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APIs · head to head

Basis Theory vs Merge

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
-
Full reviewWebsite
Merge logo

Merge

Automation Integration

One API for all your integrations

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Merge has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; Merge cannot access data outside Merge's universal schema; no support for custom objects or deep field mappings
  • They diverge on capability: Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API, Merge covers Unified API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Basis Theory and Merge actually diverge.

Attributes where Basis Theory and Merge differ
AttributeBasis TheoryMerge
Starting price$995/monthFree
Pricing modelPer month by token volumeusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, LinuxApi
CategoryAPIsAutomation Integration
FoundedUnknown2020

Identical on both: 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 Merge

  • Unified API
  • HRIS integrations
  • Accounting integrations
  • CRM integrations
  • ATS integrations
  • Ticketing integrations
  • File storage integrations
  • Workday

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 Merge
  • A merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirernot Merge
  • A fintech collecting bank account and identity data that needs it isolated from its application database before an enterprise security reviewnot Merge
  • 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 Merge

Merge

  • Workflow Automationnot Basis Theory
  • Data Integrationnot Basis Theory
  • Process Automationnot Basis Theory
  • App Integrationnot Basis Theory
  • API Connectivitynot 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.

Merge

  • Cannot access data outside Merge's universal schema; no support for custom objects or deep field mappings
  • Merge holds customer OAuth tokens, creating vendor lock-in; switching providers requires re-authentication from all customers
  • No support for legacy systems without APIs; limited to modern SaaS applications
  • Pricing complexity at scale with multiple dimensions (workflows, tasks, connectors) affecting costs

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

Merge

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 linked account
    • All integrations
    • Standard support
  • Launch$650/month
    • 50 linked accounts
    • All categories
    • Email support
  • Scale$2500/month
    • Unlimited accounts
    • Priority support
    • SLA
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Dedicated support
    • Custom contracts
    • Advanced security

Which should you pick?

Choose Basis Theory if

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

Choose Merge if

  • You need unified api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Api.
  • You also want hris integrations.
Merge review

Questions people ask

Is Basis Theory or Merge better?
Neither clearly leads. Basis Theory starts at $995/month and Merge at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Basis Theory or Merge?
Merge has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $995/month for Basis Theory and Free for Merge.
Does Basis Theory or Merge run on more platforms?
Basis Theory runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux. Merge runs on Api.
Can I use Merge for free?
Yes. Merge has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Basis Theory starts at $995/month.
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 Merge is typically brought in for.
What can Basis Theory do that Merge cannot?
Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API, Hosted elements, Outbound proxy, PCI attestation of compliance. Merge covers Unified API, HRIS integrations, Accounting integrations, CRM integrations.

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.

Merge: What is a Linked Account in Merge?

A Linked Account represents an end customer's authenticated connection to a third-party application (like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zendesk). Merge pricing is based on the number of production Linked Accounts your end users activate.

Source
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.

Merge: Can I access custom data not in Merge's universal schema?

No. Merge works well for standardized integrations but hits limits with enterprise customers. You cannot access data outside Merge's universal schema, cannot customize integration behavior for specific customers, and cannot pull deeply custom data from source systems.

Source
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.

Merge: What happens if I switch away from Merge?

Merge holds your customers' OAuth tokens. Switching providers means asking every customer to re-authenticate, resulting in potential customer churn and unhappy users.

Basis Theory: Is data stored outside the United States?

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

Merge: Does Merge work with legacy systems?

No. Merge only works if there's an API. Legacy ERPs, government portals, insurance carriers, and older enterprise systems that customers depend on often don't have APIs, making Merge unable to support these integrations.

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