Crypto payment gateway comparison
MakePay vs CoinGate: fees, settlement and merchant fit
MakePay is built around payment links, embedded checkout, direct wallet settlement, and MakeCrypto dashboard setup. CoinGate publicly positions as a regulated crypto payment gateway with plugins, payment links, API, payouts, and settlement options.
Reviewed July 28, 202612 min readIndependently researched
CoinGate is easiest to understand as an ecommerce-oriented processor. Its public offer spans hosted payment pages, plugins, billing, subscriptions, payouts, and fiat or crypto settlement. MakePay overlaps at checkout but is more opinionated about direct wallet settlement and a customer-paid fee.
The practical question is whether the store values CoinGate's established plugin and billing catalog enough to accept a 1% merchant fee and provider-managed settlement workflow. MakePay is more attractive when a hosted link can bridge platform gaps and the merchant wants embeds, subscriptions, deposits, and webhooks around its own destination wallet.
Quick verdict
MakePay is the stronger fit for merchants who want direct wallet settlement and a 0% merchant-side MakePay fee when customers cover checkout. CoinGate is stronger when regulated EU-provider positioning, fiat settlement, payouts, or an enterprise account with dedicated support are central requirements.
At a glance
MakePay vs CoinGate, side by side
Verify the exact ecommerce connector and recurring-billing behavior before comparing the 1% and 0.5% headline rates.
| Category | MakePay | CoinGate |
|---|---|---|
| Default merchant-side checkout cost | 0% when customers cover the MakePay checkout fee | CoinGate publishes a 1% primary payment processing fee for its Standard plan, with custom volume-based Enterprise pricing. |
| Customer-paid fee mode | 0.5%** shown at checkout by default | CoinGate charges the merchant processing fee on the payment service; manual conversions and payouts can carry separate fees. |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/mo for core checkout | No monthly fee |
| Settlement posture | Direct merchant wallet settlement positioning | CoinGate supports settlement into EUR, GBP, USD, stablecoins, or crypto, with standard automatic settlements listed weekly. |
| Fast launch path | Payment links, hosted checkout, embeds, deposits, and subscriptions | Plugins, APIs, payment channels, email invoicing, payouts, refunds, and reporting. |
| Where each is strongest | A MakePay-first checkout path for merchants that want direct wallet settlement positioning and customer-paid fees. | Regulated EU gateway positioning, fiat or stablecoin settlement, payouts, and enterprise account support. |
** MakePay payment gateway routes connect to liquidity providers and decentralized exchanges. Network fees, exchange fees, or swap fees may apply for currency conversions.
Fees compared
Plugin convenience carries a different fee model
CoinGate publishes a 1% processing fee and may apply other service or settlement charges. MakePay charges 0.5% and shows it to the customer by default, giving merchants a lower-cost path when they do not need CoinGate's wider processor and billing layer.
Illustrative cost at the published comparison rate on $50,000 monthly volume: about $500 for CoinGate, before fixed or route-specific charges.
- MakePay merchant-side fee
- 0% when the customer covers the checkout fee
- MakePay customer-paid fee
- 0.5%** shown transparently at checkout by default
- CoinGate published fee
- CoinGate publishes a 1% primary payment processing fee for its Standard plan, with custom volume-based Enterprise pricing.
- Monthly platform fee
- MakePay: $0/mo · CoinGate: No monthly fee
Competitor pricing and availability can vary by geography, risk profile, product type, monthly volume, currency, network, and negotiated plan. Review the linked sources before making a production decision.
Detailed analysis
The integration is the product in this comparison
CoinGate can win because a maintained plugin already fits the store. MakePay can win because the merchant prefers a platform-neutral hosted fallback, embedded checkout, and direct wallet settlement. Test the actual connector rather than comparing catalog pages.
01 · Fees and total cost
MakePay publishes 0.5%; CoinGate Standard publishes 1%.
MakePay charges 0.5% per completed payment and puts that fee on the customer by default, leaving the merchant-side MakePay fee at 0%. Merchants can absorb it when needed. Network, exchange, liquidity-provider, or swap fees may apply when the payment and settlement route requires conversion.
CoinGate lists a 1% payment-processing fee and no monthly fee on its Standard plan, with custom volume-based Enterprise rates. Its pricing also lists separate payout, manual conversion, and some refund-conversion costs. The relevant comparison is therefore the whole merchant workflow, not only the checkout percentage.
- MakePay: 0.5% completed-payment fee, customer-paid by default.
- CoinGate Standard: 1% payment processing and no monthly fee.
- Include payout, conversion, and refund costs in a CoinGate model.
Sources: CoinGate pricing
02 · Settlement choices
CoinGate offers fiat and balance-based settlement; MakePay goes wallet-first.
MakePay is designed to route confirmed payments toward the merchant-controlled wallet configured for settlement. Merchants retain the treasury relationship and do not wait for a MakePay balance payout.
CoinGate says crypto settlements appear in a CoinGate balance after blockchain confirmation, while fiat can be converted and transferred to a bank on a schedule. Its Standard pricing lists weekly automatic settlements and supports settlement choices that include fiat, stablecoins, or crypto. This can be useful for businesses that want a gateway to manage conversion and payouts.
- MakePay prioritizes direct merchant-wallet settlement.
- CoinGate prioritizes flexible balance, fiat, stablecoin, and crypto payouts.
- Review settlement timing and minimums for cash-flow planning.
Sources: CoinGate pricing, CoinGate support
03 · Plugins and checkout
Both cover hosted and integrated checkout, with different operating boundaries.
MakePay supports branded payment links, embedded checkout, subscriptions, deposits, ecommerce integrations, APIs, and webhooks. It is designed so a merchant can launch a link first and add a deeper product integration later.
CoinGate supports API, plugin, payment-link, email-invoice, refund, reporting, and payout workflows. Its public checkout material emphasizes real-time tracking and order-to-settlement history. Verify the exact ecommerce platform, branding requirements, callback states, and test environment before selecting either provider.
- MakePay offers one checkout model across links, embeds, deposits, and subscriptions.
- CoinGate offers a mature gateway, payout, and reporting surface.
Sources: CoinGate home, CoinGate support
04 · Compliance and support
CoinGate centralizes more gateway operations; MakePay leaves more with the merchant.
CoinGate positions itself as a regulated EU gateway and layers payout schedules, reporting, standard or dedicated support, and enterprise commercial terms around payment processing. That model can fit businesses whose finance team prefers a conventional payment-service-provider relationship.
MakePay focuses on checkout, status, webhooks, and direct wallet settlement. The merchant remains responsible for wallet operations, refund policy, accounting treatment, and compliance for its business. That is attractive when control is the priority, but the team must be ready to operate it.
- CoinGate fits teams seeking regulated gateway and enterprise operations.
- MakePay fits teams seeking a lighter, self-custody checkout layer.
Sources: CoinGate home, CoinGate pricing
Migration plan
Migrate one storefront state at a time
A commerce plugin translates gateway events into orders, emails, refunds, and stock changes. Preserve that behavior explicitly during a pilot.
- 01
Record the CoinGate order-state map
Document pending, paid, expired, underpaid, refunded, and payout-related behavior in the live ecommerce platform.
- 02
Choose the MakePay integration path
Use a maintained plugin where it fits, or begin with hosted links and webhooks when that produces a safer platform-neutral pilot.
- 03
Validate recurring and back-office behavior
Test billing renewals, customer emails, stock, refunds, accounting exports, and settlement before moving the full store.
Merchant fit
Choose the checkout that fits the commerce stack
Choose MakePay when
- You want a MakePay-first checkout flow connected to direct merchant wallet settlement.
- You want payment links, subscriptions, deposits, and embedded checkout under one product.
- You want SEO and developer pages that explain MakePay implementation paths.
Choose CoinGate when
- You specifically need CoinGate plugins, payouts, or regulated EU provider positioning.
- You want fiat or stablecoin settlement tooling from CoinGate.
- You already operate through CoinGate merchant tools.
Methodology
How this comparison was researched
This review prioritizes CoinGate's official pricing, supported integrations, billing tools, and settlement documentation. Plugin availability is not treated as proof of production readiness; merchants should verify platform version, maintenance, and payment-state behavior.
- MakePay focus
- Hosted and embedded checkout for merchant crypto payments with direct wallet settlement positioning.
- CoinGate public positioning
- Crypto payment gateway with plugins, payment links, API integration, payouts, and settlement into fiat, stablecoins, or crypto.
- Integration decision
- Compare plugin requirements, settlement currencies, compliance needs, and dashboard workflow.
Official sources
Product terms can change. Verify the linked sources before making a production decision. MakePay is not affiliated with CoinGate.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about plugins, billing, and store migration
Is MakePay a good CoinGate alternative?
Yes, when the business wants direct wallet settlement, a lower published payment fee, and a focused hosted or embedded checkout. CoinGate may be better for fiat settlement, payouts, regulated EU-provider positioning, or dedicated enterprise support.
Which is cheaper, MakePay or CoinGate?
MakePay charges 0.5% per completed payment and customers cover it by default. CoinGate Standard publishes a 1% processing fee. CoinGate also lists separate fees for some payouts, conversions, and refund conversions, while route-specific network or conversion costs can apply to MakePay.
Can CoinGate settle payments in fiat?
Yes. CoinGate advertises fiat, stablecoin, and crypto settlement options, with scheduled or plan-dependent payouts. MakePay is designed around direct settlement toward a merchant-controlled crypto wallet.
Which is better for ecommerce plugins?
The answer depends on the exact platform and checkout behavior. Review supported versions, maintenance status, webhook states, branding, refunds, and testing for the specific MakePay or CoinGate integration you plan to use.
Can I migrate from CoinGate gradually?
Yes. Route one product or invoice type through a MakePay payment link, map CoinGate order states to MakePay webhook states, verify settlement and accounting, and move more traffic only after the pilot reconciles.
Is MakePay affiliated with CoinGate?
No. CoinGate is named only for factual comparison. Product and fee claims are based on public CoinGate sources linked on this page and should be rechecked before production use.
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