Braintree vs Checkout.com
A feature-by-feature comparison for ISVs integrating payments.
Checkout.com, a London company, built an API-first platform of separate payment, risk and reporting services, and it acquires locally in 50+ markets. Braintree is the developer gateway PayPal bought in 2013, offering drop-in checkout UI and settling through PayPal's network. Each processes mainly on its own rails, and each offers a sub-merchant model: PayPal Commerce Platform on one side, Checkout.com's facilitation for enterprise platforms on the other.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Braintree | Checkout.com |
|---|---|---|
| Integration Architecture | 7 | 8 |
| API & Developer Experience | 7 | 8 |
| White-Label Capabilities | 4 | 5 |
| Processor Flexibility | 2 | 3 |
| Pricing & Fee Structure | 6 | 7 |
| Omnichannel & In-Person Payments | 3 | 4 |
| Fraud & Security | 7 | 8 |
| Revenue Sharing | 5 | 6 |
| Merchant Onboarding | 7 | 5 |
| Global Reach | 7 | 8 |
| Recurring Billing | 7 | 6 |
| Customer Support | 5 | 6 |
| PayFac Options | 5 | 6 |
Get this comparison as a shareable PDF
We'll send the Braintree vs Checkout.com breakdown to your inbox — ready to share with your team.
Best for
Braintree
ISVs building mid-market platforms that benefit from Braintree's mature SDKs and native PayPal/Venmo checkout options.
Best for
Checkout.com
ISVs building enterprise-grade payment platforms that need high-performance APIs, optimized authorization rates, and global acquiring.
Braintree vs Checkout.com: What ISVs Need to Know
Choosing between Braintree and Checkout.com 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 Checkout.com comes down to how each platform approaches ISV payment facilitation. Braintree and Checkout.com 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 Checkout.com 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 Checkout.com 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 Checkout.com, 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.