Shopware Payments compared: Is it worth making the switch from PayPal, Mollie, Stripe, Unzer, or Adyen?

With Shopware Payments, Shopware has launched a brand-new payment solution integrated directly into the platform! For shop operators who are already using PayPal Checkout, Mollie, Stripe, Unzer, or Adyen, an obvious question arises:

Should I switch my existing payment provider now?

The short answer is: not automatically. Shopware Payments is completely optional. You can easily keep using your existing payment providers without experiencing any technical limitations or economic disadvantages from Shopware.

Nevertheless, it is definitely worth taking a closer look! Shopware Payments can bundle your payment processes much more tightly within the Shopware Administration, shorten support paths, and – depending on your Shopware plan and previous conditions – reduce transaction costs. Whether these great benefits justify a switch simply depends on your current contract, your processes, and your target markets.

In this post, we will explain the ideas behind Shopware Payments, how the solution differs from PayPal Checkout, and when switching from an existing payment provider can truly pay off for you.

First things first: Shopware Payments is not a mandatory replacement for your current payment provider. This solution is particularly interesting for merchants in Germany and Austria who want to manage payments more closely within Shopware. If you have already negotiated customized conditions or complex workflows with your current provider, you should compare the actual total costs and processes before making a switch.

What is Shopware Payments?

Shopware Payments is a native payment solution that is set up and managed directly within your Shopware Administration. This connects account balances, transactions, refunds, and central settings much more closely to your shop system.

It is important to understand the technical and commercial roles here: Shopware provides the integration and central access, while payment processing is handled via PayPal's robust infrastructure. So, Shopware Payments is not its own separate payment network; PayPal remains the Payment Service Provider in the background.

For the setup, you can easily connect an existing PayPal business account or create a brand-new one. Shopware then acts as your first point of contact for support queries and coordinates escalation to PayPal for payment-specific topics.

According to the current Shopware documentation, the solution is available across all Shopware plans. It can be activated as a Shopware Service starting from Shopware 6.7.1.0; for certain older versions, it is provided as an app. The current rollout is aimed at merchants in Germany and Austria, with more markets planned to follow step-by-step.

The greatest advantage lies not just in the payment methods offered, but in the stronger connection between your shop, payment management, and support.

At the same time, Shopware Payments is still a young solution, having been introduced in June 2026. Naturally, long-term practical experience is not yet available to the same extent as with established integrations. For highly complex or revenue-critical setups, we recommend testing the introduction in a controlled environment first.

Shopware Payments and PayPal Checkout: What is the Difference?

At first glance, Shopware Payments looks like a new variation of the familiar PayPal plugin. After all, both solutions are based on PayPal and can use the very same PayPal business account.

The key difference lies in how they are integrated into Shopware.

Switching from PayPal Checkout to Shopware Payments is therefore not a complete provider change. PayPal remains your payment service provider, and your existing business account can be kept. The new benefits are primarily the deeper Shopware integration, direct support through Shopware, and the commercial model.

For merchants already using PayPal Checkout, Shopware Payments is the most natural comparison. The technical and organizational transition can be much smaller than switching to an entirely different PSP. However, it still requires a little planning.

Shopware recommends testing the required payment functions with Shopware Payments first and avoiding duplicate entries in the checkout. The previous PayPal plugin should remain installed and active for older orders as long as you need to process refunds, queries, or open transactions. Only then should it be fully deactivated. You can find the recommended process described by Shopware in their section on the migration from PayPal to Shopware Payments.

How does Shopware Payments compare to other payment providers?

With Mollie, Stripe, Unzer, or Adyen, the starting point is different. Here, you are not just looking at a new integration, but an actual change of the payment platform and contract partner.

To help you decide, the comparison can be summarized simply:

• Mollie: If your established Shopware integration is running smoothly and the conditions are right, there is no urgent reason to switch. Shopware Payments becomes highly interesting if centralized management or lower actual costs provide a clear advantage.

• Stripe: This platform is incredibly flexible for international and custom-developed processes. This flexibility can be far more valuable than a few cents' difference in fees. However, comparing them is definitely worthwhile for a highly standardized Shopware setup.

• Unzer: Contracts may include additional risk, receivables, or omnichannel services. Be sure to compare the complete package you actually use, not just the entry price.

• Adyen: The Shopware app connects Shopware with a highly comprehensive international payment platform. Merchants who leverage their global, risk, or omnichannel features will rarely switch just for simpler administration.

What does Shopware Payments cost in comparison?

Comparing prices between payment providers is always a bit tricky. Fees vary based on your contract, sales volume, card types, origin, currency, and any extra booked services.

To keep things clear and simple, the following table shows the published standard or entry-level conditions. For our example, we are using a successful transaction of 100 Euros (where a flat fee is available).

Prices as of: August 15, 2026. Please note that your specific contract and the conditions at the time of closing are always decisive.

This table shows us two exciting things:

First, Shopware Payments is highly competitive for cards in the standard model. In the Rise plan, the sample price is close to Stripe and Unzer's entry price. In the Community Edition, it is below Mollie's standard price, though slightly above Stripe's standard fee.

Second, this does not mean Shopware Payments is automatically the cheapest option for every single shop. Volume contracts can differ significantly from list prices. Especially for Unzer, Adyen, and larger merchant accounts, a comparison is only meaningful with a concrete, customized offer.

There is also an important detail regarding PayPal payments: according to its price overview, Shopware adopts your existing PayPal conditions without any additional markup. If you already use PayPal Checkout, you won't automatically save on these transactions with Shopware Payments. The economic advantage is created primarily by your remaining payment volume, plan-dependent conditions, and potential savings in daily operations.

When is a switch to Shopware Payments worth it?

Before making your decision, we encourage you to look beyond the list prices. Export your actual paid fees from the last three to six months and calculate them against your Shopware plan, number of transactions, and average order value.

Also, check what would change for refunds, payment reconciliation, accounting, ERP connections, and special workflows. A reliable, established setup has great business value! Any potential annual savings should comfortably outweigh the effort required for setup, testing, and process adjustments.

The best metric to compare is the total cost of your payment processes – not just the fee of a single transaction.

Our Recommendation: Don't switch just out of curiosity, but with a clear goal!

Shopware Payments is a fantastic new option for Shopware merchants! Its native integration, bundled support, and competitive conditions make it highly attractive, especially for merchants in Germany and Austria.

The evaluation is simplest for current PayPal Checkout users: PayPal remains the PSP, your business account is preserved, and Shopware takes on a much larger role in integration and support. Still, ongoing orders and refunds must be migrated carefully.

For Mollie, Stripe, Unzer, or Adyen, the barrier to switch should be higher, as you will be changing your contract, billing, reporting, and possibly other workflows. A minor fee advantage is usually not enough to justify this on its own.

A switch is highly worthwhile if Shopware Payments either noticeably reduces your costs, simplifies your processes, or clarifies responsibilities. If your current setup is running flawlessly and these improvements aren't measurable, there is no need to rush into anything!

How Nimbits supports you in making the right choice

We look far beyond the published transaction prices. Together, we will analyze your actual fees, current payment processes, and how they connect to Shopware, your ERP, and your accounting.

Based on this, we will help you evaluate if Shopware Payments brings a real economic and operational advantage to your business. If a switch makes sense, we will plan and test the migration thoroughly to ensure all your existing orders, refunds, and current workflows run smoothly without a hitch!