Crypto payment gateway comparison
MakePay vs NOWPayments: fees, features and merchant fit
MakePay focuses on branded payment links, embedded checkout, subscriptions, deposits, and direct self-custody settlement. NOWPayments publicly positions around crypto payment APIs, mass payouts, custody APIs, customer management, and recurring payments.
Reviewed July 28, 202613 min readIndependently researched
MakePay charges a 0.5% checkout fee, while NOWPayments publishes two payment rates: 0.5% when no exchange is required and 1% when a payment is autoconverted or uses a fixed rate. Beyond that pricing difference, NOWPayments has grown into a broad crypto PSP with custody, payout, customer-management, off-ramp, and recurring-payment APIs. MakePay keeps the center of gravity on checkout and settlement toward a wallet the merchant controls.
That makes this less a feature-count contest than a boundary decision. A marketplace that needs to hold balances and distribute funds may value NOWPayments' wider platform. A merchant that wants a simpler payment surface, fewer retained balances, and a customer-paid fee by default may prefer MakePay.
Quick verdict
MakePay is the stronger fit for merchants who want a focused, self-custody checkout with customer-paid fees by default. NOWPayments is the stronger fit when 300+ assets, custody balances, mass payouts, or a broader fund-management API suite are requirements.
At a glance
MakePay vs NOWPayments, side by side
The shortlist turns on whether payment collection must also provide custody balances, mass payouts, or off-ramp operations.
| Category | MakePay | NOWPayments |
|---|---|---|
| Default merchant-side checkout cost | 0% when customers cover the MakePay checkout fee | 0.5% for payments without conversion; 1% for autoconverted or fixed-rate payments, plus blockchain network fees. |
| Customer-paid fee mode | 0.5%** shown at checkout by default | NOWPayments says the 1% rate also applies when "fee paid by user" enables fixed-rate pricing by default. |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/mo for core checkout | No monthly fee |
| Settlement posture | Direct merchant wallet settlement positioning | NOWPayments supports payment APIs, custody, off-ramp payouts, and fund-management products; settlement choices depend on setup. |
| Fast launch path | Payment links, hosted checkout, embeds, deposits, and subscriptions | Development API, invoices, fiat payments, subscriptions, donation tools, POS, plugins, widgets, and buttons. |
| Where each is strongest | A focused MakePay checkout path with direct wallet settlement positioning and customer-paid fee mode by default. | Broad payment, payout, custody, off-ramp, and plugin surface for teams that want a larger crypto PSP toolkit. |
** 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
NOWPayments reaches 1% when the payment converts
MakePay charges 0.5% per completed payment and assigns it to the payer by default. NOWPayments lists 0.5% only when the customer pays and the merchant receives the same asset; its published rate is 1% for autoconverted or fixed-rate payments, before blockchain network fees.
Illustrative cost at the published comparison rate on $50,000 monthly volume: about $500 for NOWPayments on an autoconverted or fixed-rate payment, 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
- NOWPayments published fee
- 0.5% for payments without conversion; 1% for autoconverted or fixed-rate payments, plus blockchain network fees.
- Monthly platform fee
- MakePay: $0/mo · NOWPayments: 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
Checkout specialist or multi-product crypto PSP?
Evaluate NOWPayments as a collection-and-fund-management platform. Evaluate MakePay as a focused checkout and direct-settlement route. The four sections below show where that architectural difference reaches finance, engineering, and support.
01 · Fees and total cost
MakePay stays at 0.5%; NOWPayments lists 1% for converted payments.
MakePay charges 0.5% per completed payment and shows that fee to the customer by default, leaving the merchant-side MakePay fee at 0%. A merchant can instead absorb the fee. MakePay's checkout fee does not rise to 1% simply because the route converts an asset, although liquidity-provider, network, exchange, or swap costs may still apply separately.
NOWPayments publishes 0.5% for payments without exchange—for example, when a customer pays BTC and the merchant receives BTC. It publishes 1% when a payment requires autoconversion, uses fixed-rate pricing, or uses the fee-paid-by-user option that enables fixed rate by default. Blockchain network fees are additional.
- MakePay: 0.5% customer-paid by default, or merchant-paid when selected.
- NOWPayments: 0.5% without conversion; 1% with autoconversion or fixed-rate pricing.
- For a converted checkout, compare MakePay's 0.5% fee with NOWPayments' published 1% rate, then model network and route costs.
Sources: NOWPayments fees
02 · Custody and settlement
MakePay keeps the core decision centered on the destination wallet.
MakePay is designed around direct settlement toward a merchant-controlled wallet. That is useful when the operating requirement is to avoid leaving completed payment proceeds in a processor balance and to keep treasury control with the merchant.
NOWPayments offers a wider set of settlement and balance models. Its public product surface includes payment-to-wallet flows as well as custody, off-ramp payouts, and customer operations. That breadth can reduce integration work for a platform that wants one provider to manage both collections and downstream fund movements, but it is a different operating model from a focused direct-settlement checkout.
- Choose MakePay when direct merchant-wallet settlement is the priority.
- Choose NOWPayments when custody balances or off-ramp payouts are part of the brief.
Sources: NOWPayments API
03 · Checkout and integration
The choice is focused checkout versus a broader payment toolkit.
MakePay lets a merchant begin with a hosted payment link, then add embedded checkout, subscriptions, deposits, plugins, API creation, and webhooks without changing the core checkout model. The customer can pay with a supported asset while the merchant configures the preferred settlement route.
NOWPayments advertises more than 300 assets plus invoices, payment buttons, widgets, plugins, point of sale, white-label checkout, subscriptions, and a development API. It is the broader catalog. MakePay is more opinionated around a consistent hosted-or-embedded experience and the direct-settlement story.
- MakePay favors a fast payment-link-to-embed migration path.
- NOWPayments favors maximum asset and product-surface breadth.
Sources: NOWPayments API, NOWPayments API help
04 · Merchant operations
Payout and balance requirements usually decide this comparison.
For a merchant collecting invoices, deposits, or recurring customer-approved payments, MakePay keeps status, webhooks, checkout branding, and settlement configuration inside one focused workflow. Refunds remain a merchant-controlled process rather than a card-network chargeback flow.
NOWPayments extends further into mass payouts, custody APIs, customer balances, and fiat withdrawal APIs. Those products can be valuable for marketplaces, payroll, gaming, or platforms that need to move funds after collection. A merchant that does not need those capabilities may prefer the narrower MakePay operating surface.
- MakePay fits merchant checkout and reconciliation.
- NOWPayments fits platforms combining collection with fund management.
Sources: NOWPayments API
Migration plan
Unbundle collection from payouts before migrating
A NOWPayments integration may do more than accept customer payments. Map every custody balance, payout, conversion, and off-ramp dependency before replacing the checkout endpoint.
- 01
Inventory every NOWPayments API in use
Separate payment creation and status webhooks from custody balances, mass payouts, customer management, and fiat withdrawal workflows.
- 02
Pilot the collection path in MakePay
Move one product or invoice type, reproduce the required payment states, and confirm direct wallet settlement and reconciliation.
- 03
Retain or replace downstream fund tools deliberately
Only retire NOWPayments payout or custody services after treasury and operations have an explicit alternative for each dependency.
Merchant fit
Choose based on what happens after collection
Choose MakePay when
- You want hosted payment links and embedded checkout tied to direct wallet settlement.
- You want payment pages that send users through MakePay rather than broad custody products.
- You want merchant-friendly pages for services, use cases, pricing, and developer implementation.
Choose NOWPayments when
- You specifically need NOWPayments API products or mass payout flows.
- You want to evaluate custody or customer-management APIs.
- You already have NOWPayments credentials and merchant operations.
Methodology
How this comparison was researched
This review uses NOWPayments' public API, help, and pricing material, with special attention to the products that extend beyond checkout: custody, payouts, customer balances, and off-ramp operations. Those capabilities are treated as strengths rather than forced into a like-for-like checkout score.
- MakePay focus
- Payment links, hosted checkout, embedded checkout, subscriptions, deposits, webhooks, and direct wallet settlement.
- NOWPayments public positioning
- Payment API, mass payouts API, custody API, customer management API, and recurring payments API.
- Execution boundary
- MakePay SEO and agent pages guide merchants to UI or documented authenticated flows rather than executing payments autonomously.
Official sources
Product terms can change. Verify the linked sources before making a production decision. MakePay is not affiliated with NOWPayments.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about replacing a broad NOWPayments stack
Is MakePay a good NOWPayments alternative?
Yes, when the priority is hosted or embedded checkout, direct merchant-wallet settlement, and a customer-paid fee by default. NOWPayments may remain the better fit for custody balances, mass payouts, off-ramp APIs, or the broadest asset catalog.
Which is cheaper, MakePay or NOWPayments?
For a payment that requires conversion, MakePay charges a 0.5% checkout fee and places it on the customer by default, while NOWPayments publishes a 1% service fee. NOWPayments publishes 0.5% only when no exchange is required. Blockchain, liquidity, withdrawal, and other route costs should still be modeled separately.
Does MakePay support as many currencies as NOWPayments?
NOWPayments publicly advertises more than 300 assets, so it is the stronger choice when long-tail currency coverage is essential. MakePay focuses on 70+ supported payment assets and major merchant settlement routes.
Can I migrate from NOWPayments to MakePay gradually?
Yes. Start with one MakePay payment link or one embedded checkout route, map payment-status webhooks, verify settlement and refund handling, then move more traffic after the pilot reconciles cleanly.
Does MakePay offer mass payouts or custody accounts?
MakePay is centered on merchant checkout and direct settlement, not a custody-balance or mass-payout product suite. If those are mandatory, verify NOWPayments' dedicated APIs against your requirements.
Does MakePay replace every NOWPayments product?
No. This page compares public positioning and fit. Teams should verify required products against official docs.
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