BTCPay Server vs Lightspark

Updated: January 2026

Quick take

BTCPay Server suits merchants who want self-hosted, non-custodial Bitcoin/Lightning acceptance with no processor fees or KYC, but requires setup and no native fiat settlement. Lightspark targets platforms needing managed Lightning rails, routing, and liquidity with enterprise compliance. More comparisons below.

BTCPay Server vs Lightspark — full comparison (Accept Bitcoin as a merchant)
Platform	Payment processor Payment Infrastructure
Supported Networks	Bitcoin + Lightning Lightning only
Features	Decentralized payment processor 0% fees & no third-party Lightning Network support Technical setup Self-hosted maintenance Enterprise-grade Lightning solutions Instant, low-cost global payments and fiat interoperability Compliance-ready tools for regulated entities Enterprise-focused, may require custom setup for small users Managed nodes introduce some custodial elements
Fees Processing fees	No fees Based on monthly trading volume Starter ($300,000): 0.50% Enterprise ($3,000,000 - $15,000,000): 0.15% - 0.30%
Subscription Fees	No fees Starter: $0<br>Enterprise: $9,000 - $15,000/month
Conversion Fees	No fees Included in transaction fees
Settlement Time	Blockchain confirmation time Instant via Lightning
Integration & Compatibility	Big Commerce, Drupal, Ecwid, GiveWP, Grandnode, Invoice Ninja, Magento, Nopcommerce, Odoo, OpenCart, PhocaCart, PrestaShop, Pretix, Shopify V2, Shopware, Ghost, Smartstore, VirtueMart, Wix, WooCommerce, Xenforo, Zapier, Custom Integration SDKs and APIs for wallets, exchanges, digital banks; Integrates with fiat rails (e.g., RTP) and Lightning Network
POS integration	Yes Yes
Custody & Control	Non-custodial Flexible: Self-custody via Spark or managed enterprise nodes.
KYC Required	No Yes
Open Source	Yes Yes (Spark protocol and SDKs)
User Experience	N/A N/A
Profile Founder(s)	Nicolas Dorier David Marcus
Company description	Most payment processors hold your funds and act as a gatekeeper between you and your customers. BTC Pay Server solves this by running on your own hardware, connecting directly to your Bitcoin wallet w... Most payment processors hold your funds and act as a gatekeeper between you and your customers. BTC Pay Server solves this by running on your own hardware, connecting directly to your Bitcoin wallet without any middleman. That means you receive 100% of every payment instantly, with no risk of frozen accounts or leaked customer data. You can host it yourself for complete independence or use a managed cloud provider to get started quickly. Most payment processors hold your funds and act as a gatekeeper between you and your customers. BTC Pay Server solves this by running on your own hardware, connecting directly to your Bitcoin wallet without any middleman. That means you receive 100% of every payment instantly, with no risk of frozen accounts or leaked customer data. You can host it yourself for complete independence or use a managed cloud provider to get started quickly. Lightspark is a payments infrastructure company founded by David Marcus (formerly of PayPal, Meta, and Diem) in 2022. They aim to build what they call the "Money Grid," a global, open payment network ... Lightspark is a payments infrastructure company founded by David Marcus (formerly of PayPal, Meta, and Diem) in 2022. They aim to build what they call the "Money Grid," a global, open payment network using Bitcoin as a neutral settlement layer and leveraging Lightning for high-speed transfers. Lightspark is a payments infrastructure company founded by David Marcus (formerly of PayPal, Meta, and Diem) in 2022. They aim to build what they call the "Money Grid," a global, open payment network using Bitcoin as a neutral settlement layer and leveraging Lightning for high-speed transfers. Their target audience includes enterprises—digital banks, fintechs, wallets, exchanges—that need to move money across currencies and jurisdictions instantly and cheaply, as well as developers building Bitcoin-native payment applications or self-custodial wallets that need scalable infrastructure. What sets Lightspark apart is their end-to-end product integration, combining seamless liquidity management, intelligent routing, compliance-ready infrastructure, and human-friendly Universal Money Address (UMA) tech. This abstraction lets banks, wallets, exchanges, and businesses effortlessly send and receive fiat or crypto globally without having to manage Lightning channels, cross-border FX, or complex on-chain details. These tools have already seen traction with big regulated partners and typically involves KYC via the partner. Looking forward, Lightspark's vision is to scale the Money Grid globally—connecting all real-time payment systems and making Bitcoin native rails for everything from everyday consumer transfers to B2B fiat-fiat flows. Spark aims to resolve key Lightning limitations like self-custody economic scalability and lacks native token support. By building Spark open-source and fully backward compatible with Lightning, they hope to decentralize stablecoin issuance on Bitcoin and finally realize high-velocity, global Bitcoin-based payment settlement.
Founded in	2017 2022
Website	btcpayserver.org lightspark.com
Availability	Available globally Available globally

FAQs

Does BTCPay require KYC or hold funds?

No. BTCPay is self-hosted and non-custodial, so you keep your keys and there’s no platform KYC.

Is Lightspark a merchant processor?

Lightspark is enterprise Lightning infrastructure (nodes, liquidity, APIs). Merchants typically pair it with a processor or custom front-end.

Do BTCPay and Lightspark both support Lightning payments?

Yes. BTCPay supports Bitcoin + Lightning that you manage; Lightspark abstracts node operations and routing for you.