Chainguard
Mid (~350)
Stripe
Large (~8,000)
Best For
Chainguard
Best for: Security-minded engineers who want remote-first open-source work with strong comp
Stripe
Best for: Engineers who value code quality, writing culture, and fintech at the highest level
Ratings
ChainguardStripe
4.5
4.0
Overall
4.2
3.6
Work-Life Balance
4.3
4.1
Culture & Values
4.2
4.5
Comp & Benefits
4.1
3.7
Senior Mgmt
4.0
3.8
Career Opps
👍 88% Recommend
👤 90% CEO Approval (Dan Lorenc)
👍 80% Recommend
👤 82% CEO Approval (Patrick Collison)
Culture Values
Chainguard only
🌐 Remote-Friendly🔓 Open Source⚖️ Work-Life Balance
Stripe only
🌱 Learning & Growth🎯 Direct Product Impact🪟 Transparent
Shared
⚙️ Engineering-Driven💎 Strong Comp & Equity
Pros & Cons
Chainguard
- Fully remote with outstanding benefits — 100% employer-paid insurance for employees and families
- Founders are practitioners who understand what engineers and security teams need
- Growing so fast that some inefficiencies exist, though improving
- Fully remote means you miss in-person interactions with teammates
Stripe
- Engineering culture is elite — code quality and writing culture are best-in-class
- Top compensation in fintech — competitive base, equity, and benefits
- Perfectionism can slow shipping — high bar sometimes means slower velocity
- The 2022-23 layoffs affected morale — company has been rebuilding confidence
Bottom Line
Chainguard
Choose Chainguard if you want to build supply chain security tools in a remote, open-source-first culture with strong equity — but expect a fast-moving startup pace.
Stripe
Choose Stripe if you want elite engineering culture with top comp — but perfectionism can slow shipping velocity.
Open Roles
Chainguard — 63 jobs
💼 Sales / GTM
27
💻 Engineering
24
📣 Marketing
3
📋 Product
2
🎨 Design
1
Stripe — 490 jobs
💻 Engineering
118
💼 Sales / GTM
98
📋 Product
44
⚙️ Operations
39
📣 Marketing
34
💰 Finance
22
📊 Data
16
🎨 Design
15
⚖️ Legal
12
🧠 ML / AI
9
👤 HR / People
7
🎧 Support
4
Summary
Chainguard scores 4.5/5.0 on Glassdoor with a 4.2 work-life balance rating. Stripe scores 4.0/5.0 overall with a 3.6 WLB. That’s a 0.5-point gap on overall satisfaction.
Both companies share these culture values: Engineering-Driven, Strong Comp & Equity. Chainguard also emphasizes Remote-Friendly, Open Source, Work-Life Balance. Stripe also emphasizes Learning & Growth, Direct Product Impact, Transparent.
On the hiring front, Chainguard has 63 open roles and Stripe has 490 open roles.