Decision Center
I want to accept Lightning.
Solutions with real Lightning acceptance. We rate the operational reality (channels, liquidity, node uptime), not just supported: yes.
Lightning can be fast and cheap, but the operational burden varies enormously by how it is provided.
Solutions whose documented facts match
These are the published solutions whose evidence, not marketing, fits this need today. Confirm the details on each page before you commit.
Blink
Blink is a polished custodial Lightning wallet with a genuinely easy merchant Cash Register, but its own FAQ excludes US and Puerto Rico merchants, so for our audience it is not usable today.
- Custody
- Provider-custodied
- Bank settlement
- No
OpenNode
OpenNode is a finished, hosted Bitcoin and Lightning gateway that can auto-convert to dollars and settle to a US bank, in exchange for the provider holding your funds and gating bank payout behind approval.
- Custody
- Provider-custodied
- Bank settlement
- Gated by approval
LNbits
LNbits is free, open-source Lightning software with a real point-of-sale extension, but you run it on your own Lightning backend, so custody follows that backend and the operational burden is real.
- Custody
- Configurable
- Bank settlement
- No
CoinCorner
CoinCorner Checkout is a finished custodial Bitcoin and Lightning gateway with instant GBP/EUR conversion, but US merchants cannot use it, so for our audience it is not a usable option today.
- Custody
- Provider-custodied
- Bank settlement
- Yes
BTCPay Server
BTCPay Server is the reference self-custody answer: free, open-source software that takes Bitcoin and Lightning straight to your own wallet, in exchange for running and maintaining a server.
- Custody
- Merchant-controlled
- Bank settlement
- No
Zeus
Zeus is a self-custodial Lightning wallet and node-control app with a point-of-sale mode: you hold the keys, and how much you operate depends on whether you point it at your own node or use its embedded one.
- Custody
- Merchant-controlled
- Bank settlement
- No
Strike
Strike is a powerful custodial Lightning and fiat rail, but for merchants it is mostly an API plus a consumer app, and bank payout is gated behind partner onboarding, so it is not yet a turnkey way to accept payments.
- Custody
- Provider-custodied
- Bank settlement
- Gated by approval
Breez SDK
Breez SDK is a developer toolkit for building self-custodial Lightning into your own app. A typical merchant cannot use it as-is; it is for the developer who would build a merchant product on top of it.
- Custody
- Merchant-controlled
- Bank settlement
- No
IBEX
IBEX is Lightning and settlement infrastructure delivered through a single API for banks, fintechs, and platforms. A typical merchant cannot use it directly; a developer must build on it.
- Custody
- Provider-custodied
- Bank settlement
- Conditional
Weigh it against everything else
This is one need. Your decision usually balances several. See the full comparison or revisit the other needs.
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