APIs · head to head
Astra vs Stoplight
Astra
APIs
Instant payments API for push-to-card, card-to-account and FedNow transfers
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Stoplight has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- 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.; Stoplight the free plan allows one project and one user
- They diverge on capability: Astra covers Instant disbursements, Stoplight covers API Design.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Astra and Stoplight 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 Astra
- Instant disbursements
- Card to account
- Net debit mode
- FedNow and RTP transfers
- ACH transfers
- Routing logic
- SDK
- Sandbox
Only in Stoplight
- API Design
- API Documentation
- Governance
- GitHub
- GitLab
- Jenkins
- Azure DevOps
- Web support
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 Stoplight
- An insurer settling small claims instantly to a claimant debit card to remove the cheque processnot Stoplight
- A lending product disbursing approved funds in seconds so the borrower experience matches the approval decisionnot Stoplight
- A consumer fintech letting users fund a new account from an existing debit card so the balance is usable immediatelynot Stoplight
Stoplight
- API design and documentationnot Astra
- API governance and standardsnot Astra
- Team collaboration on API developmentnot Astra
- API mocking and testingnot 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.
Stoplight
- The free plan allows one project and one user
- Private projects, multi branch support and custom domains start at the Startup plan, $113 a month billed annually
- SSO and shared style guides are Pro Team only, at $362 a month billed annually
- Seats beyond each plan's allowance are $11 to $27 each per month depending on tier and billing period
Pricing, plan by plan
Astra
On request- Astra Payments$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
Stoplight
Free- FreeFree
- 1 project
- 1 user
- Basic API design and documentation features
- Basic$56/month
- Annual: $44/user/year
- 3 included users; $14 per additional user (monthly)
- Unlimited projects
- Startup$147/month
- Annual: $113/user/year
- 8 included users; $14 per additional user (monthly)
- Private projects
- Pro Team$453/month
- Annual: $362/user/year
- 15 included users; $27 per additional user (monthly)
- Up to 20 teams
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 Stoplight if
- You need api design.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Cloud.
- You also want api documentation.
Questions people ask
- Is Astra or Stoplight better?
- Neither clearly leads. Astra starts at On request and Stoplight at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Astra or Stoplight?
- Stoplight has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Astra and Free for Stoplight.
- Does Astra or Stoplight run on more platforms?
- Astra runs on API, Web, iOS, Android. Stoplight runs on Web, Cloud.
- Can I use Stoplight for free?
- Yes. Stoplight has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Astra starts at On request.
- 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 Stoplight is typically brought in for.
- What can Astra do that Stoplight cannot?
- Astra covers Instant disbursements, Card to account, Net debit mode, FedNow and RTP transfers. Stoplight covers API Design, API Documentation, Governance, GitHub.
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.
Stoplight: How much does Stoplight cost?
Stoplight starts with a free plan (1 project, 1 user), then Basic at $56/month per user (or $44/year), Startup at $147/month per user (or $113/year), Pro Team at $453/month per user (or $362/year), and Enterprise at custom pricing.
SourceAstra: 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.
Stoplight: How many included users are in each Stoplight plan?
Basic includes 3 users, Startup includes 8 users, and Pro Team includes 15 users. Additional users beyond the included count cost $14/month for Basic and Startup, or $27/month for Pro Team.
SourceAstra: 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.
Stoplight: Does Stoplight offer a free trial?
Yes, all paid Stoplight plans include a 14-day free trial. The free plan has no trial period as it is always available.
SourceAstra: 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.
Stoplight: Does Stoplight's free plan have limitations?
Yes, the free plan includes only 1 project and 1 user. Users viewing public documentation anonymously are not counted toward the 1-user limit.
SourceRelated pages
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