<!-- Canonical: https://www.agentlist.io/compare/x402-vs-ap2 -->

# [x402Coinbase · agent-services](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/x402)vs[Agent Payments ProtocolGoogle · agent-services](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/ap2)

The two open answers to 'how does an agent pay?' x402 (Coinbase) revives HTTP 402 for instant stablecoin settlement on Base; AP2 (Google) defines signed mandates that prove authorization over existing card and payment rails.

agentlist.io · spec diff · verified 2026-09-25 — list prices only, not benchmarks

SEC.01

## Spec diff

x402Agent Payments Protocol

vendorCoinbaseGoogle

categoryagent-servicesagent-services

interfacesapiapi

hostinglocal · cloudlocal · cloud

pricingOpen protocol (free); settlement on-chainOpen protocol (free)

statusactively maintainedactively maintained

also known asHTTP 402, x402 ProtocolAP2, Google AP2

SEC.02

## Pick which

pick x402 if

You want working machine-payable endpoints today — USDC on Base, no card network in the middle, minimal ceremony.

pick Agent Payments Protocol if

You need card-network compatibility and explicit user authorization — signed mandates that merchants and issuers already understand.

watch out

They're converging rather than competing — x402-style rails and mandate-signed card payments will coexist; don't hard-code one settlement layer.

SEC.03

## Feature notes

-   x402
-   01HTTP 402 status as payment handshake
-   02USDC settlement on Base
-   03Client and facilitator SDKs
-   04Middleware for paid endpoints
-   05Open spec with Coinbase backing

-   Agent Payments Protocol
-   01Signed intent/cart mandates
-   02Card-network and payment-rail compatible
-   03Verifiable credential chain
-   04Crypto extension via x402 ecosystem
-   05Open protocol

FAQ

## Frequently asked

### x402 or Agent Payments Protocol — which should I pick?

The two open answers to 'how does an agent pay?' x402 (Coinbase) revives HTTP 402 for instant stablecoin settlement on Base; AP2 (Google) defines signed mandates that prove authorization over existing card and payment rails. Pick x402 if: You want working machine-payable endpoints today — USDC on Base, no card network in the middle, minimal ceremony. Pick Agent Payments Protocol if: You need card-network compatibility and explicit user authorization — signed mandates that merchants and issuers already understand.

### Is x402 or Agent Payments Protocol cheaper?

x402: Open protocol (free); settlement on-chain. Agent Payments Protocol: Open protocol (free). List prices as of 2026-09-25; usage pools and seat terms change the real cost.

### Does x402 or Agent Payments Protocol run locally?

x402 hosting: local, cloud. Agent Payments Protocol hosting: local, cloud. Interfaces differ too: x402 exposes api, Agent Payments Protocol exposes api.

### Are x402 and Agent Payments Protocol still maintained?

x402: actively maintained. Agent Payments Protocol: actively maintained. Statuses are re-verified each catalog refresh (2026-09-25); see the changelog for the full history.

ALT

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A

## x402

x402 is Coinbase's open payment protocol — it revives HTTP 402 Payment Required so an agent that hits a paid resource can settle programmatically in stablecoins (USDC on Base) and get the resource, no human checkout step.

[full spec sheet →](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/x402)

-   [↗ x402.org](https://x402.org/)
-   [↗ github.com/coinbase/x402](https://github.com/coinbase/x402)

B

## Agent Payments Protocol

Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) is Google's open spec for agent-initiated payments — signed mandates that prove a user authorized a purchase, riding existing card networks and payment rails instead of inventing new ones.

[full spec sheet →](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/ap2)

-   [↗ github.com/google-agentic-commerce/AP2](https://github.com/google-agentic-commerce/AP2)

SRC

## Data

Fields come from the seed catalog, re-verified 2026-09-25. This page compares recorded specs — it does not rank performance. See the [changelog](https://www.agentlist.io/changelog) or the [JSON feed](https://www.agentlist.io/api/v1/systems).

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Source: [x402 vs Agent Payments Protocol: spec comparison | agentlist.io](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/x402-vs-ap2). This is the public page rendered as Markdown; interactive controls require the website.