Head-to-Head Specification Audit
PayFast vs Ironclad
E-Commerce & SaaS Businesses · South Africa
Specification Matrix
| Metric | PayFast | Ironclad |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0/mo | Custom pricing |
| API Rate Limit | 60 req/min | 80 req/minBetter |
| Target Country | South Africa | Global |
| Category | Payment Processing API | Legal Software |
| Compliance (vendor-stated) | POPIA, PCI-DSS | CCPA, GDPR, ISO27001, SOC2 |
| Hosting Regions | ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg | US-East, EU-West |
| Native Integrations | 6 listedTie | 6 listedTie |
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
Ironclad — Key Specs
Vendor-stated- ✓AI contract review cuts legal review time by 80%
- ✓Workflow automation for contract approvals
- ✓SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, ISO 27001
- ✓Used by Asana, LinkedIn, Dropbox, GoFundMe
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is lower-priced, PayFast or Ironclad?+
Ironclad uses custom pricing. PayFast starts at Free plan available. Contact Ironclad directly for a quote.
Which compliance frameworks do PayFast and Ironclad list?+
PayFast additionally lists POPIA, PCI-DSS. Ironclad additionally lists CCPA, GDPR, ISO27001, SOC2. These are vendor-stated frameworks. VektorIndex has not independently audited these claims.
Does PayFast or Ironclad 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. Ironclad 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 Ironclad?+
Ironclad has a higher documented API rate limit at 80 req/min versus PayFast at 60 req/min.
Which data hosting regions do PayFast and Ironclad support?+
PayFast lists hosting regions: ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg. Ironclad lists hosting regions: US-East, EU-West. 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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