Head-to-Head Specification Audit
PayFast vs Conta Azul
E-Commerce & SaaS Businesses · South Africa
Specification Matrix
| Metric | PayFast | Conta Azul |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0/moBetter | $35/mo |
| API Rate Limit | 60 req/minTie | 60 req/minTie |
| Target Country | South Africa | Brazil |
| Category | Payment Processing API | Finance & Accounting |
| Compliance (vendor-stated) | POPIA, PCI-DSS | LGPD |
| Hosting Regions | ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg | BR-São Paulo |
| Native Integrations | 6 listedBetter | 4 listed |
PayFast — Key Specs
Vendor-stated- ✓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
Conta Azul — Key Specs
Vendor-stated- ✓Brazil-specific accounting: Nota Fiscal, SPED, and DANFE generation
- ✓Integrated with Receita Federal for automatic tax calculations
- ✓Bank reconciliation with all major Brazilian banks (Itaú, Bradesco, BB)
- ✓PIX integration — instant payment reconciliation
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is lower-priced, PayFast or Conta Azul?+
PayFast starts at Free plan available, which is lower than Conta Azul at $35/mo. Verify current pricing on each vendor's website.
Which compliance frameworks do PayFast and Conta Azul list?+
PayFast additionally lists POPIA, PCI-DSS. Conta Azul additionally lists LGPD. These are vendor-stated frameworks. VektorIndex has not independently audited these claims.
Does PayFast or Conta Azul list POPIA as a supported compliance framework?+
PayFast lists POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act) as a supported compliance framework per its vendor documentation. VektorIndex has not independently verified this claim. South African organisations should request the vendor's current Data Processing Agreement and confirm data residency settings before processing personal information. Conta Azul does not list POPIA as a supported compliance framework in its public documentation. Contact the vendor to confirm their position before processing South African personal information.
Which has a higher documented API rate limit — PayFast or Conta Azul?+
Both PayFast and Conta Azul have the same documented API rate limit of 60 requests per minute. Verify current limits on each vendor's developer documentation.
Which data hosting regions do PayFast and Conta Azul support?+
PayFast lists hosting regions: ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg. Conta Azul lists hosting regions: BR-São Paulo. For data residency requirements in South Africa, confirm exact region configuration directly with each vendor.
Data last updated: 29 August 2026 — Sourced from official vendor documentation. Not independently audited. Report incorrect information
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