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APIs · head to head

Codat vs Stainless

Codat logo

Codat

APIs

One API for small business accounting, banking and commerce data

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stainless logo

Stainless

APIs

Generates client SDKs, API docs, and MCP servers from an OpenAPI spec

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Stainless 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.; Stainless starter and Pro plan prices are not published and require contacting the company.
  • They diverge on capability: Codat covers Normalised accounting API, Stainless covers SDK generation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Codat and Stainless actually diverge.

Attributes where Codat and Stainless differ
AttributeCodatStainless
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsAPI, Webweb, api

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 Stainless

  • SDK generation
  • MCP server generation
  • Docs site generation
  • Webhooks and streaming support
  • Automated unit tests
  • Git integration

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 Stainless
  • A commercial bank monitoring covenant compliance across a portfolio of small business borrowers continuously rather than quarterlynot Stainless
  • A payment company verifying a merchant trading history before extending working capitalnot Stainless
  • A B2B platform writing bills and payments back into a customer accounting system so reconciliation happens automaticallynot Stainless

Stainless

  • Generating typed SDKs for a public APInot Codat
  • Producing an MCP server from an existing OpenAPI specnot Codat
  • Building an API documentation site alongside client librariesnot Codat
  • Giving open-source APIs a free SDK generation pathnot 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.

Stainless

  • Starter and Pro plan prices are not published and require contacting the company.
  • The free plan caps APIs at 25 endpoints, which excludes larger production APIs.
  • Overage charges apply per SDK/endpoint/month once limits are exceeded, which can make costs unpredictable at scale.

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

Stainless

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 5 generators (SDKs, docs, or MCP servers)
    • 5 seats
    • APIs with 25 or fewer endpoints
  • Starter$undefined/mo
    • Unlimited generators
    • Expanded seats
    • Private SDKs of any size
  • Pro$undefined/mo
    • Custom enterprise features and pricing
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Dedicated support
    • SOC 2 compliance reports
    • Purchase order/invoicing with negotiable terms

Which should you pick?

Choose Codat if

  • You need normalised accounting api.
  • You work on API, Web.
  • You also want banking and commerce data.
Codat review

Choose Stainless if

  • You need sdk generation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want mcp server generation.
Stainless review

Questions people ask

Is Codat or Stainless better?
Neither clearly leads. Codat starts at On request and Stainless at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Codat or Stainless?
Stainless has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Codat and Free for Stainless.
Does Codat or Stainless run on more platforms?
Codat runs on API, Web. Stainless runs on web, api.
Can I use Stainless for free?
Yes. Stainless 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 Stainless is typically brought in for.
What can Codat do that Stainless cannot?
Codat covers Normalised accounting API, Banking and commerce data, Lending products, Write-back. Stainless covers SDK generation, MCP server generation, Docs site generation, Webhooks and streaming support.

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.

Stainless: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

Yes. The Free plan supports up to 5 generators, 5 seats, APIs with 25 or fewer endpoints, and 100 preview builds per month, with email support.

Source
Codat: Can Codat write data back?

Yes. It supports pushing bills, payments and journal entries into accounting systems, not only reading from them.

Stainless: Who owns the generated SDK code?

The generated SDK code is owned by the customer and published by Stainless under the Apache 2.0 license.

Source
Codat: Is pricing published?

No. It is quoted by connected companies, data types and products, and users consistently describe it as opaque.

Stainless: What happens if I exceed my plan's endpoint limit?

Customers exceeding their endpoint limits are billed per SDK, per endpoint, per month for the overage.

Source
Codat: 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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