How Is Rank Calculated?
Our rankings are based on a transparent, weighted scoring formula. Every provider is evaluated using the same criteria so comparisons are fair and consistent.
Each provider receives a score from 0 to 100. The score is a weighted sum across three types of criteria: cost (lower is better), quality (higher is better), and binary features (present or absent). Values are normalized relative to all providers in our database so the scoring adapts as the landscape changes.
The final score is calculated as:
Weight Breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction Fee | 35% | The percentage fee charged per transaction. Lower fees score higher. |
| Setup Fee | 5% | One-time setup or licensing fee. Free setup scores highest. |
| Monthly Fee | 5% | Recurring monthly fee. No monthly fee scores highest. |
| Popularity | 25% | How widely adopted the gateway is among merchants (rated 1-5). |
| Checkout Interface | 15% | Quality of the end-user checkout experience (rated 1-5). Evaluated for speed, design, and supported payment flows. |
| API Available | 4% | Whether the provider offers a public API for custom integrations. |
| Non-Custodial Mode | 4% | Whether the provider supports non-custodial payments where the merchant controls the private keys. |
| Merchant Interface | 5% | Quality of the merchant dashboard (rated 1-5). Evaluated for clarity, features, and usability. |
| Onboarding | 5% | Ease of getting started (rated 1-5). Covers signup flow, documentation quality, and time to first transaction. |
| No KYC | 4% | Whether the provider allows merchants to accept payments without mandatory identity verification. |
Normalization
Cost criteria (transaction fee, setup fee, monthly fee) are normalized so that the lowest value among all providers scores 1.0 and the highest scores 0.0. This means cheaper is always better.
Quality criteria (merchant UI, checkout UI, onboarding, popularity) are normalized so that the highest value scores 1.0 and the lowest scores 0.0. Binary criteria (API, non-custodial, no KYC) score their full weight when present and zero when absent.
How Rankings Are Determined
Providers are sorted by their final score from highest to lowest. The provider with the highest score is ranked #1. In the event of a tie, providers are ordered alphabetically.
Rankings are recalculated whenever provider data is updated. We regularly review and verify the data for each provider to ensure accuracy.
Comparison Pages
When comparing two providers side by side, we evaluate them across the same criteria. Each row shows a winner based on which provider performs better in that category. The overall winner is the provider that wins more categories. If it is a tie, the provider with the higher overall score wins.
Transparency
Our scoring formula is fully open. We do not accept payment for higher rankings. If you believe any data is incorrect, please contact us and we will investigate.