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APIs · head to head

10x Banking vs Basis Theory

10x Banking logo

10x Banking

APIs

Cloud-native core banking platform built for large incumbent bank migrations

From
On request
Rated
-
Basis Theory logo

Basis Theory

APIs

Developer tokenisation platform that holds card and sensitive data inside a PCI Level 1 environment you do not operate

From
$995/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 10x Banking engagements are multi-year core replacement programmes with costs dominated by migration and integration, so the licence is a minority of what you actually spend.; Basis Theory the Starter plan is 995 US dollars a month before any volume, which is a real floor for an early stage company and puts the product out of reach of teams tokenising a few thousand records.
  • They diverge on capability: 10x Banking covers SuperCore ledger, Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 10x Banking and Basis Theory actually diverge.

Attributes where 10x Banking and Basis Theory differ
Attribute10x BankingBasis Theory
Starting priceOn request$995/month
Pricing modelquotePer month by token volume
PlatformsWeb, REST API, LinuxWeb, iOS, Android, Linux

Identical on both: 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 10x Banking

  • SuperCore ledger
  • Product configuration
  • Event streaming
  • Migration tooling
  • Payments orchestration
  • Cloud deployment

Only in Basis Theory

  • Tokenisation API
  • Hosted elements
  • Outbound proxy
  • PCI attestation of compliance
  • Processor portability
  • Reactors
  • Access controls and audit
  • PII and PHI options

What people use each for

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

10x Banking

  • A tier-one bank replacing a mainframe core over several years while keeping it running in parallelnot Basis Theory
  • A bank launching a separate digital brand on a modern core before migrating the main booknot Basis Theory
  • An institution whose regulator demands real-time transaction data its legacy core cannot producenot Basis Theory
  • A bank whose product launch cycle is limited by core release schedules rather than by demandnot Basis Theory

Basis Theory

  • A payments company that wants card on file without bringing its own infrastructure into PCI scope and paying for the assessment that followsnot 10x Banking
  • A merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirernot 10x Banking
  • A fintech collecting bank account and identity data that needs it isolated from its application database before an enterprise security reviewnot 10x Banking
  • A team that needs to send stored card data to a third party for a one-off integration without that data traversing its own serversnot 10x Banking

Where each one falls short

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

10x Banking

  • Engagements are multi-year core replacement programmes with costs dominated by migration and integration, so the licence is a minority of what you actually spend.
  • The customer list is small and concentrated in large institutions, which makes reference checking and benchmarking difficult before committing.
  • It is a smaller vendor than Temenos or Finastra carrying a systemically important workload, and bank procurement teams treat that concentration as a genuine risk.
  • Product configuration replaces code but shifts complexity into configuration governance, which banks must staff and control just as carefully as software releases.
  • Value only appears after migration, so a programme cancelled or paused mid-transition leaves the bank running two cores and paying for both.

Basis Theory

  • The Starter plan is 995 US dollars a month before any volume, which is a real floor for an early stage company and puts the product out of reach of teams tokenising a few thousand records.
  • Starter is limited to the US region, so a company with European data residency requirements is pushed into a quoted Scale or Enterprise agreement immediately.
  • Log retention on Starter is 24 hours, which is well below what most security teams expect for a system holding cardholder data and forces an upgrade for reasons unrelated to volume.
  • Migrating away means moving card data out of the vault, which requires processor and assessor involvement and is slow, so the portability argument that attracts buyers cuts against them at exit.
  • An attestation of compliance covers the vendor environment, not your assessment; your assessor still decides what is in scope, and buyers occasionally discover their integration pattern pulled systems back into scope anyway.

Pricing, plan by plan

10x Banking

On request
  • SuperCore$undefined/year
    • Multi-year enterprise licence, quoted
    • Scaling by accounts, transaction volume and product lines
    • Substantial implementation and migration programme costs

Basis Theory

$995/month
  • Starter$995/month
    • 20,000 tokens included
    • Production PCI Level 1 environment
    • US region only
  • Scale$undefined/month
    • Quoted
    • Higher token volumes
    • Additional regions
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Quoted
    • Additional compliance options for PII and PHI
    • Responses for 95 percent of PCI SAQ D

Which should you pick?

Choose 10x Banking if

  • You need supercore ledger.
  • You work on Web, REST API, Linux.
  • You also want product configuration.

Choose Basis Theory if

  • You need tokenisation api.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
  • You also want hosted elements.

Questions people ask

Is 10x Banking or Basis Theory better?
Neither clearly leads. 10x Banking starts at On request and Basis Theory at $995/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 10x Banking or Basis Theory?
10x Banking starts at On request and Basis Theory at $995/month.
Does 10x Banking or Basis Theory run on more platforms?
10x Banking runs on Web, REST API, Linux. Basis Theory runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
What is 10x Banking best used for?
10x Banking is most often used for a tier-one bank replacing a mainframe core over several years while keeping it running in parallel, a bank launching a separate digital brand on a modern core before migrating the main book, an institution whose regulator demands real-time transaction data its legacy core cannot produce, a bank whose product launch cycle is limited by core release schedules rather than by demand. Of those, a tier-one bank replacing a mainframe core over several years while keeping it running in parallel and a bank launching a separate digital brand on a modern core before migrating the main book are not what Basis Theory is typically brought in for.
What can 10x Banking do that Basis Theory cannot?
10x Banking covers SuperCore ledger, Product configuration, Event streaming, Migration tooling. Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API, Hosted elements, Outbound proxy, PCI attestation of compliance.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

10x Banking: Who is 10x Banking for?

Large incumbent banks running core replacement, not challengers or fintechs looking for a quick launch.

Basis Theory: Does this make us PCI compliant?

It removes cardholder data from your systems and gives you an AOC plus documented responses for most of a SAQ D. Your assessor still determines your scope, and a careless integration can pull systems back in.

10x Banking: How long does implementation take?

Years rather than months. Migration design and coexistence with the legacy core dominate the timeline.

Basis Theory: What does it cost to start?

995 US dollars a month on Starter, including 20,000 tokens, a production PCI Level 1 environment and US hosting. Higher tiers are quoted.

10x Banking: Is pricing published?

No. It is a quoted multi-year enterprise licence scaled by accounts, transaction volume and product lines.

Basis Theory: Can we switch payment processors without re-collecting cards?

Yes, that is the main non-compliance reason to buy it. You hold the tokens and detokenise into whichever processor you route to.

Basis Theory: Is data stored outside the United States?

Not on Starter, which is US only. Other regions require a Scale or Enterprise agreement.

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