APIs · head to head
Basis Theory vs Brightspot
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
- -
Brightspot
News
The headless CMS for digital publishers and media companies
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: 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.; Brightspot pricing is not published and requires a demo
- They diverge on capability: Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API, Brightspot covers Headless CMS.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Basis Theory and Brightspot actually diverge.
| Attribute | Basis Theory | Brightspot |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $995/month | On request |
| Pricing model | Per month by token volume | quote |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, Linux | Web, Mobile, Headless |
| Category | APIs | News |
| Founded | Unknown | 2006 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Basis Theory
- Tokenisation API
- Hosted elements
- Outbound proxy
- PCI attestation of compliance
- Processor portability
- Reactors
- Access controls and audit
- PII and PHI options
Only in Brightspot
- Headless CMS
- API-first architecture
- Content modeling
- Publishing workflow
- Asset management
- Content versioning
- User permissions
- Scheduling
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
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 Brightspot
- A merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirernot Brightspot
- A fintech collecting bank account and identity data that needs it isolated from its application database before an enterprise security reviewnot Brightspot
- 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 Brightspot
Brightspot
- Headless or hybrid CMS for large editorial operationsnot Basis Theory
- Publishing across web, apps and syndication from one content storenot Basis Theory
- Content operations for newsrooms and broadcastersnot Basis Theory
- Managing large media libraries alongside articlesnot Basis Theory
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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.
Brightspot
- Pricing is not published and requires a demo
- Aimed at enterprise media and publishing organisations rather than smaller sites
Pricing, plan by plan
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$undefined/month
- Quoted
- Additional compliance options for PII and PHI
- Responses for 95 percent of PCI SAQ D
Brightspot
On request- Enterprise$undefined/custom
- Headless CMS
- Multi-site management
- Omnichannel publishing
Which should you pick?
Choose Basis Theory if
- You need tokenisation api.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
- You also want hosted elements.
Choose Brightspot if
- You need headless cms.
- You work on Web, Mobile, Headless.
- You also want api-first architecture.
Questions people ask
- Is Basis Theory or Brightspot better?
- Neither clearly leads. Basis Theory starts at $995/month and Brightspot at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Basis Theory or Brightspot?
- Basis Theory starts at $995/month and Brightspot at On request.
- Does Basis Theory or Brightspot run on more platforms?
- Basis Theory runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux. Brightspot runs on Web, Mobile, Headless.
- What is Basis Theory best used for?
- Basis Theory is most often used for a payments company that wants card on file without bringing its own infrastructure into pci scope and paying for the assessment that follows, a merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirer, a fintech collecting bank account and identity data that needs it isolated from its application database before an enterprise security review, a team that needs to send stored card data to a third party for a one-off integration without that data traversing its own servers. Of those, a payments company that wants card on file without bringing its own infrastructure into pci scope and paying for the assessment that follows and a merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirer are not what Brightspot is typically brought in for.
- What can Basis Theory do that Brightspot cannot?
- Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API, Hosted elements, Outbound proxy, PCI attestation of compliance. Brightspot covers Headless CMS, API-first architecture, Content modeling, Publishing workflow.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
Brightspot: How does Brightspot structure its pricing?
Brightspot uses a flexible, modular pricing approach with the philosophy 'Pay for value as you grow' and 'No bundles, no waste'. The site offers modular add-ons for capabilities like experimentation, security, cloud options, and developer support.
SourceBasis 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.
Brightspot: Are specific pricing amounts published online?
No. Brightspot does not publish specific pricing tiers or dollar amounts. The company invites users to 'Talk to an expert' or 'Request a demo' to discuss pricing, indicating that costs are customized per organization.
SourceBasis 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.
Related pages
More on Basis Theory
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