APIs · head to head
Basis Theory vs Creem
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
- -
Creem
Accounting
All-in-one payment and compliance platform for software companies
- From
- $3.9/percent
- 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.; Creem per-transaction fee model scales with volume, potentially expensive for high-frequency transactions
- They diverge on capability: Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API, Creem covers Global payments processing.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Basis Theory and Creem actually diverge.
| Attribute | Basis Theory | Creem |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $995/month | $3.9/percent |
| Pricing model | Per month by token volume | Per-transaction flat rate |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, Linux | Web, iOS, Android |
| Category | APIs | Accounting |
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 Creem
- Global payments processing
- Automated tax compliance
- Subscription billing
- Revenue distribution
- Digital product support
- Fraud protection
- AI business assistant
- Affiliate platform
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 Creem
- A merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirernot Creem
- A fintech collecting bank account and identity data that needs it isolated from its application database before an enterprise security reviewnot Creem
- 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 Creem
Creem
- SaaS subscription billing and managementnot Basis Theory
- Digital product distribution with license keysnot Basis Theory
- Global payment processing across 100+ countriesnot Basis Theory
- Revenue sharing among co-founders and affiliatesnot Basis Theory
- Automated tax compliance for international salesnot 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.
Creem
- Per-transaction fee model scales with volume, potentially expensive for high-frequency transactions
- Limited to software and digital product companies, not suitable for physical goods
- AI business assistant availability and capabilities not fully detailed
- Requires using Creem as Merchant of Record, limiting white-label options
- Mobile app only available in beta for iOS and Android
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
Creem
$3.9/percent- StandardFree
- 3.9% + $0.40 per transaction
- No setup fees
- No monthly fees
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 Creem if
- You need global payments processing.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want automated tax compliance.
Questions people ask
- Is Basis Theory or Creem better?
- Neither clearly leads. Basis Theory starts at $995/month and Creem at $3.9/percent, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Basis Theory or Creem?
- Basis Theory starts at $995/month and Creem at $3.9/percent.
- Does Basis Theory or Creem run on more platforms?
- Basis Theory runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux. Creem runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- 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 Creem is typically brought in for.
- What can Basis Theory do that Creem cannot?
- Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API, Hosted elements, Outbound proxy, PCI attestation of compliance. Creem covers Global payments processing, Automated tax compliance, Subscription billing, Revenue distribution.
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.
Creem: What are Creem's transaction fees compared to competitors?
Creem charges a flat 3.9% plus 40 cents per successful transaction with no additional setup, monthly, or hidden fees. For a $5,000 transaction volume, Creem estimates $235 in fees compared to Lemon Squeezy at $565 ($400 + $165).
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.
Creem: Does Creem handle international tax compliance?
Yes. Creem automatically handles VAT, GST, and sales tax filing and remittance as a Merchant of Record across 50+ countries, eliminating manual tax compliance work.
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.
Creem: Can I use Creem for subscription billing?
Yes. Creem provides subscription management with billing, dunning, and a customer portal. Revenue splits are included for distributing earnings to co-founders and affiliates.
SourceBasis 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
Other head to heads
- Basis Theory vs Skyflow
- Basis Theory vs Increase
- Basis Theory vs Lithic
- Basis Theory vs Volt
- Basis Theory vs Swan
- Basis Theory vs Moov
- Basis Theory vs Trustly
- Basis Theory vs Vodeno
- Basis Theory vs TrueLayer
- Basis Theory vs Paymentology
- Basis Theory vs Akoya
- Basis Theory vs Sila
- Basis Theory vs Backbase
- Basis Theory vs Enfuce
- Basis Theory vs Griffin
- Basis Theory vs Stoplight
- Basis Theory vs Paddle
- Basis Theory vs Lemon Squeezy
- Basis Theory vs Dodo Payments
- Basis Theory vs Polar
- Basis Theory vs Orb
- Basis Theory vs Lago
- Basis Theory vs Metronome
- Basis Theory vs Zuora
- Basis Theory vs Stigg
- Basis Theory vs Chargebee
- Basis Theory vs Medius
- Basis Theory vs Melio
- Basis Theory vs Bench
- Basis Theory vs Billin
- Basis Theory vs Billit
- Basis Theory vs Carta
- Basis Theory vs Causal
- Basis Theory vs Conta
- Creem vs Skyflow
- Creem vs Increase
- Creem vs Lithic
- Creem vs Volt
- Creem vs Swan
- Creem vs Moov
- Creem vs Trustly
- Creem vs Vodeno
- Creem vs TrueLayer
- Creem vs Paymentology
- Creem vs Akoya
- Creem vs Sila
- Creem vs Backbase
- Creem vs Enfuce
- Creem vs Griffin
- Creem vs Stoplight
- Creem vs Paddle
- Creem vs Lemon Squeezy
- Creem vs Dodo Payments
- Creem vs Polar
- Creem vs Orb
- Creem vs Lago
- Creem vs Metronome
- Creem vs Zuora
- Creem vs Stigg
- Creem vs Chargebee
- Creem vs Medius
- Creem vs Melio
- Creem vs Bench
- Creem vs Billin
- Creem vs Billit
- Creem vs Carta
- Creem vs Causal
- Creem vs Conta