Head-to-Head Specification Audit
SimplePay vs PayFast
South African SMEs · South Africa
Specification Matrix
| Metric | SimplePay | PayFast |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $2/mo | CustomBetter |
| API Rate Limit | 100 req/minBetter | 60 req/min |
| Target Country | South Africa | South Africa |
| Category | HR & Payroll | Payment Processing API |
| Compliance | POPIA, SARS-compliant | POPIA, PCI-DSS |
| Hosting Regions | ZA | ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg |
| Native Integrations | 2 listed | 6 listedBetter |
SimplePay — Key Specs
- ✓Cheapest PAYE-compliant payroll in SA
- ✓SARS eFiling automated
- ✓R2/employee/month pricing
- ✓Bulk payslip distribution
- ✓Cloud-based — no install needed
PayFast — Key Specs
- ✓Only major payment gateway with POPIA-compliant ZA data residency by default
- ✓Supports EFT, credit card, Instant EFT, Mobicred, and SnapScan natively
- ✓No monthly fee — pay 2.0–3.5% per transaction only
- ✓Recurring billing API supports subscription SaaS models out of the box
Frequently Asked Questions
What is cheaper, SimplePay or PayFast?+
PayFast starts at $0/mo, which is lower than SimplePay at $2/mo.
Which tool is better for compliance — SimplePay or PayFast?+
Both support POPIA. SimplePay additionally supports SARS-compliant. PayFast additionally supports PCI-DSS.
Is SimplePay or PayFast compliant with South Africa's POPIA?+
Both SimplePay and PayFast support POPIA compliance frameworks according to their official documentation.
Which has a higher API rate limit — SimplePay or PayFast?+
SimplePay has a higher API rate limit at 100 requests per minute. SimplePay: 100 req/min. PayFast: 60 req/min.
Which tool is better suited for South Africa?+
SimplePay is evaluated for South African SMEs in South Africa with hosting regions: ZA. PayFast has hosting regions: ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg. For data residency in South Africa, check each vendor's data processing agreements.
Data last verified: 25 June 2026
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