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Automation Integration · head to head

Alloy Automation vs Nango

Alloy Automation logo

Alloy Automation

Automation Integration

Embedded integration platform and unified API, repositioned from ecommerce automation towards AI agent connectivity

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nango logo

Nango

Automation Integration

Open source unified API and OAuth infrastructure for product integrations, licensed under Elastic License 2.0

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Nango has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Alloy Automation the company has repositioned more than once, from ecommerce workflow automation to embedded integrations and now towards AI agent connectivity, so older reviews and comparisons describe a product that no longer matches what is sold today.; Nango the licence is Elastic License 2.0, which is source available rather than OSI open source, and it forbids offering Nango to third parties as a managed service, so anyone planning to resell or embed it in a platform for their own customers has a genuine legal problem.
  • They diverge on capability: Alloy Automation covers Embedded iPaaS, Nango covers Managed OAuth.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Alloy Automation and Nango actually diverge.

Attributes where Alloy Automation and Nango differ
AttributeAlloy AutomationNango
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotePer connection per month
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Linux, Docker

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Automation Integration).

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 Alloy Automation

  • Embedded iPaaS
  • Unified API
  • Connectivity API
  • MCP support
  • Data transformation
  • Error handling
  • Workflow automation
  • Prebuilt connectors

Only in Nango

  • Managed OAuth
  • Pre-built integrations
  • Custom syncs and actions
  • Incremental sync
  • Rate limit and retry handling
  • Webhooks
  • Self-hosting
  • Unified models

What people use each for

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

Alloy Automation

  • A commerce or operations SaaS whose sales cycles keep stalling on a missing integration that engineering cannot schedulenot Nango
  • A software company that wants its customers to self-serve connections to their own systems inside its product rather than filing support requestsnot Nango
  • A vendor exposing connected systems to an AI agent that needs governed, auditable access rather than direct credential handlingnot Nango
  • A team replacing a growing pile of one-off connectors whose maintenance is consuming a disproportionate share of engineering timenot Nango

Nango

  • A SaaS product that needs to ship twenty customer-facing integrations without hiring a team to maintain OAuth and token refresh for eachnot Alloy Automation
  • A team that needs a niche or internal API integrated, which closed unified API vendors will not build for themnot Alloy Automation
  • A company with data residency or security constraints that must self-host the integration layer rather than send customer tokens to a vendornot Alloy Automation
  • An engineering team replacing a homegrown integration service whose main cost is silent token expiry and rate limit failures in productionnot Alloy Automation

Where each one falls short

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

Alloy Automation

  • The company has repositioned more than once, from ecommerce workflow automation to embedded integrations and now towards AI agent connectivity, so older reviews and comparisons describe a product that no longer matches what is sold today.
  • It is routinely confused with Alloy, the identity and KYC platform, which causes real procurement and security-review confusion and means published comparisons frequently discuss the wrong company entirely.
  • Connector depth is the vendor decision, so a connector that exists may not cover the objects or write operations your feature needs, and you have limited ability to extend it yourself.
  • Embedding a third party into your customers integration experience means their uptime and their rate limits become your support tickets, with your brand on the failure.
  • Pricing is unpublished and scales with connected users, so a successful product that drives integration adoption sees this cost grow in step with its own success rather than flattening out.

Nango

  • The licence is Elastic License 2.0, which is source available rather than OSI open source, and it forbids offering Nango to third parties as a managed service, so anyone planning to resell or embed it in a platform for their own customers has a genuine legal problem.
  • Pricing is per connection where a connection is one authorised end-user account, so cost scales linearly with your customer base and a product where each user links several services multiplies quickly beyond what a headline plan price suggests.
  • Pre-built integrations vary in depth, and a connection that exists is not the same as a connection that covers the endpoints and objects your feature needs, so each one must be verified before it is designed into a roadmap.
  • Custom syncs are written in TypeScript and run in Nango model, which means integration logic lives in a vendor runtime and migrating away later requires rewriting it rather than lifting it out.
  • Self-hosting removes the vendor from the data path but transfers operational responsibility for a component that holds customer OAuth tokens, and few teams appreciate the security burden that comes with running that themselves.

Pricing, plan by plan

Alloy Automation

On request
  • Alloy Embedded and Unified API$undefined/year
    • Quoted by connector count, connected user volume and product mix
    • Separate commercial terms for Embedded, Unified API and MCP offerings
    • Annual agreement typical

Nango

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10 connections
    • Pre-built integrations
    • Managed OAuth
  • Starter$50/month
    • 20 connections included
    • 1 USD per additional connection
    • Custom syncs and actions
  • Growth$500/month
    • 100 connections included
    • 1 USD per additional connection
    • Higher limits
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Quoted
    • Custom connection volumes
    • Security review and SLA

Which should you pick?

Choose Alloy Automation if

  • You need embedded ipaas.
  • You also want unified api.
Alloy Automation review

Choose Nango if

  • You need managed oauth.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Docker.
  • You also want pre-built integrations.
Nango review

Questions people ask

Is Alloy Automation or Nango better?
Neither clearly leads. Alloy Automation starts at On request and Nango at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Alloy Automation or Nango?
Nango has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Alloy Automation and Free for Nango.
Does Alloy Automation or Nango run on more platforms?
Alloy Automation runs on Web. Nango runs on Web, Linux, Docker.
Can I use Nango for free?
Yes. Nango has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Alloy Automation starts at On request.
What is Alloy Automation best used for?
Alloy Automation is most often used for a commerce or operations saas whose sales cycles keep stalling on a missing integration that engineering cannot schedule, a software company that wants its customers to self-serve connections to their own systems inside its product rather than filing support requests, a vendor exposing connected systems to an ai agent that needs governed, auditable access rather than direct credential handling, a team replacing a growing pile of one-off connectors whose maintenance is consuming a disproportionate share of engineering time. Of those, a commerce or operations saas whose sales cycles keep stalling on a missing integration that engineering cannot schedule and a software company that wants its customers to self-serve connections to their own systems inside its product rather than filing support requests are not what Nango is typically brought in for.
What can Alloy Automation do that Nango cannot?
Alloy Automation covers Embedded iPaaS, Unified API, Connectivity API, MCP support. Nango covers Managed OAuth, Pre-built integrations, Custom syncs and actions, Incremental sync.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Alloy Automation: Is this the same as Alloy the KYC company?

No. Alloy Automation is embedded integration infrastructure. Alloy is a separate identity decisioning and KYC platform used by banks. The name collision is a common source of confusion.

Nango: Is Nango open source?

It is source available under Elastic License 2.0. You can read, modify and self-host it, but you cannot offer it to third parties as a managed service. That is not the same as an OSI approved open source licence.

Alloy Automation: Is it still an ecommerce automation tool?

Not primarily. It started there, launched a unified API in 2023, and now positions as embedded integration infrastructure including MCP for AI agents.

Nango: How is it priced?

Per connection per month, where a connection is one authorised end-user account. Free to 10 connections, 50 dollars a month for Starter with 20, 500 for Growth with 100, and one dollar per additional connection.

Alloy Automation: What does it cost?

Not published. Quoted by connector count, connected user volume and which of the embedded, unified API and MCP products you take.

Nango: Can we integrate an API Nango does not support?

Yes. Custom syncs and actions in TypeScript cover any API including internal ones, which is the main advantage over closed unified API products.

Alloy Automation: Can we self-host it?

No. It is a hosted commercial platform, unlike source-available alternatives such as Nango.

Nango: Can we self-host it?

Yes, under the Elastic License 2.0 terms, which permit self-hosting for your own use but not resale as a service.

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