# Planpacer vs Paythen

Both tools add payment plans to your own Stripe account without code. They overlap a lot, and one of them will fit your business better. Here is the honest comparison, including where Paythen wins.

**Short answer:** Paythen is the broader self-serve tool: many plan types, WooCommerce and Shopify plugins, 2% per transaction. Planpacer is the focused option for dated bookings: deposit, instalments and final balance collected automatically before arrival, concierge setup from EUR 199, then 1% per successful transaction. Both run entirely on your own Stripe account and neither holds your money. Pick Paythen for e-commerce checkouts and exotic plan types; pick Planpacer for deposits on real bookings at half the per-transaction fee.

## Side by side

Facts as published by each product. Paythen's pricing and features are from paythen.co; check their site for changes.

| | Planpacer | Paythen |
|---|---|---|
| Per-transaction fee | 1% per successful transaction | 2% per successful transaction |
| Upfront cost | Concierge launch from EUR 199 | None, 7-day trial |
| Monthly subscription | None | None |
| Runs on your Stripe account | Yes, via Stripe Connect | Yes |
| Deposit + dated final balance | Core focus, tied to booking dates | Supported via date-based plans |
| Plan variety | Deposit, instalment and final-balance schedules | Standard, date-based, layaway, pay-your-way, subscriptions |
| E-commerce plugins | No, link-based checkout | WooCommerce, Shopify, Eventbrite, Zapier |
| Failed-payment retries | Automatic | Automatic follow-ups |
| Setup | Done with you, concierge onboarding | Self-serve |
| Built for | Retreats, workshops, venues, stays, courses, private healthcare | Broad: e-commerce, events, education, services |

## Where Paythen is strong

- **Plan variety.** Layaway, pay-your-way and subscription modes cover cases Planpacer deliberately does not.
- **E-commerce integrations.** WooCommerce and Shopify plugins put plans directly in an online-store checkout.
- **Self-serve start.** A 7-day trial with no upfront cost suits businesses that want to explore alone.

If that list is what you need, use Paythen. It is a good product.

## Where Planpacer is strong

- **Half the per-transaction fee.** 1% against 2%. On EUR 100,000 of plans a year, that difference is EUR 1,000, every year.
- **Built around booking dates.** Schedules anchor to a real date: final balance 30 days before arrival, instalments in between. Not billing cycles.
- **Concierge launch.** Your first plans are set up with you, not by you. You send a checkout link the same week.
- **Deliberately simple.** One job done well: deposit now, balance collected automatically, retries and reminders included.

**Rule of thumb:** selling products in an online store with flexible plan shapes, choose Paythen. Taking deposits for dated bookings and collecting the balance before people arrive, choose Planpacer and keep the extra 1%.

## Frequently asked questions

**What is the difference between Planpacer and Paythen?** Both run payment plans on your own Stripe account. Paythen is broad and self-serve with many plan types and store plugins at 2% per transaction. Planpacer focuses on deposit, instalment and final-balance schedules for dated bookings at 1%, with setup done with you.

**Is Planpacer cheaper than Paythen?** Per transaction, yes: 1% against Paythen's advertised 2%, both on top of standard Stripe fees. Planpacer has a one-off concierge launch from EUR 199, so Paythen can be cheaper at very low volume; Planpacer wins as volume grows.

**Do either of them hold my money?** No. Both connect to your own Stripe account, so processing and payouts happen in Stripe. Neither holds funds, lends to customers, or takes credit risk. Neither is buy-now-pay-later.

**When is Paythen the better choice?** When you need WooCommerce or Shopify checkout plugins, layaway or pay-your-way plan types, or subscriptions alongside plans.

**When is Planpacer the better choice?** When you take deposits for dated bookings, want the balance collected automatically before the date, and would rather have setup done with you at half the per-transaction fee.

**Can I switch later?** Yes. Because both run on your own Stripe account, your customers, payment history and payouts stay in Stripe either way.

## Related guides

- [Payment plans in Stripe without subscriptions](https://planpacer.com/stripe-payment-plans-without-subscriptions)
- [Partial.ly alternatives](https://planpacer.com/partial-ly-alternatives)
- [Stripe deposit and balance payments](https://planpacer.com/stripe-deposit-balance-payments)

Contact: https://planpacer.com/contact