Integrating Web Payments: Choosing the Right JavaScript SDK

Payment integrations are a core part of any commerce platform. JavaScript SDKs from providers like Stripe, Braintree, and Adyen offer varying tradeoffs around customization, developer experience, and PCI compliance. This review compares the offerings to help you pick the right SDK for your storefront or embeddable checkout widget.

Criteria for evaluation

We evaluated SDKs on:

• Integration complexity and documentation
• Customization capabilities for UI and flows
• PCI scope reduction strategies
• Global payment method support and reconciliation tooling

Stripe

Stripe's JS SDK provides Elements for card inputs, Payment Intents API for strong authentication, and an extensible UI. It reduces PCI scope when used correctly and has excellent developer docs and test tooling. For marketplaces, Stripe Connect simplifies payouts and split payments management.

Braintree

Braintree (a PayPal company) offers hosted fields and good vaulted payment method support. It's a solid choice when PayPal compatibility is important. The SDK is mature and supports server-side tokenization to reduce PCI footprint.

Adyen

Adyen provides highly customizable components and a global payment network. It excels for multi-currency, multi-method marketplaces and offers advanced risk scoring built-in. Integration is slightly more involved than Stripe but powerful for enterprise use cases.

Performance and UX

All major SDKs focus on minimal bundle size and async loading of payment assets. Pay attention to how the SDK loads fonts and external scripts — preloading critical assets and deferring non-essential ones improves perceived checkout speed.

PCI compliance

Using hosted fields or tokenization drastically reduces PCI scope. Design your flow so sensitive card data never hits your servers. Leverage compliance documentation and attestation from providers and consider validated third-party audits for high-volume marketplaces.

Customization and marketplaces

For marketplaces requiring split payments or payouts to multiple sellers, evaluate native support: Stripe Connect has out-of-the-box support, while others may require more server logic. Make sure the SDK supports platform-level reconciliation APIs and webhooks for asynchronous events like disputes and refunds.

Pros and Cons summary

• Stripe: Best DX and Connect for marketplaces; excellent docs.
• Braintree: Strong if PayPal integration is a priority.
• Adyen: Enterprise-grade global payment coverage; more complex to integrate.

"Pick the provider that aligns with your payout, compliance, and payment-method coverage needs — developer-friendliness is important, but payouts and reconciliation matter most for marketplaces."

If you prioritize developer speed and marketplace-native payouts, Stripe is often the fastest path. If you need global acquirer breadth and advanced risk tooling, consider Adyen. For PayPal-first audiences, Braintree remains a reliable option.