Klarna vs PayPal
Klarna vs PayPal, compared side by side on 18 data points: what each one does, how big it is, what it has raised, the tech running each site, and what users report. We score both out of 100 on traction, team and visibility: Klarna is on 60/100 and PayPal on 77/100.
Where each one leads
Klarna
Leads on none of the measures we hold for both companies.
PayPal
- our overall score: 77/100 against 60/100
- agent readiness: 57/100 against 45/100
- headcount: 36,810 against 5,000
At a glance
| Measure | Klarna | PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Klarna is a global payments and shopping service that offers direct payments, pay after delivery options and instalment plans. It makes online shopping simple, | A global leader in digital payments, enabling individuals and businesses to send, receive, and manage money online. |
| Category | Fintech, Payments, Digital Payments, Embedded Finance | Fintech, Payments, Digital Payments, Embedded Finance |
| Sells toBusiness model | B2B | B2C |
| Offering | Platform | Platform |
| Founded | 2005 | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Stockholm, Sweden | San Jose, United States |
| Status | Active | Active |
Size, funding and growth
| Measure | Klarna | PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Employees | 5,000 | 36,810 |
| Total funding | $9.4B | $9.9B |
| Latest round | Not published | Series D |
| Valuation | $7 | Not published |
| LinkedIn followers | Not published | 1,680,583 |
StartupHub scores
Our own 0-100 ratings. They measure company strength and site quality, not which product suits you.
| Measure | Klarna | PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| StartupHub scoreOur 0-100 rating | 60/100 | 77/100 |
| Traction | 60/100 | 60/100 |
| Team | 70/100 | 70/100 |
| Community | 8/100 | 8/100 |
| Search visibility | 16/100 | 58/100 |
| Quality | 65/100 | 90/100 |
| Agent readinessHow well an AI agent can read and act on the site | D (45/100) | D (57/100) |
| Domain ratingLink authority, 0-100 | 92/100 | 95/100 |
Technology
Detected on each public site, so it reflects the marketing stack as well as the product.
| Measure | Klarna | PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| CDN | CloudFront | Not detected |
| Frameworks | Not detected | Tailwind CSS, Bootstrap |
| Payments | Klarna | PayPal |
Klarna vs PayPal: common questions
Which is better, Klarna or PayPal?
On our 0-100 score PayPal rates higher (77/100 against 60/100). The score weights traction, team, visibility and profile completeness, so it reflects company strength rather than which product suits you. We compare the two on 18 data points above: read the rows that match what you are buying for.
How do Klarna and PayPal compare on the numbers?
PayPal leads on our overall score (77/100 against 60/100), agent readiness (57/100 against 45/100), headcount (36,810 against 5,000).
Read the full Klarna review and pricing or the PayPal review and pricing. You can also browse other Klarna alternatives we track.