Authorize.net
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy if you want a battle-tested US gateway that can bundle a merchant account and plug into your bank's processing, as Chase does.
New check
Comparison
Authorize.net vs PayPal
Authorize.net and PayPal both land on Depends.
PayPal
Depends
Confidence: High
Good free pick for US friends-and-family payments and online buyer protection.
| Compare | Authorize.net | PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | US merchants wanting gateway + merchant account | US friends & family payments |
| Who it's not for | Small startups wanting instant self-serve signup | High-volume merchants . Stripe/Square beat its fees |
| Privacy | No direct flaws in the core gateway found; a third-party WooCommerce plugin had CVE-2025-68013, an authorization bypass.⁹ | Encryption and buyer protection are real, but a confirmed breach and account-freeze complaints weigh heavily. |
| Support quality | Reseller support model described, quality unverified | Freeze complaints; 'zero customer back-up' |
| Public sentiment | No verifiable user reviews surfaced; sources were vendor pages and one vendor comparison.⁷ | App Store users love it, but WalletHub and Trustpilot reviewers cite freezes, blocked payments, and weak support.12 |
| Biggest gotcha | WooCommerce CIM plugin had an authorization-bypass CVE; keep integrations patched.⁹ | Users report sudden freezes holding funds after 'suspicious' flags |
Pick Authorize.net when
- US merchants wanting gateway + merchant account
- Subscription businesses
- Retail and mobile sellers
- Bank/reseller-led purchasing
When Authorize.net is not a fit
- Small startups wanting instant self-serve signup
- Anyone needing transparent published pricing
- WooCommerce stores unwilling to patch plugins fast
- Micro-sellers better served by Stripe or Square
Pick PayPal when
- US friends & family payments
- Online shoppers wanting buyer protection
- Casual sellers invoicing occasionally
- Beginner savers via FDIC-insured PayPal Savings
When PayPal is not a fit
- High-volume merchants . Stripe/Square beat its fees
- International senders . Wise is far cheaper
- Anyone using it as a primary bank
- Sellers who can't risk sudden account freezes
Sources
- Authorize.net homepageauthorize.netofficial
- How payment processing systems workauthorize.netofficial
- Processor list (partner page)authorize.netofficial
- Payment choice and customer experience blogauthorize.netofficial
- Authorize.net security page (empty on scan)authorize.netofficial
- Authorize.Net . Wikipediaen.wikipedia.orgnews
- Stripe vs. Authorize.net comparisonbusiness.comreview
- Chase business payment gatewaychase.comofficial
- CVE-2025-68013 . SentinelOne vulnerability databasesentinelone.comsecurity
- OpenCVE . Authorize.net CIM for WooCommerceapp.opencve.iosecurity
- Send Money Online | PayPal USpaypal.comofficial
- PayPal . App Store Ratings & Reviewsapps.apple.comreview
- PayPal Reviews: 214 User Ratings . WalletHubwallethub.comreview
review
- PayPal review . Wisewise.comreview
- PayPal Fees: 2026 Pricing and Calculator . NerdWalletnerdwallet.comreview