# send21 compared with hosted crypto gateways

Hosted crypto gateways differ widely. Some receive the payment into their own wallets and pay you out later, some convert to fiat for you, and fees typically range from about 0.5% to 1%. send21 takes a narrower role on purpose.

## What is different

|  | Typical hosted gateway | send21 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Where the payment lands | Often the gateway's wallet first, then a payout | Always your own wallet, directly |
| Conversion to fiat | Often available | Not offered; send21 never touches money |
| Fee | Often around 0.5% to 1% | 0.49% down to 0.01%, capped at $100 |
| Keys and funds | Held by the provider while in transit | Never held; no signing code |
| Agents | Varies | Scoped keys that cannot spend, MCP server, signed webhooks |

## Choose a hosted gateway if

- You need automatic conversion to fiat and bank payouts.
- You want plugins for many shop platforms out of the box.

## Choose send21 if

- You want the money in your own wallet from the first second.
- You want a provider that cannot freeze, lose or move your funds, because it never has them.
- You build on an API or with AI agents.

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Source: https://send21.io/compare/hosted-crypto-gateways