5 Best WooCommerce PayPal Payments Alternatives in 2026 (Free & Paid)
The strongest WooCommerce PayPal Payments alternative for most stores is WooCommerce Stripe, which accepts cards, wallets, and local methods directly on your site instead of routing buyers through PayPal. For an all-in-one option managed inside WooCommerce, WooPayments is the native choice, while Mollie Payments for WooCommerce stands out for European payment methods. We ranked these from our index of 55,000+ WordPress plugins.
| Plugin | WPS Score | Active installs | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce Stripe | 7.28 | 700k+ | Free | On-site card payments |
| WooPayments | 7.23 | 900k+ | Free | All-in-one native payments |
| Payment Plugins for Stripe | 6.81 | 100k+ | Free / paid | Flexible Stripe features |
| Mollie Payments for WooCommerce | 6.66 | 100k+ | Free | European payment methods |
| WooCommerce Square | 5.65 | 80k+ | Free | In-person and online sync |
Why people switch from WooCommerce PayPal Payments
- PayPal-only checkout pushes some buyers away, so stores move to WooCommerce Stripe or WooPayments to take cards directly on-site.
- WooCommerce PayPal Payments can be fiddly to configure and prone to onboarding errors, so people switch to gateways with simpler setup.
- Stores wanting one dashboard for payments, disputes, and payouts move to WooPayments.
- Merchants selling in Europe move to Mollie Payments for WooCommerce for iDEAL, Bancontact, and SEPA.
WooCommerce Stripe – On-site card payments
WooCommerce Stripe is the official Stripe gateway for WooCommerce, maintained by WooCommerce with Stripe. Against WooCommerce PayPal Payments, it keeps the whole checkout on your own site and supports cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and many local methods without redirecting buyers. The drawback is that support runs through forums and documentation rather than hands-on help, so tricky integration issues can take time to resolve.
Choose WooCommerce Stripe if you want on-site card payments with the reach of the Stripe network.
WooPayments – All-in-one native payments
WooPayments is Automattic’s own payment gateway, built into the WooCommerce ecosystem. Against WooCommerce PayPal Payments, it lets you manage payments, refunds, disputes, and payouts inside your WordPress dashboard with no separate account juggling. The drawback is availability: it is limited to a set list of supported countries, so merchants outside them cannot use it.
Choose WooPayments if you want payments, disputes, and payouts handled natively inside WooCommerce.
Payment Plugins for Stripe – Flexible Stripe features
Payment Plugins for Stripe is a free Stripe gateway that layers extra features like express checkout buttons and saved cards on top of the standard integration. Against WooCommerce PayPal Payments, it gives you fine-grained control over Stripe payment methods and a smoother express checkout. The drawback is that its interface exposes a lot of Stripe options at once, which can overwhelm store owners who just want sensible defaults.
Choose Payment Plugins for Stripe if you want deeper control over Stripe payment methods than the official plugin gives.
Mollie Payments for WooCommerce – European payment methods
Mollie Payments for WooCommerce is Mollie’s official gateway, strong across European methods such as iDEAL, Bancontact, and SEPA. Against WooCommerce PayPal Payments, it gives European shoppers the local payment options they expect, all through one Mollie account. The drawback is that Mollie’s coverage and pricing are geared to Europe, so it is a weak fit for stores selling mainly outside the region.
Choose Mollie Payments for WooCommerce if your customers are in Europe and expect local methods like iDEAL and Bancontact.
WooCommerce Square – In-person and online sync
WooCommerce Square connects WooCommerce to Square, syncing inventory and payments between your online store and Square point-of-sale. Against WooCommerce PayPal Payments, it is the natural pick if you also sell in person and want stock kept in step across both. The drawback is that Square is available in only a handful of countries, and the inventory sync can be finicky with complex catalogs.
Choose WooCommerce Square if you also sell in person through Square and want unified inventory.
When to stay on WooCommerce PayPal Payments
Stay on WooCommerce PayPal Payments if PayPal is the brand your customers already trust and reach for at checkout. It is the official PayPal gateway, supports PayPal, Pay Later, and card processing, and if most of your sales already come through PayPal, adding another gateway just splits your reporting. For many stores it works best alongside a card gateway rather than being replaced by one.
How we ranked these
Every plugin here is scored by the WPS Score, a single 0 to 10 rating built from 21 signals covering maintenance, support responsiveness, compatibility, performance, and ratings quality across our index of 55,000+ plugins. Rankings are derived from that data, not editorial preference, and no plugin author can pay to change a score. How the WPS Score works.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to WooCommerce PayPal Payments?
For most WooCommerce stores, WooCommerce Stripe is the strongest alternative because it accepts cards and digital wallets directly on your site without redirecting buyers to PayPal. WooPayments is a good native option if you want to manage payments inside WordPress, and Mollie suits European stores.
Can I use PayPal and Stripe together on WooCommerce?
Yes. WooCommerce lets you enable multiple payment gateways at once, so you can run WooCommerce PayPal Payments and WooCommerce Stripe side by side. Customers then choose PayPal or card at checkout, which often lifts conversions by matching each buyer’s preference.
Is WooPayments free?
WooPayments has no monthly fee and is free to install, but it charges a per-transaction fee on each sale, similar to Stripe and PayPal. It is available only in supported countries, so check that your business location is on the list before switching.
The verdict
For most stores the best all-round replacement is WooCommerce Stripe, with WooPayments close behind for native management and Mollie Payments for WooCommerce for European sellers. If your buyers trust PayPal and most sales already flow through it, keeping WooCommerce PayPal Payments, ideally alongside a card gateway, remains a sound choice.
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Aug 03, 2026Category
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