APIs · head to head
Codat vs curl
Codat
APIs
One API for small business accounting, banking and commerce data
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
curl
APIs
Command-line tool for transferring data using URLs with wide protocol support
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only curl has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Codat the accounting platforms are metering developer access themselves, with Xero introducing tiered connection based developer pricing from 2 March 2026, so a cost you do not control has been inserted between you and the data and it scales with the number of customers you connect.; curl open-source with no vendor pricing: curl is free and open-source under GPL 3.0; no subscription or licensing costs apply
- They diverge on capability: Codat covers Normalised accounting API, curl covers HTTP/HTTPS.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Codat and curl actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 Codat
- Normalised accounting API
- Banking and commerce data
- Lending products
- Write-back
- Business verification
- Supplier onboarding
- Connection management
- Data quality handling
Only in curl
- HTTP/HTTPS
- FTP
- Multiple protocols
- Universal compatibility
- Scripting tools
- Linux support
- MacOS support
- Windows support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Codat
- A business lender that wants live ledger data for underwriting rather than a borrower emailing exported PDF accountsnot curl
- A commercial bank monitoring covenant compliance across a portfolio of small business borrowers continuously rather than quarterlynot curl
- A payment company verifying a merchant trading history before extending working capitalnot curl
- A B2B platform writing bills and payments back into a customer accounting system so reconciliation happens automaticallynot curl
curl
- API Developmentnot Codat
- API Gatewaynot Codat
- API Testingnot Codat
- API Documentationnot Codat
- Microservicesnot Codat
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Codat
- The accounting platforms are metering developer access themselves, with Xero introducing tiered connection based developer pricing from 2 March 2026, so a cost you do not control has been inserted between you and the data and it scales with the number of customers you connect.
- Pricing is opaque and enterprise shaped for a product developers expect to evaluate technically first, so build decisions get made before anyone knows the unit economics.
- Normalisation hides but does not remove the underlying differences between accounting systems, and edge cases in multi-currency, journals and tax handling surface as data quality problems that your team must reason about in each source system anyway.
- Data quality depends on the small business keeping its books properly, so a lender using ledger data for underwriting inherits the bookkeeping standard of its worst borrower and needs its own validation layer regardless.
- Connection breakage from expired tokens and platform API changes is an ongoing operational load, and a borrower whose connection lapses stops being monitored silently, which is the failure mode that matters most in a lending portfolio.
curl
- Open-source with no vendor pricing: curl is free and open-source under GPL 3.0; no subscription or licensing costs apply
- Commercial support costs hidden: site references 'commercial support available' but pricing is not detailed or accessible from homepage
- No SaaS model: curl is a command-line tool and library; costs are limited to optional commercial support contracts (pricing unknown)
- Self-support burden: free software means customers rely on community forums or undisclosed commercial support pricing
Pricing, plan by plan
Codat
On request- Codat Platform$undefined/year
- Priced by connected companies, data types and products
- Lending and verification products priced above core data access
- Annual enterprise agreements
curl
Free- Open SourceFree
- Full curl functionality
- Community support
Which should you pick?
Choose Codat if
- You need normalised accounting api.
- You work on API, Web.
- You also want banking and commerce data.
Choose curl if
- You need http/https.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, MacOS, Windows, Unix, Mobile.
- You also want ftp.
Questions people ask
- Is Codat or curl better?
- Neither clearly leads. Codat starts at On request and curl at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Codat or curl?
- curl has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Codat and Free for curl.
- Does Codat or curl run on more platforms?
- Codat runs on API, Web. curl runs on Linux, MacOS, Windows, Unix, Mobile.
- Can I use curl for free?
- Yes. curl has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Codat starts at On request.
- What is Codat best used for?
- Codat is most often used for a business lender that wants live ledger data for underwriting rather than a borrower emailing exported pdf accounts, a commercial bank monitoring covenant compliance across a portfolio of small business borrowers continuously rather than quarterly, a payment company verifying a merchant trading history before extending working capital, a b2b platform writing bills and payments back into a customer accounting system so reconciliation happens automatically. Of those, a business lender that wants live ledger data for underwriting rather than a borrower emailing exported pdf accounts and a commercial bank monitoring covenant compliance across a portfolio of small business borrowers continuously rather than quarterly are not what curl is typically brought in for.
- What can Codat do that curl cannot?
- Codat covers Normalised accounting API, Banking and commerce data, Lending products, Write-back. curl covers HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, Multiple protocols, Universal compatibility.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Codat: What is changing with Xero in 2026?
Xero is introducing a tiered, usage based developer pricing model effective 2 March 2026, with tiers based on the number of customer connections an app holds. That is a new cost in the chain for anyone reading Xero data at scale, whether directly or through Codat.
curl: How much does curl cost?
curl is free and open-source software under the GPL 3.0 license. There is no cost to download, use, or modify the software.
SourceCodat: Can Codat write data back?
Yes. It supports pushing bills, payments and journal entries into accounting systems, not only reading from them.
curl: Is commercial support available for curl?
Yes. The curl website references 'commercial support available,' but pricing and details are not disclosed on the homepage and require visiting the support page.
SourceCodat: Is pricing published?
No. It is quoted by connected companies, data types and products, and users consistently describe it as opaque.
curl: Can I sponsor curl financially?
Yes. The curl website offers an option to 'Sponsor curl financially.' Visitors can donate to support curl development, but the donation link must be accessed through the site's support section.
SourceCodat: Does it replace bank data aggregation?
Not entirely. It covers banking alongside accounting and commerce, but lenders commonly run it beside a bank aggregator for transaction level cash flow.
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