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APIs · head to head

Column vs Thredd

Column logo

Column

APIs

A nationally chartered US bank that ships its own API, with no middleware in between

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Thredd logo

Thredd

APIs

Issuer processing platform for fintechs and digital banks, formerly Global Processing Services

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Column column publishes no pricing whatsoever, so there is no way to model cost before a sales process, and terms are negotiated per programme which favours larger, more sophisticated buyers.; Thredd pricing is entirely unpublished, so cost comparison against competing processors requires a sales process.
  • They diverge on capability: Column covers National bank charter, Thredd covers Issuer processing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Column and Thredd actually diverge.

Attributes where Column and Thredd differ
AttributeColumnThredd

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Web, API), 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 Column

  • National bank charter
  • Direct Federal Reserve access
  • Ledger and accounts
  • International wires
  • Real-time payments
  • Lending
  • Cheque handling
  • Correspondent banking

Only in Thredd

  • Issuer processing
  • Multi-country reach
  • Scheme certification
  • Programme support across verticals
  • High platform availability
  • Global office footprint

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Column

  • A fintech that has been burned by a middleware provider failing and wants its deposits held by the same entity that provides the APInot Thredd
  • A payments company needing direct Fedwire and Swift access rather than routing through a correspondent it cannot seenot Thredd
  • A lender that wants origination, funding and deposit accounts from one chartered institution instead of three counterpartiesnot Thredd
  • A payroll or treasury platform where same-day settlement certainty matters more than fast onboardingnot Thredd

Thredd

  • A digital bank or fintech needing issuer processing across many countries under one contractnot Column
  • A BNPL, lending or crypto product needing certified card processing behind its own brandnot Column
  • A company that finds outdated Global Processing Services (GPS) material and needs to confirm it is now Threddnot Column
  • An embedded finance platform wanting a processor already integrated with core banking systems such as Mambunot Column

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Column

  • Column publishes no pricing whatsoever, so there is no way to model cost before a sales process, and terms are negotiated per programme which favours larger, more sophisticated buyers.
  • Onboarding is bank diligence rather than vendor sign-up, and programmes routinely spend several months on compliance review, flow of funds documentation and volume forecasting before the first live transaction.
  • Column selects its customers and declines many, so the charter advantage is only available to programmes it considers acceptable risk, which excludes most early-stage teams.
  • It is United States only, so any programme with international account or local payment needs must add a second banking relationship and reconcile across both.
  • Being the bank means Column also carries the bank's regulatory constraints, so product changes that affect risk, such as new customer segments or higher-risk flows, need approval rather than a configuration change.

Thredd

  • Pricing is entirely unpublished, so cost comparison against competing processors requires a sales process.
  • The 2023 rebrand from GPS to Thredd means research under either name alone can miss relevant material, and partner or press references before 2023 will still say GPS.
  • Issuer processing does not include the banking licence itself, so a fintech still needs a separate BIN sponsor or bank partner, adding a second relationship to manage.
  • As shared infrastructure behind many fintech brands, an outage or processing delay at Thredd becomes a simultaneous incident for every programme running on it, with limited visibility for any single customer into root cause.
  • Its verticals span crypto, BNPL and remittance broadly, so depth of specialist support in any one vertical may be thinner than a processor focused narrowly on that niche.

Pricing, plan by plan

Column

On request
  • Column Bank Platform$undefined/year
    • Deposit accounts and ledger
    • ACH, wire, RTP and cheque rails
    • International wires over Swift

Thredd

On request
  • Thredd$undefined/year
    • Volume and programme-based pricing, not published
    • Custom quote required via sales

Which should you pick?

Choose Column if

  • You need national bank charter.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want direct federal reserve access.
Column review

Choose Thredd if

  • You need issuer processing.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want multi-country reach.
Thredd review

Questions people ask

Is Column or Thredd better?
Neither clearly leads. Column starts at On request and Thredd at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Column or Thredd?
Column starts at On request and Thredd at On request.
Does Column or Thredd run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, API, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Column best used for?
Column is most often used for a fintech that has been burned by a middleware provider failing and wants its deposits held by the same entity that provides the api, a payments company needing direct fedwire and swift access rather than routing through a correspondent it cannot see, a lender that wants origination, funding and deposit accounts from one chartered institution instead of three counterparties, a payroll or treasury platform where same-day settlement certainty matters more than fast onboarding. Of those, a fintech that has been burned by a middleware provider failing and wants its deposits held by the same entity that provides the api and a payments company needing direct fedwire and swift access rather than routing through a correspondent it cannot see are not what Thredd is typically brought in for.
What can Column do that Thredd cannot?
Column covers National bank charter, Direct Federal Reserve access, Ledger and accounts, International wires. Thredd covers Issuer processing, Multi-country reach, Scheme certification, Programme support across verticals.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Column: Is Column actually a bank?

Yes. It is a nationally chartered, FDIC-insured bank, which is why there is no sponsor bank behind it.

Thredd: Is Thredd the same company as Global Processing Services?

Yes, GPS rebranded as Thredd in 2023; it is the same company and platform.

Column: How is that different from Synctera or Unit?

Those are technology providers that connect you to a separate sponsor bank. With Column the API provider and the depository institution are the same company.

Thredd: Does it hold the banking licence for programmes it processes?

No, Thredd is the issuer processor; a separate bank or BIN sponsor holds the actual issuing licence.

Column: What does Column cost?

Nothing is published. Pricing is negotiated per programme.

Thredd: Is pricing published?

No, it requires a sales conversation.

Column: How long does onboarding take?

Expect months. This is bank-grade diligence on your compliance programme, not a vendor sign-up.

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