Updated October 2026 · 6 products

Best Payment Gateways for small businesses

A payment gateway lets your customers pay you online by UPI, card, netbanking or wallet. This page compares gateways — ToolPilot itself never collects payments.

Most Indian gateways now offer similar core features, so the real differences are in onboarding speed for your business category, settlement timelines, fee structure for your mix of payment methods, and extras like payment links, subscriptions or payouts. If you do not have a website yet, payment links and payment pages let you start collecting immediately.

Before choosing, ask for the full fee schedule including GST on fees, check how refunds and chargebacks are handled, and read the KYC requirements. Fees change, so we do not list them — always check the provider's current pricing page.

Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Our rankings are not for sale; sponsored placements are always labelled.

Quick comparison

SoftwareBest forFree planOrigin
Razorpay logoRazorpayOnline businesses and startups wanting a developer-friendly gatewayVerifyINVisit
Cashfree Payments logoCashfree PaymentsBusinesses that need both collections and payoutsVerifyINVisit
PayU India logoPayU IndiaE-commerce and education businesses with mixed payment methodsVerifyNLVisit
Instamojo logoInstamojoMicro businesses and creators selling without a full websiteVerifyINVisit
CCAvenue logoCCAvenueBusinesses needing many payment options and international cardsVerifyINVisit
PhonePe Payment Gateway logoPhonePe Payment GatewayBusinesses whose customers mostly pay by UPIVerifyINVisit

What to look for

    The shortlist

    #1

    Best for: Online businesses and startups wanting a developer-friendly gateway

    ✓ Wide payment method support
    ✓ Payment links without a website

    Made for India
    Visit Razorpay ↗
    #3

    Best for: E-commerce and education businesses with mixed payment methods

    ✓ Many payment options including EMI
    ✓ Established provider

    Made for India
    Visit PayU India ↗
    #4

    Best for: Micro businesses and creators selling without a full website

    ✓ Very quick to start
    ✓ Payment links and free store builder

    Made for India
    Visit Instamojo ↗
    #5

    Best for: Businesses needing many payment options and international cards

    ✓ Broad payment coverage
    ✓ Multi-currency processing

    Made for India
    Visit CCAvenue ↗
    1Razorpay logo

    Razorpay Made for India

    Best for: Online businesses and startups wanting a developer-friendly gateway

    Visit site

    Payment gateway with UPI, cards, netbanking and wallets, plus payment links, pages, subscriptions and invoices.

    Pros

    • Wide payment method support
    • Payment links without a website
    • Good developer documentation

    Cons

    • Fees and settlement terms vary by business type
    • KYC approval required
    Free plan
    Verify
    Pricing
    See provider
    Also in
    Payment Gateways
    2Cashfree Payments logo

    Cashfree Payments Made for India

    Best for: Businesses that need both collections and payouts

    Visit site

    Payment gateway and payouts platform supporting UPI, cards and bank transfers.

    Pros

    • Collections plus bulk payouts
    • Payment links and forms

    Cons

    • KYC and approval needed
    • Compare fees for your volume
    Free plan
    Verify
    Pricing
    See provider
    Also in
    Payment Gateways
    3PayU India logo

    PayU India Made for India

    Best for: E-commerce and education businesses with mixed payment methods

    Visit site

    Payment gateway with UPI, cards, EMI and Buy Now Pay Later options.

    Pros

    • Many payment options including EMI
    • Established provider

    Cons

    • Onboarding and fees depend on business category
    Free plan
    Verify
    Pricing
    See provider
    Also in
    Payment Gateways
    4Instamojo logo

    Instamojo Made for India

    Best for: Micro businesses and creators selling without a full website

    Visit site

    Payment links and a simple online store builder for small sellers.

    Pros

    • Very quick to start
    • Payment links and free store builder

    Cons

    • Fewer advanced features for scaling
    Free plan
    Verify
    Pricing
    See provider
    Also in
    Payment Gateways, E-commerce Platforms
    5CCAvenue logo

    CCAvenue Made for India

    Best for: Businesses needing many payment options and international cards

    Visit site

    One of India's long-running payment gateways with broad payment method coverage.

    Pros

    • Broad payment coverage
    • Multi-currency processing

    Cons

    • Dashboard feels dated
    • Check fees carefully
    Free plan
    Verify
    Pricing
    See provider
    Also in
    Payment Gateways
    6PhonePe Payment Gateway logo

    PhonePe Payment Gateway Made for India

    Best for: Businesses whose customers mostly pay by UPI

    Visit site

    Payment gateway from PhonePe with UPI-first checkout plus cards and netbanking.

    Pros

    • Familiar UPI brand for customers
    • UPI-focused checkout

    Cons

    • Check availability of features for your category
    Free plan
    Verify
    Pricing
    See provider
    Also in
    Payment Gateways

    Head-to-head comparisons

    Payment Gateways by country