricing from each, and compare the total economics including setup costs, per-transaction revenue, and the engineering investment required to integrate and maintain each platform.