APIs · head to head
Aiia vs curl
Aiia
APIs
Open banking and open finance API platform, now operating as Mastercard Open Banking
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
curl
APIs
Command-line tool for transferring data using URLs with wide protocol support
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only curl 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.; curl open-source with no vendor pricing: curl is free and open-source under GPL 3.0; no subscription or licensing costs apply
- They diverge on capability: Aiia covers Bank account data access, curl covers HTTP/HTTPS.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Aiia and curl actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 curl
- HTTP/HTTPS
- FTP
- Multiple protocols
- Universal compatibility
- Scripting tools
- Linux support
- MacOS support
- Windows support
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 curl
- A personal finance or accounting product needing transaction history across Nordic and European banksnot curl
- A payments product wanting account-to-account payment initiation under open banking regulationnot curl
- A business wanting the stability and continued investment of Mastercard ownership behind its banking connectivity providernot curl
curl
- API Developmentnot Aiia
- API Gatewaynot Aiia
- API Testingnot Aiia
- API Documentationnot Aiia
- Microservicesnot 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.
curl
- Open-source with no vendor pricing: curl is free and open-source under GPL 3.0; no subscription or licensing costs apply
- Commercial support costs hidden: site references 'commercial support available' but pricing is not detailed or accessible from homepage
- No SaaS model: curl is a command-line tool and library; costs are limited to optional commercial support contracts (pricing unknown)
- Self-support burden: free software means customers rely on community forums or undisclosed commercial support pricing
Pricing, plan by plan
Aiia
On request- Aiia Enterprise (Mastercard Open Banking)$undefined/year
- Pricing not published, quote via Mastercard Open Finance sales
curl
Free- Open SourceFree
- Full curl functionality
- Community support
Which should you pick?
Choose Aiia if
- You need bank account data access.
- You work on Web, API.
- You also want payment initiation.
Choose curl if
- You need http/https.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, MacOS, Windows, Unix, Mobile.
- You also want ftp.
Questions people ask
- Is Aiia or curl better?
- Neither clearly leads. Aiia starts at On request and curl at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Aiia or curl?
- curl has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Aiia and Free for curl.
- Does Aiia or curl run on more platforms?
- Aiia runs on Web, API. curl runs on Linux, MacOS, Windows, Unix, Mobile.
- Can I use curl for free?
- Yes. curl 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 curl is typically brought in for.
- What can Aiia do that curl cannot?
- Aiia covers Bank account data access, Payment initiation, Mastercard Open Finance integration, Modern authentication support. curl covers HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, Multiple protocols, Universal compatibility.
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.
curl: How much does curl cost?
curl is free and open-source software under the GPL 3.0 license. There is no cost to download, use, or modify the software.
SourceAiia: Does the Aiia brand still exist?
Yes, in developer documentation and login portals, but the company behind it is Mastercard.
curl: Is commercial support available for curl?
Yes. The curl website references 'commercial support available,' but pricing and details are not disclosed on the homepage and require visiting the support page.
SourceAiia: Which banks does it cover?
Around 3,000 European banks, with strongest coverage in the Nordics and Northern Europe.
curl: Can I sponsor curl financially?
Yes. The curl website offers an option to 'Sponsor curl financially.' Visitors can donate to support curl development, but the donation link must be accessed through the site's support section.
SourceRelated pages
Other head to heads
- Aiia vs Yapily
- Aiia vs Trustly
- Aiia vs Akoya
- Aiia vs Neonomics
- Aiia vs Tink
- Aiia vs Salt Edge
- Aiia vs Token.io
- Aiia vs Bud Financial
- Aiia vs Enable Banking
- Aiia vs Method Financial
- Aiia vs TrueLayer
- Aiia vs Yodlee
- Aiia vs Thredd
- Aiia vs Thunder Client
- Aiia vs Toqio
- Aiia vs Tyk
- Aiia vs Volt
- Aiia vs WSO2 API Manager
- Aiia vs Appwrite
- Aiia vs Hasura
- Aiia vs PocketBase
- Aiia vs Sanity
- Aiia vs HTTPie
- Aiia vs REST Client VSCode
- Aiia vs Hoppscotch
- Aiia vs Bruno
- Aiia vs Kong Gateway
- Aiia vs Convoy
- Aiia vs Directus
- Aiia vs Moov
- Aiia vs MX Technologies
- Aiia vs PubNub
- Aiia vs Skaleet
- Aiia vs Svix
- Aiia vs Synctera
- Aiia vs Kong
- curl vs Yapily
- curl vs Trustly
- curl vs Akoya
- curl vs Neonomics
- curl vs Tink
- curl vs Salt Edge
- curl vs Token.io
- curl vs Bud Financial
- curl vs Enable Banking
- curl vs Method Financial
- curl vs TrueLayer
- curl vs Yodlee
- curl vs Thredd
- curl vs Thunder Client
- curl vs Toqio
- curl vs Tyk
- curl vs Volt
- curl vs WSO2 API Manager
- curl vs Appwrite
- curl vs Hasura
- curl vs PocketBase
- curl vs Sanity
- curl vs HTTPie
- curl vs REST Client VSCode
- curl vs Hoppscotch
- curl vs Bruno
- curl vs Kong Gateway
- curl vs Convoy
- curl vs Directus
- curl vs Moov
- curl vs MX Technologies
- curl vs PubNub
- curl vs Skaleet
- curl vs Svix
- curl vs Synctera
- curl vs Kong