Alternatives

BTCPay Server alternative: Crypto Merchant vs BTCPay Server (2026)

BTCPay Server is free, open-source software with no processing fees, no KYC and no third party: payments go straight to a wallet only you control, and it has plugins for most shop platforms. The cost is that you host and maintain it yourself (a VPS costs under $10 a month); Bitcoin and Lightning are first-class, and altcoins such as USDT on Tron come through community plugins. Crypto Merchant is the opposite trade: a hosted, custodial service with nothing to run, 1% per paid invoice, USDT and USDC on six networks each, and no documents to sign up. If you can run a server and want your own keys, BTCPay Server is the better tool.

Last checked: 29 October 2026

Crypto Merchant wrote this comparison, and we're not affiliated with any gateway named here. Every competitor fact comes from the vendor's own pages, linked under the table. Prices and terms change, so check them before you decide.

How does Crypto Merchant compare with BTCPay Server?

BTCPay Server wins on cost, custody and plugins. Crypto Merchant wins on having nothing to run, and on stablecoin networks. Both let you start without documents.

Feature	Crypto Merchant	BTCPay Server
Payment fee	1% of each paid invoice, in the coin paid, deducted when it's credited. Expired or cancelled invoices cost nothing.	“No processing or subscription fees”; “0% fees”. You pay for hosting instead, typically “less than $10/mo” on a VPS.^[1],[2]
Monthly and setup fees	None, and no setup fee. There is no payment to go live: an account is live as soon as setup is done.	None from BTCPay Server. Hosting is your own cost.^[1]
Conversion	Optional: swap everything into one holding coin. The rate is the live market price and includes a 1% service margin.	Fiat conversion only through third-party plugins.^[1]
Payouts and withdrawals	Any time, no minimum, with a gas fee per payout. Each coin to its own address, or swapped into one holding coin first.	No payouts to make: funds arrive directly in the wallet you connect, and a built-in wallet manages incoming and outgoing funds.^[2],[1]
KYC or KYB to sign up	Email, name and business name. We don't ask for identity documents when you create an account.	None. “BTCPay Server will never ask a merchant for any personal identification.”^[1]
Custody	Custodial. We hold the keys; every wallet comes from one recovery phrase kept offline on paper. Payments collect in a pool wallet dedicated to your business.	Non-custodial: “complete control over the private key”.^[1],[2]
Coins and networks	11 coins on 11 networks. USDT on Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain, Polygon, Arbitrum One, Tron and Solana. USDC on Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain, Polygon, Base, Arbitrum One and Solana. Plus BTC, ETH, LTC, SOL, XRP, BNB, TRX, POL and GRAM (TON).	Bitcoin and Lightning (LND, CLN, Eclair). Opt-in, community-maintained altcoins: LTC, DASH, DOGE, Liquid BTC, XMR and ZEC through plugins, and “USDt (Tether) on Tron, via plugin”. USDC and ETH aren't mentioned.^[1],[3]
Country limits	Anyone, in any country, can sign up. The Terms prohibit illegal goods, fraud and sanctions evasion.	None stated: it's self-hosted software.^[1]
E-commerce plugins	None: no WooCommerce, Shopify or WHMCS plugin. Use payment links, the hosted checkout or the API.	WooCommerce, Shopify, WHMCS, Magento, PrestaShop, Drupal, OpenCart, Odoo, Wix, BigCommerce, Ghost and Zapier.^[2]
Fiat (bank) settlement	No. Crypto only: payouts go to crypto addresses.	Only through third-party plugins.^[1]
API and webhooks	REST API with Bearer keys for invoices, payment links, balances and coins. Webhooks signed with HMAC-SHA256, retried for about two days.	Not confirmed on the pages we checked.
Payment links	Yes: fixed-price or pay-what-you-want links, a hosted checkout page and invoices.	Yes: invoices, payment links, a POS app and crowdfunding.^[2]

Every Crypto Merchant cost is on the pricing page, and every API field in the API reference.

Sources

Every BTCPay Server fact in the table comes from these pages, checked 29 October 2026. “Not confirmed” means none of them stated it.

[1]Docs: BTCPay Server vs others: https://docs.btcpayserver.org/BTCPayVsOthers/
[2]Homepage: https://btcpayserver.org/
[3]Docs FAQ: altcoins: https://docs.btcpayserver.org/FAQ/Altcoin/

When is BTCPay Server the better choice?

BTCPay Server is the better choice whenever you can run a server: it costs nothing per payment, nobody holds your funds, and it plugs into most shop platforms.

You want your own keys. Payments arrive directly in your wallet; no company, Crypto Merchant included, holds a balance for you.
You take mostly Bitcoin, or Lightning payments. Crypto Merchant doesn't support Lightning.
You use WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento, PrestaShop, Drupal, Odoo, Wix or another platform it has a plugin for. Crypto Merchant has none.
You want zero processing fees and don't mind paying for a VPS and keeping the software updated.
You want a provider with a track record and reviews. Crypto Merchant launched on 28 October 2026 and has neither yet.

When does Crypto Merchant fit better?

Crypto Merchant fits better if you don't want to run a server, or your customers pay in stablecoins on several networks.

You don't want to host, back up and update a server. There's nothing to install: sign up, finish setup and share a link.
Your customers pay USDT or USDC: Crypto Merchant accepts each on six networks, including Tron, Solana, Polygon and Base. BTCPay Server has USDT on Tron through a plugin, and no USDC.
You want XRP, TRX, BNB, POL or GRAM (TON) alongside BTC, ETH, LTC and SOL.
You want a hosted checkout, payment links and signed webhooks ready the day you sign up, and no gas to manage: Crypto Merchant pays the network fees for sweeps, swaps and token payouts, and charges a gas fee for each.

How do I switch from BTCPay Server to Crypto Merchant?

Sign up, finish setup, then point your checkout and webhooks at Crypto Merchant. There's no plugin to install: you use payment links, the hosted checkout or the API.

1
Create an account
Sign up with your email, your name and your business name. We don't ask for identity documents when you create an account.
2
Choose your coins
Turn on the coins and networks you want. There is no payment to go live: your account is live as soon as setup is done.
3
Start taking payments
Share your checkout page, create payment links or invoices in the portal, or create invoices from your site with the API.
4
Point your webhooks
Add your server's HTTPS address under Developers, check the CM-Signature header on every event, and fulfil orders on invoice.paid. Webhooks has the details.
5
Keep or retire your server
If you move, let BTCPay Server's open invoices expire or settle, sweep its wallet, and only then turn the server off. Nothing stops you running both: BTCPay Server for Bitcoin, Crypto Merchant for stablecoins.

Frequently asked questions

Is BTCPay Server really free?

Yes: no processing or subscription fees, according to its docs and homepage. You pay for hosting, typically under $10 a month on a VPS, unless you use a third-party host, and you spend time on setup and updates.

Does BTCPay Server support USDT?

Only through a community plugin for USDt on Tron, plus Liquid USDt; USDC and Ethereum aren't mentioned in its docs. Crypto Merchant accepts USDT and USDC on six networks each.

Is Crypto Merchant non-custodial like BTCPay Server?

No. Crypto Merchant holds the keys and keeps a balance for you until you pay out. BTCPay Server is non-custodial: funds arrive directly in a wallet you control.

Can I use BTCPay Server without running a server?

Its docs mention third-party hosts as an alternative to self-hosting; we didn't check their terms. If you want nothing to run at all, a hosted gateway such as Crypto Merchant is the alternative, at the cost of custody and a 1% fee.

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