NOWPayments
NOWPayments is a non-custodial cryptocurrency payment gateway that allows you to accept over 300 digital assets as payment for your online store, physical business, or charitable organization effortlessly.
Stellar
Stellar is an open-source decentralized network that connects global financial institutions to provide low-cost, near-instant cross-border payments and digital asset issuance for businesses and developers worldwide.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | NOWPayments | Stellar |
|---|---|---|
| Website | nowpayments.io | stellar.org |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Free |
| Starting Price | Free | Free |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✘ No free trial |
| Free Plan | ✓ Has free plan | ✓ Has free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2019 | 2014 |
| Headquarters | Amsterdam, Netherlands | San Francisco, USA |
Overview
NOWPayments
NOWPayments is a non-custodial crypto payment gateway that lets you accept more than 300 different cryptocurrencies directly into your own wallet. You can integrate payment buttons, hosted payment pages, or full API solutions into your website to offer customers a modern checkout experience. Because it is non-custodial, you maintain full control over your private keys and funds at all times, reducing the risks associated with third-party holding services.
You can also manage complex financial tasks like mass payouts for affiliates or employees and set up recurring billing for subscription-based services. The platform automatically handles currency conversions, allowing you to accept volatile coins while receiving stablecoins to protect your margins. Whether you run a small online shop or a large enterprise, you can start accepting global payments with minimal technical setup and low transaction fees.
Stellar
Stellar is an open-source decentralized network designed to help you move money and create digital assets quickly and reliably. Unlike traditional banking systems that take days to settle international transfers, you can clear and settle transactions on Stellar in seconds for a fraction of a cent. You can issue your own digital tokens or use existing stablecoins to represent real-world currencies like Dollars, Euros, or Pesos.
The platform provides a unified infrastructure where you can integrate with global financial institutions through a single integration. Whether you are building a global remittance app, a digital wallet, or a payment gateway, you can access a distributed exchange and automated market makers directly on the network. It simplifies the complexity of blockchain development so you can focus on building financial products that reach anyone, anywhere.
Overview
NOWPayments Features
- Instant Auto-Conversion Protect your revenue from market volatility by automatically converting received cryptocurrencies into stablecoins or your preferred digital asset.
- Mass Payouts Send rebates, rewards, or salaries to multiple addresses simultaneously with a single click to streamline your business operations.
- Point-of-Sale Terminal Accept crypto payments in your physical store using a simple web-based interface compatible with any mobile device or tablet.
- Recurring Billing Set up automated subscription payments for your customers so you can generate consistent revenue without manual invoicing.
- Custodial Solutions Choose to use internal accounts for instant transfers between users within your ecosystem to save on network gas fees.
- E-commerce Plugins Connect your store instantly with ready-made plugins for WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento, and other major shopping cart platforms.
Stellar Features
- Asset Issuance. Create and manage your own digital tokens to represent currencies, securities, or loyalty points with just a few lines of code.
- Fast Settlement. Confirm your transactions in 3 to 5 seconds using a unique consensus mechanism that doesn't require expensive mining.
- Low-Cost Transactions. Send global payments for a fixed fee of 0.00001 XLM per operation, making micro-payments finally viable for your business.
- Path Payments. Send one currency and have the recipient receive another automatically through the network's built-in decentralized exchange.
- Anchor Integration. Connect your application to regulated financial institutions that handle the on-ramping and off-ramping of local fiat currencies.
- Smart Contracts. Build sophisticated decentralized applications using Soroban, a Rust-based smart contract platform designed for high performance and scalability.
Pricing Comparison
NOWPayments Pricing
- No monthly subscription fees
- 0.5% transaction fee
- Access to 300+ cryptocurrencies
- Personal account manager
- 24/7 technical support
- Everything in Standard, plus:
- Additional 0.5% exchange fee
- Automatic coin conversion
- Fixed rate options available
- Stablecoin settlement
Stellar Pricing
- Open-source access
- 0.00001 XLM base fee
- Unlimited transactions
- Public API access
- Community support
- Standard ledger limits
- Free testing environment
- Free test XLM (Friendbot)
- Full API functionality
- No real-world value risk
- Rapid prototyping
- Developer documentation
Pros & Cons
NOWPayments
Pros
- Non-custodial setup ensures you keep full control of funds
- Extensive range of supported coins exceeds most competitors
- Simple integration process with popular e-commerce plugins
- Responsive customer support helps resolve technical issues quickly
Cons
- Minimum payment limits apply to certain low-value transactions
- Network congestion can occasionally delay transaction confirmations
- Fiat withdrawal options are limited compared to crypto-to-crypto
Stellar
Pros
- Extremely low transaction fees for global payments
- Fast settlement times compared to other blockchains
- Built-in decentralized exchange for easy currency conversion
- Comprehensive developer documentation and SDK support
- Energy-efficient consensus protocol reduces environmental impact
Cons
- Requires holding a minimum XLM balance
- Smaller ecosystem compared to Ethereum or Bitcoin
- Limited smart contract complexity before Soroban update