Comparison

Stripe Express vs Shopify Balance

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Stripe Express

Monitor your income from platforms that use Stripe for payouts. View your real-time balance, upcoming payments, and analyze your cash flow. Update your account details and access tax forms directly from your mobile device.

Highlights
  • Track earnings on the go
  • View available balance in real-time
  • See upcoming payouts
  • Update bank account information
  • Analyze cash flow and earnings by platform
  • Access and edit tax forms
Features
Read full description

Track the money you earn from creator or gig platforms that partner with Stripe. View your available balance, see upcoming payouts, update bank account information, and analyze cash flow. CHECK YOUR BALANCE ON THE GO Get notified about incoming payments, check your available balance in real time, and see your earnings at a glance. UPDATE ACCOUNT INFORMATION Edit your business details, change your email and phone number, and edit your bank account information. ANALYZE YOUR EARNINGS Drill down into earnings by platform to identify trends and see how much you’re making over time. ACCESS AND EDIT TAX FORMS If you work with a platform that uses Stripe for tax form delivery, you’ll be able to update and download 1099, W-8 and W-9 documents. Stripe partners with thousands of platforms such as Twitter, Medium, and DoorDash to pay out creators and gig workers. Use Stripe for your business? Try the Stripe Dashboard mobile app. Having trouble? Visit https://support.stripe.com/express and get in touch.

About

Shopify Balance

Manage your business finances directly from your mobile device. View your balance, track transactions, and transfer funds with zero fees. Get paid faster from your Shopify sales and earn rewards on your account balance.

Highlights
  • View account balance
  • Filter transaction history
  • Transfer funds with zero fees
  • Get paid faster from Shopify sales
  • Earn rewards on account balance
  • Access business card details
  • Lock and unlock cards
Features
Read full description

Shopify Balance is the free business financial account built right into your Shopify store’s admin. Use the Balance app to make money moves for your business—right from your mobile device. By having the financial information you need at your fingertips, you can make the best decisions for the long-term health of your business. MANAGE MONEY ANYWHERE • Stay on top of your finances by viewing your account balance and filtering your transaction history. • Transfer funds in or out to pay bills, send money, or make payments directly to vendors—with zero transfer fees. GET PAID FASTER • Get paid out from your Shopify sales up to 7 days faster than with a traditional bank. EARN ON ANY ACCOUNT BALANCE • Earn a reward in the form of an annual percentage yield (APY) on all your money in Balance.* • No limit to how much you can earn and withdraw funds at any time.* SPEND SECURELY AND CONVENIENTLY • Always have your business card handy by accessing your card number in the app or using tap to pay with your mobile wallet. • Keep your business secure with the ability to lock and unlock your cards from the palm of your hand. ---------- ABOUT SHOPIFY Shopify is a world-class commerce platform that has everything you need to start, sell, market, and manage your business. Millions of business owners from over 175 countries trust Shopify to help sell their products and services online and in-person. Shopify partners with Stripe, Inc. and affiliated companies, and financial institution partners including Fifth Third Bank N.A., Member FDIC & Celtic Bank to offer money transmission, banking & issuing services, respectively. *This is a reward provided by Shopify and is not interest. The rate is variable and subject to change without notice. The reward accrues daily, and is compounded and paid monthly in the form of a credit to your Balance account. ACH transfer limits may apply.

Screenshots

Stripe Express4 screens
Shopify Balance4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Stripe Express at 4.7 against Shopify Balance's 2.6. Stripe Express also leads on ratings volume (30K vs 85) and review sentiment (31% vs 17%). Shopify Balance's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Stripe Express holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stripe Express has 30K ratings behind it against 85, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 31% of Stripe Express's written reviews are positive against 17% of Shopify Balance's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stripe Express ships an update every 2 weeks, Shopify Balance weekly. Both last shipped on November 12, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Stripe Express versus Shopify Balance: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStripe ExpressShopify Balance
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (30K ratings) — better2.6 (85 ratings)
Positive reviews31.0% of reviews — better17.4% of reviews
Number of ratings30K — better85
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB107 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStripe, LLCShopify Inc.

Customer experience

Stripe Express

All ratings30,440 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral1.9%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews200 reviews
Positive31.0%
Neutral6.0%
Negative63.0%

Shopify Balance

All ratings85 ratings
Positive37.6%
Neutral8.2%
Negative54.1%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive17.4%
Neutral15.2%
Negative67.4%

User reviews

Stripe Express

From 30K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and efficient payment processing
  • 👍 User-friendly interface
  • 💡 Helpful for tracking earnings from multiple sources

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes and connection issues
  • 🕰️ Slow payouts and delayed fund transfers
  • 💤 Lack of responsive customer support
  • 🔒 Concerns about account security and access

Shopify Balance

From 85 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Convenient for managing balance
  • 👍 Seamlessly connected to shop
  • 👍 Physical card is convenient
  • 👍 Payments hit within 24 hours
  • 👍 App works great for some users

Room to improve

  • 😞 Difficult to reach human support
  • 😞 Unreliable bill pay feature
  • 😞 Blamed for fraudulent transactions
  • 😞 Merchant names disappear
  • 😞 Cannot transfer money

Bugs and requests

Stripe Express

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login screen freezes and errors
  • Inability to delete or deactivate accounts
  • Inconsistent transaction tracking and payout information

Requested features

3 requests
  • Easier method to update payment information
  • Improved tax reporting and 1099 form access
  • Live customer support via phone or chat

Shopify Balance

Reported bugs

32 issues
  • Bill Pay feature failed to pay rent on time
  • 302 fraudulent transactions posted without warning
  • Merchant names disappeared from debit card transactions
  • Cannot transfer money to bank account
  • Cannot add card to Apple Wallet
Show 27 more
  • Bank account removed and cannot be added back
  • App not working for months
  • Cannot sign in
  • App stuck on welcome page, cannot scroll
  • Keyboard won't pop up to enter information
  • Cannot log in
  • App requires full password login every time
  • App updated, not showing money or transactions
  • App updated, no cards, balance, or transactions listed
  • Cannot move money from balance
  • App freezes when trying to view account information
  • Cannot move money from the app
  • Cannot move money on the app, only website
  • Funds unavailable for extended periods
  • Cannot set up app due to fingerprint scanner issue
  • Cannot create a card
  • App is not working
  • Face ID login option never works
  • App logs user out of Shopify store app
  • Cannot see balance on phone
  • App not working on iPhone SE
  • Cannot add bank account to move money
  • App does not show account and routing number properly
  • App won't let me withdrawal money
  • Cannot figure out how to move money into the Shopify account
  • Recent transactions not showing
  • No emails verifying transactions

Requested features

9 requests
  • Add Zelle integration
  • Allow connected accounts to have nicknames
  • Improve UI for managing multiple accounts
  • Make app compatible with iPad
  • Add instant transfer method
Show 4 more
  • Allow cancellation of pending orders
  • Clarify transfer times
  • Add multi-store support
  • Integrate balance management into main Shopify app

In-app purchases

None

Stripe Express

No in-app purchases

None

Shopify Balance

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Stripe Express free?
Stripe Express is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shopify Balance free?
Shopify Balance is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Stripe Express or Shopify Balance?
Stripe Express is rated higher. Stripe Express averages 4.7 out of 5 from 30K ratings, while Shopify Balance averages 2.6 from 85 ratings.
Do Stripe Express or Shopify Balance have ads?
Neither Stripe Express nor Shopify Balance shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stripe Express or Shopify Balance?
Stripe Express ships an update every 2 weeks, and Shopify Balance weekly. Most recently, Stripe Express was updated on November 12, 2026 and Shopify Balance on November 12, 2026.

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