We compared the top crypto payment gateways for small businesses — NOWPayments, Coinbase Commerce, Blockonomics, and BitPay — across fees, coin support, settlement options, and ease of integration. Our pick for most businesses: NOWPayments, with 300+ coins, 0.5% fees, and no-code tools.
Accepting cryptocurrency payments used to mean building custom infrastructure or trusting sketchy third-party processors. That's changed. Today, a handful of well-designed gateways let small businesses accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, and dozens of other coins with the same ease as Stripe or Square — but with lower fees, global reach, and no chargeback risk.1
The trade-off? You need to choose between custodial vs non-custodial models, understand settlement options (fiat or crypto), and pick a gateway that actually integrates with your existing stack. Here's what we found after digging through the options.
| Gateway | Best For | Transaction Fee | Coins Supported | Settlement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOWPayments | Overall / Customization | 0.5% | 300+ | Crypto & Fiat |
| Coinbase Commerce | Instant Settlement | 1% | ~10 | Crypto (instant) |
| Blockonomics | Non-custodial / Bitcoin | 1% | Bitcoin only | Crypto |
| BitPay | Nonprofits / Enterprise | 1% | 10+ | Crypto & Fiat |
NOWPayments balances ease of use with deep configuration options better than any other gateway we evaluated.1 It supports over 300 cryptocurrencies, charges a flat 0.5% per transaction, and offers no-code tools that plug directly into Shopify, WooCommerce, and other major platforms.1
You can run it in custodial mode (they hold the private keys, simpler setup) or non-custodial mode (you keep control, more secure).3 That flexibility alone makes it the right starting point for most small businesses.
If you're already in the Coinbase ecosystem, Commerce is the easiest on-ramp. It supports a curated set of ~10 major coins and settles payments directly into your Coinbase account instantly.2 The 1% fee is higher than NOWPayments, but the setup is dead simple — create a Commerce account, pick your coins, and copy-paste a button onto your site.
The trade-off: it's custodial only (Coinbase holds the keys), and the coin selection is limited compared to NOWPayments.
Blockonomics is the gateway for merchants who want to receive Bitcoin directly to their own wallet without any intermediary. No KYC, no account approval — just a wallet address and a payment page.3 The fee is 1%, and it's Bitcoin-only.
This is a great option if you're a solo operator, a freelancer, or a Bitcoin-maximalist who values self-custody above all else. It won't work if you need multi-coin support or fiat settlement.
BitPay is the most established name in crypto payments, and it shows in the feature set. It supports fiat settlement (convert crypto to USD automatically), offers donation tools tailored for nonprofits, and provides multi-user access for teams.2 The fee is 1%, and it supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, and a handful of stablecoins.
It's heavier to set up than the others, but if you need robust reporting, fiat settlement, or donor receipts, BitPay is the industry standard.
Custodial gateways (Coinbase Commerce, BitPay) hold the private keys and handle the blockchain complexity. You get faster setup and easier tax reporting, but you're trusting a third party with your funds. Non-custodial gateways (Blockonomics, NOWPayments in non-custodial mode) let you keep your own keys — more work, but you retain full control.3
All four gateways offer plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, and other major platforms. NOWPayments stands out with its no-code tools and donation buttons that work with minimal configuration.1
BitPay and Coinbase Commerce are the most compliance-heavy options — they require KYC and follow traditional financial regulations. Blockonomics requires no KYC at all, which is a feature for privacy-conscious merchants but a limitation if you need to operate in regulated industries.3
For most small businesses, NOWPayments is the best starting point: lowest fees, widest coin support, and the flexibility to go custodial or non-custodial. If you're already deep in Coinbase's ecosystem, Coinbase Commerce is a fine shortcut. If you want pure self-custody Bitcoin payments, Blockonomics delivers. And if you're a nonprofit or need enterprise-grade fiat settlement, BitPay is the proven choice.
Disclosure: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you. Our recommendations are based on independent research and analysis.
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