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Comparison guide

Braintree vs Stripe

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

Quick Verdict

Smallest Bundle

Stripe

26.3 KB gzipped

Most Popular

Stripe

18.9M weekly downloads

Best Maintained

Braintree

100/100 maintenance score

Highest Quality

Braintree

50/100 quality score

Overall Pick

Stripe

Best all-around based on popularity, size, maintenance & quality

braintree icon

braintree

Popular

Version 3.39.0

0
81
Excellent

A library for server-side integrating with Braintree.

Weekly Downloads
205.1K
5%
Bundle (gzip)
65.0 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
80
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70
stripe icon

stripe

Extremely Popular

Version 22.5.0

0
85
Excellent

Stripe API wrapper

Weekly Downloads
18.9M
4%
Bundle (gzip)
26.3 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Choosing between Braintree and Stripe? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.

Downloads & Popularity

Stripe leads with 18.9M weekly downloads — roughly 91.9x more. Braintree has 205.1K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Stripe has the smallest gzipped bundle at 26.3 KB. Braintree comes in at 65.0 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

Stripe has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Braintree has an overall health score of 81/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.

When to Choose Each

Choose Braintree if you value actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose Stripe if you value massive community and ecosystem, actively maintained, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Braintree and Stripe are solid choices for JavaScript development. Stripe has the edge in overall health score (85/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is braintree better than stripe?
It depends on your needs. Braintree has a health score of 81/100 while Stripe scores 85/100. Stripe has more weekly downloads (18.9M), suggesting broader adoption. Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
Which has a smaller bundle size, braintree or stripe?
Stripe has the smaller gzipped bundle at 26.3 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use braintree vs stripe?
Based on npm download statistics, Braintree has approximately 205.1K weekly downloads and Stripe has approximately 18.9M weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
Which is better maintained, braintree or stripe?
Stripe currently has the higher overall health score at 85/100. Braintree has a maintenance score of 100/100 and Stripe scores 100/100 on maintenance.

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