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APIs · head to head

Akoya vs Merge

Akoya logo

Akoya

APIs

Bank-owned, token-based open finance network that replaces screen scraping for US financial data

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Merge logo

Merge

Automation Integration

One API for all your integrations

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Merge has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Akoya coverage reaches several thousand institutions but does not match aggregators that can still scrape, so applications needing the long tail of small credit unions will run a second data provider alongside it.; Merge cannot access data outside Merge's universal schema; no support for custom objects or deep field mappings
  • They diverge on capability: Akoya covers FDX standard APIs, Merge covers Unified API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Akoya and Merge actually diverge.

Attributes where Akoya and Merge differ
AttributeAkoyaMerge
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebApi
CategoryAPIsAutomation Integration
FoundedUnknown2020

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Akoya

  • FDX standard APIs
  • Token-based access
  • Investment data
  • Accounts, balances and transactions
  • Statements and tax forms
  • Customer identity
  • Consumer permission management
  • Single integration

Only in Merge

  • Unified API
  • HRIS integrations
  • Accounting integrations
  • CRM integrations
  • ATS integrations
  • Ticketing integrations
  • File storage integrations
  • Workday

What people use each for

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

Akoya

  • A wealth management platform that needs Fidelity brokerage holdings and tax lots, which cannot be scraped since Fidelity closed that route in October 2023not Merge
  • A tax preparation product retrieving tax forms and cost basis directly from the institution rather than asking users to upload PDFsnot Merge
  • A lender that needs a permissioning trail defensible under CFPB section 1033 rather than a credential-sharing arrangementnot Merge
  • A bank that wants to meet data sharing obligations through one network connection instead of building and policing its own developer interfacenot Merge

Merge

  • Workflow Automationnot Akoya
  • Data Integrationnot Akoya
  • Process Automationnot Akoya
  • App Integrationnot Akoya
  • API Connectivitynot Akoya

Where each one falls short

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

Akoya

  • Coverage reaches several thousand institutions but does not match aggregators that can still scrape, so applications needing the long tail of small credit unions will run a second data provider alongside it.
  • The network is owned by large banks, so roadmap and coverage priorities reflect owner interests rather than those of the fintechs consuming the data, and a recipient has no leverage over which institutions are added next.
  • Data availability is decided institution by institution, meaning a bank may expose balances but not transactions or investments, and recipients must verify field-level coverage per institution rather than assume the FDX model is fully populated.
  • Pricing is unpublished and usage based, which makes it difficult to compare against aggregator pricing during a build-versus-buy decision and forces a sales cycle before you can model cost.
  • The token model requires the institution to have implemented its side, so newly onboarded institutions arrive on the institution timetable, not yours, and a launch dependent on a specific bank can slip badly.

Merge

  • Cannot access data outside Merge's universal schema; no support for custom objects or deep field mappings
  • Merge holds customer OAuth tokens, creating vendor lock-in; switching providers requires re-authentication from all customers
  • No support for legacy systems without APIs; limited to modern SaaS applications
  • Pricing complexity at scale with multiple dimensions (workflows, tasks, connectors) affecting costs

Pricing, plan by plan

Akoya

On request
  • Akoya Data Access$undefined/year
    • Usage-based pricing quoted by data product and call volume
    • Separate commercial terms for data recipients and for financial institutions joining the network
    • No published rate card

Merge

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 linked account
    • All integrations
    • Standard support
  • Launch$650/month
    • 50 linked accounts
    • All categories
    • Email support
  • Scale$2500/month
    • Unlimited accounts
    • Priority support
    • SLA
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Dedicated support
    • Custom contracts
    • Advanced security

Which should you pick?

Choose Akoya if

  • You need fdx standard apis.
  • You also want token-based access.
Akoya review

Choose Merge if

  • You need unified api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Api.
  • You also want hris integrations.
Merge review

Questions people ask

Is Akoya or Merge better?
Neither clearly leads. Akoya starts at On request and Merge at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Akoya or Merge?
Merge has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Akoya and Free for Merge.
Does Akoya or Merge run on more platforms?
Akoya runs on Web. Merge runs on Api.
Can I use Merge for free?
Yes. Merge has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Akoya starts at On request.
What is Akoya best used for?
Akoya is most often used for a wealth management platform that needs fidelity brokerage holdings and tax lots, which cannot be scraped since fidelity closed that route in october 2023, a tax preparation product retrieving tax forms and cost basis directly from the institution rather than asking users to upload pdfs, a lender that needs a permissioning trail defensible under cfpb section 1033 rather than a credential-sharing arrangement, a bank that wants to meet data sharing obligations through one network connection instead of building and policing its own developer interface. Of those, a wealth management platform that needs fidelity brokerage holdings and tax lots, which cannot be scraped since fidelity closed that route in october 2023 and a tax preparation product retrieving tax forms and cost basis directly from the institution rather than asking users to upload pdfs are not what Merge is typically brought in for.
What can Akoya do that Merge cannot?
Akoya covers FDX standard APIs, Token-based access, Investment data, Accounts, balances and transactions. Merge covers Unified API, HRIS integrations, Accounting integrations, CRM integrations.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Akoya: Who owns Akoya?

A group of large US banks. It was spun out of Fidelity, which is why Fidelity data access runs through it.

Merge: What is a Linked Account in Merge?

A Linked Account represents an end customer's authenticated connection to a third-party application (like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zendesk). Merge pricing is based on the number of production Linked Accounts your end users activate.

Source
Akoya: Is Akoya screen scraping?

No. It uses FDX standard APIs with OpenID Connect tokens, so credentials are never shared with or stored by the data recipient.

Merge: Can I access custom data not in Merge's universal schema?

No. Merge works well for standardized integrations but hits limits with enterprise customers. You cannot access data outside Merge's universal schema, cannot customize integration behavior for specific customers, and cannot pull deeply custom data from source systems.

Source
Akoya: Can we use Akoya alone instead of an aggregator?

Usually not. Its investment and large-institution coverage is excellent, but the long tail of smaller institutions is thinner, so most teams run both.

Merge: What happens if I switch away from Merge?

Merge holds your customers' OAuth tokens. Switching providers means asking every customer to re-authenticate, resulting in potential customer churn and unhappy users.

Akoya: Does it help with CFPB section 1033?

It is designed around it, providing tokenised permissioned access and consumer revocation rather than credential sharing.

Merge: Does Merge work with legacy systems?

No. Merge only works if there's an API. Legacy ERPs, government portals, insurance carriers, and older enterprise systems that customers depend on often don't have APIs, making Merge unable to support these integrations.

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