Tebex vs Stripe for Game Server Monetization in 2026
Tebex and Stripe both process payments for game server communities but solve different problems. Tebex is a specialized game server store. Stripe is a general payment API.
What Tebex Does
Tebex (formerly Buycraft) provides a full storefront built for game servers. Create packages, list them, and Tebex handles checkout, payment processing, and in-game command delivery.
Built-in features:
- Hosted webstore with themes
- Automatic in-game command execution after purchase
- FiveM, Minecraft, Rust, ARK integrations
- Coupon codes and sales
- Subscription/recurring payments
- Multi-currency support
- Revenue analytics
What Stripe Does
Stripe is a payment API. It processes cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, iDEAL, SEPA, and more. It does not provide a storefront, product catalog, or game server integration. You build those or use third-party tools.
Fee Comparison
| | Tebex | Stripe | |---|---|---| | Transaction fee | 5% per transaction | 1.5% + 0.25 EUR (EU cards) | | Monthly fee | Free (Starter) | Free | | Setup | Free | Free | | Payout | Weekly/biweekly | Rolling 2-7 days |
On 1,000 EUR/month revenue:
- Tebex: ~50 EUR in fees
- Stripe: ~20-30 EUR in fees
When to Use Tebex
Use Tebex if you want a ready-made solution with zero coding. Setup takes 30 minutes.
Ideal for:
- FiveM RP servers selling priority queues and VIP packages
- Minecraft servers selling ranks and cosmetics
- Rust servers with VIP kits and queue priority
- Server owners who do not want to write payment code
- Communities earning under 5,000 EUR/month
When to Use Stripe
Use Stripe if you need full control, want lower fees at scale, or need payment methods Tebex does not support.
Ideal for:
- Server networks with custom-built websites
- Communities earning 5,000+ EUR/month where fees compound
- Stores needing custom checkout flows
- Developers comfortable building and maintaining integrations
FiveM Considerations
FiveM's Terms of Service require monetization to follow their asset escrow rules for paid scripts. Tebex integrates directly with FiveM through their resource. Stripe requires manual RCON integration.
For FiveM RP servers, Tebex is the standard. Most communities use it because it works out of the box with QBCore and ESX frameworks.
Minecraft EULA Compliance
The Minecraft EULA allows cosmetic items and does not allow gameplay advantages for paying players on Java Edition servers. Both platforms let you sell whatever you configure. Compliance is your responsibility.
Host Your Game Server
Space-Node provides FiveM hosting from 7.50 EUR/month and Minecraft hosting from 0.90 EUR/GB on AMD Ryzen 9 hardware with NVMe SSDs. Good infrastructure makes your store worth running.
