10 Best Cashfree Alternatives in India in 2026: Gateways, Payouts and Cross-Border

The best Cashfree alternatives are 1. Xflow, 2. Skydo, 3. Wise Business, 4. Razorpay, 5. PayU, 6. CCAvenue, 7. PhonePe Payment Gateway, 8. Easebuzz, 9. RazorpayX and 10. Bulkpe.

The right one depends on which Cashfree product you use. For receiving payments from clients abroad, Xflow and Skydo publish flat fees and issue FIRA; for an online checkout in India, Razorpay and PayU are the closest swaps; and for bulk payouts or virtual accounts, look at RazorpayX or Bulkpe. Most businesses switch one product at a time, for example keeping Cashfree's gateway while moving cross-border collections to a provider that publishes its fees and has no $10,000 invoice cap.

Cashfree runs several businesses under one brand. These cashfree competitors each replace a different part of it.

If you use more than one Cashfree product, you do not have to move them all. Start with the product that costs you most or causes the most friction, and keep the rest running until the new provider has handled a full month of payments.

Fees exclude 18% GST and come from each provider's own pages, the AI Overview and published comparisons, checked 16 October 2026. Our razorpay alternatives guide has worked examples on a ₹10,000 order.

1. Xflow

Xflow is built for Indian exporters, agencies, freelancers and SaaS companies receiving payments from clients abroad. Your client gets local account details in their own currency and pays like a local supplier, and Xflow converts at the mid-market rate and settles INR into your Indian bank account.

How it compares with Cashfree: Skydo reports that Cashfree does not publish its Global Collections fee and caps invoices at $10,000. Xflow publishes its fees and its Scale plan is priced for invoices above $10,000, so larger exporters are not pushed to another route.

Key features

• Receiving accounts in 25+ currencies, so a US client pays by ACH and a European client by SEPA. Clients avoid international wire fees and you avoid intermediary deductions.
• Published fees at the mid-market rate: Starter is $12 flat up to $2,000, then 0.6%; Growth is $20 flat up to $5,000, then 0.4%; Scale is custom for larger volumes. You can price an invoice before you send it.
• INR the next business day with an eFIRA issued automatically, the proof of foreign receipt you need for zero-rated GST.

Pros

• Final RBI Payment Aggregator Cross-Border (PA-CB) authorisation for inward and outward payments, dated February 2026. You can check it on RBI's published list.
• Built only for cross-border, so support and compliance focus on exporters rather than checkout merchants.

Cons

• It does not offer a domestic checkout or bulk payouts. Keep a gateway such as Razorpay for Indian customers.
• Some categories are not supported, including crypto businesses and high-value jewellery.

Best for: Indian businesses billing clients abroad who want to know the fee upfront. It suits exporters whose invoices run above $10,000 as well as small freelancers.

Verdict: The strongest Cashfree alternative for money coming into India. Pair it with a domestic gateway if you also sell in India.

2. Skydo

Skydo is an India-focused receiving platform with flat fees per invoice, the interbank rate with no markup, and instant FIRA plus bulk eBRC generation. Skydo Technologies holds final RBI PA-CB authorisation, dated 8 January 2026.

How it compares with Cashfree: it publishes flat fees and automates eBRC for goods and software exporters, two gaps Skydo itself highlights in Cashfree's cross-border product.

Key features

• A flat $19 up to $2,000 and $29 up to $10,000, then 0.3%, plus GST. You know the cost before you invoice.
• Instant FIRA and bulk eBRC once you link a DGFT account. Goods exporters save a monthly filing job.

Pros

• Flat fees become cheap on larger invoices. A $5,000 invoice costs $29 plus GST.

Cons

• $19 is heavy on small invoices, at 3.8% on $500. Freelancers with small invoices may pay less elsewhere.
• Skydo describes its product as inward only, so it cannot pay overseas vendors.

Best for: goods and software exporters with mid-sized invoices who file eBRCs. It suits businesses that want flat pricing.

Verdict: A strong cross-border alternative; compare it with Xflow on your usual invoice size, and see our skydo review for detail.

3. Wise Business

Wise Business holds 40+ currencies, converts at the mid-market rate and shows its fee before you convert. It is not a checkout gateway, but it lets an Indian business receive from clients and pay suppliers abroad from one balance.

How it compares with Cashfree: Wise is a multi-currency account rather than a payment gateway, so it suits businesses that pay as well as receive abroad.

Key features

• Receiving into India costs about 1.6% to 1.7% plus GST on the fee, plus $2 for an eFIRC. The fee is shown before each conversion.
• A spendable multi-currency balance and card. You can pay overseas tools and contractors without converting to rupees first.

Pros

• Transparent pricing you can model without a sales call.

Cons

• Its RBI authorisation, dated 12 March 2026, covers inward flows only.
• On invoices above about $1,100, its roughly 2% costs more than flat-fee platforms.

Best for: Indian businesses that both receive from and pay to other countries. It suits teams paying overseas software and contractors.

Verdict: Choose it for the two-way balance, not the lowest receiving cost.

4. Razorpay

Razorpay is the best-known Cashfree competitor for online checkout in India, with 100+ payment methods, payment links, subscriptions and, through RazorpayX, payouts and payroll.

How it compares with Cashfree: the products are close. Razorpay charges 2% against Cashfree's 1.95% but offers a wider product range in one dashboard; our razorpay review covers it in full.

Key features

• 2% on domestic cards, UPI, RuPay and net banking, plus GST. A ₹10,000 order costs ₹236.
• International cards at up to 3% and international bank transfers at 1% plus GST. Indian businesses can take overseas payments on the same account.
• Subscriptions, payment links and Magic Checkout. Merchants can bill, collect and convert from one integration.

Pros

• T+1 settlement with instant settlement as an add-on. Cash arrives the next day by default.
• Strong plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce and other platforms.

Cons

• About ₹6 more per ₹10,000 order than Cashfree's standard rate once GST is added. High-volume merchants should negotiate.
• Export collections are priced by how the client pays, with ₹1,000 extra on transfers under ₹1,00,000.

Best for: online businesses that want gateway, subscriptions and payouts from one provider. It suits startups that will add products as they grow.

Verdict: The closest all-round Cashfree alternative for domestic payments.

5. PayU

PayU India offers 150+ payment methods, including UPI, cards, net banking, wallets and pay later, and is widely used by e-commerce and education businesses.

How it compares with Cashfree: PayU's 2% rate is close to Cashfree's, but standard settlement is T+2 rather than T+1.

Key features

• 2% on domestic cards, net banking and wallets, and 3% on international cards, Amex and Diners. Rates are published, so you can compare upfront.
• No set-up, onboarding or annual fee. You pay only when you sell.

Pros

• Same-day and priority settlement for eligible categories. Faster cash is available once you qualify.

Cons

• T+2 standard settlement, a day slower than Cashfree.
• Merchant UPI pricing varies by business type, so ask for it in writing.

Best for: e-commerce and education businesses that want wide payment method coverage. It suits merchants that value a mature, large provider.

Verdict: A safe gateway alternative at a similar rate, if you can live with T+2.

6. CCAvenue

CCAvenue, run by AvenuesAI Limited, is one of India's oldest gateways, with 200+ payment options, multi-currency checkout in 27 currencies and checkout in many Indian languages.

How it compares with Cashfree: CCAvenue is stronger on multi-currency display for overseas buyers, while Cashfree is faster to onboard and settle.

Key features

• A platform fee of around 1.90% to 2% depending on plan. Large merchants can negotiate below the standard rate.
• Multi-currency checkout that shows prices in the buyer's currency. Overseas buyers see a familiar amount.

Pros

• Wide coverage of cards, wallets, EMI and net banking. Few customers are left without a way to pay.

Cons

• No public rate card, and some plans carry an annual maintenance charge. Get a written quote.
• Slower settlement and an older integration flow than newer gateways.

Best for: larger merchants selling to customers in several currencies. It suits businesses that want negotiated pricing.

Verdict: Worth a quote at volume; heavier for a small business than Cashfree.

7. PhonePe Payment Gateway

PhonePe Payment Gateway comes from India's largest UPI app and supports 120+ payment methods, with UPI AutoPay for subscriptions and smart retries on failed payments.

How it compares with Cashfree: PhonePe is strongest where customers pay by UPI, while Cashfree offers broader payouts and cross-border products.

Key features

• UPI-first checkout with UPI AutoPay. Subscription businesses can collect recurring UPI payments.
• Instant onboarding and a reported 1.95% rate with no set-up fee. Small merchants can start quickly.

Pros

• A brand most Indian customers already trust for UPI payments.

Cons

• Fewer non-UPI features and developer tools than Razorpay or Cashfree.
• Rates are not fully published, so confirm them in writing.

Best for: businesses whose customers mostly pay by UPI. It suits D2C brands selling to mobile-first buyers.

Verdict: A strong UPI-first alternative; check the full rate card first.

8. Easebuzz

Easebuzz is an RBI-authorised payment gateway with smart routing and split payments for marketplaces, and T+1 settlement, with pricing set by sector and usage.

How it compares with Cashfree: both settle T+1; Easebuzz prices by sector and usage rather than one public rate.

Key features

• Split payments for marketplaces. Platforms can divide each payment between sellers automatically.
• T+1 settlement as standard. Cash flow matches Cashfree's default cycle.

Pros

• Sector pricing can come in below 2% for some industries. Ask for a quote against your current Cashfree rate.

Cons

• No public rate card; pricing arrives after a call with sales.
• Advanced API features may need development work.

Best for: marketplaces that need split payments and businesses that can negotiate sector rates. It suits merchants happy to agree pricing with sales.

Verdict: Worth a quote if your sector gets special pricing.

9. RazorpayX

RazorpayX is Razorpay's business banking product for payouts, vendor payments and payroll, with tax compliance for TDS, PF and ESI on the payroll side.

How it compares with Cashfree: Cashfree is the market leader in bulk payouts; RazorpayX competes by bundling payouts with current accounts, vendor payments and payroll in one dashboard.

Key features

• Plans from ₹1,499 a month (Core) to ₹9,799 a month (Vendor Payments), billed quarterly, plus per-payout charges. Budget for both the plan and the payouts.
• API payouts as an add-on at ₹4,000 a month. Platforms can automate refunds, cashback and seller payouts.

Pros

• Payroll with TDS, PF and ESI handled. Finance teams run salaries and vendor payments in one place.

Cons

• Monthly plan fees add a fixed cost on top of per-payout charges. Businesses with only a few payouts a month may pay more than on a pay-per-use provider.
• Per-payout fees are shown on the dashboard rather than a public rate card.

Best for: businesses that want payouts, payroll and banking together. It suits companies already using Razorpay for collections.

Verdict: The broadest Cashfree Payouts alternative for growing teams.

10. Bulkpe

Bulkpe is an Indian platform for bulk payouts and collections through virtual accounts, built for MSMEs and recognised by Startup India and DPIIT. It has zero set-up and monthly fees.

How it compares with Cashfree: Bulkpe focuses only on payouts and collections, with sub-virtual accounts for branches, while Cashfree spans gateway, payouts and cross-border.

Key features

• High payout limits: NEFT and RTGS with no limit, IMPS up to ₹5 lakh and UPI up to ₹1 lakh per payment. Large vendor payments go through without splitting.
• Virtual accounts and sub-virtual accounts for branches or customers. Incoming payments match to the right account automatically.

Pros

• No set-up or monthly fee, so small businesses pay only for what they use.

Cons

• It is not a checkout gateway, so you still need one for online sales.
• A smaller company than Cashfree, with a shorter track record.

Best for: MSMEs running bulk vendor or staff payouts and branch collections. It suits businesses that want virtual accounts without a monthly plan.

Verdict: A lean, low-cost alternative to Cashfree Payouts.

Yes. Cashfree Payments holds three RBI licences, so switching is usually about fit and price rather than safety.

• Payment Aggregator (domestic): granted in December 2023, among the first in India.
• Payment Aggregator Cross-Border: granted in July 2024, when Cashfree became one of the first non-banks to receive it, covering exports and imports.
• Prepaid Payment Instrument: granted in October 2024.
• Recent action: in March 2026 RBI fined Cashfree ₹3.10 lakh for non-compliance with certain payment aggregator directions, covering April 2024 to June 2025. A fine of this kind does not by itself change a licence, but check RBI's list for current status.

Every alternative here also holds RBI authorisation or works through licensed partners; check the RBI list of payment aggregators before you sign.

Switching gateways is more than changing an API key. Plan for these before you move live traffic.

Many Indian businesses keep a second gateway rather than switching completely, so a bank or UPI outage does not stop sales.

• 1. Keep Cashfree or your main gateway live. Add the second one alongside it, not instead of it.
• 2. Route by payment method. Send UPI to the gateway with the best UPI success rate and cards to the one with better card approval.
• 3. Split by product line. Use a gateway for checkout, a payouts provider for vendors and a receiving platform such as Xflow for clients abroad.
• 4. Reconcile in one place. Export settlement reports from each provider into your accounting software weekly.
• 5. Review after three months. Compare success rates, settlement times and total fees, then move more volume to the better performer.