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Freelancers & Agencies · 2026

Suby vs PayPal

For freelancers and agencies. Lower fees, built-in invoicing, no frozen funds, USDC payouts. Everything PayPal should have been.

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Side by side

Every feature, fee and limitation, compared honestly.

Suby PayPal
Suby vs PayPal — feature, fee and limitation comparison
FeatureSubyPayPal
Fees & Pricing
Transparent FeesSuby: 4% per transaction; 1% + $0.30 card processing; 1.5% per transaction; No payout feePayPal: 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction; +1.5% cross-border surcharge; +3-4% currency conversion markup; +$20 per chargeback; +1.75% instant payout fee; Funds can be frozen up to 180 days
Low Crypto Fees
Suby: 1.5% on crypto. PayPal: no native crypto payouts for freelancers.		YesNo
USDC Payouts
Get settled in USDC. No banking dependency.		YesNo
No Hidden Conversion Markup
PayPal adds 3-4% above mid-market rate on every currency conversion.		YesNo
Multi-Currency Support
30+ fiat currencies natively supported.		YesPartial
Invoicing & Payments
Built-in Invoicing
Create and send branded invoices directly. PayPal: basic invoicing only.		YesPartial
Card Payments
Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, Apple Pay.		YesYes
Crypto Payments
Full multi-chain (USDC, ETH, SOL, BNB). PayPal: very limited crypto support.		YesNo
Recurring Billing
Automated subscriptions and retainer billing for ongoing clients.		YesPartial
Payment Links
Shareable links for instant payment. No checkout page needed.		YesYes
Fund Safety & Payouts
No Frozen Funds
Revenue is never held. PayPal can freeze funds for 21-180 days without warning.		YesNo
Payout Speed
Suby: 3-5 days. PayPal: up to 7 days + 1.75% instant fee.		YesPartial
No Chargeback Abuse Risk
Suby crypto rails eliminate card chargeback exposure. PayPal: $20 per chargeback.		YesNo
Integrations & Tools
Discord Integration
Automated role management, gating, access control.		YesNo
Telegram Integration
Group and channel access automation.		YesNo
Webhooks & API
REST API + real-time webhooks for custom flows.		YesYes
Built-in Notifications
Email, push, in-app. PayPal: email only.		YesPartial
Experience & Growth
Clean, Fast Dashboard
Suby: intuitive, zero bloat. PayPal: dated UX, multiple disconnected products.		YesNo
Human Support
Suby: real team, under 2h response. PayPal: ticket queues, long wait times.		YesNo
Automated Upsells
Trigger the right offer at the right moment in the funnel.		YesNo
Built-in Affiliate Program
Tracking, payouts, and dedicated affiliate dashboard.		Coming soonNo
Native Email Marketing
Sequences, broadcasts, segmentation built in.		Coming soonNo
Complexity & Setup
No-Code Setup
Suby: launch in minutes. PayPal: works no-code but with dated workflows.		YesPartial
Simple Pricing Model
One transparent rate. PayPal: layers cross-border, FX markup, chargeback and payout fees.		YesNo
Built for Freelancers & Agencies
Suby: modern dashboard for digital businesses. PayPal: general-purpose, consumer-first.		YesPartial
Monthly invoiced revenue
$5,000
Drag to adjust
$500$25k$50k$75k$100k
Suby
$250
You keep $4,750
PayPal
$345
You keep $4,655

Why teams choose Suby

Three reasons freelancers and agencies are switching from PayPal.

Up to 3% lower effective fees
No cross-border surcharge stacking, no 3-4% FX markup. One transparent rate for international clients.
USDC payouts, no frozen funds
Get settled in stablecoins or fiat. Your revenue is never frozen for 21-180 days like PayPal does to freelancers.
Built-in invoicing for agencies
Branded invoices, recurring retainer billing, payment links and subscriptions, all in minutes.
Not using PayPal?

Compare Suby with any payment processor

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Frequently asked

Everything you'd ask a Suby rep before switching.

How is Suby cheaper than PayPal when your platform fee is 4%?

PayPal's headline rate is 3.49% + $0.49, but for freelancers and agencies the real cost is much higher: +1.5% cross-border surcharge on international clients, +3-4% currency conversion markup above mid-market rate, $20 per chargeback, and 1.75% for instant payouts. Most end up paying 7-9% effective. Suby is one transparent rate with no hidden markups.

Can my funds really be frozen by PayPal?

Yes. PayPal is known to freeze accounts and hold funds for 21 to 180 days without warning, especially for new accounts, freelancers receiving large payments, or anyone they flag as high-risk. Suby never holds or freezes your funds, period.

How do USDC payouts work?

You can choose to receive payouts in USDC directly to your wallet, removing banking delays, FX markups, and freeze risks entirely. Fiat payouts remain available. Both options work from day one.

How quickly can I migrate from PayPal?

Most freelancers and agencies migrate in under a day. Suby supports payment links, recurring billing for retainers, branded invoicing, and webhook-compatible APIs out of the box. Talk with our founder for a guided migration.

What about chargebacks?

PayPal charges $20 per chargeback on top of the lost transaction amount. Suby supports crypto payment rails (USDC, ETH, SOL, BNB) which are chargeback-free by design. For card payments, our chargeback handling is included with no per-dispute fees.

What if I'm doing high volume? Are fees negotiable?

Yes. High-volume freelancers and agencies get custom pricing. If you're processing more than $50k/month, reach out for tailored rates. PayPal offers minimal volume discounts.

Does Suby handle international clients well?

Yes. 30+ fiat currencies natively supported, no PayPal-style 3-4% FX markup, no cross-border surcharge stacking. Send invoices in your client's currency, get paid in yours (or in USDC) without losing percentage points on every conversion.