NOWPayments alternative for crypto payments
Looking for a NOWPayments alternative? Unheld takes no share of each payment: payments land on an address only you control, and you pay a monthly plan priced by the number of payments, not by their value.
Why merchants look for a NOWPayments alternative
- A share of every payment. NOWPayments takes 1% of each payment, so what you pay grows with every sale. Unheld takes 0% of the payment and prices its plans by the number of payments, so a bigger order costs you nothing more.
What NOWPayments costs compared with Unheld
At a $100 average order: NOWPayments at its published entry rate (1%, checked 2026-10-03), against the cheapest Unheld plan for the same number of payments.
| Monthly sales | Payments | NOWPayments takes | Unheld costs | Difference each month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | 50 | $50 | $19 (Starter) | $31 |
| $20,000 | 200 | $200 | $44 (Starter) | $156 |
| $100,000 | 1,000 | $1,000 | $129 (Growth) | $871 |
Network fees are paid by the payer to the blockchain and are not included on either side. Unheld’s figure is the cheapest published plan for that many payments, including any per-payment charge above the plan’s allowance.
Side by side
| What you are comparing | Unheld | NOWPayments |
|---|---|---|
| Share of payment value | 0% | 1% |
| Who holds the money | You — funds land on your address | You — funds land on your address |
| Business verification | Not required | Sometimes required |
| Payout to a bank in fiat | No | Yes |
| Server you run yourself | No | No |
Every figure here is read from the provider's own published page on the date shown. Providers change pricing without notice — open the source before deciding.
Source: https://nowpayments.io/pricing· Checked:
Switching from NOWPayments to Unheld
- Create your account. Sign up with an email and password; there is no business verification. Whenever Unheld limits new accounts, the same sign-up page takes a short application first.
- Connect your wallet. Create a wallet in your browser or use one you already have. Unheld never receives your recovery phrase; payments land on addresses derived from that wallet.
- Replace your checkout. Choose the coins and networks you accept, then put Unheld payment links, checkout buttons or the API where your NOWPayments checkout was.
- Connect your order system. Connect your order system through the API, then run one payment end to end on a free test network before taking a real one.
Questions merchants ask before switching
What is the best NOWPayments alternative?
For a merchant leaving NOWPayments, Unheld takes no share of each payment, and every payment lands on an address only you control. Each provider’s figures on this page are read from its own published page, with the date they were checked.
Does NOWPayments hold your crypto before it reaches you?
NOWPayments: You — funds land on your address. With Unheld the answer never changes — the payment lands on an address only you control, so there is no balance for anyone to hold, freeze or lose.
What does NOWPayments take from each payment?
NOWPayments takes 1% of the payment value, read from its own published pricing on 2026-10-03. Unheld takes none of it — a monthly plan priced by the number of payments, so your cost does not rise with your order value.
Do you have to verify your business to use NOWPayments?
NOWPayments: Sometimes required. Unheld asks for no business verification before you can take a payment, because there is no account holding your money that would need one.
Do you have to run your own server?
NOWPayments: No. Unheld is hosted and still non-custodial, so keeping your own keys does not cost you a server to maintain.
Other NOWPayments alternatives
Each option below with its fee, who holds the money, and the date its figures were checked.
- BTCPay Server — 0% of each payment · You — on infrastructure you run ·
- DePay — 1.5% of each payment · You — funds land on your address ·
- CoinGate — 1% of each payment · The provider, until settlement ·
- BitPay — 1%–2% + $0.25 of each payment · The provider, until settlement ·
- A wallet address — 0% of each payment · You — with no software in between ·