Head to head · checked 2026-09-06
Speed vs OpenNode
Two Lightning-native gateways with different second halves. OpenNode is Bitcoin only, publishes free conversion and settles fiat in eight currencies, but does not print its processing rate. Speed adds USDT and USDC over Lightning and four other networks at a published 1% after a free half-Bitcoin, and has no fiat. Choose on stablecoins against fiat.
How do Speed and OpenNode differ?
WeightsScoring Speed against OpenNode
| Criterion | Weight | Speed | OpenNode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assets, networks and geography How many assets and chains are live for merchants, and in which markets settlement actually works. | 25 | 4 | 3 |
| All-in cost Processing percentage, conversion spread and payout cost taken together, not the headline number alone. | 25 | 7 | 8 |
| Onboarding and verification What a merchant must submit before going live, how long it takes, and which verticals are refused outright. | 20 | 6 | 6 |
| Integrations and API Maintained plugins, API surface, webhook reliability and whether a developer can reach a test transaction from public docs alone. | 18 | 6 | 7 |
| Support and operations Reachable channels, published response commitments, and documented handling of underpayment and wrong-network sends. | 12 | 5 | 7 |
| Weighted total | 5.6 | 6.1 |
Where the two diverge
Scored 0–10 · checked 2026-09-06
Speed OpenNode
On this page
Lightning, then a fork#
Both providers treat Lightning as the primary rail, which for small tickets is the difference between a checkout customers complete and one they abandon over fees. From there the products diverge. OpenNode converts Bitcoin to fiat at no stated conversion cost and pays out in eight named currencies. Speed keeps everything in crypto and adds two dollar stablecoins to Bitcoin.
A merchant deciding between them is deciding whether the second half of the product should be a bank account or a stablecoin balance.
What is published about cost#
Speed publishes the whole schedule: no fee until 0.5 BTC of cumulative volume, 1% after, custom above 10 BTC a month, withdrawals at network cost. OpenNode publishes free conversion, free scheduled on-chain and Lightning payouts, 1% on on-demand on-chain payouts, and no processing rate at all.
That last gap is the one that decides the cost row. Speed's number can be read from the page; OpenNode's has to come from sales, and the card scores it as not disclosed.
Assets: three against one#
Speed supports Bitcoin, USDT and USDC, with the stablecoins reachable over Lightning as well as on Ethereum, Tron, TON and Solana. OpenNode supports Bitcoin on chain and over Lightning, and nothing else. For a merchant whose customers hold dollars in stablecoins that is not a nuance.
For a Bitcoin-only merchant the asset row is a tie and the comparison moves to settlement.
Fiat against none#
OpenNode settles fiat in eight named currencies with a published payout schedule, and states that conversion is free. Speed has no fiat product; a merchant withdraws to a wallet and converts elsewhere. The OpenNode card is the answer for a finance team that wants dollars; the Speed card is the answer for one that wants to hold dollars on chain.
Neither is wrong. They are built for different treasuries.
Jurisdiction and onboarding#
OpenNode names the United States and a founding year. Speed's public pages name neither, and both cards record merchant verification as not disclosed. For a regulated US merchant the OpenNode entity is the more legible counterparty; for a merchant elsewhere the difference is smaller.
Both leave the onboarding timeline to discover by applying.
Integrations and the outbound direction#
Speed lists WooCommerce and Shopify plugins, an API, payouts, invoicing and a point-of-sale app. OpenNode publishes an API, invoicing and point of sale, and the card records its platform integrations as not disclosed. Mass payouts are documented on the Speed side and undescribed on OpenNode's.
A platform paying people out over Lightning finds the feature stated on one card and open on the other.
Where this pair lands#
OpenNode for a Bitcoin merchant who wants fiat in one of eight currencies from a US entity and can obtain the rate in writing. Speed for a merchant whose customers pay in stablecoins and who wants the schedule printed before the first conversation.
Both are fast on the rail that matters. The question is what happens after the payment lands.
Read next
Questions merchants ask
Which one accepts USDT over Lightning?
Speed, which supports USDT and USDC over Lightning as well as on Ethereum, Tron, TON and Solana. OpenNode is Bitcoin only on chain and over Lightning.
Which one pays out fiat?
OpenNode, in eight named currencies with free conversion stated on its pricing page. Speed has no fiat settlement; withdrawals go to a wallet you control.
Is Speed or OpenNode cheaper?
Neither publishes enough for a like-for-like answer. OpenNode states no processing rate at all, so this comparison has to happen over email.
Can you run Speed and OpenNode at once?
Yes, and during a migration you should: a billing cycle with both live tells you more about settlement timing and failure handling than any published page. Expect uneven effort in this pair: one side publishes no platform integrations, so running both means building one of them against the API.