Softwr

APIs · head to head

Aiia vs Apollo GraphQL

Aiia logo

Aiia

APIs

Open banking and open finance API platform, now operating as Mastercard Open Banking

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Apollo GraphQL logo

Apollo GraphQL

APIs

GraphQL platform and API orchestration layer for building unified graphs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Apollo GraphQL has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Aiia it is now part of Mastercard rather than an independent company, so a business specifically wanting to avoid card network dependency in its banking infrastructure no longer gets that separation by choosing Aiia.; Apollo GraphQL pricing beyond the Developer tier requires contacting sales, making cost comparison harder for mid-size teams.
  • They diverge on capability: Aiia covers Bank account data access, Apollo GraphQL covers Apollo Connectors.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aiia and Apollo GraphQL actually diverge.

Attributes where Aiia and Apollo GraphQL differ
AttributeAiiaApollo GraphQL
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes

Identical on both: platforms (Web, API), user rating (Not yet rated), category (APIs).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Aiia

  • Bank account data access
  • Payment initiation
  • Mastercard Open Finance integration
  • Modern authentication support
  • Multi-country coverage
  • Developer documentation and sandbox

Only in Apollo GraphQL

  • Apollo Connectors
  • GraphOS Router
  • Schema registry
  • Schema checks
  • Response caching
  • Audit logging

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Aiia

  • A lending or credit product needing affordability checks via European bank account datanot Apollo GraphQL
  • A personal finance or accounting product needing transaction history across Nordic and European banksnot Apollo GraphQL
  • A payments product wanting account-to-account payment initiation under open banking regulationnot Apollo GraphQL
  • A business wanting the stability and continued investment of Mastercard ownership behind its banking connectivity providernot Apollo GraphQL

Apollo GraphQL

  • Federating multiple backend services into one GraphQL APInot Aiia
  • Wrapping legacy REST APIs for frontend consumptionnot Aiia
  • Enterprise API governance with schema checks and audit logsnot Aiia
  • Reducing frontend over-fetching and under-fetching of datanot Aiia

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Aiia

  • It is now part of Mastercard rather than an independent company, so a business specifically wanting to avoid card network dependency in its banking infrastructure no longer gets that separation by choosing Aiia.
  • Pricing is not published and requires engaging Mastercard's open finance sales process, which can be a heavier sales motion than dealing with a smaller independent open banking provider.
  • Its strongest bank coverage remains concentrated in the Nordics and Northern Europe, so companies needing dense coverage in Southern or Eastern Europe should verify current bank connectivity before committing.
  • Brand confusion is real: developer documentation, login portals and older case studies still reference "Aiia" while newer Mastercard material refers to "Mastercard Open Banking," and a company researching either name in isolation may miss half the relevant material.
  • As with any open banking platform, reliability still depends on the consistency of the underlying banks' own APIs, which is a systemic industry issue rather than something Aiia specifically controls.

Apollo GraphQL

  • Pricing beyond the Developer tier requires contacting sales, making cost comparison harder for mid-size teams.
  • Adopting GraphOS effectively requires buy-in to the GraphQL paradigm, which is a larger architectural shift than adding a REST gateway.
  • The free plan's 1-day data retention and 60 req/min self-hosted router limit make it unsuitable for production use.
  • Volume-based per-request pricing can become expensive at very high request volumes compared to flat-rate API gateways.

Pricing, plan by plan

Aiia

On request
  • Aiia Enterprise (Mastercard Open Banking)$undefined/year
    • Pricing not published, quote via Mastercard Open Finance sales

Apollo GraphQL

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 3 developers
    • 1-day data retention
    • Community support
  • Developer$5/month
    • $5 per million requests with volume discounts
    • $50 usage credit for new signups
    • Up to 10 developers
  • Standard$undefined/month
    • Up to 30 developers
    • 90-day data retention
    • Standard support with SLA
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited developers
    • 18-month data retention
    • 24x7x365 support with SLA

Which should you pick?

Choose Aiia if

  • You need bank account data access.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want payment initiation.
Aiia review

Choose Apollo GraphQL if

  • You need apollo connectors.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want graphos router.
Apollo GraphQL review

Questions people ask

Is Aiia or Apollo GraphQL better?
Neither clearly leads. Aiia starts at On request and Apollo GraphQL at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aiia or Apollo GraphQL?
Apollo GraphQL has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Aiia and Free for Apollo GraphQL.
Does Aiia or Apollo GraphQL run on more platforms?
Aiia runs on Web, API. Apollo GraphQL runs on web, api.
Can I use Apollo GraphQL for free?
Yes. Apollo GraphQL has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Aiia starts at On request.
What is Aiia best used for?
Aiia is most often used for a lending or credit product needing affordability checks via european bank account data, a personal finance or accounting product needing transaction history across nordic and european banks, a payments product wanting account-to-account payment initiation under open banking regulation, a business wanting the stability and continued investment of mastercard ownership behind its banking connectivity provider. Of those, a lending or credit product needing affordability checks via european bank account data and a personal finance or accounting product needing transaction history across nordic and european banks are not what Apollo GraphQL is typically brought in for.
What can Aiia do that Apollo GraphQL cannot?
Aiia covers Bank account data access, Payment initiation, Mastercard Open Finance integration, Modern authentication support. Apollo GraphQL covers Apollo Connectors, GraphOS Router, Schema registry, Schema checks.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Aiia: Is Aiia still an independent company?

No, it was acquired by Mastercard in 2021 and now operates as part of Mastercard Open Finance Solutions, referenced as Aiia Enterprise.

Apollo GraphQL: What does Apollo GraphQL cost?

The Free plan supports up to 3 developers at no cost. Developer plan starts at $5 per million requests with a $50 signup credit, while Standard and Enterprise require contacting sales for custom pricing.

Source
Aiia: Does the Aiia brand still exist?

Yes, in developer documentation and login portals, but the company behind it is Mastercard.

Apollo GraphQL: Is there a free plan and what are its limits?

Yes, the Free 'Forever Free' plan supports up to 3 developers, 1-day data retention for checks and insights, and a self-hosted router capped at 60 requests per minute.

Source
Aiia: Which banks does it cover?

Around 3,000 European banks, with strongest coverage in the Nordics and Northern Europe.

Apollo GraphQL: How is usage metered on paid plans?

Standard requests are billed per million operations with tiered volume discounts, starting at $5.00/million for the first 250M and dropping to $3.00/million beyond 5B, with similar tiered pricing for subscription update events.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Aiia

More on Apollo GraphQL

Keep looking

Other head to heads