APIs · head to head
Astra vs Episode Six
Astra
APIs
Instant payments API for push-to-card, card-to-account and FedNow transfers
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Episode Six
APIs
Payment processing and ledger platform deployable on premise or in your own cloud
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Astra push-to-card costs materially more per transaction than ACH, so a platform that switches all payouts to instant sees payment costs rise sharply, and the usual answer of charging the recipient for speed only works where recipients will pay.; Episode Six deployment on premise or in a private tenancy means the institution carries infrastructure, upgrade and PCI scope work that a hosted processor would absorb.
- They diverge on capability: Astra covers Instant disbursements, Episode Six covers Tritium API platform.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Astra and Episode Six actually diverge.
| Attribute | Astra | Episode Six |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | API, Web, iOS, Android | Web, API, On-premise |
Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), 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 Astra
- Instant disbursements
- Card to account
- Net debit mode
- FedNow and RTP transfers
- ACH transfers
- Routing logic
- SDK
- Sandbox
Only in Episode Six
- Tritium API platform
- Flexible deployment
- Multi product issuing
- Digital wallets
- Multi currency ledger
- Network connectivity
- Configurable product engine
- Institutional controls
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Astra
- A gig or marketplace platform paying workers to their debit cards at the end of a shift rather than on a weekly ACH cyclenot Episode Six
- An insurer settling small claims instantly to a claimant debit card to remove the cheque processnot Episode Six
- A lending product disbursing approved funds in seconds so the borrower experience matches the approval decisionnot Episode Six
- A consumer fintech letting users fund a new account from an existing debit card so the balance is usable immediatelynot Episode Six
Episode Six
- A bank in a jurisdiction with data residency rules that forbid processing customer data in a shared multi tenant cloudnot Astra
- A large institution replacing a legacy card processor without moving off its own infrastructurenot Astra
- A telco or airline launching a branded wallet and card product at national scalenot Astra
- A bank running prepaid, debit and credit products that wants them on one ledger rather than three processorsnot Astra
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Astra
- Push-to-card costs materially more per transaction than ACH, so a platform that switches all payouts to instant sees payment costs rise sharply, and the usual answer of charging the recipient for speed only works where recipients will pay.
- Original Credit Transaction support is not universal across card issuers, so a proportion of payouts fall back to slower rails and you must build and explain a two speed experience rather than promising instant to everyone.
- The programme depends on Cross River Bank as sponsor, a bank with concentrated fintech exposure and a documented regulatory history, so a single supervisory action on that institution is a direct operational risk to your payouts.
- Nothing is published on pricing, and per transaction economics vary by rail and volume, so small platforms cannot estimate cost before a sales conversation and have limited leverage in it.
- FedNow reach still depends on the recipient bank participating, so instant account-to-account is not available to every recipient and the routing logic has to degrade gracefully, which is more integration work than the single API framing suggests.
Episode Six
- Deployment on premise or in a private tenancy means the institution carries infrastructure, upgrade and PCI scope work that a hosted processor would absorb.
- Implementation runs to quarters and involves core banking, network certification and fraud system integration, so time to first card is far longer than with a self serve issuer processor.
- Pricing is entirely bespoke and weighted to large programmes, which prices out fintechs and small issuers who would be better served by a hosted platform.
- Being smaller than the incumbent processors, its network certifications and operational presence vary by region, so a global rollout can find gaps in specific markets.
- The flexibility of six hundred APIs and a configurable product engine shifts design responsibility onto the buyer, and institutions without strong internal payments architects end up dependent on professional services.
Pricing, plan by plan
Astra
On request- Astra Payments$undefined/year
- Per transaction pricing quoted by volume and rail
- Push-to-card economics differ materially from ACH
- Net debit mode available in place of prefunding
Episode Six
On request- Tritium platform$undefined/year
- Licence and implementation quoted per institution
- Deployment model affects cost materially: on premise, private cloud or hosted
- Processing fees typically per transaction or per active card
Which should you pick?
Choose Astra if
- You need instant disbursements.
- You work on API, Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want card to account.
Choose Episode Six if
- You need tritium api platform.
- You work on Web, API, On-premise.
- You also want flexible deployment.
Questions people ask
- Is Astra or Episode Six better?
- Neither clearly leads. Astra starts at On request and Episode Six at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Astra or Episode Six?
- Astra starts at On request and Episode Six at On request.
- Does Astra or Episode Six run on more platforms?
- Astra runs on API, Web, iOS, Android. Episode Six runs on Web, API, On-premise.
- What is Astra best used for?
- Astra is most often used for a gig or marketplace platform paying workers to their debit cards at the end of a shift rather than on a weekly ach cycle, an insurer settling small claims instantly to a claimant debit card to remove the cheque process, a lending product disbursing approved funds in seconds so the borrower experience matches the approval decision, a consumer fintech letting users fund a new account from an existing debit card so the balance is usable immediately. Of those, a gig or marketplace platform paying workers to their debit cards at the end of a shift rather than on a weekly ach cycle and an insurer settling small claims instantly to a claimant debit card to remove the cheque process are not what Episode Six is typically brought in for.
- What can Astra do that Episode Six cannot?
- Astra covers Instant disbursements, Card to account, Net debit mode, FedNow and RTP transfers. Episode Six covers Tritium API platform, Flexible deployment, Multi product issuing, Digital wallets.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Astra: Who is the sponsor bank?
Cross River Bank. All banking and payment services run through that relationship, so the bank should be part of your diligence rather than an implementation detail.
Episode Six: Can Episode Six run inside our own data centre?
Yes. On premise and private cloud deployment is the main reason banks choose it over hosted only processors.
Astra: Do I have to prefund payouts?
Not necessarily. Astra offers a net debit arrangement where disbursements settle against a reserve rather than a permanently funded float account, which is the main working capital argument for the product.
Episode Six: Is it suitable for a startup issuing its first cards?
Not really. The licence, implementation timeline and cost are aimed at banks and large institutions.
Astra: Is every payout instant?
No. Push-to-card requires the recipient card issuer to support Original Credit Transactions, and FedNow requires the recipient bank to participate. The rest fall back to ACH.
Episode Six: Do we still need a card licence or sponsor?
Yes. Episode Six is a processor. Network membership, licensing or a sponsor arrangement remains your responsibility.
Astra: What does it cost?
Nothing is published. Pricing is per transaction and varies by rail and volume, and card rails cost considerably more than ACH.
Related pages
More on Episode Six
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