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Stripe vs. Square vs. PayPal: which should I use?
Question
Stripe, Square, or PayPal — which one should I connect to my form?
Answer
All three let you collect payments through PlatoForms with no additional transaction fees on our end — the right choice comes down to how you want to test, what your customers already use, and whether you have an existing account with one of them.
| Stripe | Square | PayPal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it’s set up | Integrations page or an embedded field | Integrations page or an embedded field | Embedded field only |
| Where payment happens | Depends on mode chosen (redirect or inline) | Depends on mode chosen — embedded field stays inline (no redirect, no Square email receipt); Integrations page redirects to a Square-hosted page (with a Square email receipt) | Inline, inside your form |
| Test before going live | Yes — Test Mode | No — live payments only | Yes — Sandbox accounts |
| Apple Pay / Google Pay | Supported | Not covered in current docs | Not covered in current docs |
| Pay Later option | No | No | Yes |
| Best for | Developer-friendly setup, broad card support | Businesses already using Square for in-person sales | Customers who prefer or expect to see PayPal at checkout |
A closer look
Stripe offers the most flexibility — a hosted Stripe Checkout page or an embedded Stripe Payment Widget, both with a Test Mode so you can verify the flow before a real card is charged. It also supports Apple Pay and Google Pay once you register your form domain.
Square is a good fit if you already run your business through Square. Like Stripe, it offers two independent ways to collect payment: Square Checkout, set up entirely from the Integrations page, or an embedded Square field on the form itself — use only one, not both. The two behave differently: Square Checkout redirects the respondent to a Square-hosted checkout page and sends a Square email receipt after payment; the embedded field keeps the respondent on your form throughout and doesn’t send a Square email receipt. Keep in mind Square currently only processes live payments; there’s no sandbox mode, so any test submission charges a real card. Currency has to match what your Square account is set up to accept — this is a restriction on Square’s side, tied to the country your account was registered in, not something PlatoForms controls. Check your Square Dashboard if you’re unsure which currency applies.
PayPal is set up differently from the other two — it doesn’t have a native connection on the Integrations page. Instead, you add a PayPal Payment field directly to your form, which renders PayPal, card, and Pay Later buttons in one widget. PayPal also provides free Sandbox accounts, so you can test the full flow — including a mock buyer and merchant account — without any real charges.
Can I use more than one at once?
No — use only one payment method per form. Configuring more than one (for example, a Square field alongside a Stripe integration) on the same form can cause the payment amount, currency, or confirmation status to behave unpredictably, since each processes and reports payment status independently. If you want to offer customers a choice of providers, that comparison and setup should live on separate forms.
Have more questions? Visit our Integration Guide for setup instructions, our full documentation, or contact us for help choosing the right setup.