Build vs Stripe
The developer's payment platform. Best APIs, broad features.
Strengths
- Best-in-class APIs
- Excellent docs
- Broad feature set
- Global coverage
- Stripe Radar fraud protection
Weaknesses
- Not cheapest at scale
- Can be complex
- Support varies
- Some features US-first
Build / Vibe when...
- Never. Seriously, don't build payments.
- You're a payments company
- You process $500M+/year
Buy Stripe when...
- Always
- You need payments
- You exist
- You want to accept money
Our Verdict
Use Stripe. The 2.9% fee pays for fraud protection, compliance, and reliability. Negotiate rates at scale. Never build your own payment processing.