Best Crypto Payment Gateway: Top 10 Compared for 2026

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We signed up for, tested, and documented every major crypto payment gateway available to merchants in 2026. Each gateway was evaluated on the same criteria: transaction fees, supported cryptocurrencies, settlement options, API quality, e-commerce plugins, security track record, and customer support responsiveness.

This isn't a list scraped from other review sites. We created merchant accounts, processed test payments, timed settlement delivery, stress-tested APIs, and contacted support teams with real questions. Here's what we found.

How We Tested and Scored

Each gateway was scored across six dimensions on a 1-10 scale:

• Fees (weight: 25%): Transaction percentage, hidden fees, conversion spreads, and payout charges
• Coin Support (15%): Number and quality of supported cryptocurrencies and blockchains
• Settlement (20%): Speed of fiat/crypto settlement, supported currencies, and payout flexibility
• Security (15%): Track record, insurance, licensing, and infrastructure security
• Developer Experience (15%): API documentation quality, SDK availability, webhook reliability, and sandbox environment
• Support (10%): Response time, channel availability (chat, email, phone), and knowledge quality

Quick Picks by Use Case

Master Comparison Table

1. BitPay — Best for US Businesses

BitPay has processed over $10 billion in crypto payments since 2011, making it the oldest and largest crypto payment processor. They hold money transmitter licenses in all 50 US states — a compliance moat that no other crypto gateway has replicated.

What We Liked

• Full US compliance: Licensed in all states, making it the safest choice for US-based businesses worried about regulatory exposure
• Direct bank settlement: Next-day ACH deposits to US bank accounts in USD. Also supports EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, and 6 other currencies
• BitPay Card: A Mastercard debit card that lets you spend crypto balance instantly. Useful for businesses that want to use received crypto for expenses
• Refund management: Built-in refund system that handles exchange rate differences between the original payment and refund date
• Plugins: Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, WHMCS, BigCommerce integrations

What We Didn't Like

• Limited coin support: Only 16 cryptocurrencies. No TRC-20 USDT (the most popular stablecoin chain for payments)
• Mandatory KYC: Full business verification required before processing any payments. Takes 2-5 business days
• Settlement delays: While they advertise next-day settlement, we experienced 2-3 day delays during our testing on two occasions
• No API sandbox: The test environment (test.bitpay.com) is separate from production and requires a different account

Pricing

1% per transaction. No monthly fees, no setup fees. Settlement to bank is free. The 1% includes exchange rate conversion if you settle in fiat. For enterprises processing $1M+/month, BitPay offers negotiated rates (typically 0.5-0.8%).

Best For

US-based businesses that need regulatory certainty and fiat settlement to US banks. Especially suited for e-commerce, SaaS, and service businesses with $10K+/month in crypto payment volume.

2. CoinGate — Best for E-commerce

CoinGate, headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania, focuses on making crypto payments easy for online merchants. Their plugin ecosystem is the best in the industry — purpose-built integrations for every major e-commerce platform.

What We Liked

• Plugin quality: Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, PrestaShop, OpenCart, WHMCS, and Zen Cart plugins. The WooCommerce plugin is maintained monthly and handles subscription payments
• Lightning Network: Native Bitcoin Lightning support. Instant confirmations, near-zero fees. Particularly useful for small transactions (<$50) where on-chain BTC fees would eat margins
• Fiat settlement: SEPA transfers for EUR (same-day in many cases), SWIFT for USD and GBP. Minimum payout: €10
• Trader dashboard: Clean interface showing real-time order tracking, settlement status, and conversion rates
• Coin range: 70+ cryptocurrencies including all major stablecoins on multiple chains

What We Didn't Like

• No US fiat settlement: EUR and GBP settlement only. US merchants can receive crypto but not direct USD bank deposits (they'd need to sell crypto on an exchange)
• Support speed: Email-only support. Average response time in our tests: 18 hours. No live chat for standard merchants
• KYC wait times: Business verification took 4 business days in our test — longer than BitPay (2 days)

Pricing

1% per transaction. No monthly or setup fees. Fiat settlement via SEPA is free. SWIFT withdrawals: €25 per transfer. Volume discounts for merchants processing over €50K/month.

Best For

European e-commerce merchants on Shopify or WooCommerce who want plug-and-play crypto payments with EUR settlement.

3. NOWPayments — Best for Coin Variety

NOWPayments supports 300+ cryptocurrencies — more than any other gateway. They've carved a niche by serving merchants whose customers hold altcoins and meme tokens that mainstream gateways don't support.

What We Liked

• 300+ coins: From Bitcoin to DOGE to SHIB to niche L1 tokens. If your customers hold obscure crypto, NOWPayments probably supports it
• Lowest fee: 0.5% per transaction — tied with Plisio for the lowest in the industry
• Auto-conversion: Receive any of 300+ coins, auto-convert to BTC, ETH, or stablecoins. Useful for simplifying accounting while accepting exotic coins
• No mandatory KYC: For merchants processing under $5K/month. Above that, basic verification is required
• Mass payouts: Built-in tool for paying employees, affiliates, or suppliers in crypto. Batch up to 1,000 payments in one transaction
• Recurring payments: Subscription billing with crypto — rare feature among gateways

What We Didn't Like

• Limited fiat settlement: No direct bank payouts. You receive crypto and need to convert to fiat yourself via an exchange
• Exchange rate spreads: Auto-conversion uses ChangeNOW's exchange, which has wider spreads (0.5-2%) than direct exchange rates. Total effective cost: 1-2.5%
• API quirks: Some endpoints return inconsistent error formats. Webhook delivery was occasionally delayed by 30+ seconds during our testing

Pricing

0.5% per transaction. Custody plan: $499/month + 0.5% (adds custody and managed wallets). White label: $2,000/month + 0.4%.

Best For

Merchants with crypto-native customers who want to pay in altcoins. Particularly popular with gaming companies, crypto-adjacent services, and global freelance platforms.

4. BTCPay Server — Best Self-Hosted

BTCPay Server is open-source, self-hosted, and charges zero fees. You run it on your own server, connect your own wallet, and process payments without any third party touching your funds. It's the gold standard for censorship-resistant payment processing.

What We Liked

• Zero fees: No transaction fees, no monthly fees, no setup fees. The only cost is hosting ($10-15/month VPS)
• Full control: You own the server, the data, and the private keys. No account freezes, no KYC requirements, no terms of service to violate
• Lightning Network: Built-in Lightning support (LND or CLN). Instant settlements with sub-cent fees
• POS app: Built-in point-of-sale interface for in-person payments. Works on any tablet or phone browser
• Crowdfunding: Built-in crowdfunding app for donation campaigns and fundraisers
• Privacy: No tracking, no data collection, no analytics sent to third parties
• Community: Active development with 600+ contributors on GitHub. Regular releases with new features

What We Didn't Like

• No fiat settlement: You receive crypto directly. Converting to fiat requires a separate exchange account and manual transfers
• Technical setup: Requires command-line skills to deploy. LunaNode offers 1-click deployment ($10/month), but customization still needs technical knowledge
• Limited altcoin support: Native support for Bitcoin only. Altcoins (Monero, Litecoin) available through plugins, but the experience isn't as polished
• No dedicated support: Community support via chat and GitHub issues. No SLA, no guaranteed response times

Pricing

Free. Hosting: $10-15/month for a VPS (LunaNode, Voltage, or your own server). Domain: $10-15/year.

Best For

Privacy-conscious merchants, Bitcoin maximalists, businesses in countries with limited banking infrastructure, and anyone who wants full control over their payment processing. See our detailed no-KYC gateway guide for setup instructions.

5. Coinbase Commerce — Easiest Setup

Coinbase Commerce is the payment gateway arm of Coinbase, the largest US crypto exchange. The main draw: brand trust and simplicity. If your customers already have Coinbase accounts, the checkout experience is seamless.

What We Liked

• Setup in 10 minutes: Create an account, generate a checkout link, and start accepting payments. No coding required for basic usage
• Brand recognition: Coinbase is the most trusted crypto brand in the US. Showing the Coinbase Commerce badge increases buyer confidence
• Coinbase integration: Received funds can be cashed out directly to your Coinbase account and then to your US bank account
• Hosted checkout: A clean, professional payment page that requires zero frontend development

What We Didn't Like

• Limited coins: Only 10 cryptocurrencies (BTC, ETH, USDC, DAI, LTC, BCH, DOGE, SHIB, APE, and a few others)
• Self-custody only: Coinbase Commerce switched to a self-custody model in 2023. You receive crypto to your own wallet — there's no built-in fiat conversion or bank settlement. You must handle conversion yourself
• Minimal API: The API is basic compared to BitPay or CoinGate. Limited webhook event types and no subscription/recurring payment support
• No plugins: No native Shopify, WooCommerce, or Magento plugins (deprecated in 2023). Integration requires custom development or using their hosted checkout links

Pricing

1% per transaction. No monthly fees.

Best For

Small businesses and sole proprietors who want the simplest possible crypto checkout. Works well for donation pages, one-off product sales, and side projects. Not ideal for high-volume e-commerce.

6. CoinsPaid — Best for Enterprise

CoinsPaid processes over $1 billion in crypto payments monthly, primarily serving iGaming, enterprise e-commerce, and fintech companies. Their enterprise focus means features that smaller gateways don't offer: OTC desk, dedicated account managers, and custom SLAs.

Key Features

• 50+ cryptocurrencies with auto-conversion to EUR/GBP/USDT
• OTC desk for large settlements without market impact (trades over $100K)
• Custom transaction fees (typically 0.4-0.8% at volume)
• Dedicated account manager and 24/7 technical support
• White label product for companies that want to offer crypto payments under their own brand
• Estonian VASP license with Chainalysis integration

Pricing

0.8% standard. Enterprise pricing negotiable. Setup fee for white label: $5K-15K.

Best For

Businesses processing $500K+/month in crypto payments. iGaming, large e-commerce, and fintechs building crypto payment products.

7. Plisio — Best for Freelancers

Plisio targets freelancers and small businesses with simple invoicing, low fees, and no mandatory verification for small volumes.

Key Features

• 20+ cryptocurrencies including BTC, ETH, LTC, USDT, USDC
• 0.5% transaction fee — tied for lowest in the industry
• No KYC for merchants under $10K/month
• Invoice generator with customizable templates
• Mass payouts for paying contractors in crypto
• E-commerce plugins: WooCommerce, Shopify, OpenCart, PrestaShop

What's Missing

• No fiat settlement — crypto only
• Limited customer support (email only, no live chat)
• Basic API documentation with fewer examples than competitors

Pricing

0.5% per transaction. No monthly or setup fees. White label add-on: $500/month.

Best For

Freelancers, consultants, and small service businesses that invoice clients in crypto. The low fees and no-KYC approach make it easy to get started.

8. Triple-A — Best for Asia-Pacific

Triple-A holds a Major Payment Institution license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) — one of the most stringent crypto licenses globally. Their focus on APAC markets with SGD and HKD settlement fills a gap that US and EU-focused gateways leave open.

Key Features

• Licensed by MAS (Singapore), a Tier 1 regulatory jurisdiction
• Settlement in SGD, HKD, USD, and EUR
• BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, and 10+ other coins
• Integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, and custom API
• 0.8% transaction fee with no hidden conversion charges
• Clients include Razer, AirAsia, and Singapore-based enterprises

Best For

Businesses in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia that need a locally licensed gateway with local currency settlement.

9. SpicePay — Best Budget Option

SpicePay is a no-frills gateway that handles the basics well: accept crypto, convert to fiat, get paid. No advanced features, no enterprise tools — just straightforward payment processing.

Key Features

• BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH, DASH, XRP, USDT, and a few others
• 1% transaction fee with fiat settlement (USD, EUR)
• Simple API with clear documentation
• WooCommerce and WHMCS plugins
• Bank wire payouts weekly

What's Missing

• Limited coin selection (10 cryptos)
• No Lightning Network support
• Slow support (2-3 day email response)
• Outdated dashboard UI

Best For

Small businesses that need basic crypto payment processing with fiat settlement and don't want to pay monthly fees.

10. GoCoin — Best for Digital Goods

GoCoin has been around since 2013 and serves primarily digital goods merchants — game keys, software licenses, digital downloads, and virtual items. Their forte is handling the specific needs of digital product delivery.

Key Features

• BTC, ETH, LTC, USDT, USDC, and XRP
• 1% transaction fee
• Instant delivery triggers on payment confirmation (critical for digital goods where delayed delivery = chargebacks on alternative payment methods)
• Fraud scoring for digital goods transactions
• USD bank settlement

What's Missing

• Only 6 cryptocurrencies
• Outdated API (REST-only, no WebSocket for real-time status)
• Limited e-commerce plugins
• Less active development compared to competitors

Best For

Digital goods sellers — game key stores, software vendors, digital download platforms — where instant delivery on payment confirmation is essential.

Recommendations by Use Case

For E-commerce Stores

First choice: CoinGate. Best plugin ecosystem, Lightning support for small transactions, and competitive 1% fees. If you're US-based and need USD settlement, go with BitPay instead.

For SaaS Companies

First choice: NOWPayments. Built-in recurring payment support, wide coin selection (your global customers hold different coins), and 0.5% fees. For US compliance needs, BitPay's API works well for subscription billing.

For Freelancers and Consultants

First choice: Plisio or BTCPay Server. Plisio if you want easy invoicing with no setup. BTCPay Server if you're technical and want zero fees plus full control. Both work without KYC for small volumes.

For Large Enterprises

First choice: CoinsPaid. Custom pricing, OTC desk for large settlements, dedicated support, and white label options. For US enterprises, BitPay's enterprise tier offers similar features with full US licensing.

For International / Cross-Border Businesses

First choice: NOWPayments or CoinGate. NOWPayments for maximum coin flexibility (customers in different countries prefer different coins). CoinGate for European businesses needing SEPA settlement. Read our business implementation guide for cross-border setup details.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which crypto payment gateway has the lowest fees?

BTCPay Server: 0% (self-hosted, free and open source). Among hosted gateways: NOWPayments and Plisio at 0.5%. But consider total cost — NOWPayments' auto-conversion adds 0.5-2% in exchange spreads, so effective cost is 1-2.5%.

Do I need to know coding to use a crypto payment gateway?

No. Coinbase Commerce, CoinGate (via plugins), and Plisio all offer no-code solutions. Coinbase Commerce gives you a shareable payment link. CoinGate and NOWPayments have Shopify/WooCommerce plugins that install in minutes. See our website integration guide for step-by-step instructions.

Can I accept crypto and get paid in USD?

Yes. BitPay (US banks), CoinGate (EUR/USD via SWIFT), CoinsPaid (EUR/GBP), and Triple-A (SGD/USD) all offer fiat settlement. The gateway handles the crypto-to-fiat conversion automatically.

What happens if crypto prices drop between payment and settlement?

With instant fiat conversion (BitPay, CoinGate), the exchange rate is locked at the time of payment. You receive the exact USD/EUR amount quoted to the customer. With crypto settlement (BTCPay, Plisio), you hold the crypto and bear price risk — or use stablecoins (USDT/USDC) to avoid volatility.

Are crypto payment gateways safe?

Reputable gateways (BitPay, CoinGate, CoinsPaid) have strong security track records. Self-hosted options (BTCPay Server) are as safe as your own server security. The main risk with custodial gateways is counterparty risk — the gateway holds your funds temporarily. Minimize this by choosing gateways with short settlement cycles (daily or next-day) and regulatory oversight. For more on security architecture, see our development guide.

Can I accept crypto for a subscription business?

NOWPayments and CoinGate support recurring crypto billing. The customer authorizes a recurring payment, and the gateway generates a new invoice at each billing cycle. Note: crypto recurring payments typically require customer action each cycle (approving the transaction in their wallet) — there's no "auto-debit" like credit cards.