CryptoInvoice vs NOWPayments vs BTCPay Server vs Coinbase Commerce
Four ways to accept crypto, compared on the things that actually matter: who holds the money, what it costs, what you have to run, and which coins you can take. Written by the CryptoInvoice team — we've tried to be fair and to say where we're not the right choice.
| CryptoInvoice | NOWPayments | BTCPay Server | Coinbase Commerce | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custody | Never — payer sends to your address | Funds pass through the processor, paid out to your wallet | Never — your own node/server | Self-custodial (shut down outside US/SG in March 2026; successor "Coinbase Business" is custodial) |
| Fee on sales | 0% (flat $9/mo Pro optional) | 0.5% (1% with conversion) | 0% | 1% |
| KYC / verification | None | Required for most features | None | Coinbase account |
| You must run | Nothing | Nothing | A 24/7 server (Docker/VPS) | Nothing |
| XRP with destination tags | Yes, native | Yes | No (no native XRP) | No |
| Cardano (ADA) | Yes, native | Yes | No | No |
| Bitcoin | No | Yes | Yes, best-in-class | Yes |
| Stablecoins | USDC, USDT (Ethereum mainnet) | Many chains | Via plugins | USDC focus |
| Hosted checkout & pay page | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Webhooks / API | Yes, HMAC-signed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Account recovery | Secret key only (no email) | Email login | Your server | Coinbase login |
Competitor figures from public pricing pages and reviews as of August 2026; check their sites for current terms. Corrections welcome via the operator pay page.
When to pick what
- Pick CryptoInvoice if you want zero fees and zero custody without running a server, and your customers pay in XRP, ADA, ETH, USDC or USDT. Especially strong for XRP and Cardano, which most processors treat as afterthoughts.
- Pick BTCPay Server if Bitcoin (and Lightning) is your main currency and you're comfortable operating a server. It's the gold standard for sovereign Bitcoin commerce.
- Pick NOWPayments if you need 300+ coins, auto-conversion to a stablecoin, or fiat payouts, and you're fine with KYC and a percentage fee.
- Former Coinbase Commerce merchants: see our migration guide. If you mainly took USDC and ETH and want to stay self-custodial, CryptoInvoice is a direct fit; add BTC via BTCPay if you need it.
Why "non-custodial" is the feature that matters
When a processor holds your funds, you inherit its risks: withdrawal holds, account freezes, KYC re-verification, insolvency, and product shutdowns (Coinbase Commerce's closure stranded thousands of merchants with a few months' notice). With a non-custodial tool there is nothing to freeze — the payment lands in your wallet the moment the chain confirms it, and the software only observes. If CryptoInvoice disappeared tomorrow, your funds and your addresses would be exactly where they are now.
What CryptoInvoice doesn't do (yet)
- No Bitcoin, no Solana, no Ethereum L2s (Base, Arbitrum, Polygon).
- No fiat conversion or payouts — you receive crypto and keep crypto.
- No plugins for WooCommerce/Shopify yet; integration is via payment links, buttons or the API (guides).
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