Stripe is a developer-first merchant processing platform known for its robust API integrations, making it ideal for online businesses, marketplaces, and tech-enabled startups. Unlike Square or Clover, Stripe does not rely on point-of-sale hardware—instead, it powers seamless payment experiences for web and mobile applications. Stripe also supports international payments, subscription billing, and advanced fraud protection, which sets it apart as a scalable solution for both startups and enterprise-level businesses.