Independent, source-linked provider research
Crypto payment gateway comparisons for merchants.
Compare MakePay with NOWPayments, Coinbase Commerce and Coinbase Business, BitPay, CoinGate, CoinPal, and Cryptomus. Start with fees, then verify custody, settlement, checkout, integrations, and day-to-day operations.
Last reviewed July 27, 2026. Competitor terms can change; every guide links the official sources used.
Provider shortlist
Compare the commercial model first.
These are published starting points, not quotes. Network, conversion, payout, withdrawal, fixed, high-risk, and negotiated charges can change the final cost.
Provider
NOWPayments
Published fee
0.5%
Settlement posture
NOWPayments supports payment APIs, custody, off-ramp payouts, and fund-management products; settlement choices depend on setup.
Strongest fit
Broad payment, payout, custody, off-ramp, and plugin surface for teams that want a larger crypto PSP toolkit.
Provider
Coinbase Commerce
Published fee
1%
Settlement posture
Coinbase states Commerce was self-custodial, while Coinbase Business is custodial with direct bank offramp for eligible markets.
Strongest fit
Coinbase brand trust, Coinbase account rails, and Business platform features for US and Singapore eligible merchants.
Provider
BitPay
Published fee
1-2% + $0.25
Settlement posture
BitPay emphasizes fiat bank settlement options so merchants can avoid handling crypto directly.
Strongest fit
Established crypto acceptance, fiat settlement, and payment operations for merchants that want a processor-like model.
Provider
CoinGate
Published fee
1%
Settlement posture
CoinGate supports settlement into EUR, GBP, USD, stablecoins, or crypto, with standard automatic settlements listed weekly.
Strongest fit
Regulated EU gateway positioning, fiat or stablecoin settlement, payouts, and enterprise account support.
Provider
CoinPal
Published fee
1%
Settlement posture
CoinPal positions around merchant accounts, account balances, and settlement for supported cryptocurrency payment flows.
Strongest fit
Broad wallet coverage, e-commerce platform integrations, Binance Pay continuity, and fast merchant onboarding.
Provider
Cryptomus
Published fee
2% default
Settlement posture
Cryptomus supports merchant accounts, automatic withdrawals, API withdrawals, withdrawal conversion, and mass payouts.
Strongest fit
Broad account tooling, plugins, mass payouts, auto-conversion, and negotiable high-volume pricing.
Buying guide
How to compare crypto payment gateways.
The best gateway is the one that fits the complete payment path: customer checkout, confirmation, settlement, reconciliation, treasury, refunds, and support. Work through these four checks in order.
Price the complete route
Start with the published transaction fee, then add fixed charges, network fees, conversion spreads, payout or withdrawal fees, and any monthly minimum.
- Who pays the checkout fee?
- Does payment require conversion?
- What does withdrawal or fiat settlement cost?
Choose the custody boundary
Decide whether proceeds should move toward a merchant-controlled wallet, remain in a provider balance, or settle through a bank account.
- Who controls funds after confirmation?
- Are settlement minimums or schedules acceptable?
- Does treasury need fiat, stablecoin, or native crypto?
Test the checkout
Compare mobile wallet handoff, supported networks, expiry, underpayment, overpayment, refunds, branding, and the number of steps to completion.
- Do customer wallets work reliably?
- Can support explain every payment state?
- Is hosted checkout enough, or is an embed required?
Audit the integration
A long feature list matters less than correct order states, durable webhooks, maintained plugins, test coverage, and clear ownership when a payment needs attention.
- Are plugins maintained for your platform version?
- Can webhooks be retried and reconciled?
- Which existing payout or accounting tasks must be replaced?
Research method
Public facts, visible dates, clear limits.
Each guide uses official provider pricing, product, help, and developer pages. We compare the public fee model, checkout, custody and settlement posture, integration options, and merchant operations. Source links appear next to the analysis they support.
We do not treat marketing claims as independent proof, infer private commercial terms, or use anonymous reviews to make compliance and support claims. MakePay is the publisher and a participant in every comparison, so the page states where a competitor is the stronger fit and gives merchants the primary sources needed to verify the conclusion.
Review MakePay pricingFAQ
Questions before choosing a gateway.
01What is the best crypto payment gateway?+
There is no universal winner. MakePay fits merchants prioritizing hosted or embedded checkout, direct wallet settlement, and a customer-paid fee by default. Other providers can be stronger for fiat settlement, custody balances, mass payouts, specific ecommerce plugins, or regulated account operations.
02Which crypto payment gateway has the lowest fee?+
MakePay and NOWPayments both publish a 0.5% headline payment fee, but fee assignment and route costs differ. CoinGate and CoinPal publish 1%, BitPay publishes volume tiers from 2% plus $0.25 down to 1% plus $0.25, and Cryptomus says new users start at 2% with negotiated rates as low as 0.4%. Always verify current terms.
03What is a self-custody crypto payment gateway?+
A self-custody-oriented gateway keeps the merchant in control of the destination wallet rather than holding completed payment proceeds in a provider balance. The merchant also accepts more responsibility for wallet security, refunds, accounting, and treasury operations.
04Can I switch payment gateways without replacing everything at once?+
Yes. Pilot one product, invoice type, domain, or higher-intent customer segment. Map payment states and webhooks, verify settlement and refund handling, reconcile the pilot, then move more traffic only after the new path is stable.
05How often are these comparisons updated?+
The provider pages show a visible review date and link to official pricing, product, help, and developer sources. Competitor terms do not update automatically, so the linked sources should be rechecked before signing a contract or changing production payment flows.