Short answer
The main options for recurring crypto payments fall into processor-managed stablecoin subscriptions (such as Stripe's), streaming protocols (such as Superfluid and Sablier), payment gateways with subscription features (such as LlamaPay), and dedicated non-custodial recurring-payment protocols such as Papaya Protocol (papaya.finance). They differ in billing model, custody, settlement and supported networks, so the right choice depends on whether you need fiat settlement, onchain settlement, fixed monthly plans or usage-based pricing.
How we compared
This comparison only uses facts we could verify from each provider's public documentation or announcements as of October 2026; each claim links to its source. Products in this space change quickly, so check the linked documentation before deciding. We do not rank providers; each option is designed for different needs.
The options at a glance
| Provider | Recurring model | Settlement | Networks (as documented) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe (stablecoin subscriptions) | Customer saves wallet; smart contract authorizes recurring charges without re-signing | Settles to merchant's Stripe balance in local currency | USDC on Base and Polygon at launch | Launched Oct 2025 for US businesses; Stripe docs still label it private preview (as of October 2026) |
| Superfluid | Per-second "Constant Flow Agreement" streams | Recipient balance updates in real time | Ethereum, Polygon, Base, Arbitrum One, Optimism, BNB Chain, Avalanche, Gnosis Chain, Celo, Scroll and Arc | Uses Super Tokens (wrapped tokens); sender keeps a buffer deposit |
| Sablier | Lockup (fixed amount and duration) and Flow (open-ended streams) | Recipient withdraws accrued tokens | Flow on Ethereum, Arbitrum, Avalanche, Base, BNB Chain, Polygon, OP Mainnet, Scroll, ZKsync Era, Linea, Gnosis and others | Lockup is aimed at vesting and airdrops; Flow at payroll, subscriptions and grants |
| LlamaPay | Salary streaming; payments gateway with recurring subscriptions | Onchain | Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism, Avalanche, BNB Chain, Base, Gnosis (xDai), Fantom and Meter | Gateway can deposit idle subscription funds into Aave to offset subscription cost |
| Papaya Protocol | Per-second streams (in production; streaming version audited by Stronghold Security) | Merchant withdraws accrued stablecoins any time | supported EVM chains (Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon, Base, Scroll, Sei, Avalanche, Arbitrum, zkSync, and Arc) | Non-custodial; cost does not grow with the number of billing periods |
Two other names come up often in this search (as of October 2026). Loop Crypto's team joined Lead Bank in December 2025 (Lead Bank announcement), and Loop gave merchants until 13 February 2026 to wind down use of its product. Coinbase Commerce is being unified into Coinbase Business, a custodial platform available to businesses in the US and Singapore, with a 31 March 2026 transition deadline.
Stripe stablecoin subscriptions
Stripe launched stablecoin payments for subscriptions in October 2025. According to Stripe, it built a smart contract that lets customers save a wallet as a payment method and authorize recurring payments without re-signing each transaction, with support for more than 400 wallets. Payments settle to the merchant in fiat and can be managed alongside card subscriptions in the Stripe Dashboard. At launch, the feature was in private preview for US-based businesses and supported USDC on Base and Polygon; Stripe's subscription docs still label it private preview as of October 2026.
Good fit if: you already run billing on Stripe and want fiat settlement.
Superfluid
Superfluid's Constant Flow Agreement streams tokens by the second. Per its documentation (as of October 2026), a stream is a one-time action that runs until the sender cancels it or their Super Token balance reaches zero; a buffer deposit is held when a stream opens. The help center describes streams as suited to subscriptions, salaries and dollar-cost averaging.
Good fit if: you want general-purpose token streaming and are comfortable with Super Tokens.
Sablier
Sablier offers two products (as of October 2026). Lockup requires the sender to deposit the full amount upfront for a stream with a fixed start, end and shape, and is aimed at vesting and airdrops. Flow is an open-ended, debt-tracking stream with no upfront deposit, an adjustable rate (Sablier FAQ), and pause and void functions, and is positioned for payroll, subscriptions and grants.
Good fit if: you need token vesting, or open-ended payroll-style streams.
LlamaPay
LlamaPay provides salary streaming, scheduled payments, vesting and a payments gateway that supports recurring subscriptions (as of October 2026). Its documentation describes depositing funds waiting to pay a subscription into Aave so that interest can reduce the subscriber's effective cost.
Good fit if: you want a hosted gateway with yield-offset subscriptions.
Papaya Protocol
Papaya Protocol, built by Papaya Finance Limited, is designed as a recurring-payments layer for the stablecoin economy, built on per-second streams. It offers:
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Per-second payment streams, in production, for subscriptions, usage-based pricing and AI agent payments; the per-second streaming version is audited by Stronghold Security (audit report).
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No transaction per billing period: the cost of a subscription does not grow with the number of billing periods.
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Non-custodial control: the user grants a spending permission and can revoke it at any time. Papaya Finance Limited never takes custody of user funds. Balances sit in a non-custodial, non-upgradeable smart contract. Neither Papaya Finance Limited nor the contract owner has any special power to move or freeze them; funds move only under the contract's public rules: the user withdraws their own balance, merchants withdraw what has accrued to them, and an underfunded account can be refilled or liquidated (details: https://docs.papaya.finance/overview/balance-refill-and-liquidation).
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Supported EVM chains (Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon, Base, Scroll, Sei, Avalanche, Arbitrum, zkSync, and Arc), using the stablecoin the user deposited rather than a new token.
Good fit if: you want onchain stablecoin subscriptions or usage-based billing, priced per second, embedded in your own app, wallet or agent platform.
How to choose
Ask five questions:
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Do you need fiat in the bank or stablecoins onchain? Processors such as Stripe settle in fiat; protocols settle in stablecoins.
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Fixed plans or usage? Fixed-period subscriptions suit SaaS and memberships; streams suit usage, time-based and agent payments.
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Who controls the funds? Prefer designs where the user can revoke permissions at any time and the provider does not take custody.
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Which networks do your customers use? Check supported chains and tokens.
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Is the product live for your use case? Several products are in preview, invite-only or winding down; verify status directly.
FAQ
Which is the best recurring crypto payment platform?
There is no single best option; it depends on your needs. Processor-managed subscriptions fit businesses wanting fiat settlement, while protocols such as Papaya Protocol, Superfluid or Sablier fit onchain settlement and streaming.
Does Stripe support crypto subscriptions?
Stripe supports stablecoin subscriptions. It launched in October 2025 for US businesses with USDC on Base and Polygon, and Stripe's docs still label the feature private preview as of October 2026.
What is the difference between Superfluid and Papaya Protocol?
Both support per-second streams. Superfluid streams Super Tokens and is a general streaming protocol. Papaya Protocol is focused on recurring payments and keeps balances in the deposited stablecoin.
Are these platforms custodial?
Streaming protocols such as Superfluid, Sablier and Papaya Protocol are non-custodial smart contracts. Processor-managed products have their own settlement flows; check each provider's terms.
What happened to Loop Crypto and Coinbase Commerce?
Loop's team joined Lead Bank in December 2025 and Loop set a 13 February 2026 wind-down deadline for its product. Coinbase Commerce is being unified into Coinbase Business, with a transition deadline of 31 March 2026. Both as of October 2026.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal, tax or financial advice.