APIs · head to head
Basis Theory vs Wise Business
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
- -
Wise Business
Accounting
The smart way to send and receive business payments
- From
- $29/month
- 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.; Wise Business opening a Wise Business account in the UK carries a one off setup fee of 50 GBP
- They diverge on capability: Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API, Wise Business covers Multi-currency accounts.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Basis Theory and Wise Business actually diverge.
| Attribute | Basis Theory | Wise Business |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $995/month | $29/month |
| Pricing model | Per month by token volume | usage-based |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, Linux | Web, Ios, Android, Api |
| Category | APIs | Accounting |
| Founded | Unknown | 2011 |
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 Wise Business
- Multi-currency accounts
- International transfers
- Batch payments
- API access
- Team management
- Xero
- QuickBooks
- Various
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 Wise Business
- A merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirernot Wise Business
- A fintech collecting bank account and identity data that needs it isolated from its application database before an enterprise security reviewnot Wise Business
- 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 Wise Business
Wise Business
- Holding and converting multiple currencies as a businessnot Basis Theory
- Paying international suppliers and contractors at the mid market ratenot Basis Theory
- Receiving payments into local currency account details in several countriesnot 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.
Wise Business
- Opening a Wise Business account in the UK carries a one off setup fee of 50 GBP
- Volume discounts on transfers start only above 20,000 GBP equivalent sent per month
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
Wise Business
$29/month- StandardFree
- Multi-currency account
- Real exchange rate
- Batch payments
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 Wise Business if
- You need multi-currency accounts.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want international transfers.
Questions people ask
- Is Basis Theory or Wise Business better?
- Neither clearly leads. Basis Theory starts at $995/month and Wise Business at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Basis Theory or Wise Business?
- Basis Theory starts at $995/month and Wise Business at $29/month.
- Does Basis Theory or Wise Business run on more platforms?
- Basis Theory runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux. Wise Business runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- 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 Wise Business is typically brought in for.
- What can Basis Theory do that Wise Business cannot?
- Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API, Hosted elements, Outbound proxy, PCI attestation of compliance. Wise Business covers Multi-currency accounts, International transfers, Batch payments, API access.
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.
Wise Business: How fast are international transfers with Wise Business?
Wise Business offers fast global payments with 70% arriving in 20 seconds and 95% arriving in under 24 hours. You can also pay up to 1,000 contacts in a single batch transfer.
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.
Wise Business: Does Wise Business offer volume discounts?
Yes, volume discounts are available on monthly transfers over 20,000 GBP or equivalent.
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.
Wise Business: How does Wise Business keep funds secure?
Wise customers move over AED60 billion monthly with systems built to keep funds safe. The company runs over 7 million daily fraud checks (80 per second), keeps funds diversified with secure financial institutions, and offers 24/7 customer support.
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
More on Wise Business
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