Comparison
Best Bitcoin payment gateways in 2026: 6 compared, and 2 free alternatives
A gateway is a company: your customer pays it, and it pays you. Here are six, checked against their own pages in October 2026. OpenReceive and BTCPay Server are not gateways. They are free software that makes the invoice in your own wallet, so they sit in a group of their own.
Accept crypto with OpenReceiveFree & open source · No account · Paid to your own wallet
- If you want…
- No account, in your own app, stablecoins tooOpenReceive software
- Your own Bitcoin serverBTCPay Server software
- Dollars in a US or Canadian bankBitPay or OpenNode
- Bitcoin and cash in one appStrike
- A regulated EU gatewayCoinGate
- Hundreds of coins, outside the US, UK and EUNOWPayments
Who holds your money?
Two different kinds of thing. Software runs on your side; a gateway is a company in the middle.
Software · not a gateway
- Customer
- Your wallet
The software makes the invoice in your wallet, and the customer pays it there. Nobody approves you, takes a cut, or can close an account.
OpenReceive BTCPay ServerGateways · companies
- Customer
- The company
- You, later
The company receives the payment first, takes its fee, and pays you out or keeps a balance you withdraw. It can hold a payment or close your account.
BitPay OpenNode Strike CoinGate NOWPayments CoinPaymentsWith OpenReceive, a USDT or USDC payment goes through the swap provider you pick, which sends Bitcoin on to your wallet. OpenReceive itself never holds money.
What each one does
| Name | Paid to your wallet | No KYC | Lightning | On-chain BTC | USDT | USDC | Bank payout | Open source | WooCommerce | Shopify |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software, not gateways Free software that makes each invoice in your own wallet. No company takes the payment. | ||||||||||
| OpenReceive | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| BTCPay Server | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | ✕ | ~ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Gateways Companies that take the payment, set the terms and charge a fee. | ||||||||||
| BitPay | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| OpenNode | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Strike | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| CoinGate | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| NOWPayments | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | ✕ | ✓ | ~ |
| CoinPayments | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
Yes Partly No
- OpenReceive USDT and USDC: settles in Bitcoin
- BTCPay Server USDT: a plugin, on Tron Bank payout: through plugins
- NOWPayments Paid to your wallet: paid to its address first, then paid out; it can hold a payment No KYC: it can ask for ID and hold a payment until you pass Bank payout: EUR only Shopify: a 2021 workaround
Fee per payment
What each gateway takes from a payment. Network fees come on top everywhere.
Not applicable: software
OpenReceive and BTCPay Server are not on this chart because nothing in them takes a share of a payment. They are programs you run, not a service you pay per sale.
- OpenReceive Free, MIT licensed; USDT and USDC swaps carry the swap provider's fee.
- BTCPay Server Free, open source; you pay for the server it runs on.
Software, not gateways
OpenReceive
Free softwareBest for: No account, inside your own app, stablecoins too
- Makes the invoice in your own wallet
- Free, MIT licensed, no KYC
- USDT, USDC, ETH and SOL, settled in Bitcoin
- No on-chain Bitcoin or bank payouts
- No Shopify app yet
BTCPay Server
Free softwareBest for: Your own Bitcoin server, with a Shopify plugin
- Payments go to your own wallet
- Free, open source, no KYC
- On-chain and Lightning
- A server to run and update
Already run BTCPay Server? The OpenReceive plugin adds stablecoin payments to it.
The six gateways
BitPay
2% + 25¢Best for: Daily payouts to a US or Canadian bank
- Payouts in 8 fiat currencies or crypto
- Shopify and WooCommerce apps
- Full business verification and an application fee
- New EEA, UK and Australian merchants paused
OpenNode
1%Best for: Hosted Bitcoin and Lightning for registered businesses
- Free Lightning payouts
- Shopify and WooCommerce apps
- Registered businesses only
- Bitcoin only, no stablecoins
Strike
0%Best for: Bitcoin and a cash account in one app
- No fee to keep bitcoin
- Shopify app
- No bitcoin refunds
- Not for payers in New York or Hawaii
CoinGate
1%Best for: A regulated EU gateway
- MiCA licensed
- Lightning on by default
- Dropped USDT
- US not on its country list
NOWPayments
1%Best for: Hundreds of coins, outside the US, UK and EU
- About 300 coins
- Pays out to a wallet you name
- Can hold a payment and ask for ID
- Excludes US, UK, EU residents (terms of 19 Oct 2026)
- No Lightning
CoinPayments
1%Best for: Custodial altcoins with fiat payouts
- Fiat payouts
- Serves US businesses
- Left the EU and EEA on 1 July 2026
- No Lightning
What happened to Coinbase Commerce?
Merchants had to move to Coinbase Business, which holds your funds, needs a registered business in the US or Singapore, and takes USDC and USDT only, not Bitcoin (Coinbase's notice).
Questions
Are OpenReceive and BTCPay Server payment gateways?
No. A gateway is a company that receives your customer's payment and pays you later. OpenReceive is a library inside your own app, and BTCPay Server is a server you run. Both make the invoice in your own wallet; neither one ever holds the money, approves you or charges per payment.
Which Bitcoin payment gateway has the lowest fees?
Of the six gateways, Strike charges nothing to keep bitcoin; most others charge 1%, and BitPay 2% + 25¢ under $500,000 a month. OpenReceive and BTCPay Server have no fee per payment because they are not gateways: they are free software.
Which ones need no KYC?
OpenReceive and BTCPay Server: they are software, so there is no account to verify. Every gateway here can ask who you are. NOWPayments says it asks crypto-only merchants only when it flags a payment, and it holds that payment until you pass.
Which work for US merchants?
Of the gateways: BitPay, OpenNode, Strike and CoinPayments. NOWPayments excludes US residents and CoinGate does not list the US. OpenReceive and BTCPay Server are software with no country list; the wallet and swap provider you pick have terms of their own.
Which have a Shopify app?
BitPay, OpenNode and Strike, and BTCPay Server has a Shopify plugin. OpenReceive does not have one yet.
Can I get paid in dollars?
Not with OpenReceive: you receive Bitcoin. BitPay, OpenNode, Strike, CoinGate and CoinPayments pay out to a bank.
New to this? Read how to accept crypto payments on your website.
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