Vibeleaderboard

What is the best way to accept payments in a web app?

Use hosted checkout and let the provider handle card data, so you stay outside PCI scope entirely. If you sell internationally, a merchant of record also absorbs sales tax and VAT registration.

Surveyed 17 September 2026

Accept payments

Open in Tools →
No.Tool
  1. 01
    Stripe

    Payment processing infrastructure with APIs for online payments, subscriptions, and financial operations.

    Developer Tools
  2. 02
    Lemon Squeezy

    Merchant of record for software sales that takes on global sales tax, VAT, and compliance handling.

    Developer Tools
  3. 03
    Paddle

    Merchant of record handling payments, subscriptions, sales tax, and fraud for software companies worldwide.

    Developer Tools
  4. 04
    Polar

    Merchant of record for developers and OSS maintainers, handling digital products, license keys, and GitHub Sponsors.

    Developer Tools
  5. 05
    PayPal

    Long-running online payment system offering buyers a checkout option without entering card details.

    Developer Tools
  6. 06
    RevenueCat

    SDK and dashboard for in-app purchases and subscriptions on iOS, Android, and web, handling receipt validation.

    Developer Tools
  7. 07
    x402

    Open protocol for paying for APIs and web resources over HTTP 402 with stablecoins, no account required.

    Developer Tools

A curated selection in editorial order. Use the fit and evidence to judge it for your task. Something missing?

What to look for

  • 01Hosted checkout or embedded fields? Hosted keeps card data off your servers and out of your compliance scope.
  • 02Do you need a merchant of record? Cross-border tax handling is worth the higher fee for small teams.
  • 03Are webhooks verified and idempotent in the integration? This is where billing bugs become money.

Common questions

What breaks most often in generated payment code?
Webhook handling: unverified signatures, and handlers that are not idempotent. Providers retry, so a non-idempotent handler grants the same subscription repeatedly.
What is a merchant of record?
A provider that legally sells your product, so it registers for and remits sales tax and VAT in each jurisdiction. It costs more per transaction and removes a large compliance burden.

More in Ship and operate