Drip
PayPal
| Feature | Drip | PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $39/mo | Free / from $0/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Best For | ecommerce-stores, dtc-brands, shopify-merchants, online-retailers | freelancers, ecommerce-sellers, international-payments, small-businesses |
| Founded | 2013 | 1998 |
| Visual Workflows | ✓ | ✗ |
| Email Campaigns | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sms Marketing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Revenue Attribution | ✓ | ✗ |
| Behavior Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Segmentation | ✓ | ✗ |
| A B Testing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Online Payments | ✗ | ✓ |
| Money Transfers | ✗ | ✓ |
| Invoicing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Checkout Buttons | ✗ | ✓ |
| Buy Now Pay Later | ✗ | ✓ |
| Business Debit Card | ✗ | ✓ |
| Api | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Drip Pros
- Deep e-commerce integrations (Shopify, WooCommerce)
- Visual workflow builder with revenue attribution
- Advanced segmentation based on purchase behavior
- Pre-built automation playbooks for common e-commerce flows
✗ Drip Cons
- Expensive compared to general email tools
- No free plan available
- Primarily focused on e-commerce (limited for other use cases)
✓ PayPal Pros
- Accepted by millions of merchants globally
- Buyer and seller protection programs
- No monthly fees for basic accounts
- Easy integration for online stores
✗ PayPal Cons
- Transaction fees (2.99%+ for merchants) are high
- Account freezes and holds frustrate sellers
- Customer support quality has declined
The Verdict
Drip is built for ecommerce stores and dtc brands, with a focus on visual-workflows and email-campaigns. PayPal targets freelancers and ecommerce sellers and leads with online-payments and money-transfers.
On pricing, PayPal is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $0/mo compared to $39/mo for Drip. That $39/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
PayPal has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Drip requires a paid subscription from day one.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.